Thailand marks King Bhumibol Adulyadej's 60 years on the throne

Nearly 20 years ago, in 1988, the Thai people celebrated their monarch's becoming the longest-reigning king in Thai history. Later, a joyous nation celebrated the 50th Anniversary, or Golden Jubilee, of His Majesty's Accession to the Throne. Like the Chao Phraya River which flows through the heart of Thailand, the life of His Majesty the King has flowed through the lives, the hopes and hearts of the kingdom that fate brought to him.

Born in Boston, and educated in Switzerland, the King is a man of the world, as well as a man of his country. King Bhumibol Adulyadej Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is named after Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, King Rama IX. The square in Cambridge reflects the pride that the town takes in its status as the only place in the U.S.A to have had a king born in its midst. The only Thai monarch born abroad was educated in Switzerland, and has played a key role in bringing Thailand into hearts of people around the world.

His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Rama IX succeeded to the throne of Thailand on June 9, 1946 and his coronation was not until nearly four years later on Friday, May 5, 1950. Besides being the longest reigning monarch in Thai history, he is the first monarch to have visited every province in the country.

On the day of his coronation, His Majesty elevated his bride of one week to the status of Queen, bestowing upon her the title Somdech Phra Nang Chao (Sirikit) Phra Baromma Rajini, or, Her Majesty Queen Sirikit. Her Majesty the Queen has been a helpmate to His Majesty throughout their life together.

On the same day as his coronation, His Majesty the King vowed to protect Buddhism, the religion of most of his subjects, in a ceremony at which Thailand's senior monks formally acknowledged him as Head of the Sangha (the Buddhist Order) and Protector of All Faiths. His Majesty the King was himself temporarily ordained as a Buddhist monk in October 1956.

His Majesty is an accomplished writer and translator. His best-known translations include A Man Called Intrepid and Tito, translated into Thai, and the Mahajanaka translated from Thai into English. The King's English translation of the Mahajanaka, completed in 1988, was published in accord with His Majesty's wishes on the auspicious occasion of the Golden Jubilee of his reign.

The King enjoys such sports as water-skiing and badminton. An avid sailor, in 1964 he built an international Enterprise Class sailing vessel with his own hands. The boat, Rajpataen, or Royal Pattern, was christened in the moat surrounding Chitralada Villa. His Majesty also built three Moth Class boats: the Mod, the Super Mod and the Micro Mod. All three boats have been officially registered in the International Moth class in England.

His Majesty is a photographer. As a child in Switzerland he began painting. In 1982, nearly 50 of his paintings were exhibited at the National Art Gallery in Bangkok. The King is an accomplished musician who bought his first musical instrument, a clarinet, with his own money at age ten. At 18, he began to compose. Encouraged by his elder brother, His Majesty King Ananda Mahidol, to explore the blues, he wrote Candlelight Blues in 1946. Other famous compositions include Love at Sundown and Falling Rain. His Majesty has composed music especially for Chulalongkorn, Thammasat and Kasetsart Universities. His Majesty's musical group, the Aw Saw Band, is made up of courtiers and well-known Thai musicians. He encouraged Thai composers and musicians to establish a music society. They formed a club which later became the Music Association of Thailand. His Majesty's cousin, and sometime lyricist, the late H.R.H. Prince Chakrabandha Bensiri, was its first president.

In 1964, His Majesty the King was named an honorary member of the Academy for Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, Austria. He was the 23rd member, and the first Asian ever to be so honoured.

A Monarch with a Heart for Development, Education and The Future

In 1952, His Majesty initiated his first development project, a road and a reservoir, in Hua Hin district of Prachuap Khiri Khan province. Other development projects were to follow. He has laboured to improve the lives and health of his subjects, supported empowerment, and seeks development strategies that the people can themselves pursue, sustaining local development without outside assistance. His projects now number almost 3,000 -- in education, the environment, public health and welfare, soil, water resources and irrigation.

Over many years in response to the challenges of globalisation and consequent economic instability and sometimes destructive social change, His Majesty the King, articulated an economic philosophy, "Sufficiency Economy", a philosophy allowing for local development and moderate consumption, relative local self-sufficiency and sufficient but not excessive material wealth. Following 'small is beautiful' thinking expressed in various forms in different societies, his programme encourages greater economic equity and relative independence from shocks to the global economic system.

His Majesty established the first Romklao School in the northeastern province of Nakhon Phanom in 1972 to give primary and secondary educational opportunities to children in remote areas. His Majesty cares greatly for his ethnic minority subjects in the remote north. In 1970, he initiated what is now known as the Royal Project, encouraging the hill peoples to cultivate crops other than opium.

In 1965, His Majesty King Bhumibol revived the King's Scholarship. The scholarships were first awarded by King Chulalongkorn (King Rama V) to send bright young Thais to study in the West, as part of the modernisation of then Siam. King Bhumibol's concept of self-help was expanded with the establishment of Royal Development Study Centres which play a significant role in rural development. In 1975, the King established the Phra Dabot School to make education available to all regardless of sex, age or social status.

Clinics have been established near the entrances of many of His Majesty's provincial residences. All the clinics are free. When it was discovered that many villagers suffered dental problems, His Majesty arranged for the establishment of the Royal Mobile Dental Unit. In 1992, the World Health Organization (WHO) awarded His Majesty its Health-for-All Gold Medal for services ensuring the nation's good health.

Establishing a variety of foundations and projects, His Majesty has led development of new responses to old problems, such as The Chaipattana Foundation, which accelerates rural development by supplementing government programs that are hampered by budget shortfalls or procedural problems.

The Future...

Sixty years on the throne, given to his people by a monarch with a heart, a mind, and commitment, means that Thailand can face its future with hope and resilience.

TNA

Thais gather to honour HM the King's 60th year on the throne

BANGKOK, June 9 (TNA) - Hundreds of thousands of Thais gathered at the Royal Plaza in the heart of Bangkok Friday morning to see His Majesty the King make a rare public appearance to mark HM the King's 60th anniversary on the throne.

Thais from around the kingdom, united in showing their colour, yellow polo and tee shirts -- yellow being the King's birth colour for Monday, the day of his birth -- packed the Royal Plaza in considerable heat in the hope of catching a glimpse of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and show their loyalty and gratitude to the monarch's faithful conduct of royal duties and his dedication to the people.

King Bhumibol is the ninth king of the Chakri Dynasty and ascended to the throne exactly 60 years ago today, on June 9, 1946.

Their Majesties the King and Queen paid homage the past kings of the Chakri Dynasty and received blessings from senior Buddhist monks before granting an audience to representatives of the Royal Family, privy councillors and nobility.

His Majesty the King appeared on the balcony of the Ananda Samakom Throne Hall, granting an audience to the general public.

His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn represented the Royal Family in wishing His Majesty well.

Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra represented the Cabinet, civil servants, police and military officers and the Thai people in paying homage to His Majesty.

Presidents of Parliament and the Supreme Court also read statements honouring the King.

Thailand has declared a five-day public holiday for the events from Friday until Tuesday. Monarchs and royal guests from 25 countries -- including Japan's Emperor Akihito, Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei and Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands -- were among those expected to attend the events.

TNA

Yellow-clad crowds roar approval as Thai monarch calls for unity

BANGKOK, June 9 (TNA) - A shimmering sea of monarch-adulating Thais clad in brilliant yellow roared approval as King Bhumibol Adulyadej appeared on the balcony of the Ananda Samakom Throne Hall Friday morning, 60 years to the day after he ascended the throne in 1946.

His Majesty the King appeared in solitary simplicity contrasting with the pomp and circumstance of the stream of official ceremonials, on the balcony of the Ananda Samakom Throne Hall, granting an audience to the public at large, representing all the people of Thailand.

Appealing to his people--many of whom had occupied the plaza all night --the 78-year-old monarch spoke directly to the political crisis facing his kingdom, and called upon Thailand's men and women to honour his reign by honouring the integrity of the country, and the well-being of the whole nation.

Unity is the core of the challenge facing Thailand, he said. "Unity is the basis for all Thais to help preserve and bring prosperity to the country," the king admonished the gathering of hundreds of thousand Thai subjects demonstrating their love and loyalty to the person of the King.

The appearance of the king, the world's longest reigning monarch, was greeted with a deafening roar from the crowd.

Thais from around the kingdom, united in showing their colours, with myriads of yellow flags, polo and tee shirts -- yelllow being the colour for Monday, the day of the King's birth -- had packed the Royal Plaza overnight in hope of catching a glimpse of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and show their loyalty and gratitude for the monarch's faithful conduct of his royal duties and for his dedication to his people.

King Bhumibol is the ninth king of the Chakri Dynasty and ascended the throne exactly 60 years ago today, on June 9, 1946.

Their Majesties the King and Queen earlier paid homage the past kings of the Chakri Dynasty and received blessings from senior Buddhist monks before granting an audience to representatives of the Royal Family, privy councillors and nobility.

His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn represented the Royal Family in wishing His Majesty well.

Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra represented the Cabinet, civil servants, police and military officers and the Thai people in paying homage to His Majesty. Presidents of Parliament and the Supreme Court also read statements honouring the King.

Thailand has declared a five-day public holiday for the events from Friday until Tuesday. Monarchs and royal guests from 25 countries -- including Japan's Emperor Akihito, Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei and Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands -- were among those expected to attend the events.

TNA

Whatever HM the King suggests will be implemented and carried on

BANGKOK, June 10 (TNA) - The government will continue all His Majesty the King-initiated projects and implement whatever the revered monarch has advised, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said here on Friday.

The prime minister told TNA that all Thais are loyal and feel gratitude to His Majesty the King for his wisdom and dedication for the better life and well-being of his subjects throughout the kingdom over the past 60 years.

The premier indicated that the mass and historic gathering of at least hundreds of thousands of Thais in front of Ananda Samakom Throne Hall--from Royal Plaza through Rajadamneon Avenue--Friday morning when they were granted an audience with Their Majesties the King and Queen on the auspicious occasion of the 60th anniversary of His Majesty's accession to the throne was a verification of the Thai people's love and loyalty, heartedly, to His Majesty.

Speaking on behalf of the Thai government, Mr. Thaksin pledged that whatever the revered and beloved monarch had advised would be implemented, while all Royal-initiated projects would be carried on to benefit the Thai people and the nation.

"As the government of His Majesty the King, my administration will do everything as His Majesty has kindly advised and will carry on all projects His Majesty has initiated, including those concerning education for the general public and the poor," stressed the prime minister.

Mr. Thaksin also urged all parties in the society to end standoffs and turn to perform their roles or duties to the best to make the beloved monarch happy.

Meanwhile, leader of the former opposition Democrat Party Abhisit Vejjajiva praised unity and collaboration all parties had contributed to His Majesty the King on the auspicious occasion and urged that the good deeds be continued.

He also called for all parties to follow the court's advice to pay tribute to His Majesty the King and to end the country's political deadlock.

The former opposition leader also urged all parties to follow the "sufficiency economy" principle suggested by His Majesty the King, which would address all national woes, including the political crisis, as well as economic and social problems.

In his speech before the public at Ananda Samakom Throne Hall Friday morning, His Majesty said morality leads to all good deeds, including national unity and collaborative solidarity and advised that all Thais keep the spirit of unity and solidarity as that was behind their mass gathering before him on the auspicious occasion to sustain national stability.

TNA