The World’s Longest Reigning Monarch, Celebrates his 81st Birthday today!
"It has often been said that, apart from the normal economic and security requirements, the independence and integrity of Thailand are assured by three unifying factors: its people's freedom-loving spirit, the Buddhist Religion and the Thai Throne. Indeed, the three factors were already there together at the first founding of the first integrated Thai nation with its capital at Sukhothai more than seven centuries ago and have successfully survived the test of time just as Thailand itself has also survived as a united and independent country throughout its long history up to the present days, while countries all around in Southeast Asia at certain periods fell disintegrated or victims of colonialist powers. For that reason, no Thai would now deny that as these unique and sacred institutions survive and flourish, so the Thai nation will also survive and flourish. Without either one of them, no one could foresee what Thailand would be like.
"The present Thai Monarch, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A., on Monday the 5th of December 1927, being the third and youngest child of Their Royal Highnesses Prince and Princess Mahidol of Songkhla and grandson in direct line of the celebrated King Chulalongkorn or Rama V of the present Royal House of Chakri of Bangkok. After a period of primary schooling in Bangkok, he went with his Family to Switzerland where he received his secondary as well as university education. While already King, he married the 18 year-old Mom Rajawongse Sirikit, daughter of His Highness Prince Chandaburi Suranath (Mom Chao Nakkhatra Mangala Kitiyakara) and Mom Luang Bua Kitiyakara, on the 28th of April 1950. Their Majesties now have four children, namely: 1. Her Royal Highness Princess Ubol Ratana, born 5th April 1951, in Lausanne, Switzerland. 2. His Royal Highness Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, born 28th July 1952, in Bangkok, Thailand. 3. Her Royal Highness Princess Sirindhorn. born 2nd April 1955, in Bangkok, Thailand. 4. Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn, born 4th July 1957, in Bangkok, Thailand.
"His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej acceded to the Throne as Rama the IX of Thailand on the 9th of June 1946, when he was only 18 years of age. Thailand had become a Constitutional Monarchy since 1932 then King Prajadhipok reigned only for a few more years and King Ananda Mahidol, the present King's Elder Brother, who succeeded to the Throne at a very tender age, spent his Life mostly at study abroad before he met his unfortunate demise at the age of 20. The task, therefore, fell upon King Bhumibol Adulyadej to be the first really reigning Monarch under the Constitutional System and thus to give a new and contemporary meaning to the Thai Throne. With a perceptive as well as imaginative mind and an inborn sense of intense dedication, His Majesty has set himself with relish from the beginning of his Reign to analyze and find the true circumstances of the task at hand in order to devise the best approach and then try to accomplish the task in the best possible manner. His sense of involvement, be it in small or significant duties, is always so total that he would never feel relieved until each duty is carried out to his complete satisfaction.
"His Majesty has devoted sixty years of service for the benefits and happiness of his people. The success of His Majesty's reign is clear for all to see. People in all spheres of life from the highest officials to the peasants in the border areas seek and value the advice of His Majesty in their daily conducts as well as when they are faced with difficult problems. They all know, besides that His Majesty's advices will always be given with true willingness after careful study of the circumstances and out of a dedicated sense of devotion to their secure and happy existence. The relationship between King and people is thus firmly built upon the bases of mutual trust, interest and affection. The words in the Constitution that the King is the Repository of the Sacred Trust of the Thai People and the Supreme Symbol of the Nation's Unity are thus given their true and material meaning. To most people the task which His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej has set himself to accomplish to give a new significance to the Thai Throne under a Constitutional system must seem to be nearing a very successful end, he, however in his total dedication and involvement in the task, can never see an end. Every day instead brings new challenges and becomes but another step in the ever widening and ever lengthening path of his dutiful life.
We have this picture of the King and his young family hanging in our hallway upstairs. The girls love this, it looks so romantic and Thai people are just so beautiful and gracious!
Have a great and healthy year ahead King Bhumibol, we hope you will be for many more years the King of Thailand!
Chayoo, King Bhumibol!
1 comment:
Wow, nice job, Mireille! I really enjoyed reading this post and learning some new things!
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