KING BHUMIBOL: Strength of the Nation |
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His
Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand is loved
and respected by people around the world, and World Team
is honored to join the celebration of the 60th Anniversary
of his accession to the throne.
Born
on Monday the 5th of December 1927, he was given the significant
name of Bhumibol Adulyadej,
meaning Strength of the Land Incomparable Power. This
name was prophetic, as his reign advanced through various critical
periods in Thailand, and the Thai nation evolved more and more
around
the Throne as the source of its unity and strength. He
is the direct descendant of His Late Majesty King Chulalongkorn
or Rama
V, who was renowned for the great reforms he made to all institutions
of Thailand, to bring them up to date and inline with the rest
of the Western-oriented world. |
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Although
his official coronation did not take place until Friday the
5th of May, 1950, His Majesty King
Bhumibol Adulyadej
the
Great
(pronounced Phumiphon Adunyadet ), King Rama
IX, succeeded to the
throne following the death of his elder
brother on the 9th of
June 1946. Sixty years later,
we recognize
something of the accomplishments of the world’s
longest
reigning, living monarch, but it
is unlikely that
foreign observers would have a ready understanding of the
genuine
reverence
and deeply-rooted love
the Thais have
for
their king. His Majesty’s reign has been
characterized by the
promise made at
his
coronation:
We
shall reign with righteousness for the benefits and
happiness of the Siamese people.
This
commitment can best be seen in the personal way in
which His Majesty
has promoted education
and an improved
quality of
life
for
his subjects. Royal development efforts can be traced back
to 1952
when His Majesty initiated the
construction
of a road and
a
reservoir in a rural area of Prachuap Khiri
Khan Province, more
than 200 kilometers
south of Bangkok. |
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| Accompanied
by Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, His Majesty has traveled widely throughout
Thailand, listening to the requests of his subjects
and seeing their living conditions first-hand. Subsequent development
efforts included research and experiments that would help farmers
develop their livelihood. In 1988, he established the Chaipattana
Foundation
to fund and help in accelerating rural development projects that
are beneficial to the people and the country as a whole. |
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One
of his early projects involved fish breeding and he ordered
the building of massive water tanks inside the Chitralada
Palace grounds in downtown Bangkok. Following the successful
introduction
of Tilapia mosambica to the Thai palate, others
began to show interest in his projects. In 1965,
Japan’s
Crown Prince Akihito gave His Majesty fifty Talapia
nilotica, a breed
that he thought might be appropriate to Thailand. One
year later, every fishery station in the country began giving
away the
new Thai fish to interested farmers. Now, in 2006, Pla
nil is
a favorite staple of the Thai people. In the late 1960s,
the United Nations contacted His Majesty and requested some
of the protein-rich fish to combat famine in Bangladesh.
His
Majesty
immediately donated 500,000 talapia through UNICEF, and
another culture was benefited by his generosity.
In
the early 1960s, His Majesty’s interests in forest conservation
lead to the creation of a tropical forest within the grounds
of his Bangkok palace. Various species of trees from all
over Thailand were planted and used in environmental studies
to determine the
most efficient and productive methods that were sustainable by
the local land owners. Forty years later, environmentalists
around the world are following his lead in promoting reforestation
projects.
(On August 1, 1992, two hundred skydivers exited two RTAF C-130
aircraft over a remote plot of land in southern Thailand. Each
jumper carried a carefully packaged teak sapling which was then
planted in a field that had been cleared by the local residents.
This reforestation project was organized a few days before HM
the Queen’s birthday in an effort to show support for something
close to His Majesty’s royal heart.)
Other
development projects that were initiated by the Royal Family
included the introduction
of strawberries to Thailand. This plant could only be grown
in the cooler climate of the Golden Triangle in northern Thailand
and was promoted as a lucrative cash crop that hill-tribes could
grow in place of the opium poppy. More affluent people
in Bangkok were always happy to purchase the expensive fruit,
knowing that they were supporting a royal project that was helping
to eradicate a drug that had enslaved a portion of their countrymen
for centuries.
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In
2000, Thailand was the sixth largest producer of rice but led
the world
in the
exportation of the staple. This amazing statistic
admits that there are some countries (China, India) with more land
dedicated to rice production, but none can produce the same high-quality
rice produced by Thai farmers. This emphasis on quality can be
traced back to 1961 and the beginning of His Majesty’s Rice
Cultivation Project. This time his palace grounds were adjusted
to make room for the introduction of rice paddies and laboratories
to enable rice research. Crop rotation, organic fertilization,
genetic cross-breeding and irrigated transplanting procedures have
all been developed in the palace and shared with the Thai people.
(For more information on rice productions see www.thailand.com/export )
About
the same time, His Majesty purchased six dairy cows from abroad
and began the Suan Chitralada Dairy Farm Project. Although
the Thai people did not initially have a strong appreciation for
dairy produce, milk was sold outside the palace using bicycles
and motorcycles to make deliveries and soon the market began to
grow. Today, milk, ice-cream and other dairy goods are sold in
every corner store and super-market.
The
incongruity of seeing rice, corn and other crops being grown
inside the royal
palace
was not lost on curious neighborhood children.
A rice mill, a pen containing milk cows, the royal residence
and more were clearly visible behind the fence which was manned
by
Royal Guards. More mature citizens appreciate the scene for
what it was—a testament to a Benevolent Monarch who put the
interests of his people above that of his own.
A
final endeavor that has attracted international attention in
recent years is
His
Majesty’s rain-making project. Starting
with a Cessna 180 and a supply of dry ice, scientists began experimenting
with ways to combat the six months of drought that annually followed
the six-month monsoon. Subsequent efforts have used Casa 235s,
Caravans, Turbine DC-3s and other aircraft to seed the clouds with
increasingly successful rain-producing chemicals. While it is not
yet an exact science, the seeding of clouds has reduced the damage
caused by El Nino and other naturally occurring drought. |
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| His
Majesty has become not only the most traveled monarch in Thai history,
but also the
best informed about a wide range of rural difficulties. His
Majesty learns first-hand of local conditions and problems from
the people themselves, . After consulting further with
the officials concerned, His Majesty makes his own conclusions about
the problems, including
the causes and the possible methods to address them. Upon
his return to Bangkok, or sometimes even on the spot, he will share
what
he
has learned with the members of the Government, asking them to
assist and give support to the people wherever feasible — often
he has used his own funds to help
a project get off the ground. |
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The
nation of Thailand has been blessed to have such a faithful
leader during the past sixty years. These have been turbulent
times for the region, filled with war, disease, misunderstanding
and selfishness. But the example of King Bhumibol Adulyadej
has led the people of Thailand to be known for their compassion,
warmth and commitment to progress. World Team is so very
pleased to help honor this outstanding monarch.
— Larry
Henderson
Bibliography
Fieg, John Paul. A Common Core: Thais and Americans. Revised
by Elizabeth Mortlock.
Intercultural Press, 1989.
King Bhumibol: Strength of the Land. Bangkok:
National Identity Office, Office of the
Prime Minister, 2000.
Thailand: into
the 2000’s. Bangkok: National Identity
Office, Office of the Prime
Minister, 2000. |
60th
Anniversary Emblem
of HM Bhumibol Adulyadej
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For more information on His Royal Majesty, the King of Thailand,
his monarchy and his projects:
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