H.M. King Bhumibol Rama IX
The World's Longest Serving Monarch and Thailand's Beloved King. He reigns with righteousness for the benefit and happiness of the Siamese people.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej Rama 9 Diamond Jubilee Year 2006 - The Royal Crest
Mae Fah Luang "The Princess Mother" - Royal Celebrations Events - King's Birthday
Queen Sirikit - Queen Sirikit's Birthday - Royal Barge Procession - Robe Offerings - Songkran
Loi Krathong - Royal Flora Ratchaphruek 2006 - Boat Races - Jazz Festival - Muaythai Expo
Royal Ploughing - Ceremony - Candle Festival - New Year Count Down

During the month of December this year 2553, on the 5th to be exact, Thailand's revered Monarch, His Majesty King Bhumibol, will celebrate his 83rd Birthday. It will be a day of national celebration, rejoicing, prayers and thanksgiving for such is the high esteem the Thai people hold for their King. Who is this man -- His Majesty King Bhumibol, Rama IX of the Chakri Dynasty of Thailand?
As a European (and honoured to write this tribute), I first saw King Bhumibol just over 30 years ago. Not in person, of course, but his likeness. It was on Portrait which I had purchased in Thailand during my first visit to the Kingdom. Since then I've spent a lot of time there learning something of the Kingdoms people, it's culture and its ruling King.

These formal and sacred words were those spoken by a young 23 year old man as he was crowned King of Thailand on 5 May 1950. The words were the Oath of Accession sworn by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej Rama IX of the Royal House of Chakri of Thailand. For a young man who never expected to be crowned King of his Nation King Bhumibol has lived up to his Oath and gone far beyond.

Many visitors to Thailand may not be aware that H.M. the King was not born in Thailand. In fact because his parents were studying in the United States he entered this world on 5 December 1927 at the Mt. Auburn Hospital in Cambridge Massachusetts. The baby Prince was the third child to Their Highnesses the Prince and Princess Mahidol of Songkhla, Prince Mahidol "a son of the late King Chulalongkorn Rama V", was studying medicine at Harvard University while Princess Mahidol was a nurse who had trained at the Simmons College in Boston. They had another older son Prince Ananda Mahidol who would accede to the Thai Throne in the fullness of time. So infant Prince Bhumibol while destined for an "extraordinary life" was not thought to be bound for Kingship.

However, the Fates conspired, and over the following years took a series of most unexpected twists. Prince Mahidol developed a health condition and subsequently died from kidney failure. Princess Mahidol as a young widowed mother took her family to Switzerland where she felt they might live quietly and attend to their educational needs. Then in 1935 King Prajadhipok (Rama VII) abdicated the Siamese Throne (as H.M. King Edward VIII abdicated his throne in the United Kingdom) and eight-year-old Prince Bhumibol's elder brother Prince Ananda Mahidol became the new King Rama VIII of Thailand. "But the Fates had not yet finished yet"!

Continuing his life and studies in Lausanne Prince Bhumibol was brought up in as near a normal atmosphere as possible. This was his Royal Mother's wish. Indeed the Prince had to earn his pocket money by doing small jobs around their residence picking fruit at a neighbours orchard and similar. He was an ordinary boy who enjoyed the pursuits of his peer group. Model making (he hand-wound the copper coil for an electric train he was making) and photography were his hobbies (a personally purchased ancient box camera costing Swiss Fr. 2.5 gave him his first disastrous photographic experience all of his photographs were blanks!). But Prince Bhumibol built on that experience and photography has remained a life-long hobby.

When Prince Bhumibol was 18 years old by now studying the Sciences at Lausanne University "Fate again threw another dice". His elder brother King Ananda Mahidol was fatally shot in tragic circumstances in Bangkok on 9 July 1946. This single event catapulted young Prince Bhumibol into a situation which neither he, his family nor nation ever expected. Prince Bhumibol had, with terrible swiftness, become "King". He was 18 years old, when the mantle of Majesty draped itself around him the Prince had become His Majesty, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Rama IX, of the Kingdom of Siam.

However, with family, government and national agreement, it was decided that the young King continue his university courses (engineering and political science degrees) so the actual Coronation was postponed until these were finished. Also, the King was courting the lovely, Mom Rajawongse Sirikit Kittiyakara, H.M. Queen Sirikit, daughter of the Thai Ambassador to the Republic of France, As it happened, their engagement was announced one year prior to the King's Coronation. On 28 April 1950, the couple married and since that day H.M Queen Sirikit has been a loyal and faithful wife to her King, and mother to their children and is dedicated to her country. One week later on 5th May 1950, in full Royal and Regal splendour, King Bhumibol was crowned Monarch of the Kingdom of Thailand. People throughout the Kingdom rejoiced.

Now, some 50 plus years after his coronation, H.M. King Bhumibol, Rama IX of Thailand is the longest serving Monarch in the world. And, it can be suggested, probably the Monarch most respected by his subjects.. King Bhumibol has carried the mantle of Kingship with humanity. He is a Monarch not only of the Thai people but for the Thai people. He knows their needs and wants -- and has the perception to understand that they are not always the same. As a Constitutional Monarch King Bhumibol has only three "rights": the right to encourage, the right to warn, and the right to be consulted. Within these parameters H.M. The King has led, helped and guided his people of Thailand -- be they military generals, governing politicians or rural farmers -- to a better understanding of each other and to a more wholesome future for all. Of course, there have been upsets and blights, both political and natural, but thanks to the King's gentle--handed diplomacy, or firm warning when needed and, especially, his love of his people and nation, good order and sustainable growth are the hallmarks of Thailand today.

Now, as His Majesty enters his 83rd year, one wonders if King Bhumibol reflects on the life which destiny cast his way. As Sovereign, he has travelled widely and has met or hosted fellow Royals from other countries. Presidents and Pretenders, Dictators and Despots, Saints and Sinners, the Famous and Infamous have all been received graciously and with dignity. King Bhumibol has visited, and hosted, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom; likewise the Monarchs of Denmark, The Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Jordan and Japan. General Ne Win of Burma (now Myanmar), the Lion of Judah Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, Prince Sihanouk of Cambodia, Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines and General Suharto of Indonesia have all called at the Grand Palace. As did President Lyndon Johnson of the United States and, later, First Lady Nancy Reagan. His Holiness, Pope John Paul II has also paid his respects. Thailand's Monarch. King Bhumibol, has afforded Thai traditional culture and hospitality to most world leaders and continues to do so in a most Royal and Regal style.

When the Pomp, Pageantry and Ceremonies are over, what does H.M. King Bhumibol like to do in his free time? Indeed, does he actually have any free time?

The King has always made a point of putting Thailand first so he has visited every corner of his Kingdom to meet his people in their own environment. "Gone are the Regal Robes and Magnificent Uniforms" as His Majesty visits his subjects in Esarn, the southern palm oil and rubber tree plantations, the Hill tribes of northern Thailand or his Royal Sponsored Projects of Chiangmai Province. Instead, the King will possibly be in open necked shirt, or ordinary jacket, camera slung over a shoulder, notebook and map in hand as he strides and inspects throughout his Kingdom. He is exercising his right to encourage, and his people love him for it, because King Bhumibol is not only a "Regal Monarch but, very much, a working Monarch".

Behind a Majestic and Regal exterior H.M. the King is very much a modest man. After hearing a Buddhist sermon he authored the inspirational tale The Story of Mahajanaka which was published in 1996 in picture form for everyone to understand and appreciate.

"Mahajanaka" is a story of one of the lives of Buddha mentioned in the Tri Pitaka (Suttantapitaka Khuddakamikaya Jataka volume four, part two). In 1977, after listening to a sermon by the Reverend Somdej Phra Mahavirawongs (Vin Dham-masaro) of Wat Rajpatikaram about King Mahajanaka and the mango trees which demonstrated that good things of good quality will be the target of greed and will stand in danger, His Majesty became interested and translated the story from the beginning straight from the Thai text into English, with some minor modifications for the sake of easier understanding of the text.

King Mahajanaka practiced "ultimate perseverance without the desire for reward" which resulted in his gaining the throne and bringing prosperity and wealth to the city of Mithila by the strength of his qualities.

Upon arriving at the text concerning the mango trees, His Majesty was of the opinion that King Mahajanaka's desire to leave the city on a quest for supreme tranquillity was not yet opportune nor timely because Mithila's prosperity had not yet reached an appropriate peak, everyone from the viceroy down to the elephant mahouts and the horse handlers, and up from the horse handlers to the viceroy, and especially the courtiers all lived in the state of ignorance. They lacked wisdom as well as knowledge in technology; they did not see the essence of what was beneficial, even for their own good. There fore, an institution of universal learning must be established. Moreover, King Mahajanaka also had to advance his thoughts on how to revive the mango tree with nine modern methods. For these reasons, His Majesty the King modified the original story in the Mahajanaka Jataka to suit contemporary society, with the view that King Mahajanaka would have been able to achieve supreme tranquillity more readily if he had completely fulfilled his worldly duties first.

The translation was completed in 1988 and His Majesty the King signified his desire to publish Mahajanaka on the auspicious occasion of the Golden Jubilee of his reign, so that this story might become an object of constructive contemplation for all well-meaning people. Moreover, the readers might be blessed with "pure perseverance, sharp wisdom and complete physical health".

As in any democracy, national leaders have to keep pace with the times. His Majesty King Bhumibol enjoys a "singular linguistic position among the world's monarchs". Having grown up in Switzerland, His Majesty is fluent in French and German. However, obviously aware of trends around the world, it was His Majesty's own initiative to learn English, not the least to keep up with information technology. His Majesty has a good grasp of the fundamentals of language because he understands phonetics and has used them to assist him in his private studies. Today English is used as the second language of palace correspondence and His Majesty's familiarity with it has developed to extraordinary levels. His Majesty is known to translate and write in his spare time, especially articles which he reads in foreign journals. Many of the most famous were completed during the mid-seventies and focused on different political views. As a matter of fact His Majesty translated the English version of Man Called Intrepid by William Stevenson to Thai  and The English version of Tito by Phyllis Auty to The Thai language.

1994 saw the publication of His Majesty's translation of William Stevenson's book A Man Called Intrepid and in 1995 a biography of Marshal Tito 2 called Tito by Phyllis Auty. A Man Called Intrepid was chosen by the king for translation as it gives the reader an account of individual determination and low-key heroism by allied spies during the Second World War. Looked at another way, it is a glimpse of the power of unity, the unity of the allies, and the self sacrifice of individuals to create that unity. His Majesty also used part of the material in the book Small is Beautiful by E.F. Schumacher for a Thai discourse on Buddhist Economics.

His facility with languages is amazing - he has even learnt Sanskrit, the ancient and sacred language of Indian Hindus. With the world making fast inroads into the creation of a "global village" via computer, His Majesty has been quick to experiment with computers. He first used a computer around December, 1986 to write song lyrics and music notation for various instruments, a time-consuming task. In 1987 he began to use a programmer called Fontastic to design Thai and English fonts of different sizes. He then studied the font called Devanagari and consulted experts in Pali and Sanskrit, such as Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and Privy Counsellor Mom Luang Chirayu Navawongs, who helped to check the fonts that he soon designed. The name Devanagari has been translated as Script of the City of the Gods and is used to write Sanskrit, Prakrit, Hindi and Marathi. It can be confusing for beginners as the actual number of letters in the alphabet is disagreed on even by the experts! His Majesty has also created two Thai-English fonts called Bhubing and Daksinfor the Macintosh computer.

During his younger days, snow skiing, ice skating and motor sports captured his imagination. Yachting and small craft racing also gained his attention; in fact, the Monarch has won Gold Medals for OK Class Yacht races the medals he happily shared with his daughter, Princess Ubol Ratana, as she crewed with him.

Photography: from the days of being a six-year-old with an ancient box camera to the present time is an on-going pastime. His Majesty can be as often behind a camera as in front. But, as ongoing passions, King Bhumibol has had a lifetime love affair with music and photography. These joint hobbies afford him the relaxation of both challenge and concentration. King Bhumibol has "toted his camera the length and breadth of Thailand" as he records the colours of people and places in his Kingdom, however, for studio still life and portrait work, he favours the more dramatic effects of black & white film which he processes and prints himself. If not in his darkroom, His Majesty may be found listening to music or humming a few bars of a potential composition. He is an accomplished saxophonist and clarinettist with a keen enjoyment of jazz especially Dixieland and Blues and an enthusiastic composer of "easy on the ear" melodies. Benny Goodman would have had the King join his band (had not the King been busy doing other things!) and one of His Majesty's compositions, Blue Night, was featured in a Broadway production. As an amateur photographer and musician, many have voiced that King Bhumibol could have been a professional in either.

On the subject of photography His Majesty while interested in various subjects has captured many endearing photographs of his beloved pet dog Tongdaeng which means Copper. Khun Tongdaeng a little bitch with mostly Basenji blood was gifted to the King when she was only five weeks old in 1998 and has been a faithful companion ever since. Her background is a little uncertain and she arrived at the Chitralada Palace looking mangy and quite skinny. However H.M. King Bhumibol was not dismayed and as the pup grew to maturity identified Tongdaeng's main bloodline as being Basenji. This is a most unusual breed in Thailand as in fact the ancestry can be traced back to royal dogs of the Pharaohs Court in Ancient Egypt. So little Tongdaeng of possible historic lineage came into the heart and home of H.M. King Bhumibol

Although brought up in an unpretentious life-style H.M. King Bhumibol is no ordinary person. By example he has led his Kingdom with great Majesty Dignity and Respect. He has earned his subjects adoration by personally helping them in many ways (witness the numerous Royal Projects Hill tribe Development Irrigation Farming Flood Control etc.) often from the Royal Privy Purse. The King has visited each and every one of his nations seventy three provinces listening to his people eating with them walking with a camera and maps under the hot sun with them guiding them with suggestions and advice. H.M. King Bhumibol is at one with his subjects and they love him for it. He is the King of Thailand; they are the people of Thailand. Together

They Are Thailand!
His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Rama IX, is well regarded by his subjects as "The Light of Thailand." That as a young Prince not expecting ever to be monarch, the King has displayed a most remarkable wisdom and talent for this most onerous of "jobs."

So here we have a brief insight of

His Majesty King Bhumibol of Thailand
as he works or relaxes. He is a Royalist's Royal, Regal in Style, Dignity and Majesty. As he enters his 83th year, may he reign long and may we at Simply Thai wish him a Wonderful, Healthy and Happy 83rd Birthday on the 5th December.  


Long live the King !!!

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