Biography of Mr.Abhisit Vejjajiva 27th Prime Minister of Thailand (18/12/2008)
Mr. Abhisit Vejjajiva 27th Prime Minister of Thailand
Personal Information
Born 3 August 1964 (Newcastle, United Kingdom)
Father Dr. Athasit Vejjajiva
Mother Dr. Sodsai Vejjajiva
Spouse Assistant Professor Dr. Pimpen (Sakuntabhai) Vejjajiva – Lecturer at the Faculty of Science’s Department of Mathematics, Chulalongkorn University
Children Prang Vejjajiva and Pannasit Vejjajiva
Education
- Honorary Doctorate in Law, Ramkhamhaeng Univerity Schools
- Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) in Economics, Oxford University, UK- Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE), First Class honours, Oxford University, UK
- Bachelor of Law, Ramkhamhaeng University
- Eton College, UK - Chulalongkorn Demonstration School, Thailand
Professional Experience
Prior to 1992
- Special lecturer in Economics at Oxford University
- Lecturer at Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy (rank 2nd Lieutenant)
- Lecturer at Thammasart University’s Faculty of Economics
After 1992
Member of Parliament, Democrat Party- 1992 Bangkok District 6- 1995 Bangkok District 5 - 2001 Democrat Party List- 2005 Democrat Party List, until February 2006- 2007 (23 Dec 07) Democrat Party List Zone 6
1992 – 1994
Government Spokesperson
1994
Deputy Secretary-General to the Prime Minister (for political affairs)
1995
Chair, House Committee on Education Affairs
1998
Chair, Committee to Consider the National Education Bill of 1999
2001
Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office, in charge of - Board of Investment (BOI) - Counter Corruption Commission- Office of the Education Council - Office of the Decentralization to Local Government Organization Committee
1999
Deputy Leader, Democrat Party
2005
Leader of the Democrat Party
2005(Feb 2006)
Leader of the Opposition, House of Representatives
2008(27 Feb- Dec 2008)
Leader of the Opposition, House of Representatives
17 December 2008
Present Prime MinisterDecorations
1998
Knight Grand Cordon of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand
1999
Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant
International recognition• One of 100 Global Leaders for Tomorrow, by World Economic Forum 1992
• One of 20 Leaders for the Millennium Politics & Power, by Asiaweek magazine 5 November 1999
• One of 6 up and coming leaders for Asia, Time magazine 6 October 1997, New Voices for New Asia
Other Content
•
Prime Minister Re-emphasised Social Science Teachers’ Role in Making Good Citizens (24/8/2010) (Readed 13 )
•
Thailand - Japan Focus on Green Economy Joint Development (24/8/2010) (Readed 19 )
•
PM : Heart of Democracy is to Respect Different Views (23/8/2010) (Readed 29 )
•
PM encourages Thais to support OTOP product (23/8/2010) (Readed 31 )
•
PM believes local capacity could help strengthen foundation of the Thai society ( (21/8/2010) (Readed 24 )
•
Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to push forward draft farmer’s welfare act (20/8/2010) (Readed 19 )
•
Club de Madrid chair commends Thai economic performance, hopes for inclusive and sustainable economy (19/8/2010) (Readed 60 )
•
Prime Minister presides over Industry Award 2010 (18/8/2010) (Readed 81 )
•
Australian businesses to explore investments in alternative energy, medical technology and transportation (17/8/2010) (Readed 75 )
•
Ambassadors of Hungary and Morocco bid farewell to PM (17/8/2010) (Readed 64 )
สื่อประสมที่เกี่ยวข้อง
Selasa, 24 Ogos 2010
PRIME MINISTER THAILAND,NAYOK RATAMONTRI PRATET THAI.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva Discusses the Challenges of Change with the FCCT
In reaffrming Thailand’s commitment to open, transparent and democratic governance, on 14 January 2009 Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva spoke with members of the Foreign Correspondence Club of Thailand at an event billed as “Meeting the Challenges of Change.” In his keynote address to a room flled with eager listeners, Mr. Abhisit recounted both the litany of challenges that confront his government and Thailand, and the considerable success that has been achieved over the past year.
“With the economy and the political situation, the challenges for the country in the past year were enormous,” the prime minister said. “We have a completely different outlook today.”
The prime minister spoke of actual improvement in Thailand’s political landscape and outlined criteria to be met before the next election would be called. “If we stick to the democratic approach that we have taken, the Thai people and Thai society will be stronger,” he stated.
On the economic front, he was rightly able to point to the rather early upturn in the economy, quarter over quarter, adding that he was confdent the GDP would grow 3.5% in the current year. He went over the steps that had been taken by his government early on to mitigate the impact of the global recession, including payments to senior citizens and the national stimulus package that injected needed liquidity into the economy at a crucial time. The prime minister stated that the frst stimulus package worked, and now we are into a major second package.
Development and Justice
The prime minister also noted measures taken with regard to education and improving the situation in the five southern provinces, paving the way for economic development there.
In this regard, it should be recalled that Thailand has plans for robust economic development of the southern region of the country, along the lines of the Eastern Seaboard Development. In the South, development would not only create jobs and opportunity for local residents but also enable Thailand to better compete in the global economy, opening additional transit routes into neighboring countries, India, and the Middle East.
A number of questions were raised concerning the ongoing injunction of projects in the Map Ta Phut area. The prime minister recounted that of the original projects halted by an injunction imposed by the Administrative Court, several have since been freed to proceed with operations following appeal. Of those remaining before the court, Mr. Abhisit said that not all had been affected equally, as many had not even begun construction. In fact, at an earlier address organized by the Economic Reporters Association, the prime minister is reported to have indicated that 19 of the remaining 64 suspended projects have the potential to proceed.
The Cabinet has approved the establ ishment of a coordinating committee that would meet to evaluate the environmental and health impacts of industrial projects. The government has already endorsed health impact assessment guidelines for industrial projects, in order to provide clarity and enable companies with suspended projects to prepare HIA studies in compliance with Article 67, Section 2 of the Constitution.
The prime minister noted that the measures his government has put in place to resolve the diffculties at Map Ta Phut have created clarity and would resolve the outstanding issues within the next several months.
Mr. Abhisit’s comments on an improving economy can fnd support in fgures just released by the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI). Even with the economic downturn globally, foreign direct investment in the country shot past 300 billion baht in 2009, an increase of 18% y-o-y.
Thailand’s consumer confdence index also rose sharply to 77.7 points in December 2009, the second consecutive monthly increase, according to a survey by the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce. Expenditure on cars, houses and travel in particular have climbed to their highest rates in four years. Stronger consumer confdence is a result of the economic upswing, stimulus measures, lower costs and an increase in the local minimum wage, the chamber explained.
In his speech, Prime Minister Abhisit also noted that 1.6 million foreign visitors visited the country in December 2009, one of the highest monthly fgures. He called the development a real indication that the Thai economy is making a recovery.
All in all, it was clear from the prime minister’s remarks to the foreign press that the country is on the rebound, the economy is getting stronger and the political situation has calmed. Investor confdence in Thailand is also evident from the net applications for investment promotion received at the BOI, which have reached a four decade high.
Additional evidence that Thailand remains a very attractive location within the international community for foreign direct investment has been revealed in the 2009 net applications for investment promotion received at the Board of Investment. Just as consumer confdence ticks up, the BOI reports a record number as more companies seek BOI support, marking a 40 year milestone.
Japanese investors maintained the country leadership, with 266 projects valued at 77.38 billion baht. The US had 56 projects valued at 34.63 billion baht. ASEAN countries recorded a signifcant level of applications for 144 projects at 41.66 billion baht, with the European Union with 153 projects at 80.21 billion baht.
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ผิวสวยด้วยสปาผิวหน้า 10 นาที ลดอายุ 10 ปี Buy Nintendo DS lite console Sale Nintendo DSi console Sale Microsoft Xbox 360 Sale Sony PSP Sale Nintendo Wii Sale Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3) Buy Nintendo DS lite/DSi accessories Free Download Nintendo DS lite/DSi Games G Club คาสิโนออนไลน์ บาคาร่า แทงบอล โต๊ะบอล หางาน รายได้พิเศษ รายได้เสริม หาเงิน งานเสริม งานพิเศษ Parttime Part time Detox ดีท็อกซ์ ล้างสารพิษ ล้างลำไส้ ล้างพิษในลำไส้ อาหารเสริม สุขภาพ วิตามิน เกลือแร่ pdr unicity
In reaffrming Thailand’s commitment to open, transparent and democratic governance, on 14 January 2009 Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva spoke with members of the Foreign Correspondence Club of Thailand at an event billed as “Meeting the Challenges of Change.” In his keynote address to a room flled with eager listeners, Mr. Abhisit recounted both the litany of challenges that confront his government and Thailand, and the considerable success that has been achieved over the past year.
“With the economy and the political situation, the challenges for the country in the past year were enormous,” the prime minister said. “We have a completely different outlook today.”
The prime minister spoke of actual improvement in Thailand’s political landscape and outlined criteria to be met before the next election would be called. “If we stick to the democratic approach that we have taken, the Thai people and Thai society will be stronger,” he stated.
On the economic front, he was rightly able to point to the rather early upturn in the economy, quarter over quarter, adding that he was confdent the GDP would grow 3.5% in the current year. He went over the steps that had been taken by his government early on to mitigate the impact of the global recession, including payments to senior citizens and the national stimulus package that injected needed liquidity into the economy at a crucial time. The prime minister stated that the frst stimulus package worked, and now we are into a major second package.
Development and Justice
The prime minister also noted measures taken with regard to education and improving the situation in the five southern provinces, paving the way for economic development there.
In this regard, it should be recalled that Thailand has plans for robust economic development of the southern region of the country, along the lines of the Eastern Seaboard Development. In the South, development would not only create jobs and opportunity for local residents but also enable Thailand to better compete in the global economy, opening additional transit routes into neighboring countries, India, and the Middle East.
A number of questions were raised concerning the ongoing injunction of projects in the Map Ta Phut area. The prime minister recounted that of the original projects halted by an injunction imposed by the Administrative Court, several have since been freed to proceed with operations following appeal. Of those remaining before the court, Mr. Abhisit said that not all had been affected equally, as many had not even begun construction. In fact, at an earlier address organized by the Economic Reporters Association, the prime minister is reported to have indicated that 19 of the remaining 64 suspended projects have the potential to proceed.
The Cabinet has approved the establ ishment of a coordinating committee that would meet to evaluate the environmental and health impacts of industrial projects. The government has already endorsed health impact assessment guidelines for industrial projects, in order to provide clarity and enable companies with suspended projects to prepare HIA studies in compliance with Article 67, Section 2 of the Constitution.
The prime minister noted that the measures his government has put in place to resolve the diffculties at Map Ta Phut have created clarity and would resolve the outstanding issues within the next several months.
Mr. Abhisit’s comments on an improving economy can fnd support in fgures just released by the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI). Even with the economic downturn globally, foreign direct investment in the country shot past 300 billion baht in 2009, an increase of 18% y-o-y.
Thailand’s consumer confdence index also rose sharply to 77.7 points in December 2009, the second consecutive monthly increase, according to a survey by the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce. Expenditure on cars, houses and travel in particular have climbed to their highest rates in four years. Stronger consumer confdence is a result of the economic upswing, stimulus measures, lower costs and an increase in the local minimum wage, the chamber explained.
In his speech, Prime Minister Abhisit also noted that 1.6 million foreign visitors visited the country in December 2009, one of the highest monthly fgures. He called the development a real indication that the Thai economy is making a recovery.
All in all, it was clear from the prime minister’s remarks to the foreign press that the country is on the rebound, the economy is getting stronger and the political situation has calmed. Investor confdence in Thailand is also evident from the net applications for investment promotion received at the BOI, which have reached a four decade high.
Additional evidence that Thailand remains a very attractive location within the international community for foreign direct investment has been revealed in the 2009 net applications for investment promotion received at the Board of Investment. Just as consumer confdence ticks up, the BOI reports a record number as more companies seek BOI support, marking a 40 year milestone.
Japanese investors maintained the country leadership, with 266 projects valued at 77.38 billion baht. The US had 56 projects valued at 34.63 billion baht. ASEAN countries recorded a signifcant level of applications for 144 projects at 41.66 billion baht, with the European Union with 153 projects at 80.21 billion baht.
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BOI: http://www.boi.go.th
ผิวสวยด้วยสปาผิวหน้า 10 นาที ลดอายุ 10 ปี Buy Nintendo DS lite console Sale Nintendo DSi console Sale Microsoft Xbox 360 Sale Sony PSP Sale Nintendo Wii Sale Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3) Buy Nintendo DS lite/DSi accessories Free Download Nintendo DS lite/DSi Games G Club คาสิโนออนไลน์ บาคาร่า แทงบอล โต๊ะบอล หางาน รายได้พิเศษ รายได้เสริม หาเงิน งานเสริม งานพิเศษ Parttime Part time Detox ดีท็อกซ์ ล้างสารพิษ ล้างลำไส้ ล้างพิษในลำไส้ อาหารเสริม สุขภาพ วิตามิน เกลือแร่ pdr unicity
SELAMAT MENYAMBUT HARI RAYA AIDILFITRI.
SAYA KETURUNAN THAI MALAYSIA MENGUCAPKAN SELAMAT HARI RAYA KEPADA SEMUA UMAT ISLAM TIDAK KIRA DI MANA JUA,DI SAMPING ITU SAYA JUGA MOHON AMPUN DAN MAAF SEKIRANYA ADA KESILAPAN BAHASA SAYA JUGA MOHON AMPUN DAN MAAF KEPADA ANDA SEMUA,SEKIAN TERIMA KASIH.
ADAKAN SATU SEKATAN TERHADAP RAKYAT ASING YANG MASUK KE NEGARA MALAYSIA.
Saya sebagai rakyat memberi pendapat supaya pihak berwajib dapat mengadakan satu sekatan terhadap warga negara asing yang datang ke malaysia terutamanya rakyat cina,filipina,indonesia dan lain-lain negara yang datang secara haram dan juga mengambil kesempatan menjadi gro dan menyalahkan guna pas lawatan sosial.kebanyakan rakyat negara asing yang datang ke malaysia tidak mempunyai pas serta pasport antarabangsa dan berkerja secara haram.
Isnin, 23 Ogos 2010
HARAMKAN TELEPHONE BIMBIT DAN BOLEH MEROSAKKAN MINDA ANAK-ANAK MUDA MASA KINI.
Saya sebagai rakyat ingin memberi satu pendapat kepada pihak berkuasa supaya dapat mengharamkan telephone bimbit yang mempunyai kamera kerana ia boleh merosakkan minda anak-anak muda sekarang terutamanya remaja masa kini,boleh menonton filem lucah dan sambil merakam agenda sesuatu perbuatan yang tidak sopan.Saya berharap kepada pihak kementerian supaya dapat mengambil satu tindakan yang boleh menghalang perbuatan yang kurang sopan terutamanya gambar lucah.Agar mengambil satu iktibar kepada semua lapisan masyarakat satu malaysia untuk menghalang tayangan gambar lucah melalui handphone.Pihak kementerian harus memainkan peranan yang sangat penting terutamanya anak-anak generasi muda yang leka menonton gambar negatif melalui handphone kamera digital.Pihak kementerian harus mengambil langkah yang sangat penting terutamanya anak bangsa melayu.Saya sebagai rakyat hanya memberi satu pandangan terpulang kepada pihak kementerian sama ada mahu menerima atau tidak.Saya amat membimbangkan anak-anak muda ini kerana merekalah yang boleh menjadi harapan untuk negara.Saya sungguh hairan anak-anak bangsa melayu kebanyakkan menjadi pencuri,merogol,melihat bahan lucah,membuang bayi yang tidak berdosa ini berbanding dengan bangsa yang lain terutamanya cina,kebanyakkan semua anak melayu kita yang menjadi tidak tentu hala seperti merokok,minum arak,merogol,membuang bayi dan lain-lain.Jestru itu saya juga meminta kepada kerajaan supaya mengambil perhatian yang serious mengenai isu masalah ini.jika tidak ia akan merebak dan boleh merosakkan minda anak-anak muda terutama pelajar sekolah rendah,saya juga berharap supaya pihak kementerian dapat menghalang tayangan gambar lucah melalui handphone.
Isnin, 16 Ogos 2010
SELAMAT MENYAMBUT HARI PERMAISURI THAILAND SIRIKET.
Saya sebagai rakyat malaysia yang berkerturunan thai mengucapkan selamat menyambut permaisuri thailand iaitu siriket.We love the king.
SOKONGAN KEPADA KERAJAAN SUPAYA ADAKAN HUKUMAN GANTUNG SAMPAI MATI TERHADAP PESALAH YANG SUKA MEMBUANG BAYI.
Saya memang sokong kepada kerajaan malaysia supaya lebih ketatkan lagi undang-undang yang membuang bayi di malaysia.Saya sebagai rakyat malaysia yang berkerturunan thai supaya lebih ketatkan lagi undang-undang hukuman ini,supaya memberi satu kesedaran kepada generasi muda terutamanya remaja.saya amat kasihan kepada bayi yang tidak berdosa yang begitu kejam sekali.Saya sokong kepada Dato Sharizat memberi satu cadangan kepada kerajaan supaya adakan hukuman yang lebih ketat lagi.
Selasa, 10 Ogos 2010
MAUT DALAM PANDANGAN ISLAM.
Kata mati adalah kata yang di benci di takuti serta tidak di senangi untuk di fikirkan dan bahas.Kematian adalah sesuatu yang sangat di benci lagi di takuti,kerana memang sudah merupakan tabiat manusia takut akan mati dan cinta kepada dunia.Itulah sebabnya mengapa manusia enggan untuk mendengar perkataan mati.(Mati itu pasti) kematian akan datang kepada semua yang bernyawa tanpa yang terkecuali
KERAJAAN THAI HARUS MENGAMBIL 4 WILAYAH DI SEMPADAN DENGAN MALAYSIA.
SAYA SEBAGAI RAKYAT THAI MENYUARAKAN KEPADA KERAJAAN THAI SUPAYA MENGAMBIL 4 WILAYAH YANG BERSEMPADAN DENGAN MALAYSIA IAITU KEDAH,PERLIS,PERAK DAN KELANTAN BERSATU DI BAWAH NAUNGAN THAI.SAYA MEMANG BERSERONOK SEKIRANYA KERAJAAN THAI DAPAT MENGAMBIL 4 WILAYAH DAN BERSATU DI BAWAH NAUNGAN THAILAND.BAGI PANDANGAN SAYA SEKIRANYA KERAJAAN THAI DAPAT MENGAMBIL BALIK 4 WILAYAH INI SAYA MEMANG SERONOK KERANA THAI ADA KEBEBASAN UNTUK MENYUARA DAN LAIN-LAIN.DI MALAYSIA SEMUA TIDAK BOLEH MENYUARA DAN LAIN-LAIN LAGI SERTA MENGAMBIL PERKERJA ASING KE MALAYSIA,SEKIRANYA KERAJAAN THAI DAPAT MENGAMBIL BALIK 4 WILAYAH YANG BERSEMPADAN DENGAN MALAYSIA KEMUNGKINAN PERKERJA ASING DAPAT DI KURANGKAN.SAYA SEBAGAI RAKYAT THAI MALAYSIA MEMBERI SATU CADANGAN SUPAYA PIHAK KEMENTERIAN THAILAND DAPAT BERJUMPA ANTARA KEDUA-DUA BELAH PIHAK ANTARA MALAYSIA DENGAN THAILAND UNTUK MEMPERSETUJUI 4 WILAYAH INI KE THAILAND SEPERTI SINGAPURA PULAU BATU PUTEH SERTA TANJUNG PAGAR ADALAH HAK SINGAPURA.BAGI PANDANGAN SAYA SEPATUTNYA KERAJAAN THAI MENGAMBIL BALIK WILAYAH YANG BERSEMPADAN DENGAN MALAYSIA IAITU KEDAH,PERLIS,PERAK DAN KELANTAN DAPAT DI SATUKAN DENGAN THAI.
Isnin, 9 Ogos 2010
QUEEN SIRIKET.
From the time His Majesty the King returned to Thailand in 1950 with M.R. Sirikit Kitiyakara by his side as his fiancee, to the day of the royal wedding when she became the Queen of Thailand, Her Majesty has since been the cherished Queen of her subjects and the source of their strength and hope. She has been the devoted consort of His Majesty the King and the pride of the Chakri Dynasty.The sight of Their Majesties standing side by side at their royal residence, at state functions, and during their trips to visit the Thai peoplein different parts of the Kingdom was heart warming for the Thai people. After the miserable days of World W ar Two, the great loss of their beloved late king, and the departure of the new King who had to continue his education abroad, the return of their Majesties the King and Queen was like sacred water that soothed the soul of every Thai. With their presence , the Thai people were grateful and considered themselves fortunate to have their Head of State back, together with his Queen who is blessed with beauty and grace.
But more than that, Their Majesties have since dedicated themselves to hard work, with the benefit and the happiness of the people as their ultimate goals. They have assisted all the suffering underprivileged poor in ever part of the Kingdom who lack a ccess to opportunities and have no one to turn to. There is no place that is too far away or too difficult to travel to. For the past four decades, Their Majesties the King and Queen have dutifully served as their people's advisors.
Whenever there is a disaster, regardless of where it happens, Their Majesties are always there to alleviate the hardships, and do so without any discrimination. Their assistance has always been on a continuous basis, to enable those affected by the mis fortunes to become self-reliant again.
Their visits to different parts of the country to get to know the people during the early period of their reign has created a bond that binds them with their subjects. Their Majesties have a very close the with villagers in every region of the Kingdom. They have listened to them about their hardships in making a living. His Majesty has never overlooked asingle problem faced by the people and has always looked for ways to address these problems. Her Majesty, on the other hand, has always responded to the King's plans and directions and is committed to hard work for the benefits of the people.
Their Majesties, together with other members of the Royal Family, have selflessly devoted themselves to carrying out the great burden of helping their people, and through this, they have won the heart of every Thai.
Today, the land echoes praises for her Majesty the Queen on the auspicious occasion of her 60th birtyday.
The International Council of Women holds its historic conference at the Thailand Cultural Center in Bangkok, hosted by the National Council of Women of Thailand
Her Majesty The Queen and Thai Silk Conservation
FUNCTIONS FIT FOR A BELOVED QUEEN
This year has witnessed on a grand scale the deep affection the Thai people have for their Queen. Since the start of the year, different functions and activities have been held in honour of Her Majesty's 60th birthday.
Looking in the best of health, Her Majesty has been endeavouring to attend as many functions as she can to show herappreciation of the people's tributes.
Thais have been gratified to see the Queen at the functions, following her absence from the limelight for a long while. As beautiful and as graceful as ever, she has served as a source of pride for her people.
Always radiant and wearing evening gowns or elegant dresses, Her Majesty's presence at the functions specially held for her has brought life and vigor to society. The functions are mostly fund-raising events that will go a long way to benefit the poor all over the country.
The year 1992 will go down in Thai history as a year of great joy and a show of gratitude to the Queen, who has done so much for her people.
Long Live Her Majesty the Queen !
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But more than that, Their Majesties have since dedicated themselves to hard work, with the benefit and the happiness of the people as their ultimate goals. They have assisted all the suffering underprivileged poor in ever part of the Kingdom who lack a ccess to opportunities and have no one to turn to. There is no place that is too far away or too difficult to travel to. For the past four decades, Their Majesties the King and Queen have dutifully served as their people's advisors.
Whenever there is a disaster, regardless of where it happens, Their Majesties are always there to alleviate the hardships, and do so without any discrimination. Their assistance has always been on a continuous basis, to enable those affected by the mis fortunes to become self-reliant again.
Their visits to different parts of the country to get to know the people during the early period of their reign has created a bond that binds them with their subjects. Their Majesties have a very close the with villagers in every region of the Kingdom. They have listened to them about their hardships in making a living. His Majesty has never overlooked asingle problem faced by the people and has always looked for ways to address these problems. Her Majesty, on the other hand, has always responded to the King's plans and directions and is committed to hard work for the benefits of the people.
Their Majesties, together with other members of the Royal Family, have selflessly devoted themselves to carrying out the great burden of helping their people, and through this, they have won the heart of every Thai.
Today, the land echoes praises for her Majesty the Queen on the auspicious occasion of her 60th birtyday.
The International Council of Women holds its historic conference at the Thailand Cultural Center in Bangkok, hosted by the National Council of Women of Thailand
Her Majesty The Queen and Thai Silk Conservation
FUNCTIONS FIT FOR A BELOVED QUEEN
This year has witnessed on a grand scale the deep affection the Thai people have for their Queen. Since the start of the year, different functions and activities have been held in honour of Her Majesty's 60th birthday.
Looking in the best of health, Her Majesty has been endeavouring to attend as many functions as she can to show herappreciation of the people's tributes.
Thais have been gratified to see the Queen at the functions, following her absence from the limelight for a long while. As beautiful and as graceful as ever, she has served as a source of pride for her people.
Always radiant and wearing evening gowns or elegant dresses, Her Majesty's presence at the functions specially held for her has brought life and vigor to society. The functions are mostly fund-raising events that will go a long way to benefit the poor all over the country.
The year 1992 will go down in Thai history as a year of great joy and a show of gratitude to the Queen, who has done so much for her people.
Long Live Her Majesty the Queen !
The Modern Monarchy
Chakri Dynasty
King Rama I
King Rama II
King Rama III
King Rama IV
King Rama V
King Rama VI
King Rama VII
King Rama VIII
King Rama IX
King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Queen Sirikit
HOME
Search
Site Map
Phonebook
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KING BHUMIBOL ADULYADEJ.
King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) was born on December 5, 1927. He succeeded his elder brother as King on June 9, 1946. On April 28, 1950 King Bhumibol Adulyadej was married to Mom Rajawongse Sirikit Kitiyakara, a great-granddaughter of King Chulalongkorn and the following week, on May 5, 1950, was crowned as King and his wife was installed as Queen in a glittering ceremony in the Grand Palace.
Their Majesties have four children, the former Princess Ubol Ratana Rajakanya, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and Princess Chulabhorn Valayalaksana. During his reign King Bhumibol Adulyadej has made numerous state visits abroad as well as having received many Heads of State in Bangkok.
As his reign has advanced, the growing reverence of the Thai people for their sovereign has become ever more apparent and on May 5, 1987, to mark his forthcoming 60th birthday, King Bhumibol Adulyadej was proclaimed "the Great" by His Excellency the Prime Minister of Thailand. On July 2, 1988 King Bhumibol Adulyadej will celebrate his record reign -- the day on which he has reigned longer than any of his predecessors.
Their Majesties have four children, the former Princess Ubol Ratana Rajakanya, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and Princess Chulabhorn Valayalaksana. During his reign King Bhumibol Adulyadej has made numerous state visits abroad as well as having received many Heads of State in Bangkok.
As his reign has advanced, the growing reverence of the Thai people for their sovereign has become ever more apparent and on May 5, 1987, to mark his forthcoming 60th birthday, King Bhumibol Adulyadej was proclaimed "the Great" by His Excellency the Prime Minister of Thailand. On July 2, 1988 King Bhumibol Adulyadej will celebrate his record reign -- the day on which he has reigned longer than any of his predecessors.
KING ANANDA MAHIDOL
Was born on September 20,1925,the elder son and second child of H.R.H. Prince Mahidol Adulyadej, Prince of Songkla. He succeeded his uncle, King Prajadhipok, as King on March 2, 1935. King Ananda Mahidol spent his early years in Switzerland, receiving his education there and made occasional trips to Thailand. He returned to Bangkok after the end of World War II, but his life and his reign cam to an abrupt end when he died, on June 9, 1946. King Ananda Mahidol was never crowned and shortly after his death his younger brother and successor, King Bhumibol Adulyadaj, post-humously altered his regnal title and raised him from seven to nine levels of royal umbrella, as a fully crowned and anointed sovereign.
KING PRAJADHIPOK
He born in Bangkok on November 8,1893. King Prajadhipok succeeded to the throne on the death of his elder brother, King Vajiravudh. He had not expected to become King--indeed until nine months before the death of King Vajiravudh the heir presumptive to the throne had been Prince Asdang Dejavudh, Prince of Nakorn Rajasima, and with his death in February 1925, Prince Prajadhipok became heir presumptive. However, King Vajiravudh's consort, Phra Nang Chao Suvadhana, was expecting a child, and had she given birth to a son he would have succeeded his father as Rama VII. The birth of a daughter took place two days before King Vajiravudh's death, and so it was that Prince Prajadhipok became king. His reign coincided with the worldwide economic depression which followed the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and its effects were not unfelt in Siam. On April 6, 1932 the country celebrated the sesquicentenary of the Chakri Dynasty--two months later a coup d'etat was staged with the eventual transferral of power to a Legislative Assembly. Thus the 150-year absolute rule of the Chakri Kings came to an end and the Constitutional Monarchy of the present day was born. On December 10, 1932 King Prajadhipok granted a constitution to the Thai people and just over two years later, on March 2, 1935, having gone to live in England in order to receive medical treatment, he abdicated the throne. Kingi Prajadhipok died in England on May 30,1941, during World War II, and his ashes were brought back to Bangkok by his widow, Queen Rambhai Barni, in 1949.
KING VAJIRAVUDH
Whose reigning title was Phra Mongkut Klao Chaoyuhua, was second son of King Chulalongkorn. He was born at Bangkok on January 1, 1881. Following the death of his elder half-brother, Crown Prince Maha Vajirunhis, in 1895, he was appointed Crown Prince. He was educated in England and his great love of literature and poetry in both Thai and English together with his scholastic abilities was later to manifest itseft during his reign. Among his lasting achievements were devising a system of transliteration of Thai into English and of translating the entire works of Shakespeare into Thai . His passion for traditional Thai theater and ballet has left a mass of published scores which form the basis of the study of these arts to the present day. King Vajiravudh's coronation in Bangkok on December 2, 1911 was an occasion of much splendor. Among those present at the ceremonies were members of the royal families of Great Britain, Denmark, Sweden, Russia and Japan (the largest gathering of European royalty on the Asian Continent either before or since). The Russian imperial jewelers, Messrs. Carl Faberge, set up a temporary shop within the hallowed portals of the Oriental Hotel to coincide with the festivities. In 1916 King Vajiravudh declared war on Germany and Thai troops fought with the Allies during the latter part of World War I. He died in Bangkok on November 26, 1925 at the early age of 44.
KING CHULALONGKORN.
Also known as Phra Chula Chomklao Chaoyuhua, and the eldest son of King Rama IV, he was born in Bangkok on September 20, 1853 and was crowned King on October 1, 1868, following the death of his father. The first few years of his reign were under a regency. King Chulalongkorn is perhaps the most revered of all the Chakri Kings--during his long reign of 42 years 23 days great advances were achieved for the country.
The King actively pursued a policy of "modernizing" the country and had a number of Europeans in his service to oversee such projects as the building of the first railway in Thailand. He himself made two visits to Europe, one in 1897 and another in 1907, during which he became acquainted with most of the rulers of Europe. Bonds of friendship between himself and the various European royal families were formed which exist to the present day. Not only was he the first Thai king to travel abroad [ he made several visits to the Straits Settlements, the Malay States and the Dutch East Indies ] but he also sent his sons to study in Europe [ to school in England and later for military training to Denmark, Germany and Russia ].
He successfully managed to cultivate the idea of Siam as a buffer state between the colonial possessions of the European powers in South-East Asia. The price he paid of losing certain border territories was amply rewarded, for Siam was never colonized - the only country in the region to maintain its sovereignty throughout the period of colonial expansionism. Much beloved by his people he died on October 23, 1910.
The King actively pursued a policy of "modernizing" the country and had a number of Europeans in his service to oversee such projects as the building of the first railway in Thailand. He himself made two visits to Europe, one in 1897 and another in 1907, during which he became acquainted with most of the rulers of Europe. Bonds of friendship between himself and the various European royal families were formed which exist to the present day. Not only was he the first Thai king to travel abroad [ he made several visits to the Straits Settlements, the Malay States and the Dutch East Indies ] but he also sent his sons to study in Europe [ to school in England and later for military training to Denmark, Germany and Russia ].
He successfully managed to cultivate the idea of Siam as a buffer state between the colonial possessions of the European powers in South-East Asia. The price he paid of losing certain border territories was amply rewarded, for Siam was never colonized - the only country in the region to maintain its sovereignty throughout the period of colonial expansionism. Much beloved by his people he died on October 23, 1910.
HIS MAJESTY KING MONGKUT.
Thailand has had a Monarchy for centuries. In critical period, the Thai people rally around their beloved King. In time of peace, the Monarch is the center of faith. It is becaus e of the people' s love and loyalty to their King that Thailand has remained and independent country. This column is to honor the Kings of the Chakri Dynasty.
His Majesty King Mongkut was born on Thursday the 18th of October 1804. He was the second son of Phra Buddha Lertla Naphalai (King Rama II) and Queen Sri Suriyendra, whose first--born son died at birth in 1801. Prince Mongkut was five years old when his father succeeded to the Throne in 1809.
In a letter to an American friend before he himself ascended to the Throne, Prince Mongkut explained his name and title as follows: "Chao" corresponds to the English word "Lord", or the Latin word Dominus. "Fah" means the sky, but when used with a person's name it becomes an adjective of exaltation, equivalent to the phrase "as high as the sky". Mongkut means "crown". The name Chao Fah Mongkut thus means "The High Prince of the Crown," or "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince"
When His Royal Highness Prince Mongkut became King, he was generally known in Siam as "Phra Chom Klao", but foreigners always called him Mongkut.
Early Life
Until the age of nine, Prince, Mongkut lived at an old palace on the Thon Buri side of the Chao Phraya River. He was given traditional education befitting a Siamese Crown Prince being groomed to be King. His studies included literature and poetry in Siamese and Pali, the ancient language of the Buddhist religion. He was also taught history and the ancient art of warfare, which included the use of many kinds of weapons and elephant - and horse - riding. He learned the precepts of Buddhism, including the Ten Perfections(parami), namely, alms--giving; morality; renunciation, or seclusion from sensual pleasures; wisdom; effort; patients-endurance; truthfulness; determination; kindness and equanimity.
At the tender age of 12, Prince Mongkut was assigned by his royal father to take charge of the armed forces. Assisted by an uncle, he supervised the settlement of Mon refugees who had come into the Kingdom by way of Tak, Uthai and Kanchanaburi provinces.
When he was 14, the Prince was ordained as a novice monk for seven months at Mahathat Temple just outside the Grand Palace. Then, when he was 20, he entered the monkhood at the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the Royal Temple, but later moved to a smaller and more peaceful temple at the edge of the city. The little known Samorai Temple was where he thought he could better pursue his study of Buddhism.
In the Yellow Robe of a Buddhist Monk
Two weeks after Prince Mongkut's ordination to the monkhood, His Majesty King Phra Buddha Lertla Naphalai passed away, and following Siamese tradition an assembly of princes and high officials met together to choose his successor. They elected Prince Chesdabodin as the next King.
Ironically, it was his period in monkhood, which required him to take a vow of poverty and self-denial, that gave Prince Mongkut a good understanding of statecraft. It allowed him to meet people from all walks of life, from the humblest to the elite, Thais as well as foreigners. He traveled to various parts of the Kingdom, barefoot, depending on offerings of food and other necessities from the people. From the Thais, he gained an invaluable first-hand insight into their welfare and livelihood. From the foreigners, he obtained precious information about the outside world, especially about technology and and science.
Accession to the Throne
When His Majesty King Nang Klao (the name by which Prince Chesdabodin was known when he became King) passed away in 1851, the Accession Council elected Prince Mongkut as his successor. When told of the decision, Prince Mongkut said modestly that he would accept to avoid trouble, and left the monkhood. But once he became King, he immediately instituted reforms which would adapt the country to western ways.
Soon after his coronation, it was customary for a king to appoint his deputy, or Uparaj, and King Mongkut chose his full brother, Prince Chutamani as Deputy King. By so doing, he returned to a tradition of the Ayutthaya Kingdom 250 years before and followed the example set by King Naresuan in appointing his younger brother as Deputy King, according him an almost equal status and a coronation of nearly the same splendor. Prince Chutamani thus became known as His Majesty King Pinklao; he was interested mainly in national defence, particularly the navy and the artillery.
Since King Mogkut was already proficient in the English language, he was anxious that other members of the Court be likewise trained in this foreign language. Not long after he ascended the Throne in 1851, two missionaries, a Dr.Bradley and a Dr.Jones, received a letter from the Grand Chamberlain, telling them of His Majesty's wish that the ladies of the court be taught English, and asking their help to find teachers. The missionaries assigned their wives, Mrs.Bradley and Mrs.Jones, and a third woman, Mrs.Stephen Matton, to take turns going to the palace to give lessons.
On August 13, 1851, a class was started for young ladies between the age of 16 and 21. They were soon joined by princesses from the court of King Rama II, and the class grew to 30. But after three years, the lessons were stopped as the students got bored of being taught only from religious texts and shown pictures from the Bible, in what was seen as an effort to convert them to Christianity. It was then that the King sent word to his Consul in Singapore to hire an English teacher on the condition that she would refrain from teaching religion. Thus, in 1862, Mrs.Anna Leonowens arrived in Bangkok to teach English to the Children of the King of Siam for four years.
Events Leading to His Majesty's Death
His Majesty King Mongkut was greatly interested in astronomy. He correctly calculated the time and place of a total eclipse of the sun, which occurred on August 18, 1868, and pinpointed a remote village in Prachuab Khiri Khan, on the west coast of the Gulf of Siam, as the place where it could be clearly seen. The King invited many dignitaries, including the Governor of Singapore, Henry Orde. The French Government sent a large party of scientists.
In his letter of invitation, Sir Henry Orde, who came by sea, the King told him to come to the place at "East Greenwich longitude 99 degrees 42' and latitude North 11 degrees 39'." The total eclipse of the sun, which lasted six minutes and 46 seconds, occurred exactly as the King had predicted and the European scientists conceded that he was a brilliant mathematician and real astronomer.
His Majesty's effort to learn English at an advanced age and become an expert in a western science, however, met a sad end. The King's pavilion for viewing the eclipse was built on low ground in a mosquito-infested spot. Soon after his return to Bangkok, His Majesty fell seriously ill from malaria caught at the site, and his eldest son, Prince Chulalongkorn, who had gone with him to watch the eclipse.
His Majesty King Mongkut passed away on the night of October 18, 1868. It was 64th birthday
His Majesty King Mongkut was born on Thursday the 18th of October 1804. He was the second son of Phra Buddha Lertla Naphalai (King Rama II) and Queen Sri Suriyendra, whose first--born son died at birth in 1801. Prince Mongkut was five years old when his father succeeded to the Throne in 1809.
In a letter to an American friend before he himself ascended to the Throne, Prince Mongkut explained his name and title as follows: "Chao" corresponds to the English word "Lord", or the Latin word Dominus. "Fah" means the sky, but when used with a person's name it becomes an adjective of exaltation, equivalent to the phrase "as high as the sky". Mongkut means "crown". The name Chao Fah Mongkut thus means "The High Prince of the Crown," or "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince"
When His Royal Highness Prince Mongkut became King, he was generally known in Siam as "Phra Chom Klao", but foreigners always called him Mongkut.
Early Life
Until the age of nine, Prince, Mongkut lived at an old palace on the Thon Buri side of the Chao Phraya River. He was given traditional education befitting a Siamese Crown Prince being groomed to be King. His studies included literature and poetry in Siamese and Pali, the ancient language of the Buddhist religion. He was also taught history and the ancient art of warfare, which included the use of many kinds of weapons and elephant - and horse - riding. He learned the precepts of Buddhism, including the Ten Perfections(parami), namely, alms--giving; morality; renunciation, or seclusion from sensual pleasures; wisdom; effort; patients-endurance; truthfulness; determination; kindness and equanimity.
At the tender age of 12, Prince Mongkut was assigned by his royal father to take charge of the armed forces. Assisted by an uncle, he supervised the settlement of Mon refugees who had come into the Kingdom by way of Tak, Uthai and Kanchanaburi provinces.
When he was 14, the Prince was ordained as a novice monk for seven months at Mahathat Temple just outside the Grand Palace. Then, when he was 20, he entered the monkhood at the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the Royal Temple, but later moved to a smaller and more peaceful temple at the edge of the city. The little known Samorai Temple was where he thought he could better pursue his study of Buddhism.
In the Yellow Robe of a Buddhist Monk
Two weeks after Prince Mongkut's ordination to the monkhood, His Majesty King Phra Buddha Lertla Naphalai passed away, and following Siamese tradition an assembly of princes and high officials met together to choose his successor. They elected Prince Chesdabodin as the next King.
Ironically, it was his period in monkhood, which required him to take a vow of poverty and self-denial, that gave Prince Mongkut a good understanding of statecraft. It allowed him to meet people from all walks of life, from the humblest to the elite, Thais as well as foreigners. He traveled to various parts of the Kingdom, barefoot, depending on offerings of food and other necessities from the people. From the Thais, he gained an invaluable first-hand insight into their welfare and livelihood. From the foreigners, he obtained precious information about the outside world, especially about technology and and science.
Accession to the Throne
When His Majesty King Nang Klao (the name by which Prince Chesdabodin was known when he became King) passed away in 1851, the Accession Council elected Prince Mongkut as his successor. When told of the decision, Prince Mongkut said modestly that he would accept to avoid trouble, and left the monkhood. But once he became King, he immediately instituted reforms which would adapt the country to western ways.
Soon after his coronation, it was customary for a king to appoint his deputy, or Uparaj, and King Mongkut chose his full brother, Prince Chutamani as Deputy King. By so doing, he returned to a tradition of the Ayutthaya Kingdom 250 years before and followed the example set by King Naresuan in appointing his younger brother as Deputy King, according him an almost equal status and a coronation of nearly the same splendor. Prince Chutamani thus became known as His Majesty King Pinklao; he was interested mainly in national defence, particularly the navy and the artillery.
Since King Mogkut was already proficient in the English language, he was anxious that other members of the Court be likewise trained in this foreign language. Not long after he ascended the Throne in 1851, two missionaries, a Dr.Bradley and a Dr.Jones, received a letter from the Grand Chamberlain, telling them of His Majesty's wish that the ladies of the court be taught English, and asking their help to find teachers. The missionaries assigned their wives, Mrs.Bradley and Mrs.Jones, and a third woman, Mrs.Stephen Matton, to take turns going to the palace to give lessons.
On August 13, 1851, a class was started for young ladies between the age of 16 and 21. They were soon joined by princesses from the court of King Rama II, and the class grew to 30. But after three years, the lessons were stopped as the students got bored of being taught only from religious texts and shown pictures from the Bible, in what was seen as an effort to convert them to Christianity. It was then that the King sent word to his Consul in Singapore to hire an English teacher on the condition that she would refrain from teaching religion. Thus, in 1862, Mrs.Anna Leonowens arrived in Bangkok to teach English to the Children of the King of Siam for four years.
Events Leading to His Majesty's Death
His Majesty King Mongkut was greatly interested in astronomy. He correctly calculated the time and place of a total eclipse of the sun, which occurred on August 18, 1868, and pinpointed a remote village in Prachuab Khiri Khan, on the west coast of the Gulf of Siam, as the place where it could be clearly seen. The King invited many dignitaries, including the Governor of Singapore, Henry Orde. The French Government sent a large party of scientists.
In his letter of invitation, Sir Henry Orde, who came by sea, the King told him to come to the place at "East Greenwich longitude 99 degrees 42' and latitude North 11 degrees 39'." The total eclipse of the sun, which lasted six minutes and 46 seconds, occurred exactly as the King had predicted and the European scientists conceded that he was a brilliant mathematician and real astronomer.
His Majesty's effort to learn English at an advanced age and become an expert in a western science, however, met a sad end. The King's pavilion for viewing the eclipse was built on low ground in a mosquito-infested spot. Soon after his return to Bangkok, His Majesty fell seriously ill from malaria caught at the site, and his eldest son, Prince Chulalongkorn, who had gone with him to watch the eclipse.
His Majesty King Mongkut passed away on the night of October 18, 1868. It was 64th birthday
KING NANG KLAO
He born in Bangkok on March 31, 1788 the future King Rama III was the son of King Rama II by a junior wife, Chao Chom Riem. At the time of the death of King Rama II his supposed heir, Prince Mongkut, had entered a monastery as a monk and Prince Chesda Bondindra, as he was then styled, was chosen as king by the Accession Council [ at the age of 37 and reigned for 27 years ]. He proved an able ruler and during his reign trade prospered and territorial advances were made as the vassal states of the north and east came more firmly under the rule of Bangkok. During his rule, in 1833, the first treaty with the United States was signed. King Rama III had no queen and thus had no children of Chao Fa rank, and so, on his death, on April 2, 1851 [ at the age of 65 ]. The succession passed to his half-brother, who became King Mongkut [ Rama IV ]. Although he had no son who was King it is an interesting genealogical fact that among his descendantes were five future Kings for his granddaughter, Queen Debsirindra, was the mother of King Chulalongkorn [ Rama V ]--thus every descendant of King Chulalongkorn has a lineal descent from King Rama III.
KING BUDDHA LOET LA NABHALAI.
He was the son of King Rama I. He born at Rajaburi on February 26, 1768 he accompanied his father on military campaigns as a young man. He was 16 when his father ascended the throne and was immediately created a Prince of the rank of Somdetch Chao Fa and given the name of Isarasundorn. Appointed Maha Uparaja [ or Deputy King ] by his father in 1806, he was the only Maha Uparaja to eventually succeed to the throne during the period of the Chakri Dynasty. He became king on the death of his father [at the age of 42 ], King Rama I. His reign was a period of consolidating the achievements of the previous reign and he began the custom of appointing senior princes to supervise over the different departments of state. He is best remembered though for his interest in the arts . He was an artist, writer, composer, which flourished during his reign. He died on July 21. 1824 [ at the age of 58 ].
KING BUDDHA YOT FA CHULALOK.
He born in Ayutthaya on March 20, 1737, the son of Phra Aksorn Sundara Smiantra, he was formerly known as Thong Duang. Following the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767 he entered the service of Phraya Taksin and fought by his side in almost every campaign until the latter became King Taksin, establishing the capital at Thonburi. He was created Luang Yorkrabat, then Phra Rajvarin, Chao Phraya Chakri and eventually Somdetch Chao Phraya Maha Kashatriya Suk by King Taksin, and following the deposition of King Taksin in 1782 [ at the age of 45 ] was chosen King, becoming the founder and first ruler of the House of Chakri two hundred years ago. On the year of his accession he moved the capital from Thonburi to the opposite bank of the Chao Phraya River, thus founding the city of Bangkok. It was during his reign that the Grand Palace was constructed and he installed the Emerald Buddha in the Chapel Royal following its completion. He died in Bangkok on September 7, 1809 and, as many historians have stated, the modern Siam dates from his reign.
THE FULL FAMILY TREE OF THE CHAKRI
THE FULL FAMILY TREE OF THE CHAKRI DYNASTY IS complex and at times perplexing. Each king and queen is known by several different names and titles, some posthumously conferred. Many of the princes and princesses have more than one title, and alterations can be made, not only to their rank but also to the terms describing their relationship to the reigning monarch, which change from reign to reign. These ranks and titles are finely graded, revealing nuances which explain the exact rank and relationship to the king of the individual prince or princess.
This hierarchy of rank and title is unique to Thailand [although a similar, but less complex system exists within the royal family of Cambodia] and is the most elaborate system of royal rank to be found in any country in the world. There are three distinct ranks of prince and princess, but even within each rank there are finer distinctions which divide the members into different sub-groups. The three main ranks are as follows:-
The Chao Fa This title is usually restricted to the children of a king or queen. There are at present only five Chao Fa living , one prince and four princesses; they include the present Crown Prince, two daughters of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, his sister, and the daughter of His late Majesty King Vajiravudh [Rama VI] . Another daughter of His present Majesty, the former Princess Ubol Ratana Rajakanya, who relinquished her royal title in 1972, was also of this rank.
The Phra Ong Chao--there are two specific grades within this rank, those Phra Ong Chao who have the additional word Chao within the preamble to their title, and those who do not :
[Phra Chao Vorawongse Ther] Phra Ong Chao--Prince or Princess and Royal Highness. [Phra Vorawongse Ther] Phra Ong Chao--Prince or Princess and Highness. The Phra Ong Chao nowadays are always the grandchildren of a king--three of the present King's grandchilden are of this rank, and the other 10 living Phra Ong Chao are all grandchildren of King Chulalongkorn [ Rama V ], from senior lines of descent.
The Mom Chao--this is the lowest of the royal ranks and the usual title of a grandchildren of a king [except where raised to be a Phra Ong Chao]; in the case of a great-grandchild of a king who is a Mom Chao then he or she is the child of a Phra Ong Chao prince, who is himself of a grandchild of a king. The Mom Chao are known in English as Prince or Princess and Serene Highness. There are at present some 150 Mom Chao living--53 are grandchildren or great- grandchildren of King Chulalongkorn [Rama V], 82 are grandchildren or great-grandchildren of King Mongkut [Rama IV], 14 are grandchildren of the last Maha Uparaja [ or Deputy King] and one, the last surviving grandchild of Second King Pinklao, who died in 1866. They are for the most part elderly and in the years to come their number will be much diminished. In the early part of this century the total of Mom Chao was much higher, numbering several hundred, and including grandchildren of King Rama III, King Rama II and even King Rama I, as well as numberous grandchildren of the earlier Maha Uparaja. By the end of the century it is likely that there will only be several dozen Mom Chao left within the Royal Family.
The great-grandchildren of a king do not bear royal rank but are entitled to use the title of Mom Rajawongse, which is not translated into English. The great- great-grandchildren bear the title of Mom Luang. Subsequent generations in the male line of decent from a king have no titles, but may add the dynastic surname of "na Ayudhya" to the surname of the branch of the Royal Family from which they descend.
The Royal Family is divided into 131 different branches. Each son of a king, or Maha Uparaja, who founded a family, was granted a surname by King Vajiravudh [Rama VI] - several more were granted during the reign of his successor, King Prajadhipok [Rama VII]. As part of the 60th birthday celebrations of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, representatives of each branch will gather at the Chitralada Villa of Dusit Palace in a ceremony that has not been performed for many years. They will be received in audience by the King in the Dusidalai Hall and will be grouped strictly according to the seniority of their descent from the previous kings of the Chakri Dynasty. The task of deciding the order of precedence is not an easy one and assistance is given by the chairman of the family association of the Chakri Dynasty , who keeps careful track of the whereabouts of each branch and its members, ensuring that they are informed of the gathering and at the same time checking that no imposters lay claim to an unverified descent. This is rare, though from time to time "pretenders" do emerge and assume the name of some remote line of descent of the Royal Family.
The names of the Kings of the Chakri Dynasty are long and complex and take various forms. It is customary that the sovereign's name is longer than that of anyone else in the Kingdom and the full royal name and title, as inscribed on a golden name plate at the time of the coronation, is impractical for daily use. Several different systems for naming the kings have developed over the years. In the reign of King Rama III it was decided that the first two kings of the Chakri Dynasty should be accorded a personal name. Hitherto, people had referred to these two kings as "The King of the Foremost Reign" and "The King of the Middle Reign." King Rama III had two large golden Buddha images made and dedicated them to the first two kings and decreed that they be known as King Buddha Yot Fa and King Buddha Loet La. He himself became King Nang Klao. His successors became King Chom Klao [Mongkut] , King Chula Chom Klao [Chulalongkorn] ,King Mongkut Klao (Vajiravudh) and King Pok Klao [Prajadhipok]. Abroad and to foreigners living within the country these kings were known by other names - the personal name they had before their accession - hence King Mongkut, King Chulalongkorn, King Vajiravudh and King Prajadhipok, and this custom was continued during the two subsequent reigns with King Ananda Mahidol and King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
One of the fascinations of the Thai system of royal rank and title is the subtlety with which the title of a member of the Royal House reveals an exact degree of rank. Apart from the three distinct princely ranks mentioned earlier there are other features of royal titles which further define the holder's true position in the royal hierarchy. In the titles of all princes and princesses of Phra Ong Chao and Chao Fa rank are to be found certain words which also indicate their relationship to the reigning King. These form part of the preamble to the title and in the case of the closest royal relatives indicate the exact relationship. More distant relatives have a word indicating to which group of princes and princesses they belong. Thus the son of the reigning king will be Somdetch Phra Chao Lukya Ther Chao Fa, the daughter Somdetch Phra Chao Luk Ther Chao Fa, the elder brother Somdetch Phra Chao Piya Ther Chao Fa, the younger brother Somdetch Phra Chao Nongya Ther Chao Fa, and so on. These relationship terms change from reign to reign, with the children of one king becoming, perhaps the elder and younger brothers and sisters of the next king. The system applies equally to deceased members of the Royal Family and the late younger brother of a reigning king will become the late uncle of his successor and his title will be altered accordingly. There is thus a gradual and evolving pattern of change within the system of royal titles.
Another feature of the precise definition of rank can be found among the regalia of the most senior members of the Royal Family. When they receive their titles they are presented with a set of regalia, which, should their title be high enough, will include a multi-tiered royal umbrellas, or parasol. These royal umbrella are of different levels, usually of five, seven or nine tiers. Only a crowned king possesses a nine-tiered umbrella [prior to his coronation he is entitled to one of seven tiers]. The holders of seven tier umbrellas form a special group within the Royal Family, those whose titles contain the words "Somdetch Phra Baromma" and at the present time these include only four people, Her Majesty the Queen, H.R.H. the Crown Prince, H.R.H. the Princess Mother and princesses of Cho Fa rank are entitled to royal umbrellas of five tiers. These royal umbrellas reveal the rank of the holder and as such can form part of their insignia or coats-of-arms and at their cremations are to be found suspended above the crematorium, or above their urns at their lyings-in-state.
As the Thai system of rank is so very much more complex than those systems to be found in European countries it is often difficult to ascribe adequate titles in English and the other European languages. A system has evolved gradually, beginning as early as the reign of King Mongkut. He and his successors took particular care in choosing the correct English words to be used as a translation for various Thai royal titles, and in the cases of King Chulalongkorn and King Vajiravudh discussions took place between themselves and members of European royal families on choosing suitable equivalents. However, the European languages cannot convey the degree of subtlety apparent in the Thai system and anomalies occur. Although the Queen is Her Majesty, the Princess Mother, according to European custom is only Her Royal Highness, a rank equal to those of certain princes and princesses. In Europe the mother of a reigning king whose father has never been king cannot be a queen mother, as she was herself never a queen consort and is therefore known as the princess mother. That the present Princess Mother of Thailand was raised to the rank of Somdetch Phra Baromma with the right to seven levels of royal umbrellas during the reign of her son cannot be adequately conveyed in the English rendering of her title.
The Modern Monarchy
Chakri Dynasty
King Rama I
King Rama II
King Rama III
King Rama IV
King Rama V
King Rama VI
King Rama VII
King Rama VIII
King Rama IX
King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Queen Sirikit
This hierarchy of rank and title is unique to Thailand [although a similar, but less complex system exists within the royal family of Cambodia] and is the most elaborate system of royal rank to be found in any country in the world. There are three distinct ranks of prince and princess, but even within each rank there are finer distinctions which divide the members into different sub-groups. The three main ranks are as follows:-
The Chao Fa This title is usually restricted to the children of a king or queen. There are at present only five Chao Fa living , one prince and four princesses; they include the present Crown Prince, two daughters of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, his sister, and the daughter of His late Majesty King Vajiravudh [Rama VI] . Another daughter of His present Majesty, the former Princess Ubol Ratana Rajakanya, who relinquished her royal title in 1972, was also of this rank.
The Phra Ong Chao--there are two specific grades within this rank, those Phra Ong Chao who have the additional word Chao within the preamble to their title, and those who do not :
[Phra Chao Vorawongse Ther] Phra Ong Chao--Prince or Princess and Royal Highness. [Phra Vorawongse Ther] Phra Ong Chao--Prince or Princess and Highness. The Phra Ong Chao nowadays are always the grandchildren of a king--three of the present King's grandchilden are of this rank, and the other 10 living Phra Ong Chao are all grandchildren of King Chulalongkorn [ Rama V ], from senior lines of descent.
The Mom Chao--this is the lowest of the royal ranks and the usual title of a grandchildren of a king [except where raised to be a Phra Ong Chao]; in the case of a great-grandchild of a king who is a Mom Chao then he or she is the child of a Phra Ong Chao prince, who is himself of a grandchild of a king. The Mom Chao are known in English as Prince or Princess and Serene Highness. There are at present some 150 Mom Chao living--53 are grandchildren or great- grandchildren of King Chulalongkorn [Rama V], 82 are grandchildren or great-grandchildren of King Mongkut [Rama IV], 14 are grandchildren of the last Maha Uparaja [ or Deputy King] and one, the last surviving grandchild of Second King Pinklao, who died in 1866. They are for the most part elderly and in the years to come their number will be much diminished. In the early part of this century the total of Mom Chao was much higher, numbering several hundred, and including grandchildren of King Rama III, King Rama II and even King Rama I, as well as numberous grandchildren of the earlier Maha Uparaja. By the end of the century it is likely that there will only be several dozen Mom Chao left within the Royal Family.
The great-grandchildren of a king do not bear royal rank but are entitled to use the title of Mom Rajawongse, which is not translated into English. The great- great-grandchildren bear the title of Mom Luang. Subsequent generations in the male line of decent from a king have no titles, but may add the dynastic surname of "na Ayudhya" to the surname of the branch of the Royal Family from which they descend.
The Royal Family is divided into 131 different branches. Each son of a king, or Maha Uparaja, who founded a family, was granted a surname by King Vajiravudh [Rama VI] - several more were granted during the reign of his successor, King Prajadhipok [Rama VII]. As part of the 60th birthday celebrations of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, representatives of each branch will gather at the Chitralada Villa of Dusit Palace in a ceremony that has not been performed for many years. They will be received in audience by the King in the Dusidalai Hall and will be grouped strictly according to the seniority of their descent from the previous kings of the Chakri Dynasty. The task of deciding the order of precedence is not an easy one and assistance is given by the chairman of the family association of the Chakri Dynasty , who keeps careful track of the whereabouts of each branch and its members, ensuring that they are informed of the gathering and at the same time checking that no imposters lay claim to an unverified descent. This is rare, though from time to time "pretenders" do emerge and assume the name of some remote line of descent of the Royal Family.
The names of the Kings of the Chakri Dynasty are long and complex and take various forms. It is customary that the sovereign's name is longer than that of anyone else in the Kingdom and the full royal name and title, as inscribed on a golden name plate at the time of the coronation, is impractical for daily use. Several different systems for naming the kings have developed over the years. In the reign of King Rama III it was decided that the first two kings of the Chakri Dynasty should be accorded a personal name. Hitherto, people had referred to these two kings as "The King of the Foremost Reign" and "The King of the Middle Reign." King Rama III had two large golden Buddha images made and dedicated them to the first two kings and decreed that they be known as King Buddha Yot Fa and King Buddha Loet La. He himself became King Nang Klao. His successors became King Chom Klao [Mongkut] , King Chula Chom Klao [Chulalongkorn] ,King Mongkut Klao (Vajiravudh) and King Pok Klao [Prajadhipok]. Abroad and to foreigners living within the country these kings were known by other names - the personal name they had before their accession - hence King Mongkut, King Chulalongkorn, King Vajiravudh and King Prajadhipok, and this custom was continued during the two subsequent reigns with King Ananda Mahidol and King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
One of the fascinations of the Thai system of royal rank and title is the subtlety with which the title of a member of the Royal House reveals an exact degree of rank. Apart from the three distinct princely ranks mentioned earlier there are other features of royal titles which further define the holder's true position in the royal hierarchy. In the titles of all princes and princesses of Phra Ong Chao and Chao Fa rank are to be found certain words which also indicate their relationship to the reigning King. These form part of the preamble to the title and in the case of the closest royal relatives indicate the exact relationship. More distant relatives have a word indicating to which group of princes and princesses they belong. Thus the son of the reigning king will be Somdetch Phra Chao Lukya Ther Chao Fa, the daughter Somdetch Phra Chao Luk Ther Chao Fa, the elder brother Somdetch Phra Chao Piya Ther Chao Fa, the younger brother Somdetch Phra Chao Nongya Ther Chao Fa, and so on. These relationship terms change from reign to reign, with the children of one king becoming, perhaps the elder and younger brothers and sisters of the next king. The system applies equally to deceased members of the Royal Family and the late younger brother of a reigning king will become the late uncle of his successor and his title will be altered accordingly. There is thus a gradual and evolving pattern of change within the system of royal titles.
Another feature of the precise definition of rank can be found among the regalia of the most senior members of the Royal Family. When they receive their titles they are presented with a set of regalia, which, should their title be high enough, will include a multi-tiered royal umbrellas, or parasol. These royal umbrella are of different levels, usually of five, seven or nine tiers. Only a crowned king possesses a nine-tiered umbrella [prior to his coronation he is entitled to one of seven tiers]. The holders of seven tier umbrellas form a special group within the Royal Family, those whose titles contain the words "Somdetch Phra Baromma" and at the present time these include only four people, Her Majesty the Queen, H.R.H. the Crown Prince, H.R.H. the Princess Mother and princesses of Cho Fa rank are entitled to royal umbrellas of five tiers. These royal umbrellas reveal the rank of the holder and as such can form part of their insignia or coats-of-arms and at their cremations are to be found suspended above the crematorium, or above their urns at their lyings-in-state.
As the Thai system of rank is so very much more complex than those systems to be found in European countries it is often difficult to ascribe adequate titles in English and the other European languages. A system has evolved gradually, beginning as early as the reign of King Mongkut. He and his successors took particular care in choosing the correct English words to be used as a translation for various Thai royal titles, and in the cases of King Chulalongkorn and King Vajiravudh discussions took place between themselves and members of European royal families on choosing suitable equivalents. However, the European languages cannot convey the degree of subtlety apparent in the Thai system and anomalies occur. Although the Queen is Her Majesty, the Princess Mother, according to European custom is only Her Royal Highness, a rank equal to those of certain princes and princesses. In Europe the mother of a reigning king whose father has never been king cannot be a queen mother, as she was herself never a queen consort and is therefore known as the princess mother. That the present Princess Mother of Thailand was raised to the rank of Somdetch Phra Baromma with the right to seven levels of royal umbrellas during the reign of her son cannot be adequately conveyed in the English rendering of her title.
The Modern Monarchy
Chakri Dynasty
King Rama I
King Rama II
King Rama III
King Rama IV
King Rama V
King Rama VI
King Rama VII
King Rama VIII
King Rama IX
King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Queen Sirikit
BHUMIBOL
Fully aware of the changing nature of life, the monarchy in Thailand is constantly adapting itself to ensure that it fits in with the modern world and is able to respond to the needs of the people and society.
The Thai monarchy has a unique quality, and that is its adaptability to change, which has enabled it to flourish to this day. It has always shown exceptional compassion, relevance and vitality, particularly in the contemporary world.The first Thai kings ruled over Sukhothai, the first integrated Thai kingdom founded almost 800 years ago. It was during the reign of King Ramkhamhaeng the Great [1275-1317] that the ideal of a paternalistic ruler originated. Markedly different from the concept of divine right practised by the Khmers of that time, the ideal implies that the ruler be alert to the needs of his people and aware of the fact that this duty was to guide them.
This paternalistic ideal was at times lost during the long Ayutthaya period, when Khmer influence regarding kingship reappeared and the monarch became a lofty, inaccessible figure, rarely seen by most citizens. Nevertheless, the four-century era witnessed the reigns of some remarkable rulers, whose achievements were far-reaching.
With the founding of the Royal House of Chakri (Chakri Dynasty), in 1782, and the establishment of Bangkok as the capital, kingship was based primarily on adherence to the Buddhist concept of virtue. The Bangkok period produced a succession of unusually able rulers, capable of meeting a variety of challenges both to the country and to the monarchy itself.
Though it had lasted longer than most others in the world, largely due to wise rule by Chakri kings, the country's absolute monarchy finally came to an end on June 24, 1932, when a small group of civil servants and military officers staged a bloodless coup and demanded a constitution. King Prajadhipok (Rama VII), who in any case was already thinking along such lines himself and had already drafted a constitution which had been debated in the Supreme Council of State, agreed an d thus became the first constitutional monarch. Three years later, unhappy with some of the results, he decided to abdicate; his nephew Prince Ananda Mahidol (Rama VIII), then a 10-year-old student in Switzerland, was chosen to f ollow him as eighth in the Chakri line.
Early Years
The man who has reigned longer than any previous Thai monarch and has earned such remarkable devotion from his subjects seemed far from the throne at the time of his birth in 1927 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. King Prajadhipok still ruled at the time, and any children he might have would be first in succession. There was also his father, Prince Mahidol of Songkla, then studying medicine at Harvard University, as well as his older brother Prince Ananda Mahidol. The future King Bhumibol Adulyadej appea red likely to spend a more or less ordinary life, no doubt influenced by his father's strong determination to use his education and social position to improve public welfare, but doing so in relative obscurity.
Fate, however, determined otherwise. Prince Mahidol died in 1929, and the abdication of King Prajadhipok followed in 1935. For the first 11 years of his rule, the young King Ananda Mahidol remained mostly in Switzerland with his mother, sister, and y ounger brother, pursuing his studies while effectively cut off from his homeland by the World War. In 1946 he died in the Grand Palace while on a visit, and Prince Bhumibol Adulyadej, then 19 years old, suddenly found himself the ninth Chakri King. He subsequently returned to Luzern to complete his education, changing from science to political science and law in recognition of his new role.
Two years later, while on a visit to Fontainebleau, he met the beautiful young Mom Rajawongse Sirikit Kitiyakara, daughter of the Thai ambassador to France, HRH Prince Nakkhatrmongkol Kitiyakara, Krommamun Chandapuri Suranath, and in 1948 their engagem ent was announced by the Government.
They were married in Bangkok on April 28, 1950, and seven days later His Majesty was crowned in ancient ceremonies held at the splendid Grand Palace from which his ancestors had ruled the kingdom. He himself, characteristically, has chosen to take as his official Bangkok residence the more modest Chitralada Villa, while steadfastly adhering to the momentous Oath of Succession to the Throne pledged during the coronation:
"We will reign with righteousness for the benefit and happiness of the Siamese people."
As a man, King Bhumibol Adulyadej has displayed a remarkable range of talents. He is a gifted musician and composer, particularly in the field of jazz; one of his songs was featured in a Broadway musical in the early 1950's and his skills have been a cknowledged by such masters as Benny Goodman and Lionel Hampton. He was an enthusiastic sailor in the early years of his rule and won the Southeast Asia Peninsula Games gold medal in 1967. In addition, he can point to impressive achievements in the fiel ds of painting, photography, and engineering. Thanks to his international education and upbringing, he is fluent in three European languages and at ease in a variety of cultures. Undoubtedly, though, posterity will remember him most for his accomplishm ents as leader of Thai nation during a critical period in its history.
The Forging of a Modern Monarchy
Despite the panoply of time-honoured ritual that attended his coronation and the reverence felt by all Thais for the monarchy as an institution-scarcely dimmed even after the 1932 Revolution-King Bhumibol Adulyadej was actually confronted by an unprecedented challenge at the time he began his rule: how to fashion a concept of kingship that met the needs of a repidly changing society, at once traditional and creatively modern. It was a challenge as urgent as any faced by Chakri kings of the past, and the manner in which he has met it has truly defined his greatness as a ruler.
Perhaps the most important step taken by His Majesty in the process was his decision to bring the monarchy into direct contact with the provincial population. Despite the efforts of previous rulers, this had not been really feasible in the past, largely due to difficulties of travel outside the central region. It was not until 1927, after opening of the northern railway line, that the people of Chiang Mai saw their monarch for the first time, and only a few towns along the southern coast had been honoured with a royal visit. Following the abdication of King Prajadhipok, there was a period of nearly 20 years when the King was a remote personage to the vast majority of Thais, a face in a photograph or a name on an official proclamation. Many of them went about their daily lives in almost total isolation, little affected by events in far-off Bangkok and as a result, often feeling ignored by those in power.
Generally regarded as a milestone in altering this situation is the trip made by King Bhumibol Adulyadej in 1955, when he became the first ruler to visit the northeastern provinces, traditionally the poorest and most neglected in the country, with poor roads and hamlets that became all but inaccessible in the rainy season. Together with Queen Sirikit, he spent 22 arduous days touring the region, observing at first hand the problems of the people and talking with the enthusiastic crowds who walked for miles from obscure villages just to catch a glimpse of their king. The warmth of their greeting was unmistakable; so, too, was the extent of their needs as revealed in the conversations His Majesty had with those he met.
This method of personal encounter, particularly in rural areas, has become one of the major hallmarks of King Bhumibol Adulyadej's reign. Today he and members of his family spend almost seven months of the year in one or another of the royal residences which have been built outside of Bangkok: at Chiang Mai in the north, Sakon Nakhon in the northeast, Hua Hin on the Gulf of Thailand, and Narathiwat in the south. From these, defying discomforts and inconveniences, His Majesty has managed to visit every one of Thailand' s 76 provinces, going to even the most remote villages by helicoptor, jeep, train, boat, or, on occasion, by foot, to ascertain for himself local conditions. In the process he has become not only the most travelled monarch in Thai history but also the best informed about a wide range of rural difficulties, some of them peculiar to a certain locality and others common to an entire region. Moreover, he has become a father-like figure to millions of his subjects, who are no longer amazed to find him suddenly in their village squares, available for consultation about matters both trivial and serious.
Typically, before such a visit the consults maps, aerial photographs and remote sensing to acquaint himself as thoroughly as possible with the topographical and social features of the general area. Once there he talks with resident monks and farmers, as well as government officials, soliciting first-hand information on community needs and aspirations. By comparison with the ceremonial atmosphere that surrounds royal appearances in Ban gkok, these are remarkably informal sessions, with much of the initial are felt by villagers soon diminishing in actual contact with a ruler who clearly both listens and cares about their problems.
Often assisted by other members of the Royal Family, the King takes careful notes and later initiates steps to provide assistance, always working through the appropriate government agencies but sometimes using his own funds in the early stages to help a project get off the ground. He later established the Chai Pattana Foundation to help provide initial or emergency financial support for subsequent development projects. He never simply issues a directive: the impe tus comes from the local population, who must agree with the proposal and cooperate to see that it is successfully implemented.
Over 1,000 small-scale "royally-suggested" projects have been started in this way, covering the whole spectrum of rural problems in Thailand, from the introduction of new crops to water conservation, from swamp drainage to the preservation of national forests. In all, the aim has been sustainable development, serving not only immediate needs but also those of future generations by conserving the present environment and seeking to restore areas that have already suffered from misuse. Some of these projects, notably those involving crop substitution, have proved so successful that the United Nations hopes to emulate them in other countries facing similar problems.
One of the earliest and most innovative was His Majesty's Hilltribe Development Project in the North, now known as the Royal Project and encompassing lowland areas as well. The migratory tribal people who live in the mountainous region that forms Thailand's borders with Laos and Myanmar had been an increasing problem to the government, partly due to their slash-and-burn technique of clearing land, thus leading to widespread destruction of the native forest, and partly to their traditional cultivation of opium poppy, base material for heroin production. The Royal Project sought to address these problems and also to improve the lives of the tribal groups, who actually derived a bare subsistence income from their role in the international dr ug trade.
The programme has introduced a wide variety of crops-among them such temperate-zone plants as coffee, peaches, apricots, strawberries, lychees, apples, and chrysanthemums - which bring larger profits than opium and provided assistance in both methods of growing and marketing; in addition, it has brought educational and medical facilities to permanent settlements. The results can be seen clearly not only in tribal communities who have joined the project but also in the supermarkets of Bangkok and in the numerous new export products.
International recognition of the Royal Project's effectiveness has come in many forms, including financial grants and expert assistance by several foreign governments. In 1988, it was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award, the Asian equivalent of the Nobel Prize, in the area of international understanding.
In the Northeast, where drought is a perennial problem, reserviors and other water-storage facilities were built and alternative crops tested to increase the income of farmers. Swamp drainage has been a concern of royal initiated projects in southern Thailand, together with land reclamation and preservation of mangrove forests. In a number of experimental centres set up at His Majesty's initiative near the Gulf of Thailand, various agencies are demonstrating ways that surrounding villagers can improve crop yields in the sandy soil; important new sources of income like the breeding of fresh-water prawns in ponds have also been introduced with notable results.
In recent decades an alarming proportion of Thailand's native forest cover has been lost, through both indiscriminate logging operations and the need for more agricultural land by an expanding population. Among the harmful results are increased erosion and a decrease of watershed resources, as well as destruction of the natural habitat of many wildlife species. Several of His Majesty's projects are seeking to relieve this situation through reafforestation, impro vement of existing farmlands, the planting of commercial fruit orchards, and programmes aimed at educating the public on the importance of preserving those forests that remain. Their Majesties have also spearheaded efforts to raise certain endangered species of wildlife in captivity and then release them in protected areas in the hope of saving them from extinction.
A much-publicized undertaking to help Thai farmers, one made possible through His Majesty's support in its early stages, has been the Royal Rain-Making Project. Through years of experimentation, 14 different chemical formulae have been devised for varying conditions of weather, location, and topography; specially-equipped planes use these to seed clouds in areas suffering from lack of rain, with results so successful that several neighbouring countries have called on Thai experts to he lp them with similar problems.
Such projects have not only brought enormous benefits to Thailand's rural population but have also given the monarchy a new image, linking it more intimately with the lives of ordinary Thais than ever before. The King is not merely a symbolic figure, reigning from a distant capital; he is a trusted ally working closely with them in the ancient struggle for a better life. The pictures of him and other members of the Royal Family that are displayed in homes and business establishments all over the country are thus signs of deep affection as well as reverence for an institution.
King Bhumibol Aduyadej's agricultural interests are evident even at his residence in Bangkok. On the grounds of Chitralada Villa--within plain view of passers-by--are fields of experimental rice, a herd of dairy cattle, and a plant to manufacture powdered milk. As long ago as 1952, His Majesty had large fish ponds dug in the compound, which he stocked with a fast-breeding variety known as tilapia nilotica obtained from Japan. When these proved adaptable to Thai conditions, spec imens were presented to villagers throughout the kingdom, thus providing a significant new addition to the provincial diet. In 1965, Japanese Crown Prince Akihito gave His Majesty 50 fish of a different type and these, too, were bred in Chitralada ponds. Given the Thai name pla nil by the King, they were distributed through the Department of Fisheries and have proved extremely popular with farmers. Today, some 16 countrywide fishery stations rear over 10 million pla nil annually.
Also in Bangkok, King Bhumibol Adulyadej has provided the impetus for clearing and improving the Makkasan Swamp, a large body of water formerly clogged with water hyacinth in the centre of the capital. At the King's suggestion the swamp is being dredged, provided with exit channels, and transformed into a useful part of the city's flood control system
The Thai monarchy has a unique quality, and that is its adaptability to change, which has enabled it to flourish to this day. It has always shown exceptional compassion, relevance and vitality, particularly in the contemporary world.The first Thai kings ruled over Sukhothai, the first integrated Thai kingdom founded almost 800 years ago. It was during the reign of King Ramkhamhaeng the Great [1275-1317] that the ideal of a paternalistic ruler originated. Markedly different from the concept of divine right practised by the Khmers of that time, the ideal implies that the ruler be alert to the needs of his people and aware of the fact that this duty was to guide them.
This paternalistic ideal was at times lost during the long Ayutthaya period, when Khmer influence regarding kingship reappeared and the monarch became a lofty, inaccessible figure, rarely seen by most citizens. Nevertheless, the four-century era witnessed the reigns of some remarkable rulers, whose achievements were far-reaching.
With the founding of the Royal House of Chakri (Chakri Dynasty), in 1782, and the establishment of Bangkok as the capital, kingship was based primarily on adherence to the Buddhist concept of virtue. The Bangkok period produced a succession of unusually able rulers, capable of meeting a variety of challenges both to the country and to the monarchy itself.
Though it had lasted longer than most others in the world, largely due to wise rule by Chakri kings, the country's absolute monarchy finally came to an end on June 24, 1932, when a small group of civil servants and military officers staged a bloodless coup and demanded a constitution. King Prajadhipok (Rama VII), who in any case was already thinking along such lines himself and had already drafted a constitution which had been debated in the Supreme Council of State, agreed an d thus became the first constitutional monarch. Three years later, unhappy with some of the results, he decided to abdicate; his nephew Prince Ananda Mahidol (Rama VIII), then a 10-year-old student in Switzerland, was chosen to f ollow him as eighth in the Chakri line.
Early Years
The man who has reigned longer than any previous Thai monarch and has earned such remarkable devotion from his subjects seemed far from the throne at the time of his birth in 1927 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. King Prajadhipok still ruled at the time, and any children he might have would be first in succession. There was also his father, Prince Mahidol of Songkla, then studying medicine at Harvard University, as well as his older brother Prince Ananda Mahidol. The future King Bhumibol Adulyadej appea red likely to spend a more or less ordinary life, no doubt influenced by his father's strong determination to use his education and social position to improve public welfare, but doing so in relative obscurity.
Fate, however, determined otherwise. Prince Mahidol died in 1929, and the abdication of King Prajadhipok followed in 1935. For the first 11 years of his rule, the young King Ananda Mahidol remained mostly in Switzerland with his mother, sister, and y ounger brother, pursuing his studies while effectively cut off from his homeland by the World War. In 1946 he died in the Grand Palace while on a visit, and Prince Bhumibol Adulyadej, then 19 years old, suddenly found himself the ninth Chakri King. He subsequently returned to Luzern to complete his education, changing from science to political science and law in recognition of his new role.
Two years later, while on a visit to Fontainebleau, he met the beautiful young Mom Rajawongse Sirikit Kitiyakara, daughter of the Thai ambassador to France, HRH Prince Nakkhatrmongkol Kitiyakara, Krommamun Chandapuri Suranath, and in 1948 their engagem ent was announced by the Government.
They were married in Bangkok on April 28, 1950, and seven days later His Majesty was crowned in ancient ceremonies held at the splendid Grand Palace from which his ancestors had ruled the kingdom. He himself, characteristically, has chosen to take as his official Bangkok residence the more modest Chitralada Villa, while steadfastly adhering to the momentous Oath of Succession to the Throne pledged during the coronation:
"We will reign with righteousness for the benefit and happiness of the Siamese people."
As a man, King Bhumibol Adulyadej has displayed a remarkable range of talents. He is a gifted musician and composer, particularly in the field of jazz; one of his songs was featured in a Broadway musical in the early 1950's and his skills have been a cknowledged by such masters as Benny Goodman and Lionel Hampton. He was an enthusiastic sailor in the early years of his rule and won the Southeast Asia Peninsula Games gold medal in 1967. In addition, he can point to impressive achievements in the fiel ds of painting, photography, and engineering. Thanks to his international education and upbringing, he is fluent in three European languages and at ease in a variety of cultures. Undoubtedly, though, posterity will remember him most for his accomplishm ents as leader of Thai nation during a critical period in its history.
The Forging of a Modern Monarchy
Despite the panoply of time-honoured ritual that attended his coronation and the reverence felt by all Thais for the monarchy as an institution-scarcely dimmed even after the 1932 Revolution-King Bhumibol Adulyadej was actually confronted by an unprecedented challenge at the time he began his rule: how to fashion a concept of kingship that met the needs of a repidly changing society, at once traditional and creatively modern. It was a challenge as urgent as any faced by Chakri kings of the past, and the manner in which he has met it has truly defined his greatness as a ruler.
Perhaps the most important step taken by His Majesty in the process was his decision to bring the monarchy into direct contact with the provincial population. Despite the efforts of previous rulers, this had not been really feasible in the past, largely due to difficulties of travel outside the central region. It was not until 1927, after opening of the northern railway line, that the people of Chiang Mai saw their monarch for the first time, and only a few towns along the southern coast had been honoured with a royal visit. Following the abdication of King Prajadhipok, there was a period of nearly 20 years when the King was a remote personage to the vast majority of Thais, a face in a photograph or a name on an official proclamation. Many of them went about their daily lives in almost total isolation, little affected by events in far-off Bangkok and as a result, often feeling ignored by those in power.
Generally regarded as a milestone in altering this situation is the trip made by King Bhumibol Adulyadej in 1955, when he became the first ruler to visit the northeastern provinces, traditionally the poorest and most neglected in the country, with poor roads and hamlets that became all but inaccessible in the rainy season. Together with Queen Sirikit, he spent 22 arduous days touring the region, observing at first hand the problems of the people and talking with the enthusiastic crowds who walked for miles from obscure villages just to catch a glimpse of their king. The warmth of their greeting was unmistakable; so, too, was the extent of their needs as revealed in the conversations His Majesty had with those he met.
This method of personal encounter, particularly in rural areas, has become one of the major hallmarks of King Bhumibol Adulyadej's reign. Today he and members of his family spend almost seven months of the year in one or another of the royal residences which have been built outside of Bangkok: at Chiang Mai in the north, Sakon Nakhon in the northeast, Hua Hin on the Gulf of Thailand, and Narathiwat in the south. From these, defying discomforts and inconveniences, His Majesty has managed to visit every one of Thailand' s 76 provinces, going to even the most remote villages by helicoptor, jeep, train, boat, or, on occasion, by foot, to ascertain for himself local conditions. In the process he has become not only the most travelled monarch in Thai history but also the best informed about a wide range of rural difficulties, some of them peculiar to a certain locality and others common to an entire region. Moreover, he has become a father-like figure to millions of his subjects, who are no longer amazed to find him suddenly in their village squares, available for consultation about matters both trivial and serious.
Typically, before such a visit the consults maps, aerial photographs and remote sensing to acquaint himself as thoroughly as possible with the topographical and social features of the general area. Once there he talks with resident monks and farmers, as well as government officials, soliciting first-hand information on community needs and aspirations. By comparison with the ceremonial atmosphere that surrounds royal appearances in Ban gkok, these are remarkably informal sessions, with much of the initial are felt by villagers soon diminishing in actual contact with a ruler who clearly both listens and cares about their problems.
Often assisted by other members of the Royal Family, the King takes careful notes and later initiates steps to provide assistance, always working through the appropriate government agencies but sometimes using his own funds in the early stages to help a project get off the ground. He later established the Chai Pattana Foundation to help provide initial or emergency financial support for subsequent development projects. He never simply issues a directive: the impe tus comes from the local population, who must agree with the proposal and cooperate to see that it is successfully implemented.
Over 1,000 small-scale "royally-suggested" projects have been started in this way, covering the whole spectrum of rural problems in Thailand, from the introduction of new crops to water conservation, from swamp drainage to the preservation of national forests. In all, the aim has been sustainable development, serving not only immediate needs but also those of future generations by conserving the present environment and seeking to restore areas that have already suffered from misuse. Some of these projects, notably those involving crop substitution, have proved so successful that the United Nations hopes to emulate them in other countries facing similar problems.
One of the earliest and most innovative was His Majesty's Hilltribe Development Project in the North, now known as the Royal Project and encompassing lowland areas as well. The migratory tribal people who live in the mountainous region that forms Thailand's borders with Laos and Myanmar had been an increasing problem to the government, partly due to their slash-and-burn technique of clearing land, thus leading to widespread destruction of the native forest, and partly to their traditional cultivation of opium poppy, base material for heroin production. The Royal Project sought to address these problems and also to improve the lives of the tribal groups, who actually derived a bare subsistence income from their role in the international dr ug trade.
The programme has introduced a wide variety of crops-among them such temperate-zone plants as coffee, peaches, apricots, strawberries, lychees, apples, and chrysanthemums - which bring larger profits than opium and provided assistance in both methods of growing and marketing; in addition, it has brought educational and medical facilities to permanent settlements. The results can be seen clearly not only in tribal communities who have joined the project but also in the supermarkets of Bangkok and in the numerous new export products.
International recognition of the Royal Project's effectiveness has come in many forms, including financial grants and expert assistance by several foreign governments. In 1988, it was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award, the Asian equivalent of the Nobel Prize, in the area of international understanding.
In the Northeast, where drought is a perennial problem, reserviors and other water-storage facilities were built and alternative crops tested to increase the income of farmers. Swamp drainage has been a concern of royal initiated projects in southern Thailand, together with land reclamation and preservation of mangrove forests. In a number of experimental centres set up at His Majesty's initiative near the Gulf of Thailand, various agencies are demonstrating ways that surrounding villagers can improve crop yields in the sandy soil; important new sources of income like the breeding of fresh-water prawns in ponds have also been introduced with notable results.
In recent decades an alarming proportion of Thailand's native forest cover has been lost, through both indiscriminate logging operations and the need for more agricultural land by an expanding population. Among the harmful results are increased erosion and a decrease of watershed resources, as well as destruction of the natural habitat of many wildlife species. Several of His Majesty's projects are seeking to relieve this situation through reafforestation, impro vement of existing farmlands, the planting of commercial fruit orchards, and programmes aimed at educating the public on the importance of preserving those forests that remain. Their Majesties have also spearheaded efforts to raise certain endangered species of wildlife in captivity and then release them in protected areas in the hope of saving them from extinction.
A much-publicized undertaking to help Thai farmers, one made possible through His Majesty's support in its early stages, has been the Royal Rain-Making Project. Through years of experimentation, 14 different chemical formulae have been devised for varying conditions of weather, location, and topography; specially-equipped planes use these to seed clouds in areas suffering from lack of rain, with results so successful that several neighbouring countries have called on Thai experts to he lp them with similar problems.
Such projects have not only brought enormous benefits to Thailand's rural population but have also given the monarchy a new image, linking it more intimately with the lives of ordinary Thais than ever before. The King is not merely a symbolic figure, reigning from a distant capital; he is a trusted ally working closely with them in the ancient struggle for a better life. The pictures of him and other members of the Royal Family that are displayed in homes and business establishments all over the country are thus signs of deep affection as well as reverence for an institution.
King Bhumibol Aduyadej's agricultural interests are evident even at his residence in Bangkok. On the grounds of Chitralada Villa--within plain view of passers-by--are fields of experimental rice, a herd of dairy cattle, and a plant to manufacture powdered milk. As long ago as 1952, His Majesty had large fish ponds dug in the compound, which he stocked with a fast-breeding variety known as tilapia nilotica obtained from Japan. When these proved adaptable to Thai conditions, spec imens were presented to villagers throughout the kingdom, thus providing a significant new addition to the provincial diet. In 1965, Japanese Crown Prince Akihito gave His Majesty 50 fish of a different type and these, too, were bred in Chitralada ponds. Given the Thai name pla nil by the King, they were distributed through the Department of Fisheries and have proved extremely popular with farmers. Today, some 16 countrywide fishery stations rear over 10 million pla nil annually.
Also in Bangkok, King Bhumibol Adulyadej has provided the impetus for clearing and improving the Makkasan Swamp, a large body of water formerly clogged with water hyacinth in the centre of the capital. At the King's suggestion the swamp is being dredged, provided with exit channels, and transformed into a useful part of the city's flood control system
SIRIKIT
Somdet Phra Nang Chao Sirikit Phra Borommarachininat (Thai: สมเด็จพระนางเจ้าสิริกิติ์ พระบรมราชินีนาถ; Literally: "Her Majesty Queen Regent Sirikit"; listen (help·info); born Mom Rajawongse Sirikit Kitiyakara on August 12, 1932), is the queen consort of Bhumibol Adulyadej, King (Rama IX) of Thailand. She is the second Queen Regent of Thailand (the first Queen Regent was Queen Saovabha Bongsri of Siam, later Queen Sri Patcharindra, the queen mother). As the consort of the king who currently is the world's longest reigning head of state, she is also the world's longest serving consort of a monarch.
Contents[hide]
1 Early life
2 Education
3 Marriage
4 Regency
5 Children
6 Cultural identity
7 Books and writing
8 Charitable works and honors
9 Health
10 Awards
11 Honorary Degrees
12 Title and ranks
13 Ancestry
14 References
//
[edit] Early life
Queen Sirikit was born on August 12, 1932, at the home of Lord Vongsanuprabhand, her maternal grandfather. She is the eldest daughter and the third child of Prince Nakkhatra Mangkala Kitiyakara, the son of Prince Kitiyakara Voraluksana, Prince of Chanthaburi I and Mom Luang Bua Sanitvongse. Her name was given by King Prajadhipok. Her name means the Greatness of Kitiyakara.
She has 3 siblings; 2 elder brothers and a younger sister:
Prof. Mom Rajawongse Galyanakit Kitiyakara, M.D. (born September 20, 1929, died May 15, 1987)
Mom Rajawongse Adulyakit Kitiyakara (born November 2, 1930, died May 5, 2004)
Mom Rajawongse Busba Kitiyakara (born August 2, 1934)
After her birth, Sirikit was raised by her maternal grandparents for a year. Soon after her birth, her father went to United States to work as the secretary of the Siamese Royal Embassy at Washington D.C.. Her mother joined her husband three months later. At the age of one, her parents returned to Thailand. Sirikit lived together with her family in Dheves Palace, near Chao Phraya River, Bangkok.
As a child, Sirikit often had outdoor visits with her paternal grandmother. Once in 1933, she traveled with Princess Absornsamarn Devakul following King Prajadhipok’s tour in Songkla.
[edit] Education
The King and Queen after their wedding on the 28 April 1950.
Royal Family of Thailand
HM The KingHM The Queen
HRH The Crown PrinceHRH Princess Srirasmi
HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha
HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana
HRH Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti
HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn
HRH Princess Chulabhorn Walailak
HRH Princess Siribhachudhabhorn
HRH Princess Adityadhornkitikhun
Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya
Khun Ploypailin Jensen
Khun Sirikitiya Jensen
HRH Princess Bejaratana Rajasuda
HRH Princess Soamsavali Kitiyakara
HH Princess Inthuratna Paribatra
Thanpuying Dhasanawalaya Sornsongkram
v • d • e
At age 4, Sirikit attended the Kindergarten College at Rajini School (sometimes named as the Queen’s college). She studied until her first year at the primary level. During that time was the Pacific War, and Bangkok was attacked many times, thus causing unsafe transportation. She then moved to Saint Francis Xavier Convent School, because it was near the palace. She studied at that school from her second year at the primary level to the secondary level.
In 1946, when the war ended, her father moved to the United Kingdom to work as the ambassador to the Court of St. James's, taking his family with him. At that time, Sirikit was 13 and had graduated the secondary level. While staying in England, she learned to play the piano and learned English and French. She and her family moved to various countries including Denmark and France. While staying in France, she studied at a music academy in Paris.
In France, she met King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who at that time had ascended to the throne and had been studying at Switzerland. Sirikit welcomed the king by accompanying him to various tourist attractions. Both the king and Sirikit happened to be staying at the Thai Royal Embassy in Paris, as well as a few other students. Both the king and Sirikit found common grounds on their likes and dislikes and thus began a relationship.
[edit] Marriage
Queen Sirikit during a parade in New York City, July 1960.
On 4 October 1948, while Bhumibol was driving a Fiat Topolino on the Geneva-Lausanne road, he collided into the rear of a braking truck 10 km outside of Lausanne. He hurt his back and incurred cuts on his face that cost him sight in his right eye. He subsequently wore an ocular prosthetic. While he was hospitalised in Lausanne, Sirikit visited him frequently. She met his mother, The Princess Mother Sangval, who asked her to continue her studies nearby so that the king could get to know her better. Bhumibol selected for her a boarding school in Lausanne, Riante Rive. A quiet engagement in Lausanne followed on 19 July 1949, and the couple married on 28 April 1950, just a week before his coronation.
The marriage took place at Srapathum Palace. Queen Sri Savarindira, the Queen Grandmother presided over the marriage ceremony. Both the king and Sirikit signed their name in their marriage licenses. Later, she received the Order of the Royal House of Chakri, and then became queen. Later, after the coronation ceremony on May 5, 1950, both went back to Switzerland to study and came back to Bangkok again in 1952.
[edit] Regency
When the king undertook a period of service as a Buddhist monk in 1956 (as is customary for all Thai Buddhist males), Queen Sirikit became regent. She performed her duties so satisfactorily that she was made queen regent and given the style of "Somdej Phra Nang Chao Sirikit Phra Borommarachininat" by her husband on his birthday, December 5, 1956. Upon this inception, she became the second Siamese queen regent. The first queen regent was Queen Saovabha Bongsri of Siam, who was regent when her husband King Chulalongkorn travelled to Europe. (later Queen Sri Patcharindra, the queen mother)
[edit] Children
Sirikit in Germany with President Heinrich Lübke and his wife Wilhelmine, 1960.
The couple has 4 children; 3 daughters and a son:
(Formerly HRH) Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya, born April 5 1951 in Lausanne, Switzerland; married Peter Ladd Jensen, has 2 daughters (one son deceased)
HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, born July 28 1952; married first time with Mom Luang Soamsavali Kitiyakara (later divorced and became HRH the Princess Niece); has 1 daughter. Then married second time with Yuvadhida Polpraserth; has 4 sons and a daughter. And married third time with Srirasmi Akharaphongpreecha; has one son.
HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, born April 2 1955; unmarried
HRH Princess Chulabhorn Walailak, born July 4 1957; married Virayudh Didyasarin, (then divorced); has 2 daughters
[edit] Cultural identity
Queen Sirikit's birthday, like the king's, is a national holiday, and is also Mothers' Day in the country. She is particularly revered in the more remote and traditional parts of the country, where the monarchy is regarded as semi-divine. Her work in promoting tolerance and understanding for the Muslim minorities in the southernmost provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat have made her especially popular amongst the local Muslim populace. The queen has a strong bond with southern Thailand. She spends months in the Muslim-majority provinces every year. This role of the queen is considered to be as one of the more quiet diplomats.[1]
[edit] Books and writing
Royal flag of Queen Sirikit, often seen around Thailand in August (near her birthday and Mother's day).
Queen Sirikit published the book In Memory of my European Trip in 1964, her memoirs describing her time in Europe with the king. It was this book that made the people realise that she was a talented writer. Moreover, she composed many songs for performing with The Handsome Band, the music band of the palace.
The songs she composed were:
Chao Chom Kwan (เจ้าจอมขวัญ)
Thas Ther (ทาสเธอ)
Sai Yud (สายหยุด)
Nang Yam (นางแย้ม)
[edit] Charitable works and honors
Queen Sirikit is well-known for her charitable work, where she is the honorary president of the Thai Red Cross, a post she has held since 1956. She gained new prominence in this role in the aftermath of the tsunami disaster in southern Thailand in December 2004. She has also been active in relief work for the many refugees from Cambodia and Burma who have sought refuge in Thailand.
Many things in Thailand have been named after the Queen:
The Queen Sirikit Medical Center building , Ramathibodi Hospital
The Queen Sirikit Centre for Breast Cancer, a new 10 storey hospital in Bangkok
the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok
the Queen Sirikit Park in Bangkok
the Sirikit Dam on the Nan River, Uttaradit Province
the Queen Sirikit Botanical Garden, Chiang Mai Province
the Queen Sirikit Arboretum Garden, Pathum Thani Province
the Queen Sirikit Cup, an annual Asian-Pacific golf Teams Event
the Queen Sirikit Crab (Thaiphusa sirikit)
the Queen Sirikit Rose
the Queen's Cup, annual football competition
The queen is also active in promoting Thai culture and history, mainly because of her initiative in the making of the Thai movie The Legend of Suriyothai, one of the most lavish and expensive Thai movies ever made.[2]
[edit] Health
While it is impossible to reference due to the sensitive nature of much to do with the health of the Thai royal family, there are reports that Sirikit takes many steroids due to various health conditions. This may explain the puffiness in her cheeks that did not exist when she was younger.
[edit] Awards
Year
Award
Awarder
1979
CERES Gold Medal
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
1985
Humanitarian Award
Asia Society
1986
Best Conservationist Certificate
World Wildlife Fund
1990
Immigration and Refugee Policy Award
The Center of Migration Studies
1991
International Humanitarian Award
Friends of the National Children's Museum, Washington D.C.
1992
Gold Medal for Outstanding Leadership
Asian Institute of Technology
1992
UNESCO Borobudur Gold Medal
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
1992
UNICEF Special Recognition Award
United Nations Children's Fund
1992
Award of Excellence
United Nations Development Fund for Women
1992
UNEP Gold Medal of Distinction
United Nations Environment Programme
1993
Woman of the Year 1993 Award
Stanford University
1995
1995 Lindbergh Award
The Lindbergh Foundation
2000
Merite de Invention
The Belgian Chamber of Inventors
2001
Special Prix
Bulgarian American Chamber of Commercial and Industry
2002
Louis Pasteur Award
International Sericultural Commission
2002
Award for Humanitarian Service
The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
2004
IUCN Gold Medal
International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
2005
Food Safety Award
World Health Organization
[edit] Honorary Degrees
Year
Field
Academy
1957
Social Work
Thammasat University
1960
Public Health
Mahidol University
1961
Political Science
Chulalongkorn University
1962
Home Economics
Kasetsart University
1963
Humanities
Centro Escolar University (Philippines)
1965
Decorative Arts
Silpakorn University
1969
Agriculture
Khon Kaen University
1970
Psychology
Chiang Mai University
1970
Development Economics
National Institute of Development Administration
1981
Humane Letters
Tufts University (United States of America)
1983
Political Science
Thammasat University
1984
Industrial Design
Chulalongkorn University
1984
Home Economics
Sukhothai Thammathirat University
1988
Medicine
Mahidol University
1989
Forestry
Thammasat University
1989
Business Administration
Khon Kaen University
1990
Industrial Design
King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang
1990
Vocational Education Administration
King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang
1990
Public Health
Sukhothai Thammathirat University
1991
Finance
Khon Kaen University
1991
General Administration
Ramkhamhaeng University
1992
Technology of Environmental Management
Mahidol University
1992
Education
Chulalongkorn University
1992
Marketing
Kasetsart University
1992
Thai Arts
Silpakorn University
1993
Humane Letters
Georgetown University (United States of America)
1995
Humane Letters
Johns Hopkins University (United States of America)
1997
Philosophy
Tokai University (Japan)
2000
Thai Language
Thaksin University
2003
Visual Communication Design
Khon Kaen University
2004
Textile, Costume,Garment and Fashion Design
Thammasat University
2004
Social Development Management
Khon Kaen University
2004
Natural Resource Management
King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi
2004
Environmental Management
Prince of Songkla University
2005
Food Science
Kasetsart University
2006
Cultural Studies
Rajabhat Songkla University
2007
Eastern Languages and Cultures
University of Saint Petersburg (Russia)
[edit] Title and ranks
Styles ofQueen Sirikit of Thailand
Reference style
Her Majesty
Spoken style
Your Majesty
Alternative style
Ma'am
Her formal name and title is Somdet Phra Nang Chao Sirikit Phra Borommarachininat (Thai: สมเด็จพระนางเจ้าสิริกิติ์ พระบรมราชินีนาถ; "Her Majesty Queen Regent Sirikit"). However, her official title is just Queen Sirikit.
At present, the queen ranks as Field Marshal, Admiral of the Fleet and Marshal of the Royal Thai Air Force, usually mentioned in official documents that: Chom Phon Ying Chom Phon Ruea Ying Chom Phon Akat Ying Somdet Phra Nang Chao Sirikit Phra Borommarachininat (Thai: จอมพลหญิง จอมพลเรือหญิง จอมพลอากาศหญิง สมเด็จพระนางเจ้าสิริกิติ์ พระบรมราชินีนาถ; "Her Majesty Queen Regent Sirikit, the Field Marshal, Admiral of the Fleet and Marshal of the Royal Thai Air Force"). The queen holds ceremonial supreme power, after her husband who ranks as the Head of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, among the Royal Thai Army.
12 August 1932 - 28 April 1950: The Honourable (English style) or Mom Rajawongse (Thai style) Sirikit Kitiyakara
28 April 1950 - 5 December 1956: Her Majesty Queen Sirikit of Thailand
5 December 1956 - present: Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, Queen Regent of Thailand
In 1976, the Thai government gave an honor to the queen by commemorating Mother's Day as an annual holiday, celebrated on August 12 (the queen's birthday) annually.
[edit] Ancestry
Ancestors of Her Majesty the Queen Regent Sirikit of Thailand
Queen Sirikit
Father:Prince Nakkhratra Mangkala Kitiyakara, Prince of Chunthaburi II
Paternal Grandfather:Prince Kitiyakara Voralaksana, Prince of Chunthaburi I
Paternal Great-grandfather:Chulalongkorn, Rama V of Siam
Paternal Great-grandmother:Chao Chom Manda Uam
Paternal Grandmother:Princess Absornsamarn Devakul
Paternal Great-grandfather:Prince Devan Uthayawongse, the Prince Dhevawongse Varopakarn
Paternal Great-grandmother:Mom Yai (Sucharitkul) Devakul
Mother:Mom Luang Bua Snidwongse
Maternal Grandfather:Lord Vongsanuprabhandu(Mom Rajawongse Sadan Snidwongse)
Maternal Great-grandfather:Prince Sai Snidwongse
Maternal Great-grandmother:Mom Kian Snidwongse na Ayudhya
Maternal Grandmother:Dame Vanidabicharini(Bang Snidwongse na Ayudhya)
Maternal Great-grandfather:Lord Rajapakdi (Ko Sucharitkul)
Maternal Great-grandmother:unknown
[edit] References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Queen Sirikit of Thailand
^ Kylie Morris. (2004, 16 November). Thai Queen's plea to end violence. BBC News. [Online]. Available: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4017485.stm. (Accessed: 7 July 2008).
^ BBC News. (2001, 23 November). [Online]. Thailand's Suriyothai beats Titanic. Available: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1672246.stm. (Accessed: 7 July 2008).
Sirikit
Chakri DynastyBorn: 12 August 1932
Regnal titles
Preceded byRamphaiphanni
Queen Consort of Thailand1951 – present
Incumbent
[hide]
v • d • eQueens and Consorts of the Chakri Dynasty
First Reign
Amarindra
Second Reign
Sri Suriyendra • Sri Sulalai
Fourth Reign
Soamanas Vadhanavadi • Debsirindra • Pannarai
Fifth Reign
Sunandha Kumariratana • Sukhumala Marasri • Savang Vadhana • Saovabha Bongsri
Sixth Reign
Laksamilawan • Sucharit Suda • Indrasakdi Sachi • Suvadhana
Seventh Reign
Rambhai Barni
Contents[hide]
1 Early life
2 Education
3 Marriage
4 Regency
5 Children
6 Cultural identity
7 Books and writing
8 Charitable works and honors
9 Health
10 Awards
11 Honorary Degrees
12 Title and ranks
13 Ancestry
14 References
//
[edit] Early life
Queen Sirikit was born on August 12, 1932, at the home of Lord Vongsanuprabhand, her maternal grandfather. She is the eldest daughter and the third child of Prince Nakkhatra Mangkala Kitiyakara, the son of Prince Kitiyakara Voraluksana, Prince of Chanthaburi I and Mom Luang Bua Sanitvongse. Her name was given by King Prajadhipok. Her name means the Greatness of Kitiyakara.
She has 3 siblings; 2 elder brothers and a younger sister:
Prof. Mom Rajawongse Galyanakit Kitiyakara, M.D. (born September 20, 1929, died May 15, 1987)
Mom Rajawongse Adulyakit Kitiyakara (born November 2, 1930, died May 5, 2004)
Mom Rajawongse Busba Kitiyakara (born August 2, 1934)
After her birth, Sirikit was raised by her maternal grandparents for a year. Soon after her birth, her father went to United States to work as the secretary of the Siamese Royal Embassy at Washington D.C.. Her mother joined her husband three months later. At the age of one, her parents returned to Thailand. Sirikit lived together with her family in Dheves Palace, near Chao Phraya River, Bangkok.
As a child, Sirikit often had outdoor visits with her paternal grandmother. Once in 1933, she traveled with Princess Absornsamarn Devakul following King Prajadhipok’s tour in Songkla.
[edit] Education
The King and Queen after their wedding on the 28 April 1950.
Royal Family of Thailand
HM The KingHM The Queen
HRH The Crown PrinceHRH Princess Srirasmi
HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha
HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana
HRH Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti
HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn
HRH Princess Chulabhorn Walailak
HRH Princess Siribhachudhabhorn
HRH Princess Adityadhornkitikhun
Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya
Khun Ploypailin Jensen
Khun Sirikitiya Jensen
HRH Princess Bejaratana Rajasuda
HRH Princess Soamsavali Kitiyakara
HH Princess Inthuratna Paribatra
Thanpuying Dhasanawalaya Sornsongkram
v • d • e
At age 4, Sirikit attended the Kindergarten College at Rajini School (sometimes named as the Queen’s college). She studied until her first year at the primary level. During that time was the Pacific War, and Bangkok was attacked many times, thus causing unsafe transportation. She then moved to Saint Francis Xavier Convent School, because it was near the palace. She studied at that school from her second year at the primary level to the secondary level.
In 1946, when the war ended, her father moved to the United Kingdom to work as the ambassador to the Court of St. James's, taking his family with him. At that time, Sirikit was 13 and had graduated the secondary level. While staying in England, she learned to play the piano and learned English and French. She and her family moved to various countries including Denmark and France. While staying in France, she studied at a music academy in Paris.
In France, she met King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who at that time had ascended to the throne and had been studying at Switzerland. Sirikit welcomed the king by accompanying him to various tourist attractions. Both the king and Sirikit happened to be staying at the Thai Royal Embassy in Paris, as well as a few other students. Both the king and Sirikit found common grounds on their likes and dislikes and thus began a relationship.
[edit] Marriage
Queen Sirikit during a parade in New York City, July 1960.
On 4 October 1948, while Bhumibol was driving a Fiat Topolino on the Geneva-Lausanne road, he collided into the rear of a braking truck 10 km outside of Lausanne. He hurt his back and incurred cuts on his face that cost him sight in his right eye. He subsequently wore an ocular prosthetic. While he was hospitalised in Lausanne, Sirikit visited him frequently. She met his mother, The Princess Mother Sangval, who asked her to continue her studies nearby so that the king could get to know her better. Bhumibol selected for her a boarding school in Lausanne, Riante Rive. A quiet engagement in Lausanne followed on 19 July 1949, and the couple married on 28 April 1950, just a week before his coronation.
The marriage took place at Srapathum Palace. Queen Sri Savarindira, the Queen Grandmother presided over the marriage ceremony. Both the king and Sirikit signed their name in their marriage licenses. Later, she received the Order of the Royal House of Chakri, and then became queen. Later, after the coronation ceremony on May 5, 1950, both went back to Switzerland to study and came back to Bangkok again in 1952.
[edit] Regency
When the king undertook a period of service as a Buddhist monk in 1956 (as is customary for all Thai Buddhist males), Queen Sirikit became regent. She performed her duties so satisfactorily that she was made queen regent and given the style of "Somdej Phra Nang Chao Sirikit Phra Borommarachininat" by her husband on his birthday, December 5, 1956. Upon this inception, she became the second Siamese queen regent. The first queen regent was Queen Saovabha Bongsri of Siam, who was regent when her husband King Chulalongkorn travelled to Europe. (later Queen Sri Patcharindra, the queen mother)
[edit] Children
Sirikit in Germany with President Heinrich Lübke and his wife Wilhelmine, 1960.
The couple has 4 children; 3 daughters and a son:
(Formerly HRH) Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya, born April 5 1951 in Lausanne, Switzerland; married Peter Ladd Jensen, has 2 daughters (one son deceased)
HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, born July 28 1952; married first time with Mom Luang Soamsavali Kitiyakara (later divorced and became HRH the Princess Niece); has 1 daughter. Then married second time with Yuvadhida Polpraserth; has 4 sons and a daughter. And married third time with Srirasmi Akharaphongpreecha; has one son.
HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, born April 2 1955; unmarried
HRH Princess Chulabhorn Walailak, born July 4 1957; married Virayudh Didyasarin, (then divorced); has 2 daughters
[edit] Cultural identity
Queen Sirikit's birthday, like the king's, is a national holiday, and is also Mothers' Day in the country. She is particularly revered in the more remote and traditional parts of the country, where the monarchy is regarded as semi-divine. Her work in promoting tolerance and understanding for the Muslim minorities in the southernmost provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat have made her especially popular amongst the local Muslim populace. The queen has a strong bond with southern Thailand. She spends months in the Muslim-majority provinces every year. This role of the queen is considered to be as one of the more quiet diplomats.[1]
[edit] Books and writing
Royal flag of Queen Sirikit, often seen around Thailand in August (near her birthday and Mother's day).
Queen Sirikit published the book In Memory of my European Trip in 1964, her memoirs describing her time in Europe with the king. It was this book that made the people realise that she was a talented writer. Moreover, she composed many songs for performing with The Handsome Band, the music band of the palace.
The songs she composed were:
Chao Chom Kwan (เจ้าจอมขวัญ)
Thas Ther (ทาสเธอ)
Sai Yud (สายหยุด)
Nang Yam (นางแย้ม)
[edit] Charitable works and honors
Queen Sirikit is well-known for her charitable work, where she is the honorary president of the Thai Red Cross, a post she has held since 1956. She gained new prominence in this role in the aftermath of the tsunami disaster in southern Thailand in December 2004. She has also been active in relief work for the many refugees from Cambodia and Burma who have sought refuge in Thailand.
Many things in Thailand have been named after the Queen:
The Queen Sirikit Medical Center building , Ramathibodi Hospital
The Queen Sirikit Centre for Breast Cancer, a new 10 storey hospital in Bangkok
the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok
the Queen Sirikit Park in Bangkok
the Sirikit Dam on the Nan River, Uttaradit Province
the Queen Sirikit Botanical Garden, Chiang Mai Province
the Queen Sirikit Arboretum Garden, Pathum Thani Province
the Queen Sirikit Cup, an annual Asian-Pacific golf Teams Event
the Queen Sirikit Crab (Thaiphusa sirikit)
the Queen Sirikit Rose
the Queen's Cup, annual football competition
The queen is also active in promoting Thai culture and history, mainly because of her initiative in the making of the Thai movie The Legend of Suriyothai, one of the most lavish and expensive Thai movies ever made.[2]
[edit] Health
While it is impossible to reference due to the sensitive nature of much to do with the health of the Thai royal family, there are reports that Sirikit takes many steroids due to various health conditions. This may explain the puffiness in her cheeks that did not exist when she was younger.
[edit] Awards
Year
Award
Awarder
1979
CERES Gold Medal
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
1985
Humanitarian Award
Asia Society
1986
Best Conservationist Certificate
World Wildlife Fund
1990
Immigration and Refugee Policy Award
The Center of Migration Studies
1991
International Humanitarian Award
Friends of the National Children's Museum, Washington D.C.
1992
Gold Medal for Outstanding Leadership
Asian Institute of Technology
1992
UNESCO Borobudur Gold Medal
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
1992
UNICEF Special Recognition Award
United Nations Children's Fund
1992
Award of Excellence
United Nations Development Fund for Women
1992
UNEP Gold Medal of Distinction
United Nations Environment Programme
1993
Woman of the Year 1993 Award
Stanford University
1995
1995 Lindbergh Award
The Lindbergh Foundation
2000
Merite de Invention
The Belgian Chamber of Inventors
2001
Special Prix
Bulgarian American Chamber of Commercial and Industry
2002
Louis Pasteur Award
International Sericultural Commission
2002
Award for Humanitarian Service
The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
2004
IUCN Gold Medal
International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
2005
Food Safety Award
World Health Organization
[edit] Honorary Degrees
Year
Field
Academy
1957
Social Work
Thammasat University
1960
Public Health
Mahidol University
1961
Political Science
Chulalongkorn University
1962
Home Economics
Kasetsart University
1963
Humanities
Centro Escolar University (Philippines)
1965
Decorative Arts
Silpakorn University
1969
Agriculture
Khon Kaen University
1970
Psychology
Chiang Mai University
1970
Development Economics
National Institute of Development Administration
1981
Humane Letters
Tufts University (United States of America)
1983
Political Science
Thammasat University
1984
Industrial Design
Chulalongkorn University
1984
Home Economics
Sukhothai Thammathirat University
1988
Medicine
Mahidol University
1989
Forestry
Thammasat University
1989
Business Administration
Khon Kaen University
1990
Industrial Design
King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang
1990
Vocational Education Administration
King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang
1990
Public Health
Sukhothai Thammathirat University
1991
Finance
Khon Kaen University
1991
General Administration
Ramkhamhaeng University
1992
Technology of Environmental Management
Mahidol University
1992
Education
Chulalongkorn University
1992
Marketing
Kasetsart University
1992
Thai Arts
Silpakorn University
1993
Humane Letters
Georgetown University (United States of America)
1995
Humane Letters
Johns Hopkins University (United States of America)
1997
Philosophy
Tokai University (Japan)
2000
Thai Language
Thaksin University
2003
Visual Communication Design
Khon Kaen University
2004
Textile, Costume,Garment and Fashion Design
Thammasat University
2004
Social Development Management
Khon Kaen University
2004
Natural Resource Management
King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi
2004
Environmental Management
Prince of Songkla University
2005
Food Science
Kasetsart University
2006
Cultural Studies
Rajabhat Songkla University
2007
Eastern Languages and Cultures
University of Saint Petersburg (Russia)
[edit] Title and ranks
Styles ofQueen Sirikit of Thailand
Reference style
Her Majesty
Spoken style
Your Majesty
Alternative style
Ma'am
Her formal name and title is Somdet Phra Nang Chao Sirikit Phra Borommarachininat (Thai: สมเด็จพระนางเจ้าสิริกิติ์ พระบรมราชินีนาถ; "Her Majesty Queen Regent Sirikit"). However, her official title is just Queen Sirikit.
At present, the queen ranks as Field Marshal, Admiral of the Fleet and Marshal of the Royal Thai Air Force, usually mentioned in official documents that: Chom Phon Ying Chom Phon Ruea Ying Chom Phon Akat Ying Somdet Phra Nang Chao Sirikit Phra Borommarachininat (Thai: จอมพลหญิง จอมพลเรือหญิง จอมพลอากาศหญิง สมเด็จพระนางเจ้าสิริกิติ์ พระบรมราชินีนาถ; "Her Majesty Queen Regent Sirikit, the Field Marshal, Admiral of the Fleet and Marshal of the Royal Thai Air Force"). The queen holds ceremonial supreme power, after her husband who ranks as the Head of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, among the Royal Thai Army.
12 August 1932 - 28 April 1950: The Honourable (English style) or Mom Rajawongse (Thai style) Sirikit Kitiyakara
28 April 1950 - 5 December 1956: Her Majesty Queen Sirikit of Thailand
5 December 1956 - present: Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, Queen Regent of Thailand
In 1976, the Thai government gave an honor to the queen by commemorating Mother's Day as an annual holiday, celebrated on August 12 (the queen's birthday) annually.
[edit] Ancestry
Ancestors of Her Majesty the Queen Regent Sirikit of Thailand
Queen Sirikit
Father:Prince Nakkhratra Mangkala Kitiyakara, Prince of Chunthaburi II
Paternal Grandfather:Prince Kitiyakara Voralaksana, Prince of Chunthaburi I
Paternal Great-grandfather:Chulalongkorn, Rama V of Siam
Paternal Great-grandmother:Chao Chom Manda Uam
Paternal Grandmother:Princess Absornsamarn Devakul
Paternal Great-grandfather:Prince Devan Uthayawongse, the Prince Dhevawongse Varopakarn
Paternal Great-grandmother:Mom Yai (Sucharitkul) Devakul
Mother:Mom Luang Bua Snidwongse
Maternal Grandfather:Lord Vongsanuprabhandu(Mom Rajawongse Sadan Snidwongse)
Maternal Great-grandfather:Prince Sai Snidwongse
Maternal Great-grandmother:Mom Kian Snidwongse na Ayudhya
Maternal Grandmother:Dame Vanidabicharini(Bang Snidwongse na Ayudhya)
Maternal Great-grandfather:Lord Rajapakdi (Ko Sucharitkul)
Maternal Great-grandmother:unknown
[edit] References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Queen Sirikit of Thailand
^ Kylie Morris. (2004, 16 November). Thai Queen's plea to end violence. BBC News. [Online]. Available: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4017485.stm. (Accessed: 7 July 2008).
^ BBC News. (2001, 23 November). [Online]. Thailand's Suriyothai beats Titanic. Available: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1672246.stm. (Accessed: 7 July 2008).
Sirikit
Chakri DynastyBorn: 12 August 1932
Regnal titles
Preceded byRamphaiphanni
Queen Consort of Thailand1951 – present
Incumbent
[hide]
v • d • eQueens and Consorts of the Chakri Dynasty
First Reign
Amarindra
Second Reign
Sri Suriyendra • Sri Sulalai
Fourth Reign
Soamanas Vadhanavadi • Debsirindra • Pannarai
Fifth Reign
Sunandha Kumariratana • Sukhumala Marasri • Savang Vadhana • Saovabha Bongsri
Sixth Reign
Laksamilawan • Sucharit Suda • Indrasakdi Sachi • Suvadhana
Seventh Reign
Rambhai Barni
Langgan:
Catatan (Atom)
