The King, the Queen and the Royal Family

17 April 2010

Thai people show utmost respect to their monarch. Their love for the King is surprisingly strong and sincere. While they may occasionally poke a joke at politicians or the political system, they will never dare say a bad word about the Royal Family…

Thailand | Thai monarchs: King Bhumibol Adulyadej and his wife Queen Sirikit (by bangkokwitchcraft )

Portrait of the King

Paintings and photographs of the King can be found in almost every Thai house or shop - always hanging higher than your head. During all kinds of public appearances the King and the Queen seat themselves on a platform, and the surrounding people kneel and bow their heads. Every morning and evening, the national anthem is heard in the streets to honour the King, and everybody stops their work and slips into reverie for a short while.

When in Thailand, you should remember about the nation’s extraordinary attachment to their monarch and try to respect it. In fact, any form of disrespect for the King is considered to be a crime and, yes, everyone still does have to keep their heads below his.

Rama IX

The venerable King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) is considered to be the father of the nation, guardian of tradition and protector of democracy. He is an extremely significant figure both in the history and the everyday life of the country. He is so important that his ill-health has affected the markets.

Since time immemorial, Siamese Kings have held the title of the Royal Father and have pledged during their coronation to ”reign for the benefit and happiness of the Siamese people.”

The titles conferred on the rulers of Thailand are extremely elaborate and ornate. The King may be called
• Strength of the Land
• Incomparable Power
• the Great King of Siam
• The Royalty who is the Great Shelter
• Supreme Arbiter of the Ebb and Flow of Tides

Thailand | Portraits of the King, who is adored by the Thai people are visible everywhere. He is the world's longest-serving current Head of State (since 1946) and the longest-reigning monarch in Thai history (by SeaDavePhotos )

Caring monarch

Thai citizens have a particular liking for the current King Bhumibol Adulyadej, as he strives to stay in direct contact with his subjects. When the King was younger he frequently travelled to the remotest corners of the country and tried to discover with his own eyes the problems of his subjects. Some significant words of the Thai ruler were once written down by a Danish journalist:

“I have never liked history and I have never had an ambition to become a supercilious historic King. It has been proven that the days of the reigns of the so-called great kings have always been marked by wars and this is unacceptable to me. My wish is that my nation lives happily and in peace, free from war, as long as I am on the throne.”

(Source: J. Wolniewicz, Uśmiech złotego Buddy, Warszawa 1980, p. 44)

This declaration implies that King Bhumibol takes extraordinary care of the wellbeing and safety of his nation. The King’s modesty and his respect for tradition is demonstrated by the fact that he was once a novitiate in a Buddhist monastery and would walk, wearing a saffron mantle, with other monks along the streets of Bangkok, humbly collecting alms. Apparently, even the wonderful flowers growing over large stretches of Thai meadows and gardens are the result of a Royal Project through which the monarch tries to encourage people to work legally, on activities less pernicious than growing opium, which used to be a serious problem in this country.

Queen Sirikit

By the King’s side we can often see his wife – Her Majesty Queen Sirikit. She is also famous for her desire to preserve Thai traditions, being the author of the programme that encourages village dwellers to take up traditional crafts. It is thought that it was Queen Sikrit who introduced Thai silks into the fashion world. Interestingly, the Queen is an aficionado of Chopin. Before 1950, the young Sirikit performed Chopin’s repertoire in Paris. However, she gave up a promising piano career soon after becoming ruler of Thailand.

In 1950 the King married Sirikit, whom he met during his studies in Switzerland. The royal couple have four children - Princess Ubol Ratana (born 1951), Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn (1952), Princess Mahachakri Sirindhorn (1955) and Princess Chulabhorn (1957).

Source: J. Wolniewicz, Uśmiech złotego Buddy, Młodzieżowa Agencja Wydawnicza, Warszawa 1980.