Tuesday, September 06, 2005

Respected, Resilient Royalty

The longest reigning monarch on earth, Rama IX, or King Bhumiphon Adulyadej, has headed the Thai monarchy since 1946. The Thai love him to the point that any of them would willingly put you in jail for any derogatory comments!




“... the King embarked early in his reign on a journey (to know his subjects and, in the process, allowed his subjects to get close to and know him. At the same time, he used his time wisely to accumulate "constitutional" experience. He has been through 15 constitutions, 17 coups d'etat, and over 20 prime ministers. He has an acute grasp of constitutional rule. He remains detached from politics, playing a non-partisan role in the country's political process and development.

”...Without His Majesty's guiding hand, we would not be where we are today - a nation which has consistently demonstrated its inner strength, political resilience, social harmony and economic dynamism - a trait which has enabled the Thais to survive many a threat and misfortune in their long history..”

From The Nation Newspaper


A downtown Bangkok billboard at a busy intersection.