The King Of Thailand

His Majesty the King was born on Monday the 5th of December 1927, at Mount Auburn Hospital, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A., being the third and youngest child of Their Royal Highnesses Prince and Princess Mahidol of Songkla.
His Majesty attended the Ecole Nouvelle de la Suisse Romande, Chailly sur Lausanne. Later on he moved to the Gymnase Classique Cantonal of Lausanne from where he received his Bachelier s lettres diploma. He then chose to enter Lausanne University to study science, but the sudden death of his elder brother, King Ananda Mahidol, in Bangkok on the 9th of June, 1946, changed the course of his life completely, for the Law of Succession bestowed on him the arduous but challenging function of the Thai Crown. The Government on behalf of the people came to ask the Princess Mother for her other son to be their King. As he had not finished his education, His Majesty decided to go back to Switzerland for another period of study, but this time in the subject of Political Science and Law in order to equip himself with the proper knowledge for government.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS
As Foreign relations are always conducted on Head-of-Stale level, His Majesty exercises to the full his prerogative in dispatching and receiving envoys to and from friendly nations. These formal functions are, however, conducted by him with the most personal touch. He anoints each Thai Ambassador in the fare-well audience and gives appropriate words of advice. Foreign envoys accredited to the Thai Court are received in both formal and informal audience, in the latter of which close personal bonds are formed, leading to smoother and more sympathetic co-operation.
Most important and most beneficial of all. Their Majesties have assiduously forged personal links with Heads of States and the peoples of foreign friendly countries by paying and receiving State and Official Visits to and from various countries all around the World. By short trips to one or two countries or an extended tour such as the one to The United States of America and Europe in 1960, Their Majesties have visited over 25 countries in Asia, Australasia, Europe and America and have received visits from a similar number of Heads of States. Study of the details of these exchanges would show foreign relations conducted at their best, for they have been arranged not only to bind the Heads of State in close bonds of personal friendship but to afford opportunities for friendly acquaintances of government officials as well as to create better knowledge and understanding between the two peoples. Naturally, the greatest assets which have made these exchanges of Visits so successful have been the graceful charms and total interests which both Their Majesties have always displayed in all aspects throughout the period of each stay however demanding the programmer may be.

HEALTH
Apart from livelihood, Health is obviously another main concern in the welfare of any people. Health, for that reason, is also another main and close concern of His Majesty, especially as his Royal father, as already mentioned, is regarded as the Father of the modern Thai Medical Profession. His Majesty's activities range far and wide into many spheres and many areas of Health, staring with the physical contribution through attendances at Meetings of medical personnel or on medical matters such as the graduation and other ceremonies of medical students where he always gives appropriate words of advice and raises appropriate problems such as the growing brain drain of medical graduator to foreign countries and the reverse lack of medical personnel in provincial areas.
His Majesty's work in the field of health services for the rural populace is well supplemented by the special efforts of his equally dedicated Royal mother who, in spite of her advanced age, still spends half her time each year on trips to remote are as accompanied by a similar sort of personal medical team while other teams under her sponsorship are comprised medical personnel who have access to planes and helicopters for the treatment of urgent cases. His Majesty also very much encourages the work of the mobile medical units formed by the Government and has personally presented a few fully-equipped vehicles for such purpose to the Government, one of these units being in the form of boat so that people who live only by canals and rivers could also be reached.
Their Majesties have been responsible for establishing all sorts of Funds and Foundations to assist in the specialized treatment and research into the causes of various illnesses especially those of an epidemic or endemic nature in Thailand. Cholera, for example, is being combatted through a Fund set up by His Majesty in 1959 originally for the relief of families stricken in an epidemic of that year and the manufacture of medicine, but now extended to be used for the research and even the supply of research equipment to find the best and most effective way of preventing and eliminating the disease. Poliomyelitis was also epidemic in Thailand in 1953 and His Majesty set up another Fund to form fully-equipped wards for polio victims together with equipment for long-termed rehabilitation of the victims. Tuberculosis also used to be the scourge of the Thai nation, but with another Fund set up by His Majesty to help in producing B.C.G. vaccine, the disease has now been brought under effective control.

Background of the Royal Development Projects
At the initial stage of his reign, His Majesty the King's benevolence towards his subjects was mostly shown through the launching of medical and social welfare projects because the country's medical sector at that time was insufficient and the public health services were not widely available like at present.Moreover, His Majesty initiated the production of the films known as “the Private Royal Films” with the purpose of raising funds from donors and film viewers for public welfare activities such as constructing the “Vajiralongkorn Building” in the Thai Red Cross Compound, and constructing the Medical Building at Bhumibol Hospital.
His Majesty's development work which followed was the Royal Medical Team set up from His Majesty's private funds. The team has been providing mobile medical treatment on the Thai Red Cross Vejapaha barge for the people residing along the banks of the rivers until now.Immensely concerned with the people's well-being, His Majesty the King, in the early days of his reign, paid constant visits to every region of the country, particularly in remote and underdeveloped rural areas. It can be said that each year His Majesty stays in the provinces more than in Bangkok. During the visits, His Majesty closely interviews the people and officials himself while observing the topographical conditions of the area in order to obtain first-hand data which would Immensely concerned with the people's well-being, His Majesty the King, in the early days of his reign, paid constant visits to every region of the country, particularly in remote and underdeveloped rural areas. It can be said that each year His Majesty stays in the provinces more than in Bangkok. During the visits, His Majesty closely interviews the people and officials himself while observing the topographical conditions of the area in order to obtain first-hand data which would be guidelines for his royal initiatives for the implementation of the Royal Development Projects.e guidelines for his royal initiatives for the implementation of the Royal Development Projects.The first Royal Development Project which directly emphasized rural development emerged in 1952 when His Majesty the King donated a number of bulldozers to the Naresuan Border Patrol Police Unit for constructing a road leading to Huai Mongkol Village in Hin Lek Fai Subdistrict (presently Thap Tai Subdistrict), Hua Hin District, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province. This was to enable the villagers to easily commute and transport their farm produce for sale in the markets outside the village.

Explosion from WithinHolistic Approach
The holistic or integrated approach is His Majesty's strategy for implementing the Royal Development Projects. This approach enables His Majesty to attentively consider the problems which may strike while relatively seeking for their solutions. The “New Theory” practice that His Majesty introduced to the Thai people as an alternative for making a living is a marvelous example of this approach. It serves as a set of principles on the proper management of land and water sources, fundamental factors for doing agriculture, to create optimum benefits for Thai farmers who own an average of 10 - 15 rai (1.6 – 2.4 hectares) of land. As the “New Theory” concept supplies sufficient water for
Agriculture, the productivity will become greater. In this light, the farmers should learn about the management methods and marketing as well as pooling their efforts in form of groups to build up the community's strength in order to be ready for exposure to the outside world in a comprehensive manner which encompasses the “New Theory” Phases I, II, and III.Public HearingAs a democratic King, His Majesty has adopted the policy of “public hearing” to rule the country. This approach allows the people to openly express their voices concerning the issues in which a decision needed to be made. In other words, for making a final decision, the people's opinions or demands must be taken into consideration.
Our Loss is Our GainHis Majesty's royal statement granted to the Thai people as quoted above implied the concept of “giving” and “sacrifice” which provide profits or gains which mean the well-being of the people that can concretely be witnessed. The concept was also stressed in an excerpt from His Majesty's royal statement bestowed upon the representatives of the Thai people who were granted an audience on the auspicious occasion of His Majesty's Birthday Anniversary on December 4, 1991, at the Dusidalai Hall, Chitralada Villa, Dusit Palace, as follows:

Self-sufficiency
The success of the royal development works can be traced from His Majesty's royal visits paid to every place in all regions of the country which enable His Majesty himself to experience the people's way of living. As a result, His Majesty recognized the difficulties which were provoked by many causes that people could not cope with. The royal benevolence of His Majesty is to uplift people's well-being by encouraging them to start from the first step of having “enough to eat and to live with”, after which a more advanced stage of living would be achieved.Self-supporting
Self-supporting means the people's capability to live with independence, security and completeness. Self-supporting can be classified into two levels: individual and community.The state of self-supporting should be able to change with times in order to ensure appropriateness, consistency and balance.There are five principles and guidelines suggested for community to be self-supporting according to sociology, which are- Self-supporting in terms of technology- Self-supporting in terms of economy- Self-supporting in terms of natural- Self-supporting in terms of mentality- Self-supporting in terms of social

Sufficiency Economy
The desire for and ambition to become an “Economic Tiger” or a “Newly Industrialized Country” (NIC) had put Thailand in an economic crisis which imposed numerous problems on the Thai people. Well aware of the situation and concerned with the people's plight, His Majesty the King graciously gave his moral support and advised on the philosophy of “Sufficiency Economy” as a guideline for the Thai people to make progress in life with security and clarity. The philosophy also proposes a direction for looking at problems with a view to reach the mutual goals of development in a secured, unbiased, and sustainable manner.The Royal Development Projects which exist in a great number and variety can be classified as follows:

1. The Projects Initiated According to His Majesty's WishesThese are projects which His Majesty the King conducts study, experimentation and implementation himself inside and outside the Palace compound based on the recommendations of field experts, using his private funds. Once the projects have yielded satisfactory results which prove truly beneficial for the Thai people, His Majesty will pass them on to the government for further implementation.

2. The Royal ProjectsHis Majesty is determined to pursue development and preservation of water resources in the watershed areas particularly in the North of Thailand. The motive is to help prevent and reduce the damages from floods in the lowlands during droughts. Moreover, since most of the areas are occupied by hilltribes, His Majesty also intends to help promote their well-being by convincing them to stop opium cultivation, deforestation, slash-and-burn activity, logging as well as smuggling of illegal merchandises and weapons.

3. The Projects under His Majesty's PatronageThese are projects in which His Majesty gives advice and guidelines to the private sector to implement using its own financial, technical and human resources with continual monitoring measures. Among the well-known projects are the Nern Din Daeng Cooperative Village Development Project at Thap Sakae District, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province which is operated by the Rotary Club of Thailand; the Dictionary Project and the Thai Encyclopedia for Youth Project.

4. The Royal Development ProjectsThese are projects which His Majesty plans and advises the government agencies concerned including civil agencies, the police and the military to undertake study and implementation of development work. The Royal Development Projects which are spread throughout every region of the country focus on development and are on both short-term and long-term bases extending for a period of over five years. Many Royal Development Projects are technical in nature with some representing study projects and others representing research projects.Procedures of the Implementation of the Royal Development ProjectsIn order to study, analyze, plan and coordinate the cooperation with various agencies to fulfill the objectives of the projects consistent with His Majesty's initiatives, the procedures of operation are as follows:
1. Study of information :
2. On-site information gathering
3. Study and drafting of project
4. Implementation

5. Monitoring and evaluationRoyal Development ProjectsFrom the year 1982 - 2002, there have been a total of 3,083 Royal Development Projects under the responsibility of the Office of the Royal Development Projects Board. These projects are classified into eight following categories: Agriculture, Water Sources, Environment, Public Health, Occupational Promotion, and Communications Public Welfare as well as other important projects. Among the total number of the Royal Development Projects, those concerning water sources development outnumbered the others, followed by agriculture and other important projects.
1. Development of Water Sources
2. Agriculture
3. Environment
4. Occupational Promotion
5. Public Health6. Transportation/ Communications
7. Public Welfare
8. Other Projects

The benefits from the projects on development of water sources are
1. Bringing maximum water supply to the cultivated areas enabling the crop cultivation to take place twice a year during the rainy season and the dry season. Farmers are able to grow a second crop leading to increase of production and their income.
2. Converting flooded areas into productive land where areas for cultivation are allocated to farmers to produce crops. In a way, this effectively stops the people from encroaching and destroying forested areas and helps preserve the existing forests. This type of project exists along the edge of peat soil areas such as the project to drain water from the basins according to His Majesty's initiatives.
3. Providing fish supply for the farmers, that is, when a reservoir is constructed, fish fry will be released to be food or source of supplementary income for the farmers in the nearby villages.
4. Providing clean water supply for the people for consumption throughout the year as well as for raising animals.
5. Helping to relieve flooding in major cities and communities; for example, Bangkok Metropolis and its environs, Hat Yai District of Songkhla Province and Nong Yai District of Chumphon Province. This helps reduce damage to the country's economy both in relation to the private and public sectors.
6. Generating hydro-electricity for household uses for the people living in remote underdeveloped areas.
7. providing moisture in the soil, allowing the forests to stay green throughout the year and establishing ‘wet fire break' which forms a protective strip against forest fires all over the watershed areas. For this purpose, check dams, together with water distribution system, are constructed at different levels along the streams to spread moisture to the areas on the banks of the streams.The royal address stated above clearly reflects the importance of agriculture for the Thai nation and its people.

Agriculture has been the basic occupation of the Thai people dating back many generations with the approximate two thirds of the nation's workforce engaged in agriculture. The development of agriculture has always been an important aim of the development of the nation, and is significantly recognized in all of the National Economic and Social Development Plans.Making use of nature is also associated with cost-saving. His Majesty stresses the necessity of reducing the expenses of the farmers as much as possible by relying mainly on nature. His techniques range from using cattle rather than machinery to plough the fields and using crop rotation system especially legumes in order to decrease the costs of fertilizers to applying natural fertilizers in place of chemical fertilizers which are expensive and impose long-term effects on the soil quality and conditions. In this relation, His Majesty supports sustainable agriculture. He suggests producing biogas to be used both as fertilizer and fuel. Importantly, he encourages the people to earn extra income from supplementary occupations or non-agricultural activities.
Agricultural projects under His Majesty the King's initiatives comprise different types of work. In general, these projects concern study, research and experimentation of plant and animal species suitable for the nature of the local areas. Most of the projects are being implemented in the Royal Development Study Centres and the successful results have been disseminated to the public by means of training. These projects also embrace the promotion work such as the Promotion of Rice Cultivation on Terraces Project, Sri Sakhon District, Narathiwat Province; the Integrated Development Project, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province; the Royal-initiated Wat Mongkol Chaipattana Area Development Project, Saraburi Province; the Royal-initiated New Theory Demonstration Project at Ban Daen Samakkhee, Khao Wong District, Kalasin Province, etc.The Supplementary Occupations and Related Techniques (SUPPORT) Projects:Highly recognizing the value of national arts and cultural heritage, Her Majesty Queen Sirikit graciously gave an initiative to restore and promote these arts and heritage. The initiative led to the establishment of the Supplementary Occupations and Related Techniques Foundation (SUPPORT Foundation) on July 21, 1976 with the purpose of assisting the low-income farmers who face obstacles in crop cultivation due to fluctuations of the weather conditions and receive insufficient earning to raise the family.

The Royal-initiated Huai Ong kot Project
The project, located in Kanchanaburi Province, was set up to provide guidelines for developing land appropriate to its conditions with the idea of enabling the villagers to live and make a living in accordance with the principle of rehabilitation and creation of a balance of the ecological system. The practices conducted at the project involved integrated farming and chemical-free vegetables growing, reduction of the use of chemicals, chicken raising, and handicraft making. The aim of the project was to offer to the people a means of making a living in a sustainable manner.

The Rama VIII Bridge Projecti
The Rama VIII Bridge Project is one of the Four-directions Project initiated by His Majesty the King. In 1995, His Majesty recommended that one additional bridge be constructed across the Chao Phraya River from the Bang Yee Khan Distillery to Visutkasat Road, near the Bank of Thailand. The bridge was royally named the “Rama VIII Bridge” in memory of King Ananda Mahidol, the Eighth King of the Royal House of Chakri. The bridge construction well mirrors His Majesty's concern towards the traffic congestion problems on the Somdej Phra Pinklao Bridge that will increasingly provoke more difficulty on traffic congestion in the future. Moreover, the project also completed the missing linkage between Phra Nakhon side and Thon Buri side where traffic congestion prevailed. It benefits the eastern part of Bangkok, particularly inner Bangkok around Rajdamnern Klang Avenue which links with Thon Buri side via the Somdej Phra Pinklao Bridge and Charansanitwong Road, another main route of Thon Buri side with traffic congestion problem.

วันอาทิตย์ที่ 1 กุมภาพันธ์ พ.ศ. 2552

วันเสาร์ที่ 31 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

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Biography of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej

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