A Promise Made and A Promise Kept

"I will reign with righteousness for the happiness and prosperity of the Siamese people."
- His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Rama IX, Official Coronation Speech, May 5, 1950

That was a promise made by the 23-year-old King who had just finished His college degree. It was only an introduction into His ultimate wisdom. HM had returned to Thailand, the land He hardly knew back then.

His Majesty inherited the throne on June 9, 1946, at the age of 19, after the unexpected death of His elder brother, King Anandamahidol, Rama VIII. After accepting the royal duty, HM returned to Lausanne, Switzerland--where He had spent most of His youth years--and finished college. Then HM returned to Thailand to stay in 1950.

And He has been keeping His word for 60 years now. Righteousness is His way of life. He is the perfect symbol of a True King, worthy of love, trust, and adulation.

Now, as a 78-year-old heart patient, His Majesty is relatively palace-bound. His health is the apparent result of long years of hard work.

HM has never been a typical figurehead, but the hardest working civil servant. Those of you who live in a socialist or another type of democratic society can never fully understand how highly Thais revere our King. He never has political agenda for His own political or financial gain. He was born to serve, and He has sacrificially done so.

No one can fathom or comprehend the depth of His genius. He has done unimaginably great amount of work; initiated, supervised, and advised countless projects (healthcare, agriculture, natural resources, city planning); solved problems of natural disasters (flood, drought); dissolved national political crises; etc. I would never attempt to list them all.

Not only a genius engineer and agriculturist, HM is an incredible artist. He is an extremely talented realist/abstract/expressionist painter, an accomplished jazz composer, a passionate saxophonist, a thoughtful writer, and an avid water sportsman, among others.

Nothing said above can match the love He has for His peoples. He had traveled the country to visit and unite His peoples. It was He who turned hilltribe nomads into prosperous coffee and ornamental plant growers. It was He who turned runaway communists and radicals into loyalists. He outlined practical management scheme for a self-sufficient life for His people during the Asian Economic Meltdown. He stopped civil unrests and helped out by appointing temporary Prime Ministers who were wise men of integrity.

We have never doubted His judgment. We never have questions, for we know He only has the best interest of His people at heart.

Who else in the world could have loved and done this much?

Seven years ago, when I came home after more than a decade overseas, I was shocked to find that He could rarely be seen on TV. He could no longer actively participate in rigorous duties. His children have been dutifully handling daily royal activities on His behalf.

Young Thais have never witnessed televised reports of the King's work trips in rural areas. In fact we hardly see HM on TV except on special occasions. Sometimes I wonder if these can ever gratefully appreciate the impact of His long faithful service as deeply as we old people can...

This year 2006 marks the 60th Anniversary of His Coronation is to be spectacularly celebrated throughout the Kingdom. We cordially invite you to join our grandest expression of gratitude.

For a brief introduction to our King of Hearts, please visit the following websites:

HM The King's Biography

HM The King's Talents

HM The King's Speeches (in Thai)

Wikipedia