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| Honouring
our King |
| Published
on April 22, 2006 |
This year marks the 60th anniversary
of the crowning of the longest reigning monarch
in the world's modern history - HM the King Bhumibol
Adulyadej, the ninth ruler of the Chakri dynasty.
His Majesty was officially crowned on May 5, 1950.
During the early years of his reign, Thailand found
itself in a transitional period, finding its feet
after the democratic revolution of 1932.
As a constitutional monarch, His Majesty refrains
from involving himself in the politics of the day.
This country has at times fallen under the control
of authoritarian regimes, and at times common people
have had little chance of realising what was really
happening in their country.
Nonetheless, His Majesty, true to his words on the
day of accession to the throne - "We will reign
with righteousness, for the benefit and happiness
of the Siamese people" - has never deserted
his people.
His Majesty has brought the monarchy to the Thai
people.
From the King's first year on his throne, Their
Majesties travelled throughout Thailand, paying
particular attention to the most remote and poorest
areas, talking with people, observing first hand
the toil of daily life, providing them with new
opportunities and suggesting paths to a better life.
The thousands of development projects throughout
the Kingdom initiated by His Majesty stand as testimony
to his dedication.
After years of selfless work, His Majesty has earned
the respect and love of his subjects. His work has
helped shape Thailand's economics and its democracy.
And while His Majesty rarely intervenes in politics,
his simple words of wisdom have always managed to
resolve crises.
Thailand has always had a king on the throne as
the nation's leader. The monarchy, the state, and
the Buddhist religion are the three main institutions
that make up Thailand.
While the nations around Thailand fell prey to colonial
powers in the 19th century, it was the wisdom and
astuteness of Thai kings, especially King Mongkut
(King Rama IV) and King Chulalongkorn (King Rama
V) that enabled Thailand (then known as Siam) to
retain her independence.
Monarchy is one of the oldest forms of government,
and although many of the world's monarchies have
ceased to exist and become republics or parliamentary
democracies, there are currently 28 other monarchies
around the globe standing fast.
To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the coronation
of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great,
the Royal Thai Government has invited the world's
28 monarchs to Bangkok, to participate in a great
celebration on June 12-13.
The invited monarchs are (listed in order of the
year that each took their crown): HM Queen Elizabeth
II of the United Kingdom; HH Malietoa Tanumafili
II of Samoa; HM King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV of Tonga;
HM Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Muizzaddin Waddaulah
of Brunei; HM Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman; HM
King Jigme Singye Wangchuck of Bhutan; HM Queen
Margrethe II of Denmark; HM King Carl XVI Gustaf
of Sweden; HM King Juan Carlos I of Spain; HM Queen
Beatrix of the Netherlands; HM King Mswati III of
Swaziland; HSH Prince Hans Adam II of Lichtenstein;
His Imperial Highness Emperor Akihito of Japan;
HM King Harald V of Norway; HM King Albert II of
Belgium; HH Sheikh Hamed Bin Khalifa Al-Thani of
Qatar; HM King Letsie III of Lesotho; HM King Abdullah
II Bin Al Hussein of Jordan; HM King Hamed Bin Isa
Al-Khalifa of Bahrain; HM King Mohammed VI of Morocco;
HRH the Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg; HM Tuanku
Syed Sirajuddin Ibni Al- Marhum Tuanku Syed Putra
Jamalullait; the Yang di-Pertuan Agong XII of Malaysia,
HM King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev of Nepal;
HM Preh Samdech Preah Baromnrath Norodom Sihamoni
of Cambodia; HH Sheikh Khlaifa bin Zayid Al Nuhayyan
of United Arab Emirates (UAE); HSH Prince Albert
of Monaco; HM King Abdullah bin Abul Aziz Al Saud
of Saudi Arabia; and HH Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah
of Kuwait.
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