King Bhumibol was born on 5 December 1927 at Mount Auburn Hospital, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A. At that time his father and mother, Prince and Princess Mahidol of Songkhla (who was to become the Princess Mother), were both taking medical related degrees at Harvard University and Summons College respectively. As it happened, the young Prince Bhumibol was not born for Kingship -- he was the youngest of his parents' three children so, as "baby of the family" he was welcomed by his elder brother and sister as well as mother and father. At this time it was elder brother, Prince Ananda, who was destined to carry the heavy mantle of Kingship.
Sadly, young Prince Bhumibol's father, Prince Mahidol, prematurely passed away, leaving his mother, Princess Mahidol of Songkhla, to raise the young family. She transferred her family to Switzerland where they lived while the children furthered their education.
And thus it happened, in 1935, the young Prince's elder brother became H.M. King Ananda, Rama VIII, of Thailand. This was after the abdication of his uncle, King Prajadhipok. In some ways the situation was comparable to the succession to the British Crown of King George VI after the abdication of Edward VIII. So, when Prince Bhumibol was approximately 8 years old his elder brother ascended the Thai Throne while the younger Prince continued his upbringing in Switzerland.
By this time, Prince Bhumibol was already multilingual and was showing great aptitude for, and displaying, other talents such as the enjoyment of music, nature and the environment and was a budding photographer -- now a lifetime's passion!
The Prince, fast growing up, became fascinated by "what makes things work" and was studying engineering at a Swiss University (Gymnasa Classique Cantonal of Lausanne) when in 1946, an event happened which changed the course of the Prince's life and that of his nation, Thailand. His elder brother, King Ananda, died in tragic circumstances and the Royal Robes of Kingship fell to the young, inexperienced shoulders of Prince Bhumibol. The Prince was 18 years of age when he became His Majesty, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Rama IX, of Thailand. His name means 'Strength of the Land'.
It was important, and eminently sensible, that the new King finished his formal education and so his Coronation was delayed some four years to allow this to happen. An engineering degree was superseded by a political sciences major and, in other areas too, the new King had been busy. One year prior to his Coronation, King Bhumibol had become engaged to Mom Rajawongse Sirikit Kittiyakara daughter of a Thai diplomat and herself of Royal Blood. On the 28th April 1950 the Royal Couple married and, one week later on the 5th May, King Bhumibol was crowned Monarch of the Kingdom of Thailand with full pomp and ceremony.
Now, some 50 years after his coronation, H.M. King Bhumibol, Rama IX of Thailand is the longest serving Monarch in the world and probably the Monarch most respected by his subjects. King Bhumibol has carried the mantle of Kingship humanly. He is a Monarch, not only of the Thai people, but also for the Thai people. He knows their needs and wants -- and has the perception to understand that they are not always the same. As a Constitutional Monarch, King Bhumibol has only three "rights": the right to encourage, the right to warn, and the right to be consulted. Within these parameters H.M. The King has led, helped and guided his people of Thailand -- be they military generals, governing politicians or rural farmers -- to a better understanding of each other and to a more wholesome future for all. Of course, there have been upsets and blights, both political and natural, but thanks to the King's gentle-handed diplomacy, or firm warning when needed, and especially his love of his people and nation, good order and sustainable growth are the hallmarks of Thailand today.
His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Rama IX, is well regarded by his subjects as "The Light of Thailand." That as a young Prince not expecting ever to be monarch, the King has displayed a most remarkable wisdom and talent for this most onerous of "jobs."
His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great went to the Hua Hin airfield in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province recently to visit the Royal Rainmaking Research and Development Institute. But he did not go alone; rather, he took a group of students with him, to inspect the royally initiated rainmaking project. The King patiently explained the mechanisms and complexities of the system to the youngsters from the Klai Kangwol School.
'Such a project as this helps alleviate drought and water shortages often critical in such dry provinces as Prachuap Khiri Khan and many other rural areas,' the King pointed out to the enthralled students.
His Majesty's 'outing' with these schoolchildren again underlines his concern about the efficacy of his numerous development projects in reaching out to even the least of his subjects. This occasion was a little reminiscent of an event four years ago. Then, the King was so intent upon his dedication to the people through his 'middle way' - the Buddhist philosophy of balance, inter-relatedness and self-reliance - that he escorted a group of journalists to visit the Huay Hong Krai Centre which acts as a model for catchment area conservation for the north.
The fact that it was His Majesty's only press trip for many years - and has not been repeated since - indicated the importance that he attached, in that case, to the sites where the farmers can observe the ongoing research, and choose whatever is most suitable for their needs and localities.
According to the observations of one member of the media accompanying the King at that time, 'while international development literature devotes much space to formulating projects aimed at 'people participation' and beneficial end-results for the intended recipients, His Majesty had been working according to these guidelines - before the development community even thought of embracing them'.
The King established five other Royal Development Study Centres - or, as they are better known - 'Living Museums' - situated in the roughest terrain in their respective regions. These centres are the locale for experiments in reforestation, irrigation, land development and farm technology which are conducted to find practical applications within the constraints of local conditions, geography and topography. His Majesty's aim is to restore the natural balance, to enable people to become self-supporting.
The first centre organized was that of Khao Hin Son, in the rocky area of Chachoengsao's Phanom Sarakam District. Here, the centre studies how to turn the barren soil, caused by deforestation, back into fertile land again. Other centres are located at strategic places around the Kingdom.
The Pikul Thong Centre at Narathiwat studies the swampy, acidic land of the southern-most region. The Phu Phan Centre in Sakon Nakhon studies soil salinity and irrigation in the country's biggest region, the Northeast, which suffers from endemic drought. The Krung Kraben Bay Centre in Chanthaburi examines the rehabilitation of mangrove forests and coastal areas following massive destruction. The Huay Sai Centre in Petchaburi studies the rehabilitation of degraded forests and shows villagers, in their turn, how to protect the forests.
When he is in doubt, the King will fly over a particular area, armed with aerial photographs and maps of the terrain, noting features as they pass underneath. But, being a good photographer himself, he also takes his own pictures and later juxtaposes them, to obtain a detailed image of the area of his concern which helps in his planning of specific development projects.
Throughout the more than five decades that the King has ruled Thailand, not only Thais, but people around the world have become accustomed to seeing His Majesty travelling to remote areas of the country. He works with and brings rational development to even the poorest and most disadvantaged groups. He is shown leading officials, farmers and many diverse groups up rough mountain trails, over bridges, punting along in small sampans, to initiate sustainable projects and ideas, aimed at helping the many who have been forgotten in the development process.
His Majesty's insightful approach to local prevailing conditions has enabled him to improvise new theories for agricultural development, to provide guidelines for educating farmers on self-sufficiency, and to solve problems of goitre by feeding iodine into salt roads at strategic points.
In all these works, His Majesty has promoted a simple approach using environmentally friendly techniques and utilizing moderate amounts of locally available resources. For example, before environmentalism became a major force in the development equation, His Majesty was using vetiver grass to prevent erosion, controlling ground water level to reduce soil acidity, and seeding clouds with simple materials such as dry ice, to produce rain.
His Majesty works on a nationwide basis, not just in rural Thailand, but all over the Kingdom. Among his most significant contributions have been bringing different people and agencies together to work more cooperatively than before on urban problems. He has coordinated activities between different interest groups and agencies in Bangkok to deal with water purity and flood control in simple, natural ways.
The King's lifetime dedication to natural development as a means of improving the lives of his people inspired the Royal Development Projects Board to make better known the vast range of the Royal Projects, especially to the more marginalised echelons of society who are the ultimate beneficiaries of the King's wisdom.
Ultimately, the Department of Technical and Economic Cooperation and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) joined forces to help further the Royal initiatives. For some 50 years - actually the half-century of the King's reign - these two organizations have focused attention on His Majesty's devotion to sustainable social progress, better standards of living, as well as unity in development and the quest for peace and security.
The UNDP, particularly, as the world's largest source of technical assistance aid, has been actively supporting many of the King's initiatives, benefiting from his example and joining his efforts to improve human capacity, sustain livelihoods and, especially, to help regenerate the environment - this last being very close to His Majesty's heart.
As one would expect from a Monarch defined as 'Mahasammata', or a 'King of Righteousness', by all the people and who, upon his accession to the Throne in 1950, embraced the Tenfold Moral principles of the Sovereign, His Majesty has ruled quietly and without ostentation.
Starting very early in his reign and continuing to this day, the King, usually accompanied by the Queen and second daughter Princess Maha Chakri Sirindorn, travelled to the far corners of the kingdom to learn first-hand from the farmers and peoples of the rural areas about their problems. Again, as with all his other interests, the Monarch studies, observes, photographs and imbues himself with all the relevant knowledge and facts which he needs to move forward with recommendations, implementation of beneficial projects and follow-up.
The Thai Monarch is probably best known, universally, for his unbending resolve to improve the lives of each and every one of his people - a singular dedication to their welfare which has been acclaimed from all corners of the world. A lasting image of the King is that of a man, often kneeling or sitting on the ground, pouring over charts and topographical maps of the area, while surrounded by local farmers and villagers discussing their problems.
It has been recorded that the King has spent more than 200 days per year, for more than three decades, in rural areas where he has initiated some 2,000 projects aimed solely at improving the well being of his people.
The King's philosophy to development problems has been to 'keep it simple' - relying on an intimate knowledge of Nature and her immutable law, such as using fresh water to flush out polluted water or dilute it through utilization of normal tidal fluctuations. The ubiquitous water hyacinth too can be 'harnessed' to absorb pollutants.
The results of any development, the King asserts, must reach the people directly as a means of overcoming immediate problems, translating into 'enough to live, enough to eat', while looking at a longer-term result of 'living well and eating well.'
His Majesty compares this to using 'adharma' (evil) to fight evil, observing that both pollution and the water weed are a menace, but they can be used to counteract each other, thus lessening the damage to the environment.
The King himself practices this 'simple approach' and brings a down-to-earth approach to which the people can readily relate. He studies and deliberates exhaustively on the particular project and then reveals his thinking in short, easy-to-grasp titles. The very simplicity belies the profundity of the philosophy, for each title reflects a much deeper insight into a given problem and often, at the same time, hints at the mode of operation to be employed.
A major working principle has been a true knowledge of and reliance upon the immutable laws of Nature in solving problems and resolving abnormal conditions, such as using fresh water to flush out polluted water, as in his analogy 'good water chases bad' referring to the hyacinth/water pollution problem in the Chao Phraya, for example.
The King undertook the establishment of the Royal Development Projects in 1969, primarily as a means of arresting the opium growing and deforestation caused by the Hilltribes' slash and burn agriculture and to improve their standard of living. The first was established at a Hmong village on Doi Pui in Chiang Mai Province and now has spread to Chiang Rai, Lamphun and Mae Hong Son. Over the years, the Projects have been instrumental in the conversion of the poppy fields being turned into groves of temperate fruits and vegetables.
Under the dynamic direction of the King's close colleague, Prince Bhisadej Rajani, who is the Director of the Projects, operating from his base at the Chiang Mai University, there are currently four research stations, 35 Royal Project Development Centres which incorporate some 300 villages, comprising 14,000 households and approximately 90,000 farmers.
The Royal Development Projects Board, under the Office of the Prime Minister, also serves as the secretariat for the Chai Pattana Foundation which is directly responsible for the work related to the royal development projects. Now, more than three decades later, the results can be seen in the new life which has come to many of the mountain villages. Greenery has returned to once-denuded forest areas and barren hills and the opium cultivation, a cause of extreme national concern, is virtually a past era.
'The key to the success of the Project lies in His Majesty's guidelines,' explains Prince Bhisadej. 'They focus on obtaining knowledge, through research, avoiding bureaucratic entanglements and swift action to respond to the villagers' needs, while promoting self-reliance,' he adds. 'The effectiveness of this approach has been applauded internationally.' For example, in 1998 the Royal Project won both the 'Magsaysay Award for International Understanding' and the Thai Expo Award for attaining the quality standard of Thai Goods for Export.
The King's own views are that development must respect different regions, geography and peoples' way of life. 'We cannot impose our ideas on the people - only suggest. We must meet them, ascertain their needs and then propose what can be done to meet their expectations,' the King pointed out recently.
The King's ideas are in direct contrast to the bureaucracy's wish to impose standards from the top down, with the inflexibility inherent therein. 'Don't be glued to the textbook,' he admonishes developers 'who,' he said, 'must compromise and come to terms with the natural and social environment of the community.'
The King sees no need to spare any sensitivities - if there are any - because he feels that the government approach is costly and authoritarian which is why it has 'failed miserably to address the country's problems.'
Inaugurated fourteen years ago, to honour His Majesty the King on the occasion of his sixtieth birthday, the Phuket King's Cup Regatta has been held every year since then.
The now-famous Phuket Regatta Week will extend until Saturday the 10th, with the King's birthday on the 5th, comprising a yacht race sponsored by the Boathouse and QBE Insurance, followed by a candle-lit ceremony on Kata Beach in front of the Boathouse. It will be timed to coordinate with Kingdom-wide celebrations for the beloved Monarch.
His Majesty was very pleased with the performance of Thailand's athletes at the twenty-first South East Asian Games, held in Kuala Lumpur in September when Thailand netted a total of 278 medals - the Kingdom's best-ever performance at an international sporting event. The King has consistently encouraged ALL sportsmen and women EVERYWHERE, to 'put the sporting spirit first, strive for victory - and friendship'.
His own example has always been a great source of inspiration to athletes everywhere and every sailor knows that His Majesty is a Gold Medal helmsman, winning the OK Dinghy Class in the South East Asian Peninsular Games 34 years ago on the 16th of December 1967. This day is now celebrated as 'National Sports Day' in the Kingdom.
This record is unlikely to be unequalled in the annals of sporting history, capping his nautical record with a land-based one, being the only person to have lit the torch opening the Asian Games on four occasions, last time being here in Bangkok, in 1998.
His Majesty is also well known as being highly-knowledgeable about many sports having, at various times, participated himself in skiing, motor racing, ice-skating, badminton, tennis, swimming and even a little golf.
As the then-president of the Thailand Olympic Committee, the late Air Chief Marshal Dawee Chullasapya emphasized when presenting the King with the highly-prestigious honour of The Insignia of the Olympic Order, at the Rajanives Hall, Chitralada Palace in December 1987, 'The King is not just a world-class yachtsman, but he has also participated in and encouraged many other sports'.
'The Olympic award was made not only to recognize the King's prowess as a dinghy sailor,' said ACM Dawee, 'but also to acknowledge the leading role he has played in promoting all sports - in Thailand, in the region and internationally - always displaying a firm grasp on the history and the finer points of a multitude of sports,' Dawee added.
Another Olympic honour was bestowed upon His Majesty last year, when the International Olympic Committee presented him with the IOC's Lalounis Cup. The Thai King is the only reigning monarch to be so honoured by the Olympic Committee.
During an audience granted to Professor Anwar Chowdry, president of the World Boxing Federation, Professor Chowdry was, 'astounded at His Majesty's knowledge of the evolution and technical details of boxing.'
Thus, through the illustrious decades of his rule, the King has been the very embodiment of his Oath of Accession that, 'We will reign with Righteousness for the Benefit and Happiness of the Siamese People'.
The world's longest-reigning Monarch, continues to be, as he has been for the half-century of his just reign, 'the light of his land, the pride of his people and a shining example to all peoples of a troubled world'.
Her Royal Highness Princess Ubolratana was born on April 5, 1951, in Lausanne Switzerland. She is the eldest daughter of H.M. the King and Queen. Most recently, H.R.H. Princess Ubolratana has shown a very keen interest in the way Thailand is being promoted by the TAT, and March 18, 2002, was a historic moment for Pattaya City when H.R.H. Princess Ubolratana welcomed nearly a thousand guests to the Pattaya Night presentation at the International Tourism Bourse (ITB) in Berlin.
H.R.H. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn was born April 2, 1955 at Ambara Villa, Dusit Palace, Bangkok. Her Royal Title is Somdech Phra Debratanarajasuda Chao Fa Chakri Sirindhorn Rathasimagunakornpiyajat Sayamboromrajakumri.
H.R.H. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn graduated with BA First-Class Honors from the Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok on July 15, 1977.
In 1979, the Princess completed an MA in Oriental Epigraphy at Graduate School, Silpakorn University in Bangkok.
The Princess then achieved an MA in Pali-Sanskrit at Graduate School, Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok in 1981.
The highly intelligent, most revered Princess then achieved a Doctor of Education in Developmental Education in 1986 from Srinakhainwirot University.
Her Father is His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great (Rama IX) and Her Mother is Her Majesty Queen Sirikit Kitiyakara.
His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn was born on July 28, 1952, in the Ambara Villa of the Royal Dusit Palace in Bangkok. He is the second of four children, and is the only son of Their Majesties King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great and Queen Sirikit.
The Crown Prince received His primary schooling at Udorn Hall of the Dusit Palace and attended secondary school in Sussex and Summerset, England. In August 1970, the Crown Prince attended the King's School, Paramatta, Sydney, Australia and in 1976, He received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Military Studies at the University of New South Wales. The Crown Prince also attended the Royal Thai Army Command and General Staff College, graduating in 1978, and later received a Bachelor of Laws Degree from Sukhothai Thammathirat University in Bangkok in 1987. In 1990, He successfully attended the Royal College of Defense Studies in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
H.R.H. Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn plays the saxophone with His Father, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great, at the Dusit Palace.
His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej conferred his son with the title of 'Somdech Phra Borama Orasadhiraj Chao Fah Maha Vajiralongkorn Sayam Makutrajakuman' on December 28, 1972, making him the Crown Prince and Heir to the throne.
H.R.H. Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn attended numerous military training courses in Australia and the United States, with observation tours in England, Belgium, Germany, France and the Netherlands. A long list of military courses attended by the Crown Prince includes helicopter and high performance aircraft flight training, special warfare training, demolition training, parachute training, and courses in small arms and other weapons used in modern warfare. Some assignments include Commanding Officer of the King's Own Bodyguard Regiment and Command, Commanding General of the Royalty Security Command, and Instructor Pilot of the F-5 E/F. Intermittently, He engaged in actions for counter-insurgency purposes in the North and Northeast areas of Thailand as well as for protective purposes in areas around Cambodian refugee camps at Khao Lant, Trat Province.
May 29, 1999 - the Royal Family attended religious ceremonies on Visakha Bucha Day at Wat Phra Sriratana Sasadaram, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.
The Crown Prince has continued the Royal Family's assistance programs to underdeveloped areas around the country and visited depressed urban areas around Bangkok distributing food and necessity items to people in need. Another impressive undertaking was His participation in a fertilizer preparation project in Suphanburi Province using natural ingredients to enrich the land in support of the country's great agricultural pursuits. Farming is considered to be a highly significant and noble profession in Thailand and the Royal Family takes an active role in advancing the vital industry of agriculture.
H.R.H. Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn presided over the flag presentation ceremony of the Local Scouts of Phayao Province on January 31, 1994.
On April 27, 1999, H.R.H. Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn received a Honorary Doctorate Degree from the Edith Cowan University during a presentation ceremony held at Duxton Hotel, Perth, Australia.
May 9, 1996 - H.R.H. Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn at the presentation ceremony of the Royal Barge 'Narai Song Suban, Rama 9' at the Ratchakijvinitchai Palace.
July 31, 2000 - H.R.H. Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn presided over the Rice Sowing Ceremony and the presentation of the flag at the 'Community Rice Production and Promotion' center at the agricultural field, Moo 5, Bang Ngam, Sriprachan, Suphanburi Province.
H.R.H. Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, accompanied by Mom Sri Rasami Mahidol Na Ayutthaya, presided over the '50 Years Maha Vajiralongkorn' concert at the Thailand Cultural Center on July 9, 2002.
Born on July 4, 1957, Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn is the youngest child of Their Majesties King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit of Thailand.
H.R.H. Princess Chulabhorn has two daughters, Their Royal Highnesses Princess Siribhachudhabhorn and Princess Adityadornkitikhun.
Her Royal Highness graduated from the Faculty of Science and Arts at Kasetsart University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Organic Chemistry, First Class Honors, in 1979. Her Royal Highness completed her doctorate work in organic chemistry in 1985, and received her Doctor of Philosophy Degree from Mahidol University in July of the same year, and has a supreme record of academic achievement.
She undertook postdoctoral studies in Germany in 1987 and has since been a visiting professor at universities in Japan, Germany, and the United States of America. She holds Honorary Doctorate degrees from no fewer than nine universities around the world. In 1986, she was appointed as an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry in London and was awarded the Einstein Gold Medal of UNESCO.
Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn is chairperson of the Working Group on the Chemistry of Natural Products collaborative program between the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science and the National Research Council of Thailand.
H.R.H. Princess Chulabhorn has received international recognition for her scientific accomplishments, in her appointment to various United Nations posts, namely special advisor to the United Nations Environment Program and member of the Special High-Level Council for the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction of the United Nations.
As a result of her experience as a scientist Princess Chulabhorn became aware of the difficulties Thai researchers have in obtaining the necessary funding for their research. In 1987, she established the Chulabhorn Research Institute to provide a new fundraising agency. This institute now acts as a focal point for the exchange of intellectual and other resources in Thailand for the purpose of solving urgent problems confronting the country in areas of health, environment, and agriculture.
As president of the Chulabhorn Research Institute, the Princess currently directs five special research projects; the AIDS program, a program on restoration and integrated development of the flood-affected areas in Southern Thailand, seawater irrigation for cultivation of economic marine species and preservation of mangrove, the rabies eradication program and a special project for accelerated immunization in five southern provinces in Thailand. Through these programs the Princess plays an auspicious role in improving the environment and living standard of the villagers in a number of Thai provinces.