King Bhumibol Adulyadej Rama IX of Thailand

Attention to royal dynasties, the monarchs themselves, their spouses and children does not fade even in today's world. The Queen of Great Britain, the King of Spain, the Prince of Monaco, the King of Thailand - all these people are familiar to millions, their lives are followed, worshipped and respected.

Eastern traditions are considered to be stronger and more inviolable in everything - this is the reason for the increased, sometimes bordering on adoration, interest of Thais in their King and his family.

Thailand's Royal Family: Traditions of the Nation

For Thais, the royal dynasty and the King of Thailand himself are something immutable. Worship of the ruler is not merely respect for a member of the royal family, but is imbued with an understanding of Rama IX's role in the country's history. "Father and breadwinner" and "messenger of heaven" are the epithets with which the people of the country describe their ruler.

There is nothing extraneous or invented in such lofty words: without such a wise and devoted ruler to his country and people, Thailand could not have become the state it is today.

Portraits of the King of Thailand and his family can be found all over the country: in government organizations, hospitals, and even private businesses. The good-hearted Thais wish so much for their monarch's health and longevity that they prefer to see him healthy and young in their portraits.

The common people of the country bow their heads at the portraits in respectful bows, prayers and requests are made before them. The Rama IX to the Thais is a messenger of the gods who saves the country and protects his people.

The birthdays of the King of Thailand and his wife are official national holidays, which can be considered another confirmation of the Thais' recognition of their ruler as the greatest man.

•  December 5 is Father's Day because the monarch is considered the Father of the nation.
• August 12 is Mother's Day, a tribute to the Queen.

Showing disrespect to members of the royal family is considered a terrible crime, and publicly insulting the King is punishable by a very real penalty with a tangible prison sentence of 3 to 15 years.

The King His Country Needs

The King of Thailand deserves special attention not only because he is one of the longest reigning monarchs, but also because his ideal reputation among the people defies all analysis. Not even the democratically elected leader of the country has ever enjoyed such unbridled confidence in his King, such tremendous respect for him and his family, and such faith in his integrity.

Rama IX or Pumipon Adulyadej, which means "Power of the country, incomparable power" in Thai, ascended the throne back in 1946 and since then has survived more than 20 prime ministers, 18 attempts to overthrow the system and 16 new draft constitutions.

Such monarchal longevity is enviable, but the respect and love of the people is not manna from heaven, falling on the King just because he belongs to a high family name. The Thais are extremely rational in their choices, so that such attention and love of the people are earned by real actions, deeds, and decisions.

Tourists visiting Thailand should be especially careful with their behavior: the portrait of the monarch is located on all banknotes of the country, so that a careless attitude to banknotes can be taken as disrespect for the King himself.

Having received the best European education in Switzerland, Pumipon has devoted his life to productive work for the benefit of his country and the common people. When he came to power in 1950, as a young man of only 23, he immediately demonstrated his indomitable will, character and determination.

The King considered his closeness to the people to be the basis of this work: at the beginning of his reign, the monarch's regular visits to remote parts of the country helped him to get a true picture of the lives of the common people and to better understand them. Rama IX never set out to become a great ruler, but to improve the lives of his people and allow them to prosper without war and hardship.

Business in the Life of the King

Of course, the monarch of such a state cannot be a poor man: the fortune of Rama IX is estimated at more than 35 billion dollars. Thanks to such success, the treasury is completely free of obligations to the royal family: all the needs of the dynasty are provided for by it, not by the people.

In addition, the King donates a huge portion of his fortune each year to charity, ranging from helping hospitals and hospitals to fighting opium cultivation.

The King owes much of his wealth to himself: there was no more talented inventor and engineer in the royal families. In addition to ongoing research to improve the cultivation of grain crops, the purification of the country's water bodies, and the fight against drought, the monarch is concerned with the problems of all branches of production. Agriculture, energy, medicine are areas of constant interest to the King and his family.

Pumpion is a passionate sailing fan and winner of the Southeast Asian Games in that discipline.

Rama IX's most famous and patented studies include "artificial rain," a special method of producing rain by flying two airplanes, and a new economical type of fuel in which diesel fuel and more affordable palm oil are mixed in special proportions. King's engineering acumen also helped him design boats and yachts from his personal blueprints.

Rama IX and Art

The King's passion for music seems a little strange after such outstanding successes in politics and economics, but jazz is the thing that brings him the most satisfaction.

As a student of the great Benny Goodman, Monarch has almost surpassed his teacher: his compositions have graced Broadway musicals, his records are sold in the best music stores, and his name is listed in all the jazz encyclopedias.

Painting is another of the monarch's successful hobbies. Portraits of the royal family, abstracts and even a comic book starring the King's favorite dog are all works by Rama IX. Versatile and active, he does not miss the slightest chance to expand his horizons. That's why one of the monarch's hobbies was photography. This passion became so strong that one of the country's banknotes depicts the King with a camera in his hand.

Relation to Religion

As an ardent Buddhist, and even having taken monasticism in his time, the King remains faithful to the equality and fraternity of all religions, defending the interests of all believers. His constitutionally enshrined status as "patron of all religions" allows the monarch to maintain interfaith peace and understanding in the country.

Despite the fact that more than 95% of the country's population are convinced Buddhists, there is no religious bias against individuals in Thailand, and freedom and respect are considered a priority.

Spouse of the King of Thailand

The wife of the King of Thailand was born into a royal family in 1932 and was given the title Mom Rajawongse from birth. Her name, Sirikit, which means "the glory of the Kitiyakara family" in Thai, was given to the little heiress by the then reigning King Rama VII. She had received a good European education during her father's diplomatic service, and it was there, far from her native Thailand, that she met her future husband.

Уже в 1950 году был заключен брак между еще несовершеннолетней Сирикит и Королем Пумипоном, и в этом же году – 5 мая – они были коронованы. Слова присяги: «Мы будем править с правдою на благо и счастье тайского народа» – стали лейтмотивом всей деятельности монарха и его семьи.

The King of Thailand can be proud of his wife as a model of decency and integrity. The Queen expresses her selfless service to the people in earthly terms by regularly visiting poor agricultural areas of the country, actively seeking additional income for the poor and paying attention to disaster-stricken regions.

In order to work more fruitfully to eradicate poverty and social stratification, Queen Sirikit founded a foundation in 1976 to help hundreds of poor Thais acquire skills and find their place in life.

Charity is also one of the Queen's activities. Since 1956, it was the Queen who served as President of the Thai Red Cross, which was most active during the infamous floods of December 2004.

In 1976, the traditional national Mother's Day was moved from April 15 to August 12, the Queen's birthday. With this gesture, Thais demonstrated their desire to pay tribute to the Queen, the revered mother of the entire nation.

Sirikit paid just as much attention to the development and promotion of her country's culture and history: the most expensive Thai film, The Legend of Suriothai, was made under the Queen's patronage. The unity of the nation is the most important value for the royal family, which is why Sirikit paid great attention to the assimilation of Muslim communities in southern Pattani and Yala. Tolerance and mutual understanding were central to the Queen's outreach efforts.

Royal Children: Continuation of a Glorious Dynasty

The King of Thailand is the happy father of three daughters and a son, all of whom occupy an important place in the life of the monarch's family and country. The children of the King of Thailand have set an example for thousands of citizens of their country in their professional and social activities and are loyal to their country and family.

Ubon Rattan's Daughter

The eldest daughter, Ubon Rattana (b. 1951), is a well-known philanthropist and community activist, and holds a bachelor's degree in biochemical sciences and a master's degree in public health.

From her only marriage to an American businessman, she has two daughters who live in the United States but are actively involved in their historic homeland. After the death of her autistic son in the 2004 tsunami, Ubon became active in her community outreach work, establishing a rehabilitation fund for autistic children and a charity for flood victims.

Daughter of Maha Chakri Sirindhorn

Средняя дочь Маха Чакри Сириндхорн (1955 г.р.) – самая популярная в народе. Сделав выбор в пользу помощи отцу и общественной деятельности, Пхатеп («небесная принцесса» – так ее называют в народе) отказалась от личной жизни и стала активным участником дипломатической и политической жизни Тайланда.

A bilingual, educated (Ph.D. in philosophy) and devoted to her country, the princess contributes to the development of Thailand with her active lifestyle.

 Chulabphon Valailak's Daughter

Her youngest daughter, Chulabphon Valailak (b. 1957), is a doctoral candidate in organic chemistry. The princess has chosen science as her vocation and not only teaches but is also the director of the Environmental Research Institute.

In addition, under the patronage of the princess there is research in the field of health: Chulabphon was awarded an honorary member of the British Chemical Society for her experiments in the field of the dependence of cancer on external factors. Despite her weakened health by her many experiments, the princess continues her active scientific life with the help of her second husband, Professor of Medicine Chaichun Locharengkul. She has two daughters from her first marriage to the aviator.

Son of Maha Vachiralongkon

The son and heir to the throne, Maha Vachiralongkon (b. 1952), chose a military career. Educated in Bangkok, England and Australia, he pursued a career in the personal royal guard and fought in the northern part of the country in the 1970s. His marriage to his first royal wife was short-lived: after registration, the couple lived together for only 3 years. Princess Batrakitiyapa, born in this union, has official status.

The heir's second common-law wife was a Thai actress of non-native origin, which allowed her to bear only the title of "junior princess. The four sons from this marriage are not related to the royal family, but Princess Busia Nambichira (born 1987) is elevated to the title and takes an active part in the life of the dynasty. Since 2001, the last marriage of the heir to the former maid of honor and now Princess Si Rathmi has been going on. Born from this marriage in 2005, Thipangkon Rathmichot is the second in line of succession after his father, and it is on him that the people and the royal family have their special hopes.

Death of a King

In 2015, it was announced that Bhumibol Adulyadej's health was deteriorating. He was diagnosed with cerebral dropsy. In October 2016, the king was hospitalized and put on a ventilator. The people prayed for their ruler under the walls of the clinic.

12 октября монарх скончался в больнице Сирират в Бангкоке, ему было 88 лет. Вместе с Рамой ІХ, котрого почитали в стране как полубожество, ушла целая эпоха. После него престол наследует его единственный сын – 64-летний Маха Вачиралонгкон. 13 октября начался официальный траур, который продлится целый год, в этот период в Таиланде будут носить преимущественно черную одежду.