CHAPTER IV

THE ROLE OF KING BHUMIBOL ADULYADEJ IN POLITICAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT (1946-1986)

INTRODUCTION

The most probable reason for why King Bhumibol Adulyadej is

able to play the excessive role in political and social development, and

being a beloved and successful king in the twentieth century -is the

result of a large amplitude of his remarkable parents and his own

unusually democratic background for a blue blood in the Chakri line.

The King's father, Prince Mahidol Adulyadej of Songkhla - a

son of King Chulalongkorn, is an excellent example of the selfless and

dedicated princes. He received the tradi tiona! education of a royal

Thai prince in Thailand. After his preliminary education in Bangkok, he

went to England to further his studies at Harrow, then entered a

military academy in Germany and graduated second in his class at the age

of 21. 1 Realizing that Thailand had continuously faced a serious

problem about health care and hospital facilities, he decided that for

him to study medicine could be of great benefit to his country. Then

Prince Mahidol, after having served in the German and t!Je Thai Royal

1Natthawut Sutdhisongkram and Prayutdh Sitdhipan, Nai 1uang 8-JJilll!:l {King Anand a), (Bangkok, 2 522) , p. 5. , and Prakob Choprakarn, M1!_h_E-_r:£!j Q_1__at Thai (Thailand's the Greats), {Bangkok, 2526), p.673.

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Navies for five years, decided to take up the study of medicine at the

School of Public Health at Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, \

the United States of America. While studying abroad the Prince always

preferred a simple life as a normal people, even though his name was

known to his fellows only as Mr. Mahidol Songkhla. 2

He continued his public health studies and medical studies at

both Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

(MIT), and was awarded a degree in medical science with honors. His

remarkable work of medical and public health service was to apply his

new knowledge in the laboratory of Siriraj Hospital. He donated funds

for the construction of medical school buildings and patients wards,

and educational grants to medical students. 3 The Prince began devoting

much of his time to the teaching at the Faculty of Medical Science and

at the newly established Faculty of Arts and Sciences of Chulalongkorn

University.

During his service to his country, the Prince was very

conscientious about his work and had every intention of setting up a

practice to aid the sick. Prince Mahidol is regarded as one of the most

modern minded of all the sons of King Chulalongkorn, and his life was

known to be dedicated to the development of many modern ideas,

particularly in the field of Medical Science. Hence, he is now known as

2rbid., p. 33, 81.

3v imol Bhongbhi bhat, Bruce Reynolds and Sukhon Polpatpicharn, TIL~ ~_a_gj_~ and the Elephant (Bangl.wk, 1982), pp.68.3-68.4.

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the Father of Modern Time Medical Profession. 4

The King's Princess Mother, Somdej Ph~a Sri Nakharindra, was

also known as a most devoted lady to the Thai people. While studying

courses in nursing at Simmons College in Boston and the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, she did the same as her husband

had working diligently to absorb all the studies possible concerning

medicine, sanitation, and preventive techniques aiming to develop better

health and medical facilities for Thailand. Her work as a nurse began

in Siriraj Hospital, since then she continued working hard in

multifarious activities throughout her life of nearly one hundred years.

She has always been designated as a little lady with a big heart. The

Princess Mother is really one of the most fascinating, beloved and

h extraordinary women in Thailand.~

Unquestionably because of having been trained, experienced,

and cultured the spirit of selflessness, dedication, and enthusiastic

drives for the benefits of the people and country by his parents; hence,

the present King is able to play so much of a multifarious role in

country development.

At the time of accession to the throne, among the presence of

the Princess Mother, members of the Government, other high dignitaries,

and presided over by Prime Minister Pridi Panomyong, the King calmly

4"The Royal Biography", The Ration Review Supplement, 5 December 1980, p.5.

h ~"A Little Lady with a Big Heart", J3ang};Q.Ji Post, 5 December 1976, p.59.

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replied to the invitation that he would take on the heavy

responsibilities of a king. 6 Under such circumstances, closely

following the inscrutable death of his brother, it was quite a bold·

decision. Now he has been said to l1ave unstintingly devoted himself for

the happiness of the people and the prosperity of the country all

through forty-four years of his reign. 7

At his Coronation Ceremony on 5 May 1950, the King,

traditionally pledged that, " We shall rule the country with Dhamma for

the welfare of all Thai subjects. "8

The Sanskrit word "Dhamma" in the King's Oath above mentioned

is synonymous to justice, charity and compassion. Dhamma has

thenceforward become the King's characteristics. Even though he was

promptly invited to the Throne without any premeditation and

preparation, throughout his reign everyone has unanimously approved the

King's devotion to his people. His roles have made him one of the best

loved monarchs of Thailand. 9

6"The Story of His Majesty the King", Bangkok Post, 5 December 1975, p.7.

7Ibid., pp.7-8.

8Denis Segaller, "A Steady Hand to Guide the Nation" Bangkok EQ;;t ~plement, 5 December 1976, p.9.

9The King has been said that, "In the hearts of the people, he reigns as a symbol of hope." The NatioJ} Review, 5 December 1986, p.5.

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THE KING'S STATUS AS A CONSTITU'fiONAL MONARCH

I The second half of the 20th century has not been especially

kind to monarchs in general and those around Thailand in particular.

However King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who has reigned as a constitutional

monarch under ten different constitutions, nine coups or other radical

government changes, an internal communist insurgency and upheavals in

neighbouring Indochina, which led to the end of royal thrones in

Vietnam, Kampuchea, and Laos, steadily succeeds in maintaining l1is

status as the symbol of the country. 10

Moreover the King's prestige has gradually risen in the

political and social development. In the case of polity, for example, he

has aVoided being sucked into the political vortex, The King has

unavoidably intervened in times of crisis, most notably to defuse the

student-led uprising in Bangkok in 1973. 11 For the sake of soc1al

development, his nearly uncountable tasks of developing in Thai social

and public welfare, particularly a thousand of the the Royal Initiated

Projects, ensure fir~ survival of the Thai monarchical institution.

Towards the King's status, comparing with European Thrones,

Mrs. Busaya Krairiksh, an American-educated lady-in-waiting, said that

foreign royalty were quite amazed and envious when they came to Thailand

10Denis D. Grey, "Surviving Century of Tumult", Bangkok Post, 15 .June 1985, p.4.

11Denis D. Grey, "Thailand's Working Royals", Sawasdee, vol.l6, no.l, January 1987, p.21.

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and saw the King who has been enthusiastically greeted, loved and

worshipped by his people throughout the countr~. "European bluebloods

may have to scramble to find useful niches in modern society, but the

least of King Bhumibol Adulyadej 's problems is keeping busy, or b(~ lng

loved." 12

Having thought that royalty is the centre of wealth, luxury,

palaces, servants, and an easy, carefree life, hence in their games and

imagination, children often prefer to pretend to be a king or a queen.

Controversially for the case of the King of Thailand, accordi11g to

Bonnie Davis, that is not at all what being "Royalty" means. "Hard wurk,

long hours, heavy responsibilities, unlimited patience, and always being

an exemplary model for the people- these are closer to reality." 13

Additionally, the King, in contradiction to general thou.t,;hts

of monarchy, said that, "They say that a kingdom is like a pyramid; the

king on top and the people below. But in this country it's upside-

d01vn. " 14 Hence ·the King has been vividly known as the hardest working

royalty in the world. 15 That is an adequate reason for why the King can

survive through various turbulences during this century.

12Busaya Krairiksh, quoted by Denis D. Grey, n.ll, p.20.

13Bonnie Davis, "A King of Many Talented", Bangkok Post/World ;i_ld.QQ.lr~me11t, 5 December 1983, p.8.

14Bhumibol Adulyadej, King, quoted by Davis, n.13, p.20.

15 Grey, n.lO, p.4.

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THE KING'S ENGAGEMENTS IN STATE AFFAIRS AND RELIGIOUS INSTITUTION

1. THE STATEMANSHIP FUNCTIONS

The present Constitution of Thailand B.E. 2521 (A.0.1978), as

mentioned in the introduction of the constitution, was erected in

accordance with ..•

" ..• the common will of the Thai people in upholding the independence and security of the nation, preserving the religior1 to become everlasting, enthroning the King as Head of the State and 1n the hearts of the Thai people, adhering to the democratic regime of government with the King as Head of the State as the means of administering the State affairs, upholding and protecting the right and liberties of the Thai people, and unitin!£ to secure justice, prosperity and happiness for all Thai people.~· 6

According to the above mentioned exert, the Thai monarchy,

despite of having been changed to a constitutional institution, has

continuously maintained its significance for security and prosperity of

the country. Thailand might well be termed a paradox - much changes

while much remains the same. Among those which are firmly preserved, t,he

reverence felt by the Thai people towards their King has been in no way

diminished by the curtailment of his political power. The monarchy

remains, as strong as ever, the central, unifying element as the

national triad pillars of nation, religion, and king. 17

During recent decades, several monarchical institutions in

Asia, variegatedly called as kings, sultans, maharajahs and emperors

16"Constitution of Kingdom of Thailand B. E. 2521", Qfficial Li§_tj_!"!_g~ (Bangkok, 1986), pp.2-14.

17 The Modern Monarch_y (Bangkok, 1980), p. 117.

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have been abandoned, and only five heredity monarchies survive on the

continent. These monarchs have little in common but their survival, I

opulence and owing their status to birth. Their power ranges from near

.. 1 18 absolute to largely ceremon1a •

According to Denis D. Gray's article referring Lo the often

heard commei1t by Thais and western analysts, King Bhumibol Adulyadej is

regarded as the key to Thailand's stability. In addition, among the

surviving monarchs, even though a constitutional monarch, the Kin;£ is

said to well qualify as the hardest-working blueblood, not only among

the five but also among the eight European crowned heads. 19 Due to his

dedicated life to the welfare of the people and the nation, the King is

always assumed as a symbol of hope, of strength, and of national

unity. 20 The King is the supreme symbol of the Thai nation and the

repository of the nation's sacred trust. 21

In accordance with the people's perspectives towards the

King's status, besides being adopted as Head of the State, the King is

highly protected and honourably regarded by every constitutloll. Section

18Grey, n.lO, p.4.

19Denis D. Grey, The _Nation Review, June 1985, p.ll. The other four monarchs of Asia are, 1) King Jigme Singye Wangchuk of Bhutan, 2) Emperor Hirohito of Japan, 3) K.i.ng Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev of Nepal, 4) Sir Mudu Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'Izzadin Waddaulah, the Sultan of Brunei.

20The Nation Review, 5 December 1985, p.3, and Carol Simons, "Symbol of Strength and Unity", Bangkok Po~t.LJlorld, 5 December 1977, p.ll.

21 Bonnie Ghazarbekian, "A Day of Pride and Celebration", Bang};Q_]s; Post/World Supplement, 5 December 1979, p.7.

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6 of the present Constitution, for example 1 reads 1 "The King shall be

enthroned in a position of revered worship and shall not be violated. No I

person shall expose the King to, any sort of accusation or action. "22

That is an adequate confirmation to the King's stability.

As a constitutional monarch, the King, having been diminished

the political power and responsibilities, is above politics. The King,

as Head of State, can just only exercise the sovereign power derived

from the Thai people through the National Assembly, the Council of

Ministries, and the courts. 23 Within such limited political framework,

the King has sought to give meaning to the monarchy for the benefit of

the people.

Even though the King, as a limited power statesmanship, reigns

the country, not rules his people, he is always aware and involved in

the governmental affairs. His opinion and advice are highly regarded 1n

a wide range of matters. Theoretically and practically, the

administration .of the government is done in the King's name, and all

draft laws must be submitted to the King for his consideration and

signature before being promulgated. 24 All matters are brought for the

King's approvement, for example 1 the promulgation of the constitution,

the appointment of the Prime Minister, the cabinet, and tl1e high-ranking

22:r_he Constitution of the _!5j._ng_Q.gJ1! Qf Thailand, B.E.2521, n.16, pp.2-15.

23 rbid.

24Bonnie Davis, "The Official and Royal Function of His Majesty the King", Thailand Illustrat~Jj, vol.5, no.2, pp.3-5.

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officials, the conclusion of treaties with· foreign nations, and the

establishment of any policies for the public welfares or national l

security. Some matters can be just delegated for attention, but many

other are attended to site inspections by the King in order to give l1elp

to the distressed people or to the serious situations.

The King performs many formal functions, such as the opening

of Parliament, receiving credentials of newly arrived foreign envoys,

granting audience to heads of states, and visiting dignitaries. He

al1vays presides over both Royal and State ceremonies, including

religious affairs. Not only in the capital or large cities, but also in

the rural areas even in small villages. The presence of the King at any

corner of the count~y, as well as other members of the Royal Family, is

greatly rejoinced and graceful, and puts hard situation into success. 26

Apart from Royal ceremonies being hold annually, such as the

celebration for the King's birthday, the homage ceremonies to Royal

ancestors, and other certain occasions by the King, he always presides

over all ceremonies concerned with the armed forces. Each year the King

attends a spectacular Ceremony of the Trooping of the Royal Guards, and

the three armies, being held at the Royal Plaza. The area surrounding

the Plaza is crowded with people who enthusiastically come both to see

their King, and the age-old pageantry of showing honour and great

loyalty to the Throne. 27

----------- ---------26Davis, n.24, pp.5-6, and Ghazarbekian, n.21, p.7.

27Davis, n.24, pp.6-7.

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2. THE UPHOLDER OF ALL RELIGIONS

The King of Thailand is, according td the Coustitution, not

only the Defender of the Buddhist Faith, but "Upholder of all

Heli.gions", 28 Thailand has however had complete freedom of religion for

centuries -long before a Constitution decreed fre~dom of religio11 - more

than many western countries. Thai kings have traditionally granted land

for the building of places of worship for religions other than

Buddhism. 29

As a Buddhist, the King has deeply imbibed Buddhist principles

in his philosophy, which one can see from Royal addresses he has

delivered on various occasions. In an address to the Buddhist

Association of Thailand in November 1970, for example, the King said

about the Buddhism doctrine that,

"If one is asked what Buddhism really is, because in substance it describes the various truths of life, in that sense 13uddhism3~s a science, or to be more precise, it is a science of kncmledge. "c

Another outstanding example of the King's inspiration in

Buddhist Dhammas is his speech delivered on the occasion of appeasing

the late kings at Sanam Luang or Phra Meru Ground, on 5 April 1982. On

that auspicious ce~emony, the King granted every Thai people ''Four Items

in Righteousness'', which subsequently has become a principal guide-line

to the ways of the people's living.

28 "section 7, the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand, B.E.2521", Official 1i~_tings {Bangkok, 1986), pp.2-15.

29[ . 24 7 lav1s, n. , p ..

30Bhumibol Adulyadej, King, quoted by Davis, n.24, p.7.

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The "Four Items in Righteousness", of course applied from

Buddhist principles, are as follows. 31

1) To uphold truth and sincerity to oneself in performing useful and righteous deeds.

2) To know how to subdue and to train oneself to behave within the frame of honest and virtue.

3) On the bases of endurance, self-subjugation . and r.estraint not to break away from truth and honesty.

4) To learn to detach oneself from vice and evil, and to forsake one's own small benefit to beget a big gain for the country.

In accordance with "The Four Items In Righteousness" and the

Oath of Accession, "His reign has been one long example of a hard-

working monarch dedicated to the welfare of his people. His Royal

presence in public signifies not only compassion but also duty,

industry, courage, sacrifice and simplicity." 32 Through the years of

his reign, he has followed the precepts of ideal kingship, "A King of

Righteousness or Dhamma Raja". 33

As the Religious Patron of the Kingdom, the KiJJg appoints all

high dignitaries, presents bounties to all charitable institutions of

various religions, and usually presides over the state t'eligLous

ceremonies. 34 That the King is the Upholder of all religions can be

31 quoted in Supplementaa of The ~_ation Review, 5 December 1983, p.ll.

32 "Dedicated to the Welfare of His People", Supplement of the Ji{i_tiOJJ Review, 5 December 1983, p.ll.

33The ~ation Review, 5 December 1982, p.7.

34National Identity Board, ~e].jgiou_§ Right and .liQ_erty (Bangkok, n.d.), pp.5-6.

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more visualized through many other circumstances. Whenever the King, for

example, makes Royal visits to the South of Thailand, he willi11gly I

visits the Mosques of the Muslim communities. On 17 July 1970, the King

presented to the Muslim communi ties a copy of the Thai translation Of

the Koran, Islam's scripture, which he graciously arranged to be

specially made so as to facilitate the Muslims in their studies of the

sacred doctrine in Thai, not only in Arabic. 35 Another occasion, on

28 September 1978, the King granted an audience to the Imam and members

of the Musjid Committee as well as District Committees for Islamic

Affairs for giving a report to the King on the use of funds donated by

him for the maintenance and restoration of Mu~jid Yum-iyah of Ruso

District, Narathiwat Province, in the South of Thailand. 36

For Christian Communities, the King has also been the patron

for both the Catholic and Protestant Churches in Thailand. Several acts

have been passed on the legal status of the churches, granting pieces of

land to the Christian communities for the construction of public worship

halls or other religious buildings. In 1984 during His Holiness Pope

John Paul II visit to Thailand, the King received the Pope in audience

at the Royal Grand Palace.

The capacity as the Upholder of Religion has taken the King

practically everywhere in the country, to participate in each religions'

35 usa K., "Upholder of Religions", Bangkok Po?t Supplement, 5 Decembl~r 1979, pp.17-19.

36 National Identity Board, n.34, pp.5-6.

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functions appropriate to the occasion. Apart from being mentioned above,

the King presided over the 300th anniversary of the Conception Church. . I

He has accepted many Brahmin rites as parts of various Royal ceremonies

ranging from the Royal Ploughing Ceremony to the Swing Ceremony. The

existence of several Royal palaces in the country, one 1n each

region, enables the King to get closer to his subjects. "Wherever they

are and whatever their faith, they are never too far aw~y for him to

reach." 37 Stationed at a regional palace, i.e. Bhupinga Raja Ni1-vet in

the North, Bhupan Raja Niwet in the Southeast, and Daksina Raja Niwet in

the South, the King can travel extensively in the region Lo visit any

groups of the people in every coruer of the area. He has, for example,

talked to a Provincial Council for Muslims, visited some Christianised

h i 11 - t r· .i be s , and be s t o w e d t h e s p e c i a 11 y p r e p a r e d an d c as t

Nawarachaborpit Buddha Image to the Buddhist communities in a

.province. He has, in brief, been to practically every religious

function to which he is invited, and has also supported all the rest". 38

At a gathering of Christian, Moslem,· and other religious

leaders on his birthday anniversaries, the King said, "All religions

have the same basic aims of teach~ng people to do good and not to

transgress upon each other. Thus all religions •.. could assist in

preserving the peace and stability of a nation."39

37 Usa K., n.37, p.19.

38[ t . d . )l •

39 Bhumibol Adulyadej, King, quoted by Davis, 11.24, p.9.

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Not only the Constitution having been mentioned earlier, but

also three sections of the Penal Code has specifically providecl in I

support of all religions and religious practices. 40 In spite of such

impartial support and protection given by the laws to all religions, the

religious practices are not brought about simply by the Government's

administration alone. State policy concerning minority religions could

easily have been changed after any particular government left office.

But this has never happened, nor does it ever seem likely to do so. In

fact the government, simply following in the footsteps of the King,

cannot act against his wishes and intention, and especially the examples

he has set in his capacity as the Upholder of all religions professed in

the country. 41

Blending together all religions and their believers within one

single nation is not an easy task; the King is obviously determined to

make his radical effort to accomplish this task. The King, following his

ancestors, is "both the Upholder of Religions, and the centre of unity

· and concord of the Thai People". 42

40BaQgkok Post/World Supplement, 5 December 1975, pp.15-17.

41 Usa K., n.37, p.17.

42 Ibid.

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THE KING'S ROLE IN POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT

1. THE ACHIEVEMENT IN FOREIGN AFFAIUS

Retrospectively to the year 1897, King Chulalongkorn became

the first reigning monarch of Thailand to visit the European countries,

which provided him with a wide range of knowledge and experience,

greatly beneficial to the King's d . t" t 4 .1 I mo ern1za 1on stra ·egy. - n tlte

sphere of political development, despite under his limited authority and

responsibility of such a constitutional monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej

has tried to follow his Grand Father as being a representative of

Thailand abroad.

In the course of more than 42 years of his reign, the King has

played essential roles in establishing and enhancing close relations

between Thailand and over 25 foreign countries. 44 The King, during his

state visits, once said that his visit was a symbol of the traditional

friendship with abroad countries, including of the response to the

desire to strengthen even further the ties of personal relationships. 45

43Bonnie Davis,"The King Abroad", _sawasdee, vol.16,no.4,Apr·il 1987,p.ll.

44 i.e. the Republic of Vietnam, the Republic of Indonesia, the Union of Burma, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, the federal Republic of Germany,- the Republic of Portugal, the Confederation of Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, the Repuhlic of Italy, the Vatican State, Belgium, the Republic of France, tlie Grand Duchy of Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Spain, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Federation of Malaya, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, the Republic of China, the Republic of the Philippines, the Republic of Austria, Iran, and Canada.

45 Bhumi bol Adulyadej, King, Collection of Royal Addresses !.@} ful.~s~cJ)S:~§ During the State and Official Visits of Their Majesty th~. _K_i..flE: a1!.Q llioLf?en to Foreign Countr_ies (Bangkok, n.d.), p.275.

- 263 -

Additionally on another occasion the King stated that,

"Splendid isolation is a thing of the past. Nations must no1~ be I

• d d t u46 1nter epen en • Hence the King, as the Head of State, tried to

contribute to his country by operating his role in the sphere of foreign

policy within his limited authority.

The King's role as the people's supreme ambassador undoubtodly

has made a great deal of benefit for the country, especially friendly

ties with those countries he has visited. Subsequently, the visits have

brought about the cooperation in various cases both private and

government sections for their mutual interests. 47

Apart from close, traditional friendships with foreign

countries, which was the most essential benefit derived from the Royal

State Visits, the other remarkable by-products can be partly concluded

as follows.

(a} The King's Personal Achievements

The King and his Queen were warmly, enthusiastically and

hospitably welcomed, and highly honoured by both heads of states and

governments of every country he visited. Besides grand and luxurious

receptions and various lavish ceremonies organized by the hosts to

honour the King, for examples, salutes of honour, musical and dance

46 Ibid. I p. 597.

47Bonnie Davis, "The King Abroad", Sawasdee, vol.16, no.14, April 1987, p.ll.

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performances, formal and official banquets, and presentations of the

highest decorations, the King was conferred honorary degrees in various l .

fields of study.

Those degrees are, for example, the Honorary Degree of Doctor

of Law awarded by the University of Saigon, the Republic of Vietnam; the

Doctor Honoris Causa Degree by Gadjah Mada University, the Republic of

Indonesia; the Legion of Merit, Degree of Chief Commander by the

President of the United Stated of America; the Honorary Degree of Law by

William College, the United States of America; the Honorary Degree of

Doctor of Laws by Melbourne University, Australia; and Honor·ary

Membership in the Institute of Music and Arts of the City of Vienna by

the Austrian Governruent. 48

While abroad, on various occasions the King has been

praiseworthily criticized for his achievements in multifarious

activities. The Senate of Gadjah Mada University, for example, hi~hly

praised the King as patrons of the arts and native culture, and

about the King's attention for the education of the country. 49

While in Washington D.C., the King was said to be one of the

last of the Renaissance men, and his talented characteristics was

renowned and approved. by all. 50 The

announcement.

48Bhumibol Adulyadej, King, n.45, p.7-863.

49rresident of the University, n.47, p.57.

50 Walter T. Ridder, n.47, p.102.

following is a part of an

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"For in an era of specialists, the King emerges as the ~iell­rounded monarch, the man whose interests roam from science and technology to philosoph~ and education, fro, the stan~ard of living of the lowest worker 1n the remotest part of Tha1land to the sophisticated music of "Le Jazz Hot". In short, His Maji~sty actually is what we reporters fancy ourselves to be - that i :':, a person of catholic tastes and multifarious activities, of w.ide­ranging. curiosity and a gEfat knowledge of a large number of the facets of human endeavor.";)

In the Citation of the degree-presentation conferred by the

President of the United States of America, the King was announced to

serve the country as a symbol of unity and steadfastness in the Free

World. 52

"His Majesty's manifold tasks have demanded sagacity and breadth of vision in perceiving that in a turbulent world swept by war and ideological conflict, causes of freedom required collective efforts and mutual aid devoted to the interes~3 of His country and preservation of its freedom and ways of life.":l

The King's hard work was greatly praised by American leaclt:rs.

He was announced at the Metropolitan Museum, New York, that,

"Reserved and respect, the King of Thailand has come cJose1· to the ideal of a Renaissance Prince than any other ruler today. He has set himself the task of knowing at least something about everything that concerns His country. He tries to excel in as many things as He can. Like a Renaissance Prince, He believes in fusing experience and academic knowledge in a lift that is both mentally and physically active ... He and His Queen consistently devote themselves to a search for what is logical and best fo1· the future of Thailand. One of Their greatest qualities is Their feel for Tl1ai life and fat the need to preserve t~e best of the traditional wl1ile not lagging behind modern trends.":l

51 Ibid.

52The President of the United States, n.45, p.106.

r;3 ~ Ibid.

54 James A. Linen, n.45, p.828.

- 266 -

In the sphere of the leadership of the country, the King was

commented, despite being under the Thai Constitution whereby the King I

does not have a direct political role in the affairs of the couiJLry,

that his quiet and subtle power exercised great influence on the

thinking and lines of action adopted by the Thai government. The Kir1~ i~

being greatly esteemed, respected and loved by the people, and also is a

55 unifying influence and a symbol of stability of the country.

The King and Queen were said to be aware of the need to str·ess

modern benefits for their people. They travel almost incessantly to

innumerable remote villages where the villages are encouraged to ltelp

themselves. They, it has also been commented, often walk many miles. on

foot to reach hill villages, thereby greatly strengthening Thai strLJ(!;gle

against Communist infiltration and narcotics. 56

Very interestingly, Thailand, under the King's statesmanship,

was said to have compromised the old tradition with the modern world of

the 20th century. Furthermore, Bangkok was also criticized to have

achieved a measure of modern industrialization without the modern curse

of industrial poverty. "It is the only capital in Southeast Asia that

does not have innumerable palm-roofed slums ringing it." 57

55 Ib1·d., 45 829 n. ' p. .

56 Ibid.

57 Ibid.

- 267 -

At the State Dinner given in Honour of the Royal visitors at

Quirinale Palace, Rome, on 28 September 1960, t~e President praised the

Thai Dynasty which was successful in preserving, during the centuries,

freedom and independence for its people, yet did not reject trade with

other countries, showing in its aspiration for progress to be open to

contributions from any other civilization. 58

Undoubtedly those above critical statements assured the King's

personal achievements, and affirmed the essential role and the

suitubility of the Thai monarchical institution in the present time.

(b) The Honour of the Nation

It is worthy to note that the Royal State Visits widely

contributed to the honour of the nation, at least in reminding the

foreign countries of the highly proud sense of the Thais for their

freedom and independence. The Prime Minister of New Zealand, for

example, commented that, "The citizens of Thailand proudly call their

country- Muang Thai- "Land of the Free", and indeed no country in Asia

can look back on a longer history as an independent and sovereign State.

To the tradition of freedom and of national unity, embodied in the King,

the Present Royal House, founded by King Rama I in 1782, has made a

. ·b t• u59 major contr1 u Ion.

58President Giovanni Gronchi, n.45, p.312.

59Prime Minister of New Zealand, n.45, p.597.

- 268 -

The Prime Minister continued that the prolonged e1JjoymenL of

political independence had inevitably and indeli~ly marked the character

of the nation and the people. Where in parts of the world today

relations between different peoples and different races are lvarped or

shadowed by the memory of past colonial domination, but the Thais,

according to the Prime Minister's speech, were able to accept their

fellow men on equal terms, with a friendliness and serenity which sprang

from confidence in the values of their own civilization, from a

willingness to appreciate the virtues of other cultures, and from an

untempered sense of common humanity. 60

· Another example was given by the President of the Gadjah Mada

University, as follows:

"At a time that Asia was in turmoil by the destructions of independent states caused by the sweeping power of imperial ism which was raging everywhere, your country was able to stand firm us a rock and manage to remain safe ru1d peaceful. This happened not only in the remote past, but also after the end of the Secong World. War, when there were several claims of territorial changes." 1

President Lyndon B.Johnson also praised the honour of the Thai

nation that,

"We welcome Your Majesties as the be loved leaders of a gallant nation which has not only the desire to be free- because all nations have that - but the wisdom and the courage to do what is necessary to be free... the people of your nation of Thai land have led the way. Thailand never gave in to despn irs. Thailand never assumed that its indepemience could not be maintained. Your people knew that me61, are not the victims of history ... lmt ar·e the makers of history." 2

60 Ibid.

61 President of the University, n.45, p.56.

6? -Lyndon B. Johnson, n.45, p.846.

- 269 -

The King himself had a chance to explain 1-1hat the Thai peop.le

are proud of when the President of Indonesia had asked I

to kn01v the

brigin of the word "Thai" or "Thailand", The King explained that in the

ancient time the country was called Siam, "But our name of Thai is very

old, that means that we are the "Land of the Free". We love our

f. l ,63 reet om ...

On another occasion the King said at the State Banquet in

Australia that, " ... we have also the love, the ideal of freedom, of

justice. The Thai people have kept their freedom and they are Thai, that

means free. They have kept their freedom with hard work also and not

only hard work, but blood. They have defended themselves and they have

tried to build up their country all through the years-centuries, as that

is why our people are proud to be Thai."04

With regard to another honour of the nation, desrJi te having

accepted that Thailand is classified as under-developed because of the

lack of capital and technical know-how, aud having realized the Uni Led

States' generous assistance according to the Economic and Technical Co-

operation Agre~ment, the King reiterated that American nssista11Ce was to

enable the Thai to achieve their objectives through their own

efforts. "I need hardly say that this concept has our complete

endorsement. Indeed, there is a precept of the Lord Buddha which s;Lys:

'Thou art thy own refuge. ' We are grateful for American aid; but we

63 Bhumibol Adulyadej, King, n.45, p.52.

64 r· b · d · 6 1 • ' p. 64 •

- 270 -

intend one day to do without it." 65 Undoubtedly the King willfully

made it clear that, for the sake of maintaininr a proud and honorary

sense of the nation, the Thai people have always tried their best to

seek ways for standing on their own feet.

Additionally the King assured the American Press of the Thai

pr:ide of peace and freedom that, "My people are for peace. Not any kind

of peace; but peace with honour and freedom. And so we will provok<' no

one. We will try to maintain amicable relations with all. " 66

For the sake of bringing over the sense of preservation and

modernization of the Thai people, the King said,

"For us the problem is to blend the new with the old. We have our own customs and traditions, which have been built up and maintained throughout the years. Today technical knowledge has made great .advancement. To keep up with the times, it is necessary to introduce it into our country. But in doing so, we have to take care in adapting it to our neeg7 without in any way interfering with our customs and traditions.

The Thai characteristics and their country were also praised

by the leaders of the foreign countries. Queen Juliana, for an example,

recalled that, "During the Second World War the reason wltich brought

many Dutchmen to your country was a tragic one; yet the kindheartedness

the Thai people showed them lightens the horrors of their memories." 68

65 Ibid., p.llO.

661 bid, 1 P• 118 o

67 Ibid., p.154.

68Queen Juliana, quoted by Davis, n.47, p.15.

- 271 -

The Prime Minister of New Zealand, for another example, mentioJJed at the

State Luncheon many and varied delights of Thailand, such as, the I

smiling cour-tesY and friendliness of its people, the rich beauty of I"ice

field and temple, the vivid life of the great capital, Bangkok, another

"City of the Angels." He also said that pre-eminent among the sturdier

virtues which provide the foundations of the nation's stability are the

devotion and loyalty which over many years and through all changes of

fortune the Thai people have accorded their sovereign. 6 ~

Another interesting event 111 the Thai history that the King

told the hosts was Thailand's long his tory of democr-acy. The King said

that Thai democracy had been practiced more than seven hundred years ago

in the old capital of Sukhothai, where freedom of trade was granted to

all, and a gong of petition was hung before the King's palace where any

of his subjects could come and sound it. By such a petition, the

grievous subjects would be received by the King and would get justice or

help. 70

. Hence it can be concluded that various kinds of the honour of

tl1e Thai nation were reminded, criticized, announced, pr·aised, and

arduously highlighted during the period of the King's visits to the

foreign countries.

69Prime Minister of New Zealand, n.45, p.597.

70Bhumibol Adulyadej, King, n.45, p.646.

- 272 -

(c) Towards Creation of Mutual Interests and World Peace

. \ . With highly keen interests in the econom1c sphere and 1wrld

peace, the King frequently aroused the audiences to cherish the mutual

interest, sympathy and world peace. Once he said to the public that

Bangkok was proud to be the seat of the Economic Commission for Asia and

the Far East, which had been set up to promote techn:ical cooperation

between the countries of the region. In his opinion, such a Commission,

which aims at regional co-operation particularly encouraging regional

developmeht, would engender a spirit of understanding amongst the

countries of the region, thereby ensuring peaceful collaboration within

the region and ultimately throughout the world. 71

On another occasion, the King said the Thai people, as well as

other .peoples, loved and valued their freedom and independence. Their

desire was to live in peace with other nations, and to this end, they

very readily gave their willing co-operation to any effort for world

peace and understanding. To avoid such havoc resulting from the modern

development in the realm of science, another world conflict which would

' bring sudden and total destruction to all countries, the King suggested

that, " ..• it is imperative for us to use our best endeavours to bring

a.bout world understanding and mutual sympathy. To do so it is necessary

for the nations to come together more frequently and exchange their

view-points in matters affecting their mutual interests."72

71 Ibid., p.154.

72 Ibid., p.275.

- 273 -

Then the King, for the fact that the world being now some1·dtat.

shrunk in that distance is now no barrier to close relations amongst I

states, gave a keen suggestion that there should be more international

co-operation and it would certainly contribute to lessen the existing

tension unhappily prevailing at the present time. 73

The King's inspiration in the contemporary conditions of world

affairs and in religious application, was once again revealed through

his speech at the State Banquet in Sweden as follows: ", .. there is a

feeling of uncertainty and confusion, brought about by distrust and

rivalry amongst nations. There is high tension in tile international

atmosphere. The progress of science has developed to a very l1igh degree

the destructive weapons of war.•• 74 Hence the King suggested that,

"For this, moderation and restraint are essential. Moderation implies consideration for those with whom we deal, and eventually it will arouse a spirit 6f sympathy. Restraint means the curbing of our impulse, and it gives time for further thought and reflection. There~;? then an opportunity to understand each other's points of view." :.J ·

Indeed, the King's world view that "Nations must now be

interdependent", and his campaigns in the sphere of economic and

political affairs must be obviously approved. The King has keer1ly played

an interesting role in the world's affairs.

73 rbid., pp.275-276.

74 Ibid., p.286.

75 Ibid.

- 274 -

(d) Beneficial Experiences for the Country

. I Whilst visiting the foreign countr1es, the King and Queen

visited many interesting places to possibly gain as much experience

availing to the country's development. Among those places of in ten•s t.,

the. King visited many agricultural institutes, research insU tutes of '

agriculture, and many other places concerned with various occttpations of

Thai people. Unquestionably the experiences the King gained from abroad

have lvidely contributed to the King's works of rural development 1 n

Thailand.

It can be briefly said that the King's works of the State and

Official Visits to over 25 countries during 1962-1967 are very

significant and vital to the relationships between Thailand and other

foreign countries throughout the world. The King, as a symbol of unity

and subsbmtiality in the Free World and a supreme representative of t;he

Thai people, has served the country by making well-known among the broad

world the honour of the nation, the advancement of the country, and the

attitude and philosophy of the people. The King's manifold tasks of

appearances, speeches, and other engagements have revealed his rae-

sightedness, breadth and depth of vision in dealing with international

affairs particularly in the turmoils of the present world. The Kiug's

personal efforts through extensive travel to other nations, have been

especially fruitful in developing a closer mutual understanding among

the world's leaders. Above all, the King has greatly raised up and

spread throughout the honour of the nation and the Thai people.

- 275 -

The following quotation from a welcoming speech to the !;ing

and Queen upon returning from visiting foreign countries is somewhat a I

correct perspective of the Thai people towards their King's tasks during

foreign visits:

"The people know well that the trip was not just a sightseeing tour for your personal enjoyment. It was a task to bring Thailand into the good understanding of the world, to strengthen friendly relations, and to increase the country's prestige. It was realized that Your Majesties were carrying a great burden. In all State Visits .•• official reception does not always ensure population; it needs charm and wit judiciously expanded • .

1J t is fortunate for our

country to have such a marvelous Monarch."

Indeed the King and Queen attracted extremely h'ide attention

from the peoples of over 25 countries. The visits have been a great

success in heightening the good relations and understanding between the

people of Thailand, some neighbouriug countries, and other friendly

nations in Asia, Australia, Europe, and America.

2. THE INTERVENTION IN A POLITICAL RIOT

As a constitutional monarch, the King of Thadand is

technically above political affairs, but in the time of crisis,

1\ing Bhumibol Adulyadej once played most significant role in defusing

a most disastrous outburst which was one of the most tragic and awful

events in Thai history. His successful role during the political dots

of 14 October 1973 has proved his powerful authority is supported by the

Thai people's loyalty.

76Bonnie Davis, "The King Abroad", Sawasdee, vol.l6, no.14, April 1987, p.70.

- 276 -

Looking back to the Thai history before the bloody up-risjng,

during the period of 17 November 1971 to Octo~er 1973, the light of

democratic development in Thailand was switched off when Field Marshal

Thanom Kittikachorn, after having faced a serious conflict between the

Government and ci vii servants, overthrew the Government of 1vhich he

himself was the Prime Minister, dissolved the parliament, and abolished

the constitution. The only reason announced by the head of the

revolutionists was to amend the constitution, which was artificially

considered not to suit the situations of the country. 77

The revolutionary Government since then ruled the cour1try

under its absolute and arbitrary p01~ers. Despite having assured the

people of a new constitution and an election for a democratic government

ver·y soon but not before three years, the Government irresolutely

revised and drafted a new constitution. 78

Situations within the country gradually deteriorated resulting

from the dissatisfaction with the Government's affairs, and severe

demands for the promulgation of the constitution as soon as pass ible

instead of the unreasonable period of three years as being informed by

the Government. By this time there were more and more protests against

various unscrupulous functions who administrated by the Government

agencies. These protests were mostly raised by the student activists

77 Soon Klang Nisi t Naksuksaa Haeng Prathet Prachaac.hon (The people's .movement), Press, 2517), pp.27-28.

78 Ibid.

Thai, j\rabuan [~t<:!:!:! (Bangkok Krung Siam

- 277 -

lvho were deeply interested in social and political reforms iucluding

some hard-head politicians. 79

Repeatedly the university and the college students, along hith

some impatient politicians, came together to unite their powers raising

mul Li-protesting demonstrations a.gainst the absolute authur-i Ly ot' the

revolutionary Government. The political situation gradually became worse

and worse. After having been successful in the demonstration against

Japanese goods and products, the students for the second time realized

their own power in June 1973. Thailand was stunned by more than 80,000

students who assembled together to protest the suspension of several

students who had been accused to have unfairly criticized the r·ector of

Ramkamhaeng University. 80

At the time the students went further to the heart of

Thailand's problem - the promulgation of a permanent constitution. Since

1932, Thailand has been a graveyard of constitutions, the students,

nevertheless, thought their power was properly ripe at the peak of the

right time to help solve the hard problem of the country by bc.ing.in;s

back the democratic regime. 81 The events of the demoustration in June

became as an epilogue of the bloody demonstration in the next four

months. At the time, the speeches initially called for the rector's

79}. 1 · i UlC.

80Bangkok Post, 15 October 1973, p.5.

81The Nation Review, Looking Back _1_2. Year~, (Bangkok, 1983), p.J13.

- 278 -

resignation, but later were shifted to i n c 1 u de the d em and f o r· a

constitution 82

On 6 October 1973, the attention of the protests began to UIOVe

from localized campus complaints to national grievances, when a grou]l of

ab6ut 20 university teachers and students distributed leaflets and

booklets to the people asking them to unite together to protest the

absolute rulers, and to express the demand for the resignat.io11 of the

Government and the return of freedom in self - governing to the people.

E 1 even o f the group of a c t i v i s t s , and a f t e r ward an o the r two , ,,. e r e

arrested and charged with violating the martial laws which had been used

for more than ten years, and the order of the revolutionary party. 83

Moreover the arrested activists, later being called "the Constituiion

13" were, also charged with having a plan plotted by the Communist

Party of Thailand to overthrow the Government.

A big nationwide protest suddenly emerged throughout the

country. Bangkok, in particular, 1-1as overflowing with JH'ot<~sts and

demands of unconditional release of the 13 detainees, In the m•:>am·J!Ii 1 e,

the Government was extremely alert and getting ready to strictly

suppress the upstart radicals. The violence of speeches was more

accelerated when the students were threatened that they might be

arrested and detained through Article 17 of the Revolutionary Decree

84Bangkok Post, 15 October 1973, p.5.

85The National Student Centre of Thailand, n.77, p.50.

- 279 -

which gave them unlimited power particularly in arbi trar lly judging any

defendants in the place of justice courts. 86

Despite this the demonstrators repeatedly announced that

their strategy to fight against the tyrannical power was only ahimsa or

nonviolence, 87 they were considered the most dangerous destroyers.

Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn and his government, particularly

Deputy Prime Minister Field Marshal Prapass Charusathiara and his son-

in-law, Colonel Narong Kittikachorn sharply announced to absolutely

suppress the students whose protests 1-1ere considered to have violated

the Revolutionary Decree, destroyed the happiness and threatened the

country's security. Controversially the students gathered more and more

in the Thammasat University campus, severely demanding the release of

} "C t' . 13" 11 tl 1 t' f . t' 88 t1e ons 1tut1on as we as 1e promu ga 1011 o a const1tu 1on. ·

A week long of gathering, the number of demonstrators rapid]y

increased day by day adding to the number of more thau 500,000. At noon

on 13 October 1973, the impatient demonstrators broke out ot' the walls

of the University and paraded to the Democracy Monument. 89 The

students, holding aloft lar·ge photographs of the King and Queen, and

bearing the national flags, were follohled by huge, curious and

8613an!{kok Post, 15 October 1973, p.4.

87rhe National Student Centre of ThaJland, !1.77, p.50.

88:rhe Nation R_ev~.!i, n.81, p.l15.

89JlnMkok Post, vol.14, no.284, 14 October 1973, p.l.

- 280 -

sympathetic crowds. Both Rajdamnern Avenue around the Monument and even

the nearby side streets were jam-packed. Then the leaders set themselves

up at the Monument for severe speeches. 90

Later on, the Government appeared to back down to the protests.

The "Constitution 13" l>'ere finally released, but they refused to leave

the detention because of the Government's statement on their release on

bail which was contrary to the demand of the National Student Centre of

Thailand that they be released unconditionally. 91 The Protest went on

more and more severely, and the Government was extremely eager to get

92 rid of the demonstrators.

Having been so much alertly interested in the critical problem

threatening the peace and security of the country, the King for the

first time stepped into the political encounter. On the afternoon of 13

November, the King extensively intervened in the confrontation to defuse

(j3 the most explosive internal political situation in 15 years by then.'

As emotions and tensions rose, and the massed studertts and the

Government appeared to be on a collision course, the King first granted

a special audience to the Prime Minister and his cabinet. He discussed

the serious situation with the n1inisters for one hour. Then be met with

90 Ibid.

91I}angkok Post, 14 October 1973, p.3.

92The National Student Centre of Thailand, n.77, p.GO.

93}Jangkok f'_Qfit, vol.14, no.284, 14 October 1973, p.l.

- 281 -

an NSCT delegation of nine in an audience for eighty minutes. Saying

that older people had experience while youth had vitality of body a11d \

mind, then the King called for their cooperation for the benefit of the

country. His appeal to them for "peace and order" proved decisive. 94

Due to the King's intervention, the cabinet eventually agreed

to immediately release "the Constitution 13" uncondition-ally, not on

bail, and a permanent constitution was promised before next

October. 95 Unfortunately, the mobs' situation had gone too far to be

controlled, and due to the lack of appropriate and instant mass media,

the restive crowd could not be informed totally that the detainee~ had

been released unconditionally and the time for promulgation of the

constitution had been cut shorter than the ear 1 ier scheme. Jlence a l the

'beginning of the 14 October, some misunderstood leaders of NSCT g·ave

orders to more than 30,000 people who had gathered all night· to march

towards Chi tralada Palace to seek an audience with tbe q6

Kin.t;.'

Subsequently the front line of the demonstrators were confronted by a

·Police Commando Unit and came close to clashing a few times. 97

At 3 a.m., the King again granted an audience to nine student

representatives including the former members of parliament 1-1ho had been

94v · D ·k h · 3 as1 t eJ unc orn, Het !<_ert Na1" Krung Ratanakosin, (Bangkok, 197 ) , p. 13.

95Dejkunchorn, n.94, p.13.

96[langkok Post, vol.14, no.285, 15 October 1973, p.l.

97 Ibid.

- 282 -

alleged for the Communist anti-government plot and just released from

jail, along with the other detainees just relea,ed in the afternoon as

well. 98 Later on the demonstrators were advised by their

representatives that their delegation had been granted an audience with

the King in the afternoon, the "Constitution 13" bad been

unconditionally released, and the draft constitution had been promised

to finish within one year. The King's speech in which he called for a

return to law and order, and asked the demonstrators to disband

peacefully was read out. 99

Approximately more than a half of the demonstrators dispersed

peacefully, meanwhile some were hesitant to budge because of the

discontent with the delayed drafting of the constitution, a11d in .fact

owing to the absolute Government itself. However the demoJJstration began

to end, and slowly the crowds began to move away in different

directions. Subsequently at the early dawn and just opposite the

Palace, some unfortunate incident led to shooting by the police and the

military who were accused to have blocked and started to hit tlte

demonstrators. Hence, fighting between the angry mobs and tlte Goverll!ilent

was widely opened.lOO

A large number of the demonstrators outside the Palace who were

obstructed, suffered severely from tear gas, and were injured. T!te l\ing

98~angkok Post, 15 October 1973, p.5.

99Dejkunchorn, n.94, pp.47-48.

100rh~ Nation Review, n.81, p.3.

- 283 -

oJ·dered the gates of the Palace thrown open to ease the pressure on the

crowd, and had his entourage tender to the wounded. 101 Then the J\ i ng I

and Queen, accompanied by members of the Royal Family, grantt.•d all

audience to the suffering demonstrators in the midst of the violence.

The King's passion and patronage invaluably relieved them fro111 the

horror and grief, 102

However, the fighting outside the Palace was going OJ< nnd

spread over throughout the capital during the daytime of bloody SuHclay,

14 October 1973, The Government who could not restore the peac(• and

failed to compromise with the angry mobs finally announced over Radio

Thailand that it had tendered its resignation to the King. But the

furious mobs still went on destroying some government office, in order

to protest Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn, who even having resigned

as Prime Minister, still held the position of Supreme Commander of the

Armed Forced. Bangkok Metropolis turned into a lawless city. 103

By the night of "Bloody Sunday", the students had wun the

day, but "Victorious Monday" da1vned with a power vacuum in the capital

city. The night had remained such a riotous situation until the King

. t d . 1 l 11 1 d" d. 104 once ~tga1n s eppe 1n to so ve t 1e uncontro ab e 1sor er.

101The Nation R.evie1v, n.81, p.3.

102D "k I eJ unc1orn, n.94, p.75.

103}kt..ngkok £Qst, 15 October 1973, p. 3.

104Ihe Nation Review, n.81, p.ll5.

- 284 -

"One person and one person alone could step into t!Je break and bring national unity - His Majesty the King, the most respected and beloved person in Thailand. Technically, the King is above politics, but there is a law higher than the non-existent constitution which made him appear on television Monday night. lv'ith the pain and suffering of the nation reflected on his face, l1e announced the a~B~intment of Privy Councilor Sanya DlwmmasaL as Prime Minister."

The following is a part of the address announcing through

broadcasting stations and televisions given to the nation by the

K . . 106 lllg.

" ... I call on all sides and all people to eliminate the cr111ses of violence by cooperating fully with all kinds of action leading in that direction, in order that our country can return to normalcy as soon as possible. Furthermore, in order to remedy the present disaster, Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn resigned from the post of Prime Minister early tonj ght. I have consequent 1 y appointed Mr.Sanya Dhammasak as Prime Minister. I ask that all people on all sides unite in support of the new Government that jt may adminlster the nation effectively and quickly bring the situation to an orderly state, leading to 57anquillity and progress for the country and all the Thai people." 1

In the meanwhile, the so-called "Three Tyrants" - Field

Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn, Field Marshal Prapass Charusathiara, and

Colonel Narong Kittikachorn were rumoured to have fled the country. This

was gradually followed by a cease fire and rjotings stopped.

In addition, for the first time, Thailand entered a new era of

democracy. A National Convention comprising more than 3,000 people

105T! N t. R . ~ a 1on ev1ew, n.Bl, p.l16.

106nejkunchorn, n.94, pp.82-83.

107Bangkok Post, 15 October 1973, p.3.

- 285 -

picked from all walks of life was appointed by the King to select 100

members who were to make up the Nah onal Assembl~,. 108

No one could deny the horror of the Bloody Sunday, h'liere

bravery, bravado, and the ideals of youth came together in an almighty

clash. But no one could deny either the prudence and unmarked good sense

of the King in announcing a new Prime Minister to pacify the strife­

torn nation. 109 Owing to the King's valiant intervention in the

critical event of political confrontation at the right time, the Thai

people have been much more trusted and assured of the King's influence

as the stability pole of the nation. The King's helping hand warmly

escorts and secures them even in the last second of sucb outburst

situations. Hence, it is no doubt why the Thai people always look

forwani to the King as their ultimate and unique refuge. 110

THE GENERAL ROLE OF THE KING IN SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

1. THE ENGAGEMENT WITH: THE PEOPLE AND DEVELOPMENT

That the King's close contact with the ordinary Thai people in

all corners of the realm either through extended tours or brief but

frequent visits, is deepened in the hearts of the people. The King,

usually along with the Royal Family, has been to every one of the 73

108The Nation Review, n.81, p.117.

109Bangkok Post, 15 October 1973, p.4.

110Dejkunchorn, n.94, pp.48-49.

- 286 -

provinces of Thailand - particularly the remote areas, which seem more

often to be visited. The King has been an effective monarch for more

than 40 years and has shown his people that he is always involved with

them in their happiness and sorrow. "He has acquired complete confidence

in the role he plays in meeting the needs of his people and wherever he

goes, the ordinary people turn out in throngs, no matter what the

conditions, to express their deep love and respect for him." 111

As having mentioned in the Chapter I I, the father.ly moll arch

has long been associated with the Thai people since the Sukhothai

Kingdom. Even though the mona.rchic institution was formally changed to

the absolute monarchy during the Ayudhya Empire, it still maintains the

so-called "Ten Royal Righteousness", not exactly absolutism. Thus the

kings during Ayudhya Empire as well as the Ratanakosin Era are usually

called as Dhamma Rajas and gradually developed their roles more and more

closely to the word "Fatherly King" again since the reign of King

Rama IV thereupon.

Traditionally at the former time, even Thai kings as Dhamma

Raja, had governed with justice and magnanimity, the people were not

still allowed to directly contact with their kings. As mentioned

earlier, the patterns of ruling were greatly revolutionized in the reign

of King Rama V. In place of waiting for the people to come to him, the

King went to contact the people, most frequently he went personally and

without foretelling, to see for himself how they really Uved.

111His Majesty the King", Bangkok Post/World Supplement, 5 December 1969, p.39.

- 287 -

King Bhumibol Adulyadej has folldwed his Grand Father's

tradition of going to contact the people, but has vastly expanded this I

role. Though the mass media of television and radio, being the modern

equivalent of the ancient palace bell, have brought the King into

millions of homes, millions more have met him in person or seen him at

close range, especially -the poorer and less-privileged quarters of

society living in the outskirts of tlk country. 166

"The King for his part has never disappointed his people. The more he goes out among them, the more they give pulsating, living proof of their devotion and loyalty. His Majesty is the repository of their trust, and he tries at every opportunity to justify that trust. He has done far more than merely inherit the title "Father of His People" - he has earned ib by his own arduous efforts, not once but a thousand times over." 7

In 1951, the Kiug began to set about finding out the needs of

his people. Despite his having well understood that education, public

health and social welfare were the most urgent problems, he yet decided

to obtain first-hand knowledge by visiting various provinces to see

local living conditions for himself. This decision was typical of his

constant determination to get straight to the roots of things. Such

visits have enabled the inferior and humble all over the land to see and

personally talk with the King at first hand, providing a mutual

understanding and deep relationship.

112segaller, n.8, p.7.

113Davies writes, "Throughout Thailand, the King's portrait adorns

114

the walls of all public buildings and nearly every pd vate home, often side by side with that of the Queen. See, Derek Davies,"A Right Royal Example", far ~AS tern ~_COllQ!llic Review, 23 January 1986, p. 23.

Segaller, n.24, p.7.

- 288 -

The King made his first visit which lasted for 20 detys to the

Northeast, the largest region but its soils the poorest in the country. l

It was the first time in the history of this country that a king made a

visit to this region, and this arduous trip became the model !'or· all

subsequent Royal trips. 168

Throughout the period of visiting, the King along with the

Queen was received with great enthusiasm. People t~rned up to greet him

in the hundreds of thousands; some of them had to travel on foot over

rugged terrain for two or three days . 169 The King responded to his

people with equal enthusiasm, spending so long at every stop including

unscheduled ones, that the King was often so long delayed for his

meals. 170

Subsequently, the King made extended visits to other religions

of the country in the North, South and West, and there was the same

enthusiasm among the people in every corner of the country. At the

present time, the King with the Queen and the Royal Children by his

side has completely visited every province but ceaselessly continued his

visits to the more remote areas, particularly those of sensitive and

vulnerable situations including every distressed quarter throughout the

country, thus making him the most widely-traveled Thai King ever. 171

168"The Function of Kingship", Bang_k_g_~ Pos1 9 .. l!lmlemen_t_, 5 December 1969,

169Ibld~4. 170segaller, n.24, p.9.

171 "The Modern Monarch", 'Dlail~!,ml.iQ ~~(Bangkok, 1980), p.ll9.

- 289 -

Besides cherishing the people's morale and strength of mind,

such visits are aimed at developing a better knowledge of local I

conditions and problems through the contact with the people themselves,

and after having consulted witl1 the government officials concerned, the

King devises ways to improve those situations with the best possible

solutions. 172

At the same time the King emphasizes to the local people the

necessity of self-improvement. The importance of the basic factors of

life is also positively asserted, so that at least the level of their

general welfare, such as education and health, should be improved by

both themselves and with governmental help. 173 The King has never

stopped his ever-enduring task of visiting his people, despite heavy

rains, chilly winds, or burning sun. \Yith his old hat, rain jacket,

locally made shoes and maps in hand, the King is ready to begin another

day of hard work to improve the livelihood of the poor. 174 Remarkably

maps are what the King finds essential, and his skill in map read ill.~ is

second to none with his long experience in rural development. 175

His modesty is significantly one of the most striking

features about the King. "All he cares about is the development works,

1 72 "H. M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand", l_n format io_l} QILQ_~!.L 'fll<!.-il<~r_t__cl (Bangkok, n.d.), p.2.

173Ibid.

174sayant Pornnantharat, "A King Amongst His People", 13.JtllgJiQk P9~1. 12 October 1986, p.17, 24.

175 Ibid.

- 290 -

no matter rain or shi,ne. He rarely pays attention to his attire. That

red shirt he is wearing now is the same one he wore 10 years ago. J t' s I

the same old hat, the same old rain jacket. And that air-force field

jacket he uses is sold everywhere at only a few hundred baht." 176

From the Roy&l palaces situated in the various re~lons, as his

bases, the King goes everywhere, up the mountainous terrain, aud down

the rugged valleys, to visit the people, to investigate the watershed

177 areas, to improve water sources for the farmers and so on. Frequently

the King driyes the car himself from his bases to visit the areas and

generally stays on until after dusk. The King spends a large part of his

time traveling through the rugged mountains of the North, the barren

plateaus of the Northeast and the rain forests of the South.

Once the King arrives at the village, he mingles with waiting

villagers, asking theDJ about their work, obstacles, and their needs.

Subsequently a group of mobile doctors under the King's initiation and

patron, gives free DJedical services to the hospital. In addition to

this, books and clothes are distributed by the King to needy children,

and blankets and necessities to the poor. The . King frequently wades

through muddy trails, or in soDJe places tramples along dusty walkaways

to reach the project site , even when it is sunny or rains hard, to

t d tl . t d . . t t. 178 s u y 1e proJec s an g1ve 1ns rue 1on.

176officials and Pres§ £hgto~wr~, quoted by Pornnanthara t., n. 17 4,

177 P• 24 ' Ibid.

178 Pornnantharat, n.174, p.24.

- 291 -

In conclusion, it can be properly said that the King's visits

provide a two-way exchange of benefits; firstly, the people get to know I

the King, bringing alive the highest symbol of the nation, and at the

same time increasingly developing their loyalty to the King and their

sense of integrity of the nation. Another is that the King also comes

to know the people intimately, including their needs and problems. Such

understandings undoubtedly contribute to the King's works and of the

government to seek help and develop the local people and the country as

a whole. For the sake of monarchic institution itself, moving among

the people and forever visiting them in all parts of the country,

seeing for himself their conditions of life and experiencing with them

their troubles and hopes, the King has truly added a new di mensio11 to

the monarchy. "He is the symbol of sovereignty and the rallying point

fo1· all the Thai people irrespective of regional, social, religiouc> or

ethnic factors." 179

The King's credo of public services is equally supported by

other members of the Royal Family. Among them, the most actively

involved is Queen Sirikit. "As dedicated a traveler as haer huslnnd,

the Queen accompanies the King on arduous upcountry trips, walking miles

along hill side, and forest trails to the remotest areas. The puni~:hing

pace the Royal Couple has set is a source of constant amazement to tl1eir

entourage."180

179segaller, n.24, p.17.

180"The Modern Monarch", Thailand ill 80~ (Bangkok, 1980), p.l25.

- 292 -

The Queen is, as well, interested in rural people's welfare.

Her primary endeavor is to encourage the country women to employ I

t r· ad i t i on a 1 s k i 11 s f o r ex t r a i n co m e . T h e n o r t h e a s t e r n w o 111 e n , f o r

example, have been urged to produce silk and cotton materials in

traditional styles, and have been actively helped to popular·ize them

by the Queen herself. She frequently wears fashionable dresses in

Thai -style suits made from such country-made materials in order to put

forward the sense of Thai values in dressing to the Thai fashions. As a

result these materials have become almost as popular as the shimmering

Thai silk which has claimed world notice and fascination after the QIJeen

exhibited gowns made of Thai silk. 181

The visits to the soldiers wounded in the country's defense,

both internal and external encounters, is another of the Queeu' s

programmes to ensure that they should receive the best medica( treatment

available. In any cases of necessity, she provides them with palace-

prepared meals in hospitals, and morale-boosting light-heartedness.

Other significant help made by the Queen is her support to orphans of

soldiers killed in the country services, and the aid of less-privileged

rural children by providing scholarships and necessities for

studying. 182

Whenever the King makes his visits to remote people 111 the

rural countryside, he is uscially accompanied by the Queen and the Royal

181 Ibid.

182 Ibid.

- 29;3 -

Children. According to the King's words, they separately move out in

four groups.

"His youngest daughter Princess Chulabhorn, a bio-chemis 1 by education, goes along with the Royal medical team. Multi-talented, popular Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and the Queen, whose stunning beauty contrasts vividly with the rural ~ough-and-tumble, normally focus on their special tl!f~le industries projects, vi tal supplements to low rural incomes."

The Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, the King's only son, and

a serving officer of the Royal Body-Guards, checks around on security

details with which he is familiar, but mostly follows closely behind his

father in order to learn the ropes and how the King works. 193

The King, shoulder to shoulder with the Royal Family, carries

out the endless work of improvement and development for the people's

better living standards.

2. THE STYLES OF WORKING IN THE SOCIAL SPHERE

To the questions about the philosophy behind his Royal

projects and their objectives, and why he spends so much of his time and

energy on stimulating growth in the countryside, the King once rev~aled

his principle of to enable the people to help themselves. He said tl1~t a

192Denis Gray, "Thailand's Working Royals", Smvasdee, vol.lt), no.l, January 1987, p.21.

193Denis Gray, "Thailand's Working Royals", Sawasdee, vol.1G, no.l, January 1987, p.21.

- 294 -

recurrent trouble with all aid programmes is the danger that they will

create an attitude of dependency - do not give people fish, better to \

give them a rod and line, and teach them how to fish. The King continued,

"They must be encouraged to make themselves self-supportj ng, to stand on their own feet. That is why it is important not to give too much and even more important not to promise too much, only one thing has to go wrong or be delayed a~~ 5 a whole programme is affected. And that causes disappointment."

Thus the King practically gives his people the minimum

necessities in the basic needs lacked by the villagers, including

water to irrigate the fields.

The King's commitment to improving the lot of Thailand's

farmers, which is of course the King's main target, fills a crucial gap

in national development strategy. Having realized that the rurals have

inadequately improved under the last four five-year plans (1961-81) of

the government, the King, in fact having aimed for improving the rural

lives long before, learnt that the benefits from the development did not

fully reach the rural peasants. The King knows very well that, "On the

contrary, the beneficiaries have been the urban groups. If these

conditions continue unchecked, the country's social and political

security will eventually be destroyed ... "196 Hence the King has focused

his endeavours on roughly one-fifth of the total population who are

living in the impoverished and backward countryside.

195Davies, n.165, p.23.

196 "The Committee for the Coordination of Royally Initiated Projects" ( CCRP), quoted by Paisa! Sricharatchanya in .far Eastern EcQnoii!i~ Review, January 1986, p.24.

- 295 -

3. THE EMINENT ROLE IN RURAL DEVELOPMENT

As having mentioned earlier, the KiAg's upcountry visits

afford him invaluable insights into the people's lives and problems,

mostly concerned about landlessness, lack of basic occupational skills,

water supplies, education and proper health care. Hence one may not

wonder how a busy King can know so many things, how he achieves such

wisdom, and total dedication.

"He studies, yes. But he also observes, he asks questions and he listens to answers. And more than anything else, he cares. He cares about his people and their lives; and he crtJ

7es Hhat happens

to them and what will happen to their children." 1

Such a dedicated engagement to work for his people can be

explained by his general nature or the King's styles of workin~'; as

follows.

(a) As a Pioneer and Catalyst of the Work

The King, serving as a catalyst, a prodder and an ideas man,

tells the bureaucrats to take action and be practical. "Don't think that

spades and pick-axes are obsolete, because not everyone can have

tractors except capitalists who have no regard for common vi !lagers

anyway." 194

194Gray, n.193, p.21.

197B . D . 1 '"-onnle av1s, Bangkoz PostL]orlq Sillllilfment, 5 December 1985, p.4l.

- 295 -

3. THE EMINENT .ROLE IN IWI~AL DEVELOPMENT

As having mentioned earlier, the KiJg's upcountry visits

afford him invaluable insights into the people's lives and problems,

mostly concerned about landlessness, lack of basic occupational skills,

water supplies, education and proper health care. Hence one may not

wonder how a busy King can know so many things, how he ach.ieves such

wisdom, and total dedication.

"He studies, yes. But he also observes, he asks questions and he listens to answers. And more than anything else, he cares. He cares about his people and their lives; and he c<}_{fs 1vhat happens to them and what will happen to their children." 1

Such a dedicated engagement to work for his people can be

explained by his general nature or the King's styles of \Wrking as

follows.

(a) As a Pioneer and Catalyst of the Work

The King, serving as a catalyst, a prodder and an ideas man,

tells the bureaucrats to take action and be practical. "Don't think that

spades and pick-axes are obsolete, because not everyone can have

tractors except capitalists who have no regard for common villagers

anyway." 194

194Gray, n.193, p.21.

197Bonnie Davis, Bangkok Po_2._1;L.h'orld _Suppl§:meJ1t, 5 December 19H5, p.41.

- 296 -

During his visits to the people, he consul"ts not only

ofncials and local monks, but also solicits first hand information from I

farmers and agricultural workers concerning their common problen1s, n0eds

and hopes. When he returns to Bangkok or any of the Palaces in the

regions as his working base, he initiates steps to ensu~e that villagers

receive required assistance. "I ( appropriate governmental departments

are unable to help immediately, the King often uses his own funds to

initiate the projects. Government agencies will later take over

responsibility with the King still retaining an advisory role." 198

Significantly the King's crusade in the broader social,

economic and political contexts has been free from any controversy

because he is equipped to travel to areas normally unreachable by the

government machinery. The King usually works as a catalyst and mostly

plays the pion~ering role. 199

Working along l'lith the Privy Council as his adviser·s, the King

takes the opinions and suggestions presented by experts and off j c: ials

into consideration. Once a specific project is identified, the King

gives the broad guidelines, leaving the responsible government agencies

to plot out details.200

198"The Modern Monarch", Thailand in 80~ (Bangkok, 1980), p.119.

199A senior court official, referred by Sricharatchanya, n.196, p.24.

200A senior Royal Irrigation Department engineer, referred by Sricharatchanya, n.196, p.24.

- 297 -

It is noteworthy to mention how the King has pioneered not

only the officials, but also the villagers to solve their complicated I

situations. The King just suggests something ought to be done, it never

means a "sky is the limit" type of budget. 201 Always his idea is to

develop by the most natural and practical method possible; to achieve

the best possible results with the least possible disbursement, and

Hhenever feasible, to use means which are readily available and suitable

to poor people in each under developed area. 202 Another importance is

matching each project to the need in the region, and offeri.ng

instruction and training so the people can learn to help themselves

and work together with their neighbours for the greatest benefit

to everyone.

The King, whenever among the people, never tells them what the

people must do, but asks what they would like best to do to help

themselves, what help they need to accomplish this. If, for example,

they need a road, this should be looked into; but if they do not want a

road, it will not be forced on them. The reason for the above principle

is that not only would it not benefit them, they would resent it and

consider it a waste of time, money, and land. Hence Royally initiatec! or

suggested projects are trailed just to suit the wants of the people, for

their own best advantage.203

201 Bonnie Davis, Bangkok Po§..tLh'..~u·Jg ~.!UW.l~'J!!...ent, 5 December 1 !)85, p. 41.

202 Ibid.

203 rbid.

- 298 -

In another word, it can be said that the King is acting a~> an

example to officialdom, sho1~ing what can be done and bow it should be l

worked up. He may seem as if he deliberately attempts to shame those

officials who sit in their comfortable offices just pushing paper about,

and those who are particularly unscrupulous bribe takers. H01~ever the

1\ing once stressed that his objective was only to rally unification

among the various development's problems, and to ensure that these

agencies have discarded their own selfish interests. 204

As being at once an example to the villagers and at the same

time to the officials, unintentionally the King's visiting rural areas

is a reproach to officials and merchants whose depredations have already

rendered huge benefits from the impoverished and unprivileged people in

the rural countryside. The King has become identified with a campaign

against every kind of exploitation.

Another most interesting example is that the King's new

impromptu style of working. Frequently at present time, the King has

refused to give prior notice of his visits to any areas, and has been

reportedly pleased witl1 what he sees by arriving unannounced. By such a

style the King comments favourably on the lack of "phak chee roi naa", a

Thai colloquial phrase meaning "window dressing", so that the King

actually sees what has naturally happened in the areas.

204Davies, n.165. p.23.

- 299 -

Before that style of his visits was being performed, wbeuever

th(~ Royal schedules were worked out long in advance the forcwarnings I

enabled the officials to prepare themselves and situations for being

inspected by the King, to ensure that the King would be favourably

impressed. Hence, there had been a great deal of "phak chee roi uaa"

designed to please the King. The officials spent hours simply waiting to

learn his destination so that they could be on hand to brief him on

whj chever projects he chose. Furthermore, large congregations of

villagers greeting the King in the past sometimes attempted to exploit

his gener6si ty, presenting their handicraft works, for example, in the

hope they wo~ld .be rewarded. 205 At present time, the King preferably

makes no pre-announced trips, obviously determined to gain better

insights into the progress achieved for himself. He frequently tells no

one~ where he is going. In the purpose of inspection the King· likes to

work independently so that he can get into direct contact wi Lh the

villagers, so that he obtains the true facts. He does not mind the

hardships of going to a remote site to provide first hand inforlilation

for himself. 206

In an article written by Paisal Sricharatchanya, the King's

impromptu style has been partially revealed. Once in the Northeast when

the King resided in the Bhupan Raja Niwet, he made a prompt revelation

20SIJ . 1 S . l t h "S V. . . :i a1sa r1c1a.ra c anya, pot 1s1ts to Beat Wli1LOIV Dressing", Ea~t_ern Economic RevJ.~y, January 1986, pp.26-27.

206A Royal Irrigation Departme11t official, quoted by SricharaLchanya, n.205, p.26.

- 300 -

about his plan to go to inspect a hamlet nearby. Without being infor·med

of any pre-notice, the officials 1vere immediately required to report l

about the trek to the hamlet on that day. Hoping that the King might not

come to the so tough area, they answered that the hamlet was

unapproachable by car. But the King willingly went there even on foot

through the jungle. While the King was trekking along the jungle path,

without awareness of any one in the vicinity, the life in the village

went on as usual. But after having been recognized by only two old

village women, the King was enthusiastically greeted by dozens of

villagers suddenly gathered from the locality. "Dusk had fallen and the

farming families knelt in rows, their faces illuminated by flicl\ing

candles and torches. The King lS revered by people from all walks of

life as the "Por Luang" (I(oyal Father). An audience with - or even a

close glimpse of - the King is a high spot in the llfe of such a

community, gaining the villagers much merit." 207

(B) As a Coordinator of the Governwent Agencies

Another most significant role of the 1\ing is that.

cutting through red tape of the governmental working process. His role

as catalyst not only shortens the bureaucratic red tape but brings

various government departments together and demonstrates to various

ministries that they should not work independently of each other.

Repeatedly different sections advocate different policies and

207sr·l'cl1aratcl1ar1ya, 0 0~ 26 ?7 - • - n . .:. 8 , PP. -- .

- 301 -

stt·ategies, so that the target groups are frequently slioi~JI confusion,

annoyance and finally a loss of faith. By stepping into these I

compli~ations and controversies, the King, as a coordinator, makes great

successes in striking a workable solution which· is acceptable to every

government agency concerned.

Before 1981, among hundreds of the King's initi<lt:.ed peojects,

there was, besides the Royal Irrigation Department (RID), no other

agency had been appointed permanent to deal specifically with the

projects. Such a matter, a lack of coordination from their planning to

their completion led to rivalries and deviations from the original

concepts. Eventually those projects were sometimes inadequately

evaluated, financed and accomplished. 208 Hence, a group of persons for

helping the King in followjug up the programmes and coordinating among

various government agencies was necessarily required. The Committee for

the Coordination of Royally Initiated Projects (CCRP) h'as established in

1981 with its main purpose of coordinating the implementation of Royal

projects. Since then the Committee has efficiently uw.naged the f<oyal

projects within a single roof, carrying on by the Prime Minister as

?09 chairperson, and a number of members.-

In conclusion, the King involves himself personally with the

projects concerned as well as the many government departments that must

also be involved. All must have a part to be played and worked together.

2088 . h h r1c aratc anya, n.196, p.24.

209 rbid.

- 302 -

The King uses the Throne's prestige to override inter-departmental

rivalries and frictions. He brings together all those involved ~nd bangs I

heads to ensure action, and the highest possibility of the projects'

achievement.

4. THE KING'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE RURAL DEVELOPMENT

The major JJart of Thai social life is in the rural areas and

is inevitably concerned with direct or indirect influences of

agricultural production. Agriculture has always been the backbone of the

economy and social life because nearly 70 per cent of Thailand's

population is engaged in the agricultural sectors. In 1982, for example,

revenues from agricultural exports amounted to 52.28 per cent of total

exports. Thailand, as one of the world's few net food exporters, is

already Asia's foremost food producing nation, and regarded as a

potential future "supermarket" for Asia. 210

Because of the fact that the major population of Thailand

dwell in the countryside, and the Government's revenues are mainly

derived from agricultural products, the infrastructnre and ovc_'rall

economic growth during the 1960s and 1970s were ewpl1asized through

variousNational Economic and Social Development Plans. However the

210 The Government of Thailand, "The Economic Environment", Informatior1 aQQUt Thailand {Bangkok, n.d.), p.2.

- 303 -

Plans resulted in urban-rural disparities, particularly in tl1e are::! of

income distribution.2ll

In addition, the Committee for the Coordination of Royally

Initiated Projects comments in a published summary of the King's

activities that,

"Although the country's macro-economy has improved as a

resulted of the last four five-year plans (1961-81), conditions among

the rural peasants have not improved accordingly since tl1e benefits from

development did not fully reach them. " 212

The country has a long pressing need for the development hlth

specific aims to the rural areas.

However, in fact, as soon as the economic stability of urban

areas has been accurately put up the government, inspired by the King,

becomes much more aware of the rural problems. Various measures are

introduced to remedy these disparities and greater emphasis is placed on

rural development.

Throughout his reign for over 40 years, the King has been

determined to enable all the people of the country, especially the

inferior, to attain self-sufficiency, to enjoy their equal rights in

formal education and medical treatment. As Head of State and Royal

Father, the King has always emphasized that people throughout the

------------------210 Ibid.

211 Far_ Eastern Economic Review, January 1986, p.24.

- 304 -

cotmtry, notHithstanding the differences of race, ethn.ic group, sex,

religion or prof~ssion, should be offered equal opportuujties for l

getting the benefits resulting from the overall development of

administration. Having reckoned with tbe fact that about Lhre<.e quarLers

of the population of Thailand are still dependent on ag!'iculLurP as

t} . . f 1 } d d . b kb 213 1e1r ma1n source o .iveli1oo an economic ac· one.

Rural Development Projects are plotted by the King as the most

essential strategy to overcome various problems in the remote areas. He

has laid strong emphasis on integrated rural development. In fact, the

King has for decades primarily given his eyes to the difficulties of the

rural people since the early years of his succession to the throne. He,

with a sense of devotion and compassion toward poverty and backHardness

among his unprivileged people Hith in the rural sector, has highly

attempted to provide the country people facilities and opportunl ties

equal to those of urban dwellers; such a desire helps bring a balance to

national development in economic sphere as a whoJe.

The king' s self-appointed task has always been to get out and

about among the people, finding out at first hand about their problems

and then taking action to improve the people's living standards.

"In this way he has become much closer to the ordinar·y peopJe, especially those in rural areas, than any previous king in Thailand's history. Millions of his subjects have met him personally or seen him face to face; in a normal year he spends eight or nine months outside Bangkok, traveling some 30,000 miles

213 \ . I t"t t f T J l d t' tl F. t .·' .. f'f ll '1 l 1 f s1an ns 1 ·u e o ec mo ogy, A war Q_ - 1e _D.:_:]-' ,... Q_!)_,_ "ec_<!_, (Bangkok, 1987), unpaged.

- 305 -

across the length and breadth of the country meeting the people, listening to hundreds of peti;j,pns and problems, und taking whatever action he thinks best."~

Nationwide development has been highly stimulated by the King

in his programmes and projects. The King's dedication bas paved tile way

not for a common feeling of affection and loyalty among the Thai people,

but for a sense of co-operation aJJd participation in developing every

inferior aspect of the rural people. Most significantly, the !\ i llg' s

involvement has strongly energized the government officials to pay much

more attention to their duties and appropriately follow his projects of

developing the country.

As having mentioned above, the King visits villages throughout

·the country, where the people make known their desire to be heard about

the problems involving the most impoverished families and those located

off the beaten path and not within the scope of normal government

programmes. The King's particular attention to the problems as presented

or petitioned by the villagers prompts him to investigate as far as

feasible the site of the problems immediately. Then he, after hnv ing

returned to his residence and assembled required materials, personally

examines various possible solutions. The King later checks their

possibility with technical personnel from his staff or from the

')15 ministries concerned. Eventually detailed plans are plotted.-

214Denis Segaller, "All the King's Projects", Bangkok r_qs~t_L_\:{orlg 9_t!Pplement, 5 December 1982, p.7.

215 Paul Maynard, "Arduous Training for Monarchy", EIJ.o_gl(g_l;, P12.§.t/\\_!_)t'Lc.l Supplemei~_t, 5 December 1977, p. 57.

- :306 -

Due to the fact that the King always wauts his projects br:>i ng

based on his personal inspection of problem areas 1vhere existing maps I

and other essential data are not accurate, he, in pursuit of accurate

information, he has ventured into sensitive areas where his 111ere

presence has given psychological support to the villagers because of the

personal danger that he has incurred ') 16

for their sake.-· Such an

inspection is very essential and has coutributed highly to the King's

projects. For that account the King's recommendations or opinions have

ahurys been innovative and highly successful when they arc put into

practice.

All the King's projects are pt!rsued in close co-o1'eration 1vith

the relevant or concerned agencies of tl1e Government. Some projects are

usually practiced by those agencies after they have been planned and

given initial assistance by the King. Variously some other· cases the

King has to try out his projects by experimentation or pilot practice

aiming to produce a result which tl1e government can develop further for

general benefits throughout the country.

The projects in lvhich the King is concerned are, from the

beginning up to the present time, assigned various names,

- the King's - the Royal - the King's

the King's

Desired Projects, Projects, Initiated Projects, and Patronized Projects.

?] 6 . d 2osi bl • Sricharatchanya, n.205, pp.26-27.

. 208 l. e.,

- ~W7 -

'fhe King's Desired Projects, or Khrongkaail Tawn Phranwt

chaprasong, are the King's personal studies within his resideHces I

mainly in Chitralada Palace, and some other places. Tlte sLudies an~

about rice, farming, dairy, land developing, and co-operatives. The l\ing

initially spent a large amount of his personal budget on the study of

the Projects which, at the present, have not proceeded after they have

been approved by the Government. Then the King continues other kinds of

the projects. 218

The Royal Projects, or Khrongkaan Luang, are in f'act the

same as the King's Initiated Projects, which the King has co-operated

with various agencies of the Government in the Hilltribes f'l·ojects. The

Royal Projects are aimed to develop and maintain forests and sources of

water in the Northern ftegion of the country. These areas are ch;ellings

of hHltribes whose ways of living are simultaneously developed while

their opium cultivation and priJuitive slash-and-burn methods of

plantation are severely urged to be abandoned by means of crop

·substitution. Such projects require a very long period to be oper·ated

and became bearable. In spite of various difficulties, the J\ing

endlessly continues his works of developing, thus he is loynlly luved

and called "Phaw Luang" or Royal Father by the hilltribes. 219

21 7N t' . t . s t . b l l I on- 1c 1on ec 1on, The Li rary of Radio T 1aw T ww Th<Hi, 'Nai Luaug Khong Raow", Document!'}, p.2.

? 1B 1'' t. S t. ' b. - Non- 1c 1on ec 1on, n.217, I 1d.

219 r·b·d 3 . .l • l p ••

- 308 -

The King's Initiated Projects, or Khrongkaan Taam PlJra-

raatchadamri, are planned by the King throufh his wide cange of

experiences in the rural areas, and then they are later pursued and

continually operated by various secL.ions of the government, both ci l'il

d '1' 220 an · nu .1 tary.

The King's Patronized Projects, or Khrongkaan Na i Phr·a-

borommaraachuupatham, are also initiated and suggested the ways of

practice by the King, but presented to the private sections which are to

oper·ate and follm,r up. Such a project is, for example, the Co-operaU ve

Village Developing Project in Prachuap Khir i Khan Province operated as

the King's initiative by the Rotary Club of Thailand. 221

Nevertheless, in order to avoid any confusion possibly derived

from various names as having mentioned above, so that ever·y kind of

project the King ls iuvolved with ls hereafter to be generally called

only the King's Projects or even called by different names, but with

invariable meanings.

The number of projects initiated by the King or which the King

is instrumental in launching is very high, nearly one thousand i terns,

and can be divided into four main categories: agricul Lure, land

development and cooperative, social welfare, and education. 213

220 Ibid.

221 Ibid.

- 309 -

The first one is concerned with fisheries, farming, livestock,

poultry, rain-making, crop substitution, etc. ThF second cate;,;or.v, lam!

development and co-operatives, is about utilizing and di str 1 buting of

land, and setting up co-operative communities. The socittl welfare,

thirdly, comprises of mobile medical treatment, river basin and

watershed development, and irrigation. The last one, the educa L LOiJil 1

project, deals with the establishing of scholarships, the construction

of schools in the remote areas, the sports promotion, the studenl:s'

fairs encouragement, the creatiou of the Thai Junior Encyclopaedia, the

teaching of Buddhist Monastic Laws, and the foundation of the vocational

training centres, etc. 223

Agriculture has been traclitionally, and still rt•mains, the

backbone of the upcountry economy; hence, of tl1e near a thousand royally

initiated projects having been implemented so far in more than thirty

provinces -almost half the Kingdom. More than 70 per cent of those

Royal Projects are strictly concentrated upon the irrigation and 1-liltec

resources which are collsidered as a most important mainstay of t!Je

agriculture, the principal occupation of the country. 224

Other projects concerning with agriculture are mainly geared

towards the conservation of natural resources, raising agricultural

productivity, generating additional rural income - such <is the ·--------·---

222 "The Royal Project", The Nation Revi~ Supplement, 5 December 19BO, p.ll.

223 Ibicl.

224 Ibid.

- 310 -

introduction of new cash crops, managing and maximizing land utili zaLion

and imprbving health care. 225

5. THE KING'S STRA'fEGY FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Owing to the King's practical knowledge derived from his long

experience, and active involvement in seeking to make out the most

eff'ecti ve strategy for rural development, he has recommended an

integrated approach. The King's strategy as an integrated ap~roacll

comprises the following procedures. 231

- Area· development with a view to regional rural development

Regional planning techniques

Natural resources management and development

Research and extension with emphasis on ~pproprinte technologies

Implementation planning and management

Building productive communities

People's participation

Technical instruction and occupational deveJopnwnt

Land use optimization

Production promotion

225 Paisal Sricharatchanya, "Stop V .isi ts To Beat Wiudow Dressirrt:;", E~ll" E_{.i,~t_ern Econo!!!_ic Revi\:l'' .January 1986, pp.2-4.

230Ib. l 1 t • , p.l2.

2311.1 . d )1 • , p.l3.

- :n.t -

Initially, to achieve the extension of the rural devel OJliilent

as much as possible, the King has realized the 1necessity of study aud

research, because he recognizes the fact that people in various regjoJJs

of the country differ in social customs, cultural traditions, and

economic activities. The cliffetence makes their ways of earning a living

differ considerably according to geographical area and physical

environment. Thus, the King has had his integrated approach strategy put

to the practical test in numerous Royal Development Projects,

culminating in the setting up of six Royal Development Study Centres in

every region of the country as follows: 232

1) Huay Hong Khrai Royal Development Study Centre, Dol Saket District, Chiang Mai Province, Northeru Region.

2) Bhupan Royal Development Study Centre, Sakon Nakhon Province, Northeastern Itegiou.

Muall.g' District,

3) Khao Hin Sorn Royal Development Study Centre, Pbnnom Sarakham District, Chachoengsao Province, Central Region.

4) Ao Khung Kraben Royal Development Study Centre, Tha Hai_ District, Chanthaburi Province, Central Region, Eastern Sector.

5) Huay Sai Royal Development Study Centre, Cba-am District, Petchaburi Province, Central Region, Western Sector.

6) Phikunthong Royal Development Study Centre, Muang District, Narathiwat Province, Southern Region.

The sit~s of these Royal Development Study Centres are ch0sen

by the King in order to assure that they are located in areas where they

233 effectively serve the above procedures of the King's strategy. The

23 ? b'd 6 -l 1 • ' p. •

23'i I d' t. C . f R 1 1 . . . 'TH:' Co-or Hla 1ng omm1ttee or oya Deve opment ProJect,Uls ~l'hl_,•:;J:..r:

!U.n..g Bhumjbol Adulyadej any Hi_~ DevE:~Lopment .h'ork, (Bangkok, 1987), pp.24-26.

- 312 -

six Royal Development Centres should correctly be termed "ceutres of

study and/on development" because they are centres both of study for l

development and centres of study of development. The general and applied

basic principles of agriculture are studied, and the best system decided

on for each area because each one is different. They are also centres of

out-reach projects and development for the villages of the area. 234

These Royal Development Study Centres serve integrated multi-

purposes as, in the technical sense, service centres where area specific

research is undertaken, area planning is done, appropriate technologies

are identified, project proposals are worked out, and informatioll on

viable improvements is disseminated to the target population of farmers

and villagers including to all those government agencj es whose

responsibilities are officially concerned h' i t lJ t h c~ r 11 c a 1

development. 235

All centres maintaiu illtegrated types of proj.c~ct::; vilwre by-

products of one sector can be used by another, so nothing is 1vasted. ln

the North, forestry and 1vater resource development are main pr'oject::o, 111

the Northeast, they are generalized because of the extensive need, the

Central is engaged in everything as a conglomeration, and in the South,

the emphasis is on development to facilitate the use of the extensive

234Prince Chakrabandh Pensiri Chakrabandhu, quoted by l3onllie Davis jn "Initiated Projects by the Royal Advisor to the Thai Nation", Bangkok Post/World Supplement, 5 December 1985, p.37.

235Asian Institute of Technology, n.213, p.14.

- 313 -

?36 marshland.~ The six Centres are coordinated by a Coc>r<linat.ing

Committee for Royally Initiated Projects.

The King has realized that farmers are generally experienced

in farming practices that have been handed down over many generations,

lvh.ich inherently are 0omplex processes of selecting, eliminating- and

adopting any changes. The King has then based his idea for a vi .•tble

strategy for a motivation for the farmers to accept JH:'Iv teclmolo,~:i.es

which enable them to improve their farming practices, increase

production, and raise productivity. The King has also perceived the fact

that the farmers' rationale coupled with their knowledge and experience

in the skillful use of local resources, Hhich can scarcely be derived

from classroom .learning, constitute an enormous development potential

for· themselves and the country as a whole. So that lhe King severely

attempts to attach the knowledge of new technologies with tl10se of

Lradi tional farming prac Lices together in order to accompl isl1 Lhe r11 r·al

development. 237

Hence the King designs the Royal Development Study Centre?:,~ to

serve the ideology above mentio11ed. The centres are assigned to

stimulate farmers' intellectual curiosity and to satisfy their need for

information by combining development activities in all relevant fields

in one single location. The centres generally function as

2 3 61) . 1lVlS 1 n.234, p.37

237 1bid.

- 314 -

demonstrators, educational institutes, instructors and trainers oJ' Lhe

farmers, and also as information centres where kno1-1ledges and llew l

technologies are distributed or spread widely to the general public.

Conclusively, the King has aimed each centre to be a "living

natural museum", where briefs on rural development are rcguJ arly

pre sen ted. For such a purpose tl1e centres are envisaged to become

effective models for efficient management of development activities in

the rural remote areas.238 '

SOME'EXAMPLES OF THE ROYAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

The followings are some Royal Development Study Centres and

Projects .impartially selected from more than a thousand of the Royal

Projects. Even just a little amount of examples, they are appropriate

for exposing the King's achievement in the rural development.

1. KHAO HIN SORN ROYAL DEVELOPMENT STUDY CENTRE

Among the King's numerous initiated projects, all of 1-ihich ar·e

aimed at helping and improving the living conditions of t!Jc" people

including developing and conserving the nation's enviroruueuL as ~>'<'11,

the unique one is the King's Development Study Centre at Kllao Bin Sorn

in Phanom Sarakharn District, Chachoengsao Province. Originally in 1079,

u group of citizens donated 443 rai of land (173.6 acres) to the King

hoping that he would build a residence on it like palaces in ot.her

238A • ,~s1an Institute of Technology, n.213, p.15.

- 315 -

re:2.:ions. They hoped that the Royal Family would stay then' whenever tl1ey

were visiting the area or the province. Realizing that the benefit~ of I

the people are much more important and than the unsuitable construcLion

of another residence in such an area so near Bangkok, the King so had

other plans for the donated land. Instead of being used for· his persclnal

benefit, the land was given back to the people. The King has it used in

239 the form of a centre for agricultural promotion and research.

The Study Centre Project is very close to the King's

attention. So much so that a regular report is expected by the King from

various departments under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives,

which is responsible for the planning aud coordination of the Project.

Due to his own initiative and instigation of the Project, tlk King has

always taken a keen interest in its progress. Furthermore, he a hays

gives suggestions to the officials and villagers as to how to impcove

and advance its development as well.

Basically the Khao Hin Sorn Project is aimed to ser·ve ::!'-; a

model project for other farming communities throug·hout the country, and

once completed it is hoped that a similar project may be opera te(t in

l . 240 Tl l Ux>n Prov1nce. le project comprises of three bronc tar~ets as

follmvs:

- To act as a centre for research and the establishment of proven and successful agricultural techniques.

239p. l · Cl k d. B k 1 P t /W ld S 1 t ~ 1c HH wensu sawa 1, ang ·o ~ os; or upp emen,, ~ Decemb.:~r :9130, p. 21.

210lb.1 - l( •

- 316 -

- To demonstrate to farmers the various means of conserving, developing, and restoring the environment from erosion.

- To become a "museum" for many varieties of trees.

Various government agencies and those of the priv;~Le seciion

are involved in working spears of the Project. These are· the Ruya]

Irrigation Department, the Agricultural Extension Depar-tment, Lhe

Cooperatives Promotion Department, the Forest Herbs Club ( Chomrom SiGJ0(1JJ

Prai), the Office of Accelerated R.ur·al Development, the Department of

Public Works, the Electricity Generating Board of Thai land, the First

. d d . . . ?41 Ar~y Reg1on, an the Local A m1n1strat1on Department.-

In addition to those concerned with the project, oome

universities, Kasetsart University - for example 1 have expressed t he:i r

keen interest and support for the project. The Tourism Autl10rit\ of

Thailand is another interested organization which has a plan to r:>r·o,note

the Centre as a tourist attraction once it is completed. 242

Although project mana.~ement is under LlH· P1·o.;ect

Administration Committee ll'i th a Board of Directors and Advisor· tu the

B d . d b d I . I i . ')_1'3 oar ; poliCY an management are ase· on t1e K1ng s acv1ce.~-·

As having above mentioned, the donated 434 rai of land 1-vas

former·ly aimed for the construction of the King·'s new residence, h01>ever

241 Ibid.

242Ib"d 1 ' I p.23.

243Boilill·e Dav1's, "Kha H. S " S l l 16 1 o 1n. orn, _lli"!'.;:'!?Ce~, vo. , no., p.l4.

J Emuary 1 :nl7,

- 317 -

after the King had expressed his strong desire to have it created as

benefits for the people themselves, then other pieces of land were Llter

donated to serve the King's plan. Another 83 rai of land (:~3.2 acres)

were derived from the people plus a further 733 rai (293.2 acres) from

the For<~stry Department including some in Prachin Buri Province; 2-H Not

only the total land of 1250 rai (500 acres) are used for Sc?rving Lhe

three targets of the Project as above mentioned, and are being

developed, but surrounding areas totaling 40,000 rai (16,000 ltcres) will

be used as well and also being in the targets of -the development. Such

vast area becomes one of the largest experimental agricultural Centres

in all of Thailand.245

In order to cooperate with the King's plan of establishing the

Centre, the people of Phanom Sarakham District expressed their loyalty

to the King, and desire to support the Project by means of financial

donations of over half a million baht to the Centre. Other donations

have followed, especially Hhenever the King makes a visit to the iH·ea,

more donations are given, which is all kept in a bank for sev,··n:>ly

necessary use by the Project.

Since the Project started in Octo!Jer 1979, despite bei.Jt.':',' in

existence only in a short time, its work has progressed immensely. The

var·ious things undertaken and done can be evident !Jy surveying the h'ork

accomplished by each department concerned.

244 d' 2 Chuensuksawa 1, n. 39, p.24.

- 318 -

For the sphere of water supply, the sandy land in t!J.i s arl'<t is

obviously in constant need of water for any kind of plantation. The ~'.o.il

.in this area is, really like its name - Khao' Bin Sorn - roughly

translated meaning "a mountain made of piled-up stones", sandy and dry

with very low fertility. Out of an entire year, rain falls at Khao Hin

Sot·n an average of only 114 days. The first strategy was to pr·ov idt' an

adequate water supply and to develop a means of utilizing every precious

246 dr·op to the best advantage.

2. PHIKUNTHONG ROYAL DEVELOPMENT STUDY CENTRE

The King has always devoted much effort towards the

improvement of the country's agricultural techniques, and eventu;dly

towards the well-being of the farmers and their families throughout all

regions of the country. After having prepared to gather first-l1and

information through his hard-workin.?: entourag·e, the King established the

Phikunthong Development Project, one of his projects concer·ned 1-1i th

rural development in the South, at Phikunthong Village .i.n Naratl1.i.wat

Province.

The Phikunthong Development Centre was initially set ur after

the Royal Family had been in the residence at Taksin Raja Niwet Palace

in Narathi1vat Province, from August to October 1981, for the JliH'f.lo.c;;· of

visiting people in the southern provinces. The King had, by this Lime,

learned of the hardships of the villagers in Narathil'lat, that they could

246 . Dav1s, n.243, p.l5.

- 319 -

not get good benefits from their cultivation due to the .infer.ior Jand

269 whose large peaty areas are full of Slvamps and bogs. These peat. areas

are marshy lowlands where decayed and decomposed forests have piJ1::>d up

beneath or above the wet, humid soils for thousand of yea.r·s. Tlw peaty

soiLs are spongy and lacl.; firmness, wl1ich make them bad, i r uot

impossible, for cultivation. Among those inferior lands, the Bajol1 peat

area spreads over an area of 66,450 rai (2f!,580 acres) .LJJ Narath.iwat,

while the country's largest peatland in Sungai Pach, also iu Narathiwat,

covers 216,900 rai of la.nd (86,760 acres). The. two peat areas' aver·age

depth of decomposed woody material 1 s about 40 centimetres. Tens of

tllousands of vlllager·s who live in LhesP vast areas of' Na!'athilvat, have

long l~een suffering with bad crop cultivation due to the poor· soils, and

the dirty aud unusable water that leaks out of the swamplands and

damages their plantation. 270

Very soon, the King persisted upon several relevant and

responsible authorities to consult together for the establishment: of a

project aiming to release the barriers in Lht-~ reclamation of the peaty

Janel. Those authorities included official~ from var.ious .s{overllment

agencies, such as the Lalld Development Department, the Forestr·y

Department, the Narathiwat Provincial Authorities, and the Comm.ittee for

the Coordination of Royally Initiated Projects (CCRP). They met.

together, joined forces and drafted a poJ icy, principles und the

26 9R J. k 1· "B . . - · 1· .. I ·1 ! " 1-' ! k tm.~ruang l!Hl ·u , ru1:;tng new . 1t e to sout 1erJ1 peal. <Ill! s , .~."1!12:__-;Q_·_

r_~'>_Llb'[l.dd ~illwlement, 5 December J91·J:l, p.11.

2701 l ; I ) J l. •

- 320 -

establishment of the Phikunthong Department Project Centre un (i ,July

1982. The main pllrpose of the Project, as the King wished, was to

conduct a feasibility study of the peat areas in the Province, and try

to reclaim such areas for· cultivation and ol:her agricuJ tund uses.

Having set up the Phikunthong Study Centre, the King gave b.is

own observations and instructions to relevant offidals to specifically

study the. problems of the peat lands and to provide the best ways of

reclaiming the areas for agricultural use. The King's instructions

strictly emphasized on never iriterfering with the natura] environment.

Be s i de s t he r e c 1 a 111 a t i on o f peat 1 a n d s , U~~:~ K i o g ' s i n s L r· u c t. i o n s f o r·

conducting the Phikunthong Project included reafforestation in the

d t d f t d 1 d d . . t" i' . ]t 271 es roye ores e an , an 1ncreas1ng proruo.1on o agr1cu. ure. ·

Moreover the King had suggested Lhe officials concerned to

seek ways for the gradual drainage of water from the peat areas to

preserve the stability of land levels and prevellL SIH.ldeii chau~(:' of

chemical reaction in the soi]. The King also incli cated that the gradual

dissolution of organ~ic materials in the swamplands for years h10cdd help

to improve the destroyed and unusable or .iuferior soiJs ,pJ·ofiLabl~~.

particularly in agricultuC'al utiliY.ation.

Despite the King's .initiative, which 1-1as pr·imarily aimed aL

the resolution of .the peatlands' problems, the King as well deLcnuim'd

to concentrate on other various tasks of raising the well-beiug of t.he

peoplt~ in many villages throughout sou Lhel'Il Thai land.

271 Ibid.

- 321 -

case, the Phikunthong Development Pr.oject Centre was planned as all

integrated strategy. Besides the studying of the condit..ion of unusalJle

soils and destructible water, and seeking ways for developing those

inferior situations, the Centre was gear·ed by the Ki11g to undertake

other local problems ill the near!Jy areas, such as eclucati on, smaJ 1

.industries and community cooperation. In spite of beiug a newly

established Centre, the Phikunthong Development Project Centre has at.

the present become a large and important centre in the far South. Its

functions are following the King's ideas to study and try out all kinds

of problems relating the area development, modern techniques, and new

27') ideas of the development's strategy. -

Education is another main target in the implementation of The

Centre. The educational improvement is in both the formal and non-formal

schooling system, and aimed for children and adults in vi11a.c;es in the

areas of the Project. The King,. as a key tool in community deveJ opment,

continually emphasizes that to educate the village people is indeed to

make them keen enough to understand and accept modern agricultural

techuiques. Furthermore the well educaL.cd villa.~ers may be beLLe!' at

cooperating amoug themselves, ami may have a correct attitude towards

the authorities and the country.2 73

In the sphere of agriculture, the people in Phikunt:hong and

eight other satellite villages uuder a pressing effort of the P!'oject

272 Ibid.

273Ibid. p. 12.

- :322 -

which 1s following the King's idea are highly ur.~ed to increase their

ear·nings. The pr·ocedures are practical by the expans.ion of far·mla11d:s and

vegetab] e cultivation. Initially the King suggested to the off .i c;j als how

the peat soils could be turned into fermentl~d fertilizers, which is one

of the most significant schemes of the Project - to make use of the

organic material in the soils. An area was Sl>.ttled for studying how the

peat soils can be utilized for fruit tree cultivation. Then many plants

are being experimented and demonstrated in the experimentine; farm am!

g;r·een house, such as pineapple, giant radish, chilli and other cash

cr·ops. Another fundamental necessity for agr ic1d r.1n·e <Int.! weLl beings an:

water. ['(~sources, which were planned by t.hc 1\iug to reclaim Lhc ust-.'S of'

areas. Further-more, the reservoir and Lhe irr.igat.ior1 canals h'ere built

through the King's initiative. 274

Apart from his instruction to improve the plantation, the King

has personally distributed crop seeds and other necessary materials to

the villagers to enable them to support Ll1emsel ves in tlwi r agricul Lu!'aJ

work. The King has also initially urged tile villagers to establish a

small rubber factory wllich .1 s nu1-1 bei !l,g operated a!ld is successful u1

helping the villagers in their efforts Lo Jmprove the quality of ra~-.;

rubber. Moreover,• the King has advised the officials concerned to tr·ain

the villagers to acquire the latest techniques in rubber drying and

cleaning. Hence the villagers; according to the King's in~;trucLiOll, lwh?

bee n d i v i d e d i n to g r o u p s a 11 d t r a i n e d i n t h e m o d e r n k n o 1d e d g e o f

274 Ibid.

- 323 -

industrial mauagement and mark e L i n g • S u IJ s e q IH' 11 t 1 y , L h e L r a i n (' d

villagers have inter-changeably passed on their modern knowledge

to other groups in other villages. Later on many plans for many small

rubber factories ar~ being set up' in the villages, particularly the plan

for bettering the quality of. rubber. Such the measure conducted by

village group working enables the villagers to earn more income by

improviug the quality of their goods :.wd preventiug pr.ice-cutUng by

middlemen or any inter-agent. 275

In addition, the Project also provides live~~tock husbandry and

saltwater fish breedir1g programmes, and two programmes for educating the

.vill<tgers. One is the professional training centre, and the otlu.'r is Lhe

f' 1 j t. 278 non- orma ec uca 1on centre.

The King was said, by a farmer fr·om a satellite v tll m;c, to he

so kind to initiate the development of 1vater resources <wei agricu1tura.1

techniques for these ar·eas. Before the Pro,ject wa~> set up, Lhc v it lager·s

never bad any good yields at all. because of flooding most of the year.

But after having set up the Phikunthong Project, the villagers are given

many new methods for crop cu] U vaUon and the making of fertilizer·

from peat soils by the officials. The help from the Cen Lr·e has

changed everything in their farming 1 i fe. At t..he rn·esent, they can ear·n

th(dr livings better than HI the pa~;L. The farmer·, !'llrLhcrmur·l',

commented as follows:

275 Ibid.

276 Ibid.

- 324 -

"This is only one year's work of the Project, and we have already had a satisfactory result; I'm sure we' 11 be very much better off' iu the years ahead with the assistance fr·om the King. I know how k.ind the K.iug i.s towar·ds poor people, cwd I th.ink we llltlsl: bear· in mind that we are just like his offspri11g. lYe kno~>' Uwt the King wishes to see equal ~~ell-being among his subjects whether they ar-e in town or in the countryside, so the country will be pr·osperous. Whetl the King came her·e, l1e worked so har·d i 11 surveying the soils, the irrigaUon areas, the crops and other things by himself. We n~alized the King's efforts, and we aim to work hard to live- t~ 9 to his care for the people and for our own better life."

Mr.Jehmoh Jehmae, a 43 year-old Muslim, looking back to the

conditions of villages before the Project's coming, told that. these

areas were plagued with the problems of acid soils and 1vater 1-ihich made

t h e so il u n c u 1 t i v a b 1 e , M o s t v i 11 a g e r s w h o a r e f a r m e r· s o r r u b b e r

plantation hands were short of everytl1ing, even drinkin~: h'ilter which

they had to fetch from far away. Accordi11g to his statement, the

villagers are absolutely delighted with the 1\ing's Project. BPfore Lhe

introduction of the Project, many men in the villages had gone to work

as labourers in Malaysia, but at the present l:hey began to return to

their homeland when they knew that the King has now provided assistance

in agriculture and irrigation, and the r·es t are getting very good crops.

" ... so good that the King came here to pr-ovidE:~ us w-ith the permanent things that WE' can util.izt~ all ot.n· lives. We've long been wishing to have someon0 to come and help us overcome the problem of acid soils and water. The King helped us to solve the hardest problems. We now have good wat0r resources, better so.i ls and IW~>' knowledge to cont. inue our·, t?{ming livi'S for the betterment of our· families and communities." 2

279, t· t··Ii J" k l •)t:g lr:: · ."!. armer, quo el JY 1na ·u , n .... v , p. ::>.

280Jehmoh Jehmae, quoted by Jinali.ul, n.269, p.15.

- 325 -

:.J. NAMPHRATHAI CHAK NAI LUANG PROJECTS

As for the King's role in the sphere of rural developm<~n L,

Lhe "Namphrathai Chak Na.iluang Project" is one of the most important

projects .initiated by the King, and it has attracted every people and

unit to come together to solve the life-long problems of the Northeast

region. The Project is the only hope and last refuge for· the northeast

people to seek from the relief of their underprivileged status and

poverty.

Phn.k E-san, as being usually called in Thai, meaning the

Northeast region, archaeologically and historically 1s of prime

importance. At least, prehistoric finds at Ban Chiang, a small village

jn Phak E-san, yielded evidence of early man that has set archaeologists

rethinking the pattern of civilization 1-ihicil has bee11 datr2d back to

3,000 B.C. In the realm of recorded history, Phak E-san possesses the

fjnest survjvint; examples of' the c;t.'nius of the ar·ciliLvcLs of the l\hmer

empire centred on Angkor. At pr·esent, jt is not the back-of-beyond

because there has been an exceJ lent road net work and the mair1 tolv'ns

offer quite adequate accommodation. Nevertheless, Pl!ak E-san is still

regarded the poorest section of the country. 281

Phak E-san, the largest region of Thailand, is geographically

u n f a v o u r· e d cUI d be s e t w i t h man y e co 1 o g i c a 1 p r o b 1 e m s , i n c l u d i 11 g p o o r

') 81 . . - S1nchantborn, "Thailand's Northeast", $<!!~~sfk<), ,lanuar·y ]987,

pp.34-39.

326 -

soils. The region consists mainly of a dry plateau and low hills. The

short monsoon season brings heavy flooding to river valleys, but the dry

season is long and the prevailing vegetation sparse gr·ass. Pressures on

the land have nonetheless made tlie region grow into a large amount of

population of nearly 18 millions. Whenever speaking about Phak E-san,

one is frequently reminded of its dry and devastated land, poor natural

resources, and the people's difficulty and underprivileged status. A

large amount of the budget has for year after year been spent to improve

the region. The results have so fur not reached the government's target

of development, and yet the vast majority of people classified as living

in poverty has still been found in Phak E-san, 282 where an agriculture-

based economy adversely affected by low - yield soil, the vagaries of

nature in either too much or too little rain, and a large scale of

disafforestation.28 3

Having been deeply concerned with the difficulty of the

northeast people since the beginning of his reign, the King has

thoroughly and continuously visited the Northeast region, and initiated

several hundred projects and strategies for developing the region. These

Royal campai~ns have, however, mostly Jealt with specified or limited

purposes and areas, not as a whole or with every fundamental aspect of

the region simultaneously.

')8? - -Frederica M. Bunge, 1']1ailancl __ S! ~-c2lli.!tl:Y 9_tudy, (Washington, 1981),

p.127.

283soon Amnuaykaan Chuoylua Pracllaachon !ihto!lglcaan N~J.!l.Phratl!~i ch<~k Na.!J.~J.<?,Jig Project), (Bangkok, 2530), pp.l-2.

Tam (The

Phranw tclwdamr i, Kjng's Generosity

- 327 -

On 25 March 1987, the King, accompanied by tl1e Queen and other

members of the Royal family, was presiding over t!Je cremal ion ceremony

for those who had sacrificed their lives for preservation or peace,

sovereignty, and every square inch of the country. He mentioned to Army

Commander-in-Chief General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, the severe

difficulties and suffering of the northeast people from the unremitting

lack of water for consumption in their daily lives, and for agriculture,

resulted from the uncertainty . of rain fall. The King considered the

Royal Army of which man power, tools and other appliances wer·e

plentiful, was ready and able to work for the relief of urger1t cases of

suffering. Furthermore in the long run the Army, as the King's

consideration, may possibly work in cooperating wj th other relevant:

government units to meet the targets, including private sect.ions. Since

then the "Khrongkaan Namphrathai chal< Nailuang", the project for

developing the Northeast as demanded, initiated, and supported by the

King has come into existence. 284

"Namphratbai", a special royal -word, .Is equal to "namjai" in

common Thai language. Namjai, a word of profound a.pprecjatiorJ in its

hospitality., means generosity or sincerity. It is a unique Thai

characteristic that describes a natural ability to live lu perfect

harmony with others and make them feel at ease. Namphrathai chak

Najluang, the generosity of the King, is a phrase of which meaning

284 PI10rnchai Punnawathanaphorn, "Khron.~kacu1 Namphratlwi Cha!; Na i lli<Ulf5

Maasoo E-sau Khiew", DaiJ_y Ng_!\/s, 11 .July 1987, p.7.

- 328 -

expresses the Kin~'s hearty care for the people's living, absolutely

wins the Thai people's hearts for tile King's passjon and generosity.

The Namphrathai chak Nailuang Project is also ~enerally called

as, "E-san Khiew Project" or the Northeast Green Zone Project. The word

"Green Zone Project" is not limited to only the green revolution oc

agricultural development inch.iding reafforestation and other relevaiJt

infrastructure development, but· is much more wiJely understood as to

deve.lop the Northeast as a whole region to reach its peak of abundance

and prosperity.

After having carefully but pressingly planned for three days,

the Project was started in the early morning of 28 Mar-ch 1987, when

water tankers from various units, both civil and mil.itar·y .ioclw.lin~

private sections, were sent to distribute water for consumption and

agriculture to relieve the drought 1vbich was severely threaLl'!Ji.in~ the

northeast people by then. Other relieving unils were also assigned to

give helping hands to the region; for example, ar-tificial rain-makin.~

units from various sections, underearth-water providing units, and

natural water resources developing units. Tlmt is the fir-st start of the

Project for emergency situations.285

A main plan for helping the northeast people in the long !'LUI

was simultaneously and earn~stly prepared by several educationists and

authorized officials to meet the King's target of the Northeast

285 soon Amnuaykaan Chuaylua Prachaacbon Taam Phraraatchadamr i, n.283, pp.4-5.

- 329 -

development. The plan, which was set to work within a period of 5 years

during 1987 - 1992, is expected only to result in the Northeast becoming

"the Green Zone" within the period planned and with twenty thousand

million baht of budgets.2Ba

The principle strategy of the 5 -year plan, which is

considered as an all-inclusive working-·policy, can be g: .. rouped .into 3

categories: to increase the people's stable income and job employment,

to restore and to develop natural resources possibly coutributing to the

cn~ation of "the Green Zone", and to uplift the standard of llv.ing and

} 1 . f f f I h . J , 287 to increase t 1e qua 1ty o li eo t1e nort east peop c.

The mentioned principle strategy has coincided Hi th those

of the 6th National Plan for the Social and Economic Development, which

has been assigned to the burden of five main ministries: the Ministry of

Agriculture and Cooperatives, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of

Education, the Ministry of Publ.ic Welfare, and the Ministry of

Iudustry. 288

Owing to the King's initiative and accelerating in the

development of the Northeast, a· most important target of strategy both

in economic and politic, the facing difficulty and suffering of the

286p } h 284 7 unnawat 1anap orn, n. , p. .

287sumet Tantivejkul, "Phaen Phatha.naa Sethakit Lae Sangkhom Haeng Chart Kab Phaenlak Phathanaa E-san Khiew", n.283, p.16, 20.

288 rbid., p.16.

- 330 -

northeast people was dissolved. The dissolution of the life-long

problems of the Northeast, however, after having been spearheaded by tl1e

army, has been continuously and extremely accelerated under the process

of multi-development.

The results of development bas been so far very satisfactory.

On 12 July 1987, for instance, some 1, 000 soldiers and 200 trucks and

earth - moving machines fr.om. the Army and the Supreme Command left for

Nakhon Ratchasima to relieve drought in the Northeast, as part of the

"gener·osi ty of the King" project, and as part of an urgent atte111pt to

turn the Northeast into a green zone. In addition to the military, a

number of other government agencies arl~ takiu~ part io the five-year

effort to reforest and find more water in the region. Such being the

case, it is hoped that there will be no drought in the Northeast by

1988. Up to 850 million young trees are expected to be planted 011 106

million rai (42.4 million acres) of land in this area. It is also being

hoped and looked forward to the cooperation among the main ministries

including private sections and everyo!le to overcome those problems as

the King's wish. 289 Because of the fact. that the E-san Khiew Pr·oject .is

royally ini U a ted, thus every one is wi 11 ing to try to make it. succeed

no matter what happens or what the political change an~, the attempts

t t tl N ( ' t . t . 11 . . t t 2 90 o -urn - 1e or .oeas 111 o a green zone w 1 rema111 1n ,ac , .

289rantivejakul, n.283, p.21.

290 1" Genera Charuay Wongsayant, quoted 111 B_<!.tl_g_)(_g_h_ PQ_::?t, 12 .July 1 98 7 , p.19.

- 331 -

4. THE ROYAL RICE BANK PROJECTS

Even though Thai farmers are given the high sounding title of

"Backbone of the Nation", it is most often a back that is bent and

aching from never-ending hard work with minimum return for their

burdensomeness. In such a country like Thailand, where rice is a surplus

crop, it is hardly believable that some farmers have difficulties in

getting enough rice to eat. But the situations really occur whenever

there are floods, drought, or some other natural calamity.

In some other cases, though naturai disasters are not so

destructive on the crops, the farmers still have a hard time fro~. many

other aspects, particularly from landlessness and high rates of

interest. The landless farmers, or even landed, are frequently unabl~ to

reap enough from their harvest to cover rent and family requirements.

These debt-r ldden farmers, due to mismanagement or the demands of an

ever-expanding family, have to promptly sell their crops at low pr1ces

and pay high rates of interest to those who finance his plantation. Thus

the subsequent result is not enough rice for their families'

consumption. 291

Traveling throughout the country to visit fArmers in

troublesome situations, the King learnt first-hand of thej r needs and

problems, which he noted and set about trying to find a way of giving

291 Gemma Weeraboonchai, "His Majesty's Rice Bank", B~!J~.2l5 pg_~t/jj_Qr:ld Su~.!!I~Qt, 5 December 1981, unpaged.

- 332 -

immediate help. In 1970, nearly twenty years ago, the King came up hith

a proposal-that of setting up Rice Banks in every corner of the

country. 292

Due to the King's scheme, the Rice Bank, aimed not to be large

or complicated to operate, basically requires a room, hut , or building

where rice can be suitably stored and dispensed with when the needy

farmers come to draw on their rice loans. To avoid getting too

complacent, the farmers eventually have to repay these rice loans plus a

little extra called a "contribution for the reserve". Prince

Chakrabandhu Bhensiri Chakrabandhu, one of the King's Privy Councilors

once said that, "What we want to do is encourage the farmer to help

himself.--Bu-t while he is still struggling up, he can be secure in the

knowledge that His Majesty will give him a helping hand." 293

Being a joint effort-initially the King sug~ested the

officials and local people concerned to understand the concept of a Rice

Bank, and then the King gave the Project the necessary start-up help. In

most cases the initial assistance consists of contributing some paddy

and enough galvanized iron for a roof for the Rice Bank. The rest of the

building materials, labour and some capital for more paddy usually comes

from the people themselves. Such cooperation makes the local population

feel the Rice Bank really belongs to them. 294

292 Ibid.

293quoted by Weeraboonchai, n.291, unpaged.

294 rbid.

- 333 -

The Rice Bank is administrated by a committee elected by the

local people. Due to the requirement of official assistance in many

cases, the general pattern of committee membership necessarily

comprises of the village headman usually elected chairman' the

headmaster of the village school as secretary, and two or three other

committee members nominated by the villagers. Moreover the King's own

staff members, the sheriff, one or two development officials,

agricultural officials, and a representative from the border patrol

police are usually required to help the committee as advisers.

The committee, occasionally with the recommendations of the

advisory board, is responsible for decisions such as which fan11ing

family to help first, and what amount of paddy to be repaid after the

next harvest, together with the small extra amount of the ''contribution

for the reserve". The amount of this extra paddy is a flexible and

equitable arrangement, sui ted to the circumstances, and certainly much

less than the interest rates which farmers have to pay to private mouey-

monger. Moreover in some certain situations, considered through a most

humane decision, no "contribution for the reserve" is required at aJ l.

Prince Chakrabandhu explained that, "the extra amount of paddy Lhat the

farmer has to donate doesn't have to be large at all. It just has tube

')9 ~ a little bit extra in order to help build up the rice funds.""' :>

Since the first Rice Bank was initiated in 1970 i11 Ll!e Nor-th,

many others have sprung up throughout the country. One example of the

295quoted by Weeraboonchai, Ibid.

- 334 -

King's high success in setting up Rice Banks is that in Jl'lae Hong Son

Province, where the elderly monk's enthusiasm for the King's Rice Banks

idea, as well as his followers, drove him to go about starting 68 Rice

Banks within one year. The King was also helped in the contribution of

initial paddy funds by the monks. Owing to the cooperation and help of

the monks and the pe0ple themselves, these Rice Banks are highly

successful building up substantial paddy reserves, which enable theru to

handle a high turnover.

The King's success in the North, as above mentioned, has

strongly stimulated the wealthier people in Bangkok and even those in

the provinces, including monks - not monetarily but through their

-influence and follow up work, to contribute to the King in setting up

more Rice Banks.

The concept of a Rice Bank as a cooperative effort, without

formal rules and regulations, has made the project become so simpl8 in

operation. If any farmers have problems with their Rice Banks, they may

write to the Royal Secretariat or send their requests through the

officials concerned. Then their difficult complication will be resolved

immediately. 296

Aiming to see everyone in this rice-exporting country getting

enough rice to eat, the Ki11g still continues to initiate more Rice Banks

throughout the country. In most areas the local Rice Banks have become

296 referred by Weeraboonchai, Ibid.

- 335 -

semi-formal gathering places for the villagers, where other groupo; of

activities, such as handicraft groups have been induced to hold together

for the cooperative operation.

Some of these Rice Banks, a total of 104 Rice Banks in Maha

Sarakham Province, have already been proved by an in-depth study wl10se

objectives are to study the impacts of the Rice Banks on the economic

and social changes in the farmers'lives, the procedure of setting up the

Rice Banks, and their influence on the idea of forming farmers'groups.

The results of the study shows that the members'standard of living have

been improved due to their increased incomes and decreased debts.

Moreover the research indicates that the Rice Banks also help to

motivate the farmers and their families towards improving their

education and health, at the same time the numbers of crimes are

red~JCed. 297 So it can be concluded that the Royal Rice Bank Project, one

of a thousand successful agricultural projects initiated by the King,

has played a significant role in developing rural lives.

5. THE BUFFALO BANK PROJECTs298

Traditionally for thousands of years, Thai farmers as being

designated- "the backbone of the nation", earn their living with the

help of buffaloes. Even in the modern time when innovations and

297 rbid.

298 ~amoo.!J;)ha<m Khrongka~~!:! Iaam Ellf_~ E_{@tch_!lda!)l__r_i (I llustratated Handbook

of Projects Undertaken Through Royal Initiative) pp.64-67.

- 336 -

technologies are increasingly introduced to every aspect of living, but

not for the sake of the major part of Thai farmers farming.

Nevertheless, year after year the farmers unavoidably whose buffaLoes

still never change their essential roles in facing similar obstacles.

Not only do they have to struggle against varying climatic conditions­

from the sunny heat of the dry season to the overflow of the monsoon,

but they have to pay exorbitant rates of rent throughout the year to

hire a buffalo. In some areas the rate may be as high as 40 per cent of

the farm~r's income. 299

The King, through years of experience coupled with a deep

compassion towards the mysterious situations of the farmers, pressingly

looks out for ways to alleviate those problems. Then he requested the

Department of Livestock Development under the Ministry of Agriculture

and Cooperatives to set up two Buffalo Banks to overcome the problem of

rented buffaloes. In fact the idea of a Buffalo Bank is not uew.

Initially the Society of Vincent de Paul set up the first buffalo bank

in Santisuk Village, Wichian Buri District, Petchabun Province, in 1968.

The fundamental principle of this bank is that each farming fami l.v is

given one female buffalo for their farming uses. Whenever the female

buffalo gives birth to a female, the new-born buffalo must be offer0d to

the bank which in turn passes her on to another needy family. But if

the new-born is a male buffalo, the farmer is allowed to own it. By such

principles~ the number of buffalo banks has increased to nine in seven

299Ibid. pp.64-67.

- 337 -

provinces, and every one is sponsored and organized by the society wlJose

finance for the banks are deri v•~d from overseas donors, such as the

United Kingdom Committee for Thai Charities.

However, the King's Buffalo Bank Project differs from tl1e

earlier one. Despite the Society's distribution methods being usecl in

the new Project, the scope of service is widened by means of increasing

the number of farmers who are in need of help from the Proj ec L.

The two Buffalo Banks initiated by the King on a trial basis,

are located in Watthana Nakhon and Sa Kaew District, Prachin Buri

Province, in February 1979. They are going well as expected, and it is

hoped that the Project will spread nationwide. The two Banks are jointly

operated by the Department of Livestock Development, and the Departwent ~~

of Cooperative Promotion, which rely heavily on financial and buf J'alo

donations from various pious donors including private institutions,

firms, and individuals. 300

The King's Buffalo Bank Project has one main aim Lo provide

the opportunity for the farmer to have his own buffalo, while t!Je far·mer

may.receive many other beneficial by-products. Due to the King·'s

suggestion, several corumi ttees are designed to take responsibility for

the selection of buffaloes and farmers to whom the beasts should be

allowed to be given. The farmers also consider which method is suitable

for each one to have buffaloes. Some farmers are given buffaloes h'itlwut

300 Ibid.

- 338 -

any bonds, while others are considered to lend for work with the

stipulation that they must return the buffaloes· to the banks. Some are

considered to rent out at a very low rate, and some are judged to own

buffaloes by hire purchase.

Among those who are judged, undoubtedly under certain

restrictions and rules, to receive a buffalo free of charge, the

crippled war veterans who have chosen to earn their own livings in

farming are made the first on the list for give-away buffaloes~ owi11g to

the realization of their services to the country, which caused theJIJ to

have been crippled in the process. Next on the list of give-<t~-lay

buffaloes are those who are considered by the selection committees to be

hard working and diligent, but through circumstances beyond their

control they are still exceptionally poor.

Very similar to the method conducted by the St.Vincent de Paul

Society, the most widely used scheme of buffalo distribution is the

lending method. Female buffaloes are distributed and the new-born

females are given back to the banks. Through this method both farmers

and banks will benefit, the farmers can use the lent buffaloes in

farming and if lucky they may own the new-born male buffalo; and the

banks can retain their buffalo stocks. One of certain stipulat~OilS

attached to this method is that the farmers are prohibited from seJ ling

or renting out the buffaloes to other needy farmers. 301

301 rbid.

- 339 -

Though the renting out and the hire purchase met!Jucl!:-~ must lw

under consideration in details, both the rate for the renting and the

hire purchase scheme must be lo1v, and it will covee a Lliree-year

repayment period at the rate of eight baht a kilogram for, the hire

purchase scheme. Even the King's Buffalo Bank Project is sti 11 in an

embryonic stage and there are still many problems to ov~rcome, the

King's pilot project in Prachin Buri province has sh01m considerable

success, particularly in the form of buffalo donations and otl1er immense

responses and support for the Project. So far it has plainly jllustrated

one of the King's efforts to implement a programme aiming to help the

major part of Thai people who are designated as the backbone of Lhe

na.t ion. 302

9. THE FISH CULTURE AND FISH FARMING PHOJECTS

Long in the Thai history, its abundance is traditionally

remarked and generally approved as the sayings, "In water there is

·fish and in field there is rice. " 303 However such natural wealth iws

gradually deteriorated. The centuries old belief of the Thais has not

been valid up to the present time ~hose plentifulness has already ended.

Hence, th~ entire concept of fish culture was introduced to Thailand by

the King. He, realizing that fish is. an inexpensive source of protein,

302 Ibid.

303!'. R K I \lug ama am weng, the Great of Sukhothai, Th~ £u·s t ~t.9-lii? ln.~c;:.r.i pt ion

- 340 -

has initiated both fish culture and fish farming projects, which are

aimed to conserve fish and to increase valuable food resources by

raising a variety of fish in rivers, canals, lakes, resecvoirs 1nd

ponds. 304

Initially the fish cul ti vat ion and fish farming project, one

of the earliest projects initiated by the King, was started in

1952. 305 After the King had primarily experimented to cul tuce the: new

fish variety - Pia Moh Thet (Tilapia Mossambia) in Chitralada Palace

grounds, he introduced the idea of how to culture the fish, and

distributed the fry to the people. That was the first start of a nation

wide campaign of fish culture. The introduction and culture of this kind

of the fish was so significant a breakthrough in the minds of Thai

people that fish could profitably be cultured, and such a scheme has

greatly replenished rivers and streams with an important food supply.

Later in 1965, the King was originally gjveiJ breed:ng

specimens of another variety- Pla Nil (Tilapia Nilotica) by CruiHJ

Prince Akihito of Japan. Pla Nil named by the King means "the fish fr·orn

the Nile", where the species had originated, and another in Thai 1s

"dark fish" according to its color. The 50 presented fingerings h,.ere put

in special breeding ponds in the Chitralada Palace grounds. The l\jng

made dramatic progress in fish culture and fish farming. A year Li.er

304"For the Development of the country", Th~ Nat_ion R~v(e1.; 5urcpJ~-:!!L~:Jit,

n.d., p. 7.

305Ihe Nation R~~view, 5 Deccn;ber 1982, p.29.

- 341 -

the fish had multiplied to such an extent that the King was able' to

present the Department of Fisheries with 10,000 fingerings to be

cultured prior to releasing into water ways and distributed to the

306 general public throughout the country.

Pla Nil, commonly kno1-111 as Pla Phrarajathan or the /{o_\al.Ly

Prese.nted Fish, has become one of the most valuable and widely cuJ Lured

fish in the country. Farmers are also advised to raise Pla Ni I in t :1eir

rice fields at the beginning of their planting. The fish feed on weeds

and insect larvae, and later by the time of harvest, the fish, having

grown to marketable size, enable the farmers to earn extra income. 307

Not only is Pla Nil easy to raise, but they grow and reproduce very

rapidly. Moreover, it is also considered very tasty and is popular· as

1-;elJ as low priced. So they are now raised commercially on a large ~.cale

in many parts of the country. In 1970, due to his passion, the King

donated 500,000 Pla. Nil fingerlings to the People's R.epnblic of

Bangladesh u11der the Food From Hunger Campaign of the Un i t.ed Nations

International Children's Emergency Fund at the request of Uw Food and

Agriculture Organization. 308

306william Warren, "His Majesty's Agricultural Projects", JJEtiJ~<lild Illustrated, vol.1, no.1, December 1982 -March 1983, p.4.

307 "Forest and Community Projects", ~angkok Post/Wodcl ~Ul'J..lL~;Jen_t:_, 5 December 1982, p.11.

308office of His Majesty's Prine ipal Private Secretary, LU~1st_r~..!.~t\,JJ Handbook of Projects 1lndertaken through Royal Ini tiat:,_L~:_g.l The Committee for the Ratanakosin Bicentennial Celebration to Commemorate the Ratanakosin Bicentennial, (Bangkok, 1982), p.37.

- 342 -

In 1977, the King gave consent to the Department of Fisheries

to construct ponds at the entrance to Daksin Palace in Narathjwat

Province, for use as .a fresh-water fish culture facility in order to

distribute fish fry to the fisheries stations and to the provincial

populace, according to the King's wish to enable the people to have _a

steady source of protein in their diets. 309 The fisheries stations of

the Department of Fisheries monthly sort mature fish for cul tu r·e; and

sort fish fry for distribution to the people for raising in vi 1lage

ponds.

Apart from the introduction of fish culture and fish farming

to Thai people, the King has nine major projects for fisheries. These

projects are mainly aimed to conserve fish and to increase vnluable food

resources, by raising various varieties of fish in rivers car1als, ponds,

lakes, and reservoirs. Each of these major projects consist of several

sub-projects including the projects for research and development,

training, demonstration, publicity, promotion, and consultancy services.

They all are efficiently operated by the staff of the Department: of

fisheries at various fisheries stations.

Many institutes are introduced to work on fisheries in many

parts of the country, such as Mae Cho Institute of Agcicul-tul'al

Technology in San Sai District, Chiang Mai Province, where the fresh-

"'ater 3H' fish culture facility is being studied and produced. 1

309 Ibid.,p.40.

310Ibid. ,p.39.

J n

- 343 -

accordance with the King's suggestion, the National Institut.c; or Co.,:':tal

Agriculture (NICA), in Songkhla Province, was established in 1981. The

major objective of the Institute is to'find ways to increase the

breeding and the production of fish in brackish water so as to keep up

with the growth in domestic demand. 311

Many times the King himself, 1vhile visiting the people,

releases fingerlings into waterways. In Tak Bai District, Narathi~-.,at

Province, for example, once the King released appro~imately 200,000

White Shrimps (Penaeus indicus) into the Tak Bai River as a gesture of

support for the Royal Project initiated by the King to incnoase the

varieties of marine life in brackish water. 312 The King's such

instigation of fisheries was followed by officials of the Department of

Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, st:uticHJed in

Narathiwat Province. They, the same as those in other fisheries stations

throughout the country, continually organize demonstrations of fish

culture and fish farming techniques which have therefore bec·n dupl icnted

by many of the villagers with great success.

Among various major projects introduced by the 1\.ing, one of

the most significant schemes is the project for a natura] museum for

fishery demonstrations. According to the King's h'orcl, "Build a natnral

museum where people can see and appreciate nature, and learJJ·the concept

311 Ibid. ,p.38.

312 Ib'd 4'> 1 • , p. ~.

- 344 -

of development. " 313 The natural museum the King mentioned 1~ .in Lhung

Kraben Bay, Tha Mai District, Chanthaburi Province, where villagers can

see how fish, including other sea-lives such as shrimp and oysters, are

raised. and how land use can be maximized. These new kn01vledges :.md

experiences will enable the villagers to up grade their stamlan! of

liYing. The reason why the natural museum for fishery demonstration

project is a very practical benefit for the villagers is e1s fo[/,),.,;s,

"Showing villagers in one day how to raise fish, shrimp, and oys!J:r·s ••.

. b tt t} 1 . . . t t}1elll for c<• Week }10'-' 1' t 1' S c!oi·l(:~., .. :Jlc! 1s e · er 1an exp a1n1ng o .. " The

fishery demonstration widely helps in the promotion of fish culture and

fish farming as wished by the King. The Fish Culture and Fish Fa1·rning

Project is one of the most successful projects initiated and promoted by

the King.

7. THE AR'fiFICIAL RAIN-MAKING PROJECTS

One of the most outstauding projects initiated by the Kir1~ 1s

the Artificial Rain-making Project. Realizing that nearly BO per cell!" of

the Thai population earn their lives from cultivation, which 1s

frequently damaged by natural disaster, particularly by lacL oJ' h';lli'r·,

the King devised the Project to provide water to arid areas in order to

sustain millions of farms suffering from drought. 315 It l>'as in the

31 3quoted by Normi ta Thongtham in ]3angkok Post/War ld {?1_1J2JLl£I)l_en t:, 5 December 1984, p.11.

314sumet Tanti vejkul quoted by Normi ta Thongtharu, Ibid., p. 1 I.

315william Warren, "His Majesty's Agricultural Projects", TJ.wiL<Uld Illustrated, vol.l, no.2, December 1982-March 1983, p.4.

- 345 -

year 1971 when the Royal Rain-making Research and Development Project

first began to offer its services to the farmers. The Project has s]nce

then conducted at the King's instigation that the rt.:':search and

development should be carried out on ways and means for making

artificial rain fall in extremely parched areas where crops are lk i ng

threatened. The most essential device used in the rain-making process is

a specially-equipped airpl~ne w h i c h i s u s e d t o s e e d c 1 o u d s :, i t h

chemicals, to induce rain to fall in drought-stricken areas. 316 The

Project has greatly benefited not only the farmers throughout the

country, but also the water supply for electric generators as hell.

Various agencies in the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives are

assigned to take responsibilities for the Project.

Retrospectively since 1956 the King has been deeply interested

in making artificial rain fall. He has granted funds from the Privy

Purse to finance artificial rain-making research which was carried out

under the supervision of Mom Rajawonse Debariddhi Devakula. After t~Vclve

years of intensive research and experiment, on 1 July 19f39 Lhe f_irsL

successful attempt at making artificial rain fall in a forecasted area

was proved at Pak Chong District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province. 317

316Board of Identity, Thailand in 80s, (Bangkok, 1980), p.l20.

317office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary, f__ll_IL~J~J:..atg<j Handbook of Projects_ Und__e_sJ;al\en Through Royal lrri tiaUlc~, The Committee for the Ratanakosin Bicentennial Celebration (Bangkok, 1982), p.69.

- 346 -

After having served the farmers for the first time in 1971, a

year later on 19th October, the King, among a great nun1ber of eye­

witnesses and audiences, presided over an artificial rain-makiiig display

at Kaeng Kra Chan Reservoir, Tha Yang District, Phetchabuci Province.

Once again the accomplished scheme of display was greatly highligl1L0J to

tbe Project. On this occasion, the representatives from the Govc:rJ!illent

of the Republic of Singapore, who were surprisingly appreciated <Hid

being in need of the technical know-l1ow in artificial rain-making, were

granted an outline for artificial rain-making, particularly the

elaborate technique of seeding chemicals and dry ice from a certc-lin

altitude. This technique is used for condensation, so lhat cloud­

far ru at ions can be d i r e c ted to a pre-deter m i ned 1 o c a t. l o u for

precipitation as rain fall.

After having experimented many times in different co!lditions,

the King then composed 14 formulae - according to weatLct, loca t.ion,

time, and physical features such as hills, plains, forests or valleys

to produce life preserving rain. The success of the programme has

encouraged neighbouring countries Lo implement the King's technique. 318

Many times the Royal Rain-making Research and Developmer; 1: J nst i !u te

demonstrates the process of rain-making to other in teres Led forei g·n

governments. 319

318Board of Identity, n.316, p.l20.

319warren, n.315, p.70.

- 347 -

Once there occurred an example of events which accuraL(dy

reflected the sense of obligation and loyalty of the Thai people t01.;;.1r·ds

the King's kindness and compassion to the people. It was in the early

years of the Project, when they were informed that the Royal Rain-making

Research and Development Project did not have enough budget to buy

aeroplanes for artificial rain-waking schemes. Those groups of farmers

who had already received assistance from the Project, willingly donated

money for buying aeroplanes which were then presented to the King for

Royal anointment in order to bring blessing to the undertaking. 320

At present, the Royal Rain-making Research and Development

Project, in cooperating with other agencies of the government, has

discovered a new technique in the procedure of rain-making h'ilich

produces much better achievement even when it has been drought foe a

long period, and clouds and water vapor in the atmosphen' are so scal'CC.

Under such serious drought, the old method of artificial rain-makjn<?; by

an aeroplane has been hardly achieved. So that the l\i1:g's llCidy

initiated method is being practiced by means of launching a rocket

containing chemicals and dry ice to reach a mass of clow:i at high

altitude. The new method of artificial rain-making has been proved much

more practica1. 321

320Ib'd 71 . 1 'I p, . •

321 Ibid.

- 348 -

8. CHITRALADA CULTIVATION CENTRE PROJECTS

Before many and varied types of projects initiated by the f\j n15·

will be carried on throughout the country where each project must be

tailor-made for suiting its own particular circum-stances, most or t.hem

have been studied and experimented by the King himself. The centre for

such studies arid experimentations is located at Chi tralada Palace, the

present residence of the King and Royal Family. lnst~ad of personal use

for the status of the monarchy, the King has donated most of the Palace

grounds for the benefits of the people. The Royal residence becomes an

amalgamated complex of activities. These include offices and schools of

Queen Sirikit's SUPPORT Foundation, which is always a beehive of

activities. The Queen's Projects, which aim to provide training and ways

for the people to earn supplementary income, are involved in the Palace

because they are closely coordinated with the King's rural development

projects. 322

Being inspired by the poverty of the farmers h],om he has

visited upcountry since early in this reign, the King decided that the

grounds of Chi tralada Palace were large enough and close at hand to

conduct experiments and various activities for helping the farmers. By

advocating self-help, the King practices what he frequently preache~ to

the people. The King has assisted in diversifying the livelihood of

farmers through the promotion and extension of the results derived from

322Bonnie Davis, "The King's Projects for the People", Thail<lii.<J Illustrate~, vol.5, no.3, April-July 1987, p.5.

- 349 -

his experimentations within the Palace. One of these practical stud ics

i~ the Dairy Farm and Milk Production Unit with Simple methods of anima]

husbandry, and a milk processing plurtt are demonstrated to the

it1terested public. 323 1'he Dairy Farm, started in l9til, Js 1.111 expu·j:,;cJJt

in dair·y far·ming which is accomplished in scientifically breeding chj ry

cattle for local use. The Milk Pr·oduction Unit was later bu i J t: to \'.'or·k

on pasteurizing, homogenizing, and packa.ging, incJudjng marketing

distribution. The Palace dairy farm produced milk for comuJercial ~;uj:ply

by automatically filling it in small plastic bags and selling these Lags

of milk at a low price. Most of it is delivered to schools with abo11t 10

per cent sold to customers near the palace. 324

In conjunction with the dairy farm, another activity is a

j)Oh'den'd milk factory. In 1969, the King built a small demonstr:..t:lon

plant for the production of the powdered milk to stimulate Thai people

to drink such nutritious food and to promote the quality of dn.iry

products. It is noteworthy to m.:cntion that the machinery used in

producing the various dairy products are made in the country. The

Po1"dered Milk Plant, incidentally, becomes the first of u-.s kin(: .in

Thailand. 325 Only 10 per cent of the raw milk comes from the Pel lace

323Dominic ·Faulder, "The Chitralada Pr·ojects", fulwasd_E,;~, ~·'lay 1~J:,lH, vol.17, p.27.

32:1 . D . Cl . t 1 l I Bomue av1s, 11 -ra ada Pa_ ace - A Busy Farm In the Heart Of t.w Capital", A Special Publication of !3angkok Post,5 December 1986,p.7.

3'JI': ~Jibid., p. 5, and Foundation for the Promotion of Buddhist. ~lecli tat ion,

Hi.§ Maje3__t_y King Bhw_uibol ;'\duJ._.Y_!!dej o~ Thailand,(Bangkok,J979),p.4.

- 350 -

dairy. Most of it is bought from the dairy cooperatives in Ratclwlnrri

Province. The powdered milk is packaged in two sizes - the smaller in

plastic bags, and the larger in 454 gramme tins. The Royal Powdered Milk

Plant has been producing a surplus of milk for distribution to the

needy and to be sold in the market.

Apart from the processes of pasteurized, homogertized, and

powdered milk productions, a new and rather unexpected I'roduct, H

delicious milk candy has been develotJed. 01vlng to the }Hoces". of

pr~ducing powdered milk in which powdered milk particles must be passed

through a sieve for uniformity, 1-1hile there is always a residul' of l)Ver

large particles remaining, which can not be used for mak i n~S poh·dered

milk. According to the King's policy of wasting nothing, then the ruilk

candy product is produced by mixing a small amount of sugar with the dry

milk particles, and forming the milk tablets by using the same typ0 of

machine as that used by pharmaceutic~! companies to make plJls. 326 The

machine used for making the pellet snacks is also made in Thailand. The

milk candy's taste might be compared to dry vanilla ice cr?am, or dry

malted milk, or even to milk chocolate. The milk candy surely made n far

327 more nutritious snack for children or adults, than normal candy.

All these experiments are operated as demonstl·ation,:; nirniJJ~ to

pilot farmers for further application in bettering their li\ing

326D . av1s, n.324, p.5.

327Il . J )1(1, 1 p.7.

•

- 351 -

standards by producing the highest quality of dairy product~. l>loJ·eo\er,

these pi lot projects are used to promote farmers to enhance the w•d 1-

being of their own families, both in health and in economic welfare.

Another section of the palace grounds is used f'or

experimenting on how to culture fish, and how to succeed in ish

farming. The King accredited the construction of large fish ponds, and

stocked them with varieties of fish, particularly fast-breeding ti hpia

fingerings·, later named in Thai "Pla Mob Thet", obtained from Japan in

19(·i3, and another type of tilap.ia, later called ''Pla Nil", given by the

Japanese Cro~.,rn Prince in 1965. These fingerings were allowed to cul t.ure

in the Chi tralada. ponds. Subsequently the King distributed Lhe grol·d! up

fisl! to villagers through the Department of Fisheries t.lH·nu;,{!JOut. the

country. 328 The two kinds of tilap.ia are delicious and firmly

established everywhere in Thailand. Pla Moh Thet, particuhrly feeding

on weeds and tiny insect larvae, can be bred in paddy r .ields, and be !'ore

long at the time of harvest, the fish are nearly a kilogrammc in W'ight

and can be beneficial both in their delicious meals and selling for

increasing of their extra income. Pla Nil has also proved extremely

popular with Thai farmers. At present nearly twenty country1.,;idc fh:iH~ry

stations produce over 10 million PLt Nil annually, excluding an

innumerable amount of the fish being cultured by the

328see more details in Ibid. page no.7-9.

329Boa.rd of Identity, n.324, pp.119-120.

·' ,, q J'armers .. ).:,.

- 352 -

One of the most essential experiments conducted in the Palace

is rice cultivation. In 1961, the King established the Chitral1lda farm's

Rice Cultivation Project within the Palace grounds where rice

cultivation and crop rotation are under experimentation. VaJ·.ic>u::-;

research studies on rice farming are conducted within the Palace's far·w

to collect data for improving rice productivity. Moreover the

cultivation of different species of rice are experimented to develop

better strains. The planting experiments includ~ the utilizing ot'

various mixtures of natural and chemical fertilizers in a variety of

soil conditions.

Additionally, there is a demonstration farm, which .ir1troduces

new technology in rice cultivation to farmers for an increase in paddy

production. Every year in early May,. the rice harvested from the

demonstration farm is used in the Annual Ploughing Ceremony. For such a

purpose, the King had rice silos built within the palace in order to

stock a large amount of dee for using in the Ceremony and distributing

to farmers, for the sake of up lifting their spirits and moral .in

cultivation. 330

According to the fact that rice is easily perishable, hence

the paddy storage is a problem of farmers for a long time. The necessity

to store a surplus of the cultivated rice led the King to experiment in

which type of silos rice can be stored for as long as poss.i ble. The

330Ibid.

- 353 -

experiment particularly concerns the matters of humid.i ty and

I

temperature difference , in connection with various types of silos used.

Cement, iron, and wooden silos have been tried out with varying degrees

i. 331 I d:!. . t o success. n a c 1t1on ·o the rice productions, the Demons tra t iou

Rice Mill Project of the Chitralada Farm was inaugurated by the King in

1971 as a research and study facility to find the most economic mdl10cl

f . ·11· l I f · b · · 332 Cl r1ce 1111 1ng rather t1an t1at o · an on-going us1ncss enterpr1se.

The rice Hhich is milled is consumed 1vithin the palace as 1vcll as

. 333 marketed at nominal pr1ces.

In addition to the activities conducted in the Palace, another

innovative project is the production of organic fertilizer, or compost,

by using material which would ordinarily be discarded \Yaste material

such as rice straw, grass trimmings, orange peels from a juice factor·y,

residue from sugar cane, water hyacinths, and cow and elephant clung,

along with columns containing fungi which are found in rice-straw, are

used to produce fertilizer. The waste materials, after having been

grour1d either coarse or fine, are put into box-like frames. Each of more

than a· dozen frames holds five tons of material whose decompos i t.ion

process is hastened by the fungi and some DJaterials such as lime and

other chemicals. The material in each frame is turned daily for seven

days and then left to ferment. The compost is used for fertilizers in

331 Illustrated Handbook, p.33.

332Foundation for the Promotion of Buddhist Meditation, n.325, pp.3-4.

333 Illustrated Handbook, p.32.

- 354 -

only five week,s, which is much faster than the old methods. The surplus

compost produced at the palace is packed in bags, and sold at a low

price at garden markets in Bangkok. Moreover the rice husks are also

compressed into logs for use as fuel in the place of charcoal and

wood. 334 Through the King's initiative, what was once simply was ted,

abandoned or _burnt, can now be turned into potential fertilizers and

economic fuel .,. greatly useful by-product by farmers 335 themselves.

Chi tralada Palace, the Royal residence cum busy

experimental and demonstration farms including various other developing

brojects, is visited by more than 10,000 interested people ever'y year·.

In particular the farmers, after having attended the Royal Ploughing

Ceremony at Sanam Luang, are usually invited to the Palace to see the

wide variety of Royal projects. Undoubtedly, they always calTY out with

them invaluable knowledge and experiences for their 01-111 eventual

benefits. It is actually beyond the imagination that in the midst of the

capital city of more than five million people, there is u beehive of

activity in the Palace grounds, all initiated and conducted by the King

himself, aiming not for anything else but for seeking 1-1ays to overcome

tl1e poverty, and helping unprivileged farmers whose livings evergreen

. . d tl K. ' . d 336 1nsp1re ·1e 1ng s compass1on an patronage.

334 Ibid., p.34.

335Davis, n.324, pp.6-7.

336rbid.

- 355 -

9. PROJECTS FOR IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE SYSTEMS

The King takes ~ keen and expert interest in the development

of agricultural land through irrigation and drainage. He usually studies

a contour map of the area in question, then personally surveys the

location and discusses all possible problems with engineers from the

Royal Irrigation Department and other specialists. T)1ey, in turn, make

further specific studies of the topography, hydrological conditions and

the ecology of the affected area. They also make geological

investigations to aid them in their decision ruaking. 337

In the case of drainage system, research and specific

investigations will also be made into the possibilities of cleariug and

draining land, having special regard to flood, water table, and salt

accumulation. 338 Benefits derived from irrigation and drainage can

possibly be measured in terms of the increase of agricultural

productivity, and of flood control resulting in cost-saving since

immeasurable damage can be avoided. 339

The King's projects are mostly a combination of irrigation,

drainage system and the preparation of agricultural land. The Bajoh

Project in Narathiwat Province, one of the projects at this kind, is an

337 "E d . t I . 1 1 T l . II 1 t f fl n eayour1ng o mprove Agr1cu tura ec nuques , ~~JmL.~l!Jell __ :. .Q_ ~]~

Nation Feview, 5 December 1982, p.13.

338ranin Kraivixien, His Majesty King Bhumibgj Adulya~L~, (Bangkok, 1982), p.29.

339 Ibid.

- 356 -

example being illustrated of the King's initiative. The King's project

for the irrigation and drainage in this area was completed after six

years of construction with one main canal and a network of distribution

canals, including a two chan~el sluice to carry flood waters to the sea.

At present, 115,000 rai of land (46,000 acres) where only 6,000 rai

(2,400 acres) could be fo~merly cultivated, has now been drained and

irrigated, thus transformed into fertile farming land. 340

The main objectives of the project were also for setting up a

land reform· programme for poor farmers in the areas, coupled with

several interrelated projects, among which were projects for setting up

~ farming cooperative, for improving the soil for plantation, for

raising animal husbandry and fish farming. 341

There have been many other large projects completed by the

King's initiative. They have been developed with canals serving

navigation, relieving .flood, controlling the water table, and keeping

salts from accumulating in the root zone which had made the soil

unproductive. According to the need of the locality, the drainage, flood

control, water for domestic use, and power generation. 342

34 °Kraivixien, n.338, pp. 30-31.

341 Ibid., p. 31.

342"B . . . b f. " nng1ng ene 1 ts to the whole country , Supplement Q.f lh_t;: l'Jatj_Qll Review, 5 December 1983, p.l5.

- 357 -

At present, more than two hundred Royal projects for

irr·igation and drainage are being operated while a great deal more are

being prepared. These Royal projects have bee11 contributing

substantially towards increasing agricultural production and

productivity, As the result of the King's exceptional expertise,

farmen; can now grow two to three crops a year, instead of the usual

single crop. 343

THE KING'S ROLE IN SOCIAL WELFARES

1. LAND REFORM AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

That Thai agriculturists cannot earn themselves appropriately

is partly because they do not own the land for cul ti vat ion by

themselves. Since having started to visit the people in 1955, the King

has well realized the people's difficulty, and been deeply concerned to

dissolve this problem. Besides the Royal advice to the government

agencies concerned for allocatio11 cultivating land among landless

farmers throughout the period of their lives, in 1975 the King has

given away 51,967 rai of farming land (20,076 acres) situated in 8

provinces belonging to the Crown Property to landless farmers in the

Central P1ain.344

343Ibid.

344Krasuang Suksathikarn, Phrachao Yoohua, (Bangkok,1987), pp.l%-197.

- 358 -

In addition to the Land Reform Projects, after having donated

l1is personal fund to administer the work and collect data, the King has

also introduced the concept of farming cooperatives to the government

to further his initiative of· land reform. The King's proposed programme

was that the government. could buy the land and set aside the proceeds as

g<-:!IJeral funds for a farming cooperative movement. The land would be

distributed to landless farmers to be hereditary holders of the

allocated plots. The priorities of this programme were to be given to

those who were former tenant farmers of the land. 0h'ing to the King's

Plan, the government was to be responsible for developing the la11d under

the King's proposed system. The system also provided for the pattern of

cultivation, the scale of operation of farms, irrigation and road

systems and setting up of community centres in various provinces where

the land was situated. 345

In the sphere of farming cooperatives as the King's

initiative, its aim is fair credit to farmers, easy access to expensive

farming equipment, and an eventual improvement in the living standards

of the farmers. The land reform of this type, however, is still in its

nascent stages. The whole programme is complex and involves an enormous

amount of expenditure and will take some time to complete~ Yet it has

provided a sound basis for future development within the frame1-10rk of a

most sui table land reform system. It is also expected the Ro~'al

"1r.: J- :>"Land Reform Programme Proposed For the Landless", 12.1ill!!L!'!I!l_~Jlt QI _tj~

Nation Review, 5 December 1983, p.l9.

- 359 -

programme of land reform, of which the pilot project at the Hoopkrapong

Agricultural Cooperative in Cha-am District, Phetchabur i Province 1vas

initiated and introduced by the King, may be adapted and extended on a

national level,346

2. THE ROLES IN PROMOTION OF EDUCATION

The King, recognizing the supreme importance of education as a

solid base for the country's development, takes a very keen interest in

this field. The following are some activities in promoting education

initiated and supported by the King.

(a) The Establishment of Scholarships

Being armed with the knowledge about the problems and needs of

the people, the King inaugurated the Ananda Mahidol Scholarships in 1955

as a memorial to his brother in order to provide assistance to needy

students to continue higher education. In remembrance of his father,

who had done very much to promote public health in Thai land, a large

number of these scholarships were earmarked for medical studies. The

Foundation grants scholarships and research fellowships to university

graduates for specialized study and professional training abroad, hoping

to inspire public support, at the same time providing the country with

·-···-----------

346"Land Reform for La11dless Farmers", Supplement_ of J~.b~ NatiQJ:! Review, 5 December 1982, p.9.

- 360 -

much needed specialists in the various fields of scientific

knowledge. 347

The institution of the scholarships aroused gr.eat interest and

gained popular support from both Thai and foreign communities. The

popular reaction was so good that the scope of the scholarsl1ip was ~Jle

to be widened in order to include subjects other than medical

Another foundation, the Bhumibol Fund, has followed to provide

scholarships for specialized training in Thailand. The King repeatedly

contributes large sums out of his Privy Purse to various kinds of

educational institutions or projects. Top students at universities and

other higher educational institutes are yearly awarded the scholarships

endowed by the King's own expense. 348

In 1963 the Raja Prajanugroh Foundation under Royal Patronage

was established with an initial fund from the King's personal expense.

The Foundation's goal was to help the victims of natural catastrophes

such as fires, floods and famine. The Foundation also provides

educational funds and materials for needy students, and arranges for the

construction of schools in rural areas. 349

347Gemma Weeraboonchai, "Rom Klao School Project", }?a1}K~<2k P2::Lt/h'grld Supplement, 5 December 1981, p.19.

348 "Concerns for the Landless and the Underprivileged", Th_t?: til!J;j_on Review fu!]mlement, 5 December 1982, p.29.

349Bhumibol Adu_lyadej, li_im?; of ThaU.Jilli!, (Bangkok 1983), pp.52-54.

The Nation Review,

- 361 -

During these many years there have been several gran tees who

have gone on to show outstanding merit in their particular r i elds and

proved the scholarships to have been a great support, f i 11 ing a need

for providing unprivileged students with means to pursue higher

education. that otherwise would not have been possible for· them. Through

this process the students later became valuable people resources of the

country. 350

(b) The King's Educational Projects

The King has initiated and supported several educational

projects, some of which are as follows.

- The Projects for Building Educational Institutes

The King's efforts to boost the nation's education are not

1 imi ted to only university students or scholarship grants. The King's

work in the field of education, excluding a Palace School for the Royal

children and a number of children from the public, was started at a

school called "Rajavinit", first built on Crown property and later

moved to a suburban area donated by enthusiastic benefactors, thus

bringing a high standard of primary and secondary education to the

suburbs for the first time.351

350 "H' M . t tl K' " Is ajes Y 1e 1ng , lli!DI5h.9J flg_:ll 9.!J.ll.2l~ll!?J1.t., 5 Decembt.:r 1979, p.29.

351 "Promoter of Education", Bangkok Post/World Suppl§!l!LS:Jlt, 5 December 1977, p.25.

- 362 -

The King is responsible for building and adding to several

provincial and village schools. In the rural area, the approach focuses

on encouraging numerous primary schools to be built in the grounds of

Buddhist temples so that the abbots can oversee the welfare of the

children from their early childhood. Some of these temple schools are

under the Welfare Schools project, which was launched by the King in

1978. The Project is responsible for constructing and adding to such

temple schools in several provinces such as Samut Prakarn, Nan,

Krabi, and Nakhon Phanom. All these schools provide education for

a large number of students, also employ teachers, some of ,.,]wm are

lean1ed monks. 352

Besides the Welfare Schools in temples, the King spend l1is own

funds for building several schools both in Bangkok and in provinces for

primary and secondary education, as well as for providing a wide range.

of opportunities for academic and vocational education and continuillg

study throughout life. 353

In addition to the educational service, the King; bas small

public libraries called "Sala Ruam Jai" set up in various parts of the

country by his own expense to provide books and pamphlets to the reading

public, both children and adults. They also serve as centres for local

352"Educational Projects", TJ~ _Na:t:!_oll Re_yj_~..!i ~!!PMi='c.nJ~.n.L 5 December

1980, p.15.

353 "Concern for the landless and unclerpri v ileged", Th~ N<lJ.ioJ} R~DX~ Supplement, 5 December 1982., p.29.

- 363 -

ci:vic activities, which include folk arts and crafts exhibitions and

t . . ' d f. . d d. 1 . 354 ra1n1ng, an 1rst a1 me 1ca service.

The Kirig's special concern for the hill tribe people has

prompted a number of schools which were built by his personal fund.

These schools, called "Chao Phaw Luang Upatham" - mean.i ng schools

supported by the Royal Father, are situated in the far North, where most

of the inhabitants are hilltribe men. So that a greater number are

now able to read and write Thai fluently as well as gaining other useful

knowledge for an improved standard of living. 355 The Chao Phaw Luang

Upatham Schools Project is one of the strategies to de-isolate the

hilltribe communities and to make them a fulfilled sense of being the

people of Thailand. 356

- The Phra Dahos Learning Centre Projects

The King, being deeply concerned with the uuderpriviledged

people, always finds out ways to provide them any kind of education. The

Phra Dabos method is a means to support the King's target in promotiug

education which was initiated by the King in 1975. 357

354The Nation Review ~lwJ2lemerLt, 5 December 1983, pp.ll-12.

355 "Symbol of Strength and Unity", Bangkok Post/Wor_ld f2JJ.l!_Pl~!!_ent, 5 December 1977, p.26.

356Hong Samut Withayu Tha1-1 Thaw Thaw, Nat_ 11w.ng 1\hoJ.lg Rag, (Our His Majesty), (Bangkok: copied paper, n.d.), p.4.

357Hong Samut Withayu Thaw Thaw Thaw, n.358, p.4.

- 364 -

A long time ago in ancient Thailand when a person Hished to

acquire a skill to make a living, he would make a special journey into

the wilderness to meet a learned hermit, Phra Dabos, deep in the

forest. After having been accepted, the disciple would render service to

Phra Dabos by providing him with fresh fruit, offering to tidy up the

dwelling and helping out in any other ways he could, in lieu of paying

for his tuition.

The King deeply appreciated this ancient learning process.

Frequently he mentions that there are at present thousands of people in

the country who have a desire and strong determination to educate

themselves, but unfortunately they fail to get admission into

universities or other higher educational institutes and fulf i 11 their

dreams because of their lack of financial resources. Being an applied

educational promoter, means and ways have been planned by the King to

provide these young men with education, with emphasis on vocational

training in various field through direct contact between a trainee and

l . . t t d . . t t. 358 11s 1ns rue or as was one 1n anc1en 1me.

The King's idea of establishing such a learning centre was

then passed around to educators in various circles, and in August 1975,

the first Phra Dabos Learning Centre was officially declared open on

Samsen Road, Bangkok, on the property of the Royal Household. The unique

training centre under the Royal Patronage has been hailed by the

3!iBp 1 J . d " l . " B k I P / 1· I au asv lll er, P tra Dabos Lear rung Centre , --~-:_Q_~ _Q_~t J¥Qr__~_

~~lement, 5 December 1980, p.43.

- 365 -

country's educators since its opening as the most effective alternative

way to train the young men who cannot afford to study .in UJLi versi ties.

The King intends from the very beginning to launch the Project

only on a small scale i:.wd to gradually expand to keep pnce with its

progress. The first experimental electronic and radio service was open

to all qualified persons regardless of sex, age or level of knoh'ledge.

All 1 iterate persons are eligible for consideration on cone! it ion that

they come from poor families and would otherwise be liable to become

involved in deli~quency problems, such as drug addiction. 359

In addition to qualified trainees, the majority or h'hOJII are

from provinces throughout the country, including crippled war veterans

f tl . l' t J . d t . . J t 360 rom 1e m1 1 ary, po .1ce an governmen CIVl. servan.s.

In terms of instructors, it is the King's intention that they

should be strictly volunteers who must willingly and wholeheartedly pass

on their expertise and experience for the benefit of the trainees

without expecting any kind of remuneration in return. The current

volunteers come from different walks of life who devote their free time

to instructing the trainees in radio electronic, both eJemen tary and

intermediate, automobile mechanics, air-conditioner repa1 r 1vork and

other technical fields. The Centre not only provides its trainees with

359 "KJ· K - PI b " ( l l b ) l 1rong aan 1ra Da · os T 1e P 1ra Da os Project , S.Ull!l EllL1, 28 March 2527 (1984), p.6.

360 . d Jasv1n er, n.358, p.44.

- 366 -

opportunities to enable them to earn a living, it also provides them

lvith the means to enhance their knowledge and develop neh' technical

skills in spite of their financial and/or physical incapabilities. 361

The fields of training are going to be extended to cover various other

subjects in the fields of arts, history and foreign languages. 362

The Centre is financed mainly by the King and partly through

private donations. Additionally the Centre has a special committee to

raise funds for the proceed. Since the purpose of the Phra Dabos Project

is similar to the work of the Specialized Vocations Promotion

Association (SVPA) Under the Patronage of the King and Queen, the

Project has been annexed as a part of the Association's activities.

Moreover the King has kindly granted permission to SVPA to establish a

fund-raising committee for this Project. Additionally, in 1981 the King

graciously assigned Crown Princess ~!aha Chakri as another supporter· to

work for supporting the Project. 363

From the time the learning Centre came into existence, i Ls

success has been phenomenal in that all trainees have successfully

completed their respective courses, and have obtained permanent jobs.

Owing to hard working and sacrificial instructors, the results have been

excellent. So that the King once personally said to the Director in

361 "Providing the Means to an Education", St1J2P]ement Q.f th~ Nat~.Ql! Feview, 5 December 1983, p.20.

362 "Khrong Kaan Phra Dabos", n.359, p.6.

363 "Khrong Kaan Phra Dabos", n.359, p.7.

- 367 -

charge of the Centre that he would like to see the learning Centre grow

and develop fully into a university. 364 With such a success the Phra

Dabos Learning Centre has resulted to resulting at the preseJit, it is

possibly not too far into the future to reach the King's ideal.

- The Thai Junior Encyclopaedia Project

With a view to seeing a Scienc.e Museum and a Museum of

National History established in Thailand as a means of visual

instruction, the King launched the Thai Junior Encyclopaedia Project .in

1969. Initially he summoned to the Palace a group of the country's top

educationists, each a leader in his or her field. Then he outlined to

them his idea for an encyclopaedia, which was designed to provide Thai

children with valuable information on various subjects of interest in

the Thai language. Since then the Project has been ~nder the King's

supervision. The Project is financially supported by some philanthropic

organizations, and is being carried out by volunteer specialists who

make research and prepare articles for each of the specialized topics .

. It was designed to cover four main fields, Science, Technology,

Sociology and Huruanities. 365

Owing to the King's plan, the encyclopaedia ltas two unusual

features. The contents are arranged not alphabetically but by subject-

364 suc~w.rt P.Sakorn, quoted by Jasvinder, n.358, p.45.

365 "Educ~tional Projects", Supplement of Th~ NaJiQ.J.! Re_y_G~_w., 5 December 1980, p.l5.

- .J68 -

matter, with related subJects grouped together. 366 The other • feature to

which the King holds firmly,- and which makes this encyclopaedia probably

unique of its kind, is that each volume is in multi-level form. The

first level, for children up to age 10, is in large type ; the next, for

children between 10 and 15, is set in rather smaller print while the

highest level, for advanced students, is in type of normal print size.

With each volume in this form, the King realizes that tl-10 separate

benefits can result simultaneously. Parents and elder brothers or

sisters will feel encouraged to help the younger' ones by explaini11g more

about the subject, expanding on it in familiar terms and in their own

familiar voices ~o that the child's natural curiosity will be

stimulated, and in the meanwhile an elder brother or sister may well

discover a hidden aptitude for teaching. 367

In addition to the King's scheme, he also stresses that the

modern world of science and technology should be shown, but linked to

traditional Thai culture and values- so that, for instance, on the

youngster's ~age dealing with eclipses, there are two colour pictures,

one a simplified optical diagram, and the other showing the giant Rahu

biting the edge of the moon.368

366 "Providing Education to Needy Students", _Ban.~ok P.Qiit/lvg_r _ _L<J Sup[>lement, 5 December 1982, p.8.

367 Ibid.

368 Ibid., p.9.

- 369 -

At present the Thai Junior Encyclopaedia, as a mont.lllJeiJtal work

for the King, is being prepared under Crown Princess Maha Chakri as an

honorary advisor to the staff. The number, which has since been fixed at

12 volumes, up to 1988, nine have been published while further volumes

are under preparation.

3. THE ROYAL PROJECTS AND THE KING'S ANTI-NAHCOTICS CAMPAIGN

In the mountain ranges stretching for hundreds of miles in the

western and northern parts of the country live a certain group of ethnic

minorities - "hill tribes". Approximately, there are a total of 700,000

hilltribe people scattered over 22 provinces in the forested

mountains. 369 Normally, tribal people establish their own settlements

separated far from civilization for a need to be closer to their

cultivated land and a desire to group themselves among their own

relatives. Each tribe has its own dialect, customs, and style of

dressing. However, all of them apparently belong to peasantry.

For several generations, most of these tribesmen practiced

shifting cultivation, which involved slash-and-burn method of

agriculture, causing deforestation and deterioration of the nation's

watersheds in the highlands. Most of the mountains in Thailand are a

no-man's land, of which lands denuded by the hilltribes who cultivate

the marginal land to plant opium poppies. As the land is depleted of its

369sirinthip Petchpon, "New Life in the Highlands", That_l_and Illustrated, vol.2, no.2. December 1983 - March 1984, pp.4-5.

- 370 -

nutrients, they move on to other areas, destroying more forests in their

wake. 370

In addition, the problem became more serious among poppy-

growing people. Some of them also come to work as seasonal wages earners

for poppy-producing households and are usually paid in opium. They

~ventually become addicts and seek residence in the village. 371

The tribal people also have less education, poor health, and

low income. Furthermore, because of living in isolation among their own

ethnic groups, the tribal people lack sense of belonging to the nation.

Hence there, appear the problems about political infiltration and

insurgency among them.

The King has long been interested in the problems of narcotics

" and the welfare of the hilltribes. He also properly knows that more than

half of the heroine consumed all over the war ld is supplied by the

Golden Triangle, of which Thailand is one of three countries belollging

to this area, and always faces a serious and complex narcotics prob] em

that originated from the hilltribes. 372

Narcotics traffic is a very highly organized crime, both

domestically and internationally. Thailand has had a very difficult

370"The Royal Projects", A ~_g_Lnl Pui;?lication of the D.nng]i9J 1:\l:'?.J,

371 5 December 1987, p.22.

Ibid.

372 "For the Development of the Country", Suppler~ent of .:tJ.Le N9_U-9Jl Review, 5 December 1982, p.7.

- 371 -

time dealing with it. The King 1s the first person to tackle these

problems in an effective way. The King knows well that the only way to

eradicate opium is to persuade the hilltribes to replace their opium

with other cash crops. Because opium growing has long been the

hill tribes' bread and butter, thus instead of being instantly forced,

the persuasion must be gradual, otherh'ise they might feel desparate

and fight back.

" In another case, the King knows too \Yell that to improve the

] i fe of hill tribes will win them over to tbe government side, because

impoverished and uneducated, the hilltr.ibes, espec.ially those ~>'ith no

place to call their own, could be easy prey to the Communist cause. 373

Owing to his idea that getting to know and understand the

hilltribes, and taking care of things important to them is a Lop

vriority in the project strategy, thus the King has learnt so much about

these hilltribes. During a visit to Doi Ang Khang in 1%9, the Kiug came

upon land abandoned by the hi 11 tribes. He recommended tlla t it be

developed into an agricultural research station, and found ways to help

the hilltribes by introducing fruit trees. After having studied the

hjJltribes and planned the scheme for some time, then the 1\ing had the

Royal Ang Khang Station set up to get the 1\ing' s target. This station

later led to the establishment of the Uoyal Hilltribe Project in J 969,

r~jLh funds raised by Thailand's Rotary Club, supplemented by a

37 3"The Royal Project", n.370, p.23.

- 372 -

376 contribution from the King's own pocket, - later knoh'll as tlw Hoyal

N h . I R 1 P . '?. 77 ort ern Project, and finally t1e oya .rOJect.~

The King's participation was enough initiative for other

educational institutions and government agencies to joi11 the project. A

number of foreign government, through their embassies in Bangkok, also

lent a helping hand by contributing equipment and technical know-hoh',

tree saplings and seeds, as 1vell as financial aid. 378

The aims of the project are manifold. First of all the King

wants to bring about one of the biggest and most beneficial

transformations amounting almost to an agricultural revolution which

will benefit not only Thailand but the entire world. The task is no less

than changing the centuries-old h'ay of life to Sl'li tel! to useful and

more profitable crops. The King realizes that whenever the Project is

successful, the hilltribes will have a brighter future, and a higher

standard of living. They will stop destroying the nation's valuable

forests and eroding the soil with their "slash-and-burn" habits, and

fir1ally the world will be rid of one of its major sources of heroin.

The King has furthermore outlined and supported the research

of crash crops, which could be cultivated profitably in the colder

376Denis Segaller, "A Vi tal Mission In the Mountain", l35_l_D_gl~Ql:; .[l.Qo5JJI-iorJ~l Supplement, 5 December 1976, pp.32-33.

37'i"The Royal Projects", n.370, p.22.

378 "The Royal Projects", n.370, p.23.

- 373 -

climate, and initiated the setting up of various highland agricultural

stations in conjunctioJJ with several government agencies. At present the

King has 21 research stations and 24 promotion of crop replacement

centres and 15 volunteers farming projects to work on his anti-narcotics

campaign and assistance for the hilltribe farmers. Meanwhile another 31

l1ighland farming stations are expected to be set up soon. 379

For the sake of getting rid of the slash-and-burn method of

cultivation, and promoting the use of devastated land, the Royal Project

covers several royally supported projects simultaneously introduced

to the areas, such as reafforestation, land development, agd cultural

extension, irrigation, health, education, fishery, livestock, and social

welfare.

Since then the opium growers have been encouraged to grow cash

c 1:' o p s s u c h as a p p 1 e s , p e a r s , p e a c h e s , co f f e e , k i d n e y be an s ,

strawberries, lettuce, fruit, and off-season vegetables, instead of

opium. 380 The hilltribe farmers are now earning three to four times as

much income. They are even involved in the production of temperate

climate flowers for the Bangkok market. Little by little, more trilles

are attracted to this programme, thus lowering the risk of drug

addiction in the country and the whole world. At present, approximately

379 "A Pioneer In Launching Agricultural Projects", ~!!QJ}len!l~nt 91 :Cb,,~ bfatioQ Review, 5 December 1983, pp.12-13.

38°For the Development of the Country", n.372, p.7.

- 374 -

100 hilltribe villages, where opium growing is being phased out, are

under the Royal patronage. 381

The Hilltribes project is important perhaps not so much in

terms of size but wide-spread benefits as in its socio-moral and

cultural aspects. It involves a change from the previous slash-and-burn,

opium growing, and useful plantations from isolatioq from the other

Thais to friendly relation with them. Nowadays, hilltribes do r1ot belong

to only peasantry. Many are working in carpentry and metal work, while

more and more female hill people enjoy higher income from dress-making,

embroidery-work and wicker-work. 382

The hilltribes have become better aware of nutrition,

sanitary, and health care. As to educational development, particularly

the Chao Phaw Luang Upatham Schools Project, younger tribesmen are

equally receiving modern education as those children from the plains.

Thai language has been included in the curriculum to improve there

ability of speaking and understanding Thai. They are now m~are of t11eir

legal rights and duties, as Thai Nationals. The progress would not have

been made without cooperative efforts by officials from various

government units and volunteers, of course, all initiated, stipulated,

and coordinated by the King. 383

381 "A p· I L l . . 1 J. . II "'"'() 1 1oneer n aunc1111~ Agr1cu tura Pr·oJects , u.JIJ, p. 3.

382retchpon, n.371, p.5.

383retchpon, n.371, pp.5-6.

- 375 -

In the sphere of opium, conclusively, though there are several

main obstacles in the narcotic campaign, such as lack of funds for· ::-;eeds

saplings and training staff to teach the hilltribes in some new ct·op

cultivation, the hilltribes still need opium for their own consumption,

and the opium traffickers are still able to lure .growers with

attractively high cash prices. But the King's campaign still goes on in

harmony with the Thai government unit - the Narcotics Control Board. Tl1e

United Nations Project called "The Thai - U.N. Highland Agricultund

Marketing Production Project", has also worked side by side w i l:h the

King's cam~~aign. Furthermore, the United Nations and many countries

1-1hich are well aware of the benefits of the King's campaign to have

morally and financially supported the 1\ing during t!Je last fe1v year·s.

That partially helps the expansion of his campaign possibly h' idell. "The

world will owe an incalculable debt to His Majesty t!JC' King for his

pioneering work in spearheading the attack on opium growing.'' 384

To this day the Royal Project or the Royal Hilltribes Project

is one of the rare undertakings in which various institutions,

departments and agencies are working in close cooperation with one

another. Many are wor·king on a voluntary basis, but with living

allowances provided by the Royal Project, which .is funded by the King

I . 1 f 385 Hmse ..

38 4segaller, n.376, p.39.

385"The Royal Project", n.370, p.23.

- 376 -

4. THE REAFFORESTATION AND CONSERVATION OF NATIONAL RESOURCES PROJECTS

Much of the country's land area has been devastated during the

last three decades due to the clearing of forests for agriculture. There

are, at present, 37 Royal Projects for reafforestation excluding several

conservation of natural resources projects. Today, merely 27.16 per cer1t

of the land remains covered by forests and woodlands. 386

This ecological imbalance can cause disaster if proper

solutions to this devastation are not found, because all of Thailand's

wood and forests will cease to exist by the end of this century. 387

The land would then be covered only by sparse bushes and shrubs with 110

substantial water resources left, its ecosystem would radically be

all~ered, ami the productivity of the land would be dr·asLjcaJJy

reduced. 388

Concerned about the disappearance of forests in the countt·y,

the King has realized the urgency of this matter. Thus i11 1974, the King

initiated steps towards several pilot projects for reafforestation.

Together with the government, the King supervised the resettling of

hilltribe farmers in allocated areas in the north and introduced crops

386 "Plot Projects for Reafforestation", The l:lat~on R.evi_g}:J, 5 December 1982, p.9.

387 "A Right Royal Example", .f. .. nr f,a':)j:_t;:..I!:! fconomi~ E_g_yj_5~1j, 23 January 1986, p.23.

388 "Bringing Benefits To the Whole Country", ~JlRElQJ1le!l1 QJ Th~ N_i:i.:.tj_()_l! !l~_yj_!~.~' 5 December 1983, p.5.

- 377 -

suitable for the locality, thereby preventing the ruin of forest

products due to the primitive slash-and-burn methods. 389 Throughout

the country, the King has introduced numerous Royal Pi lot Proj PC ts for

conservation of natural resources, for development of national parks,

forest parks, and botanic gardens. Other elaborate pr·ojects of

reafforestation were also started, especially for effective watershed

protection in those ·areas. The projects include research and initiate

experiments on the development of timber products, on artificial forest

planting and seed sowing, and on the improvement of poor soils. ~390

Forest villages have also been established for those who are

employed to restore large areas of reafforestation by planting several

species of hard and soft woods, and fuel 1wod extensively including

taking care of these plants and wildlife. Certain areas of for~sts are

in their responsibility and under t.heir care. It is they loo, 1·!1!0 report

any illegal activities to the proper officials. Meauv.,llile, they are

compromislngly allowed to have their own livings by planting cash cor·ps

particularly in reserved areas. Additionally, roads have been

constructed to those newly created forest villages; houses and schools

have been built for them, and markets found for their products. This

"CJ] ari'angement is a happy compromise for the forest villagers.,),·

389rbid.

390ranin Kraivixien, "Pilot Projects for Reafforestation", lh_§ ~IJlli~.l.i' King Bhumibol Adulyadej, (Bangkok, 1982), p.39.

391Kraivixien, n.390, p.39.

- 378 -

The King also initiated multi-purpose projects. Klai Baan

Reservoir, for an example, is the area where the King proposed the

planting of rubber trees as a main crop with other economical crops such

as "lipao" and "wild orchid", including the raising of fauna such as·

mouse deer and others in the forest. Otl1er places of the reafforestation

were initiated for different, specified purposes. Some are developing

parts of the district by persuading local people and officia1:3 to plant

samplings in the area. Some are for making research and experi IIJC~nts for

development of products while some for improvement of land a11d other

natural resources. 392

In addition to the King's multi-purpose projects, Khao Yai

National Park, another good example of this kind of the project, bas

been developed in several directions. Besides reafforestation, and

anothe~ urgent need for better and more coordinated management and

protection for national parks, there is also the welfare and better life

programme for the villagers. Moreover Khao Yai National Park has bc>en

managed for tourism, in the form of treks, nature hikes, allll campitt,~.

The profits from these activities have directly beuefited the people in

the villages. 393

The King's campaign has been supported by several ki JHllwaJ·ted

units. In 1983, the Queen granted her Royal Patronage to the Wildlife

:l 92"Bringing Benefits To the Whole Country", n.388, p.15-19.

393"Forest and Community Development Projects", J3angkoli PostlJtQr:ld Supplement, 5 December 1982, p.11.

- 379 -

Fund of Thailand, and now the World Wildlife Fund and the International

Union for the Conservation of .Nature have offered their support to the

conservation of wildlife projects, among which Khao Yai National Park

has been.experimented as a pilot project. 394

Owing to the King's initiative, some of the destroyed native

forests have sprung into live again. The once scarred and bare highlands

throughout the country are getting more green and worthy of looking. The

former devastation of the land has become green and is being hidden by

395 growing small trees.

At present, the 37 Royal projects for the reafforestntion hnve

proved to be successful in protecting forests, helping to restore land,

and providing jobs in many parts . of the country. Many of these mu l Li-

purpose projects have demonstrated that a well balanced, multiple use of

a forest is feasible and economically wise, including to remind the

people of the vital importance of tl1e forest. These projects are greatly

advanced and more villagers are encouraged to cooperate in the

protection of national parks and forests, includir1g water resource

conservation. The success derived from these 1~rojects means better lives

and environment for the people.

394B . D . "p t . f N . 1 p ], II omue av1s, ro ect1on o at1ona arr:s, Forest , Post/World Supplement, 5 December 1984, p.22.

395 . . . KraiVlXIen, n.338, p.39.

- :380 -

5. THE ROYAL ANTI-FLOOD PHOJECTS

It is nationally realized that the King always has at hear-t

people's well-being regardless of where they reside - in the cities or

in the remote countryside. The fact can be seen through the King's

efforts in implementing a wide range of projects to upgrade tl1e people's

quality of life. 399 One of most imprinted memory of the King's pa.ssio11

are scenes such as that of the King wading through floodwaters in

Bangkok in 1983, when exceptionally severe flooding happened.

The situation was a real disaster and it was beyond the

capacity of the government agencies concerned to solve such big problems

at those times during which people were :in serious trouble.

However, when the King expressed grave concern, a!ld inspected

severely flooded areas, Loth the public and officials h'('rP gaJvanized

into a cooperative and hopeful action to remedy the situation. These

visits are usually quiet and unpretentious. They are never publicly

announced, and officials are notified only one hour or so before the

visits. The King postponed his usual schedule because he was so rleep]y

concerned over Bangkok's severe flooding. The King's visits were

sometimes bY helicopter to inspect the badly inundated suburbs, aud

subsequently by car, by boat, and on foot to closely understand the

399Tunya Sukpanich, "Untiring Efforts Towards the People's lvP li -be il!g", A Special Publication gf .lli~ Ballgkok Post, 5 December 1986, p. 32.

- 381 -

situation and to effectively supervise the officials concerned. 400

During these visits, the King spent several hours inspecting

flood work on draining canals. He also walked through fJoodh'<:tters for

hours to observe pumping operations. Wherever the Kint?; visi1ed, the

Bangkok residents enthusiastically plunged to the areas to SC(' the King

once the news of his visit spread.

"They seem to forget their worries, knowing that H.is ~'lajesty

ldmself is worried about well-being. "401

While listening to the problems faced by anti-flood officials, •

the King also expressed concern for the anti-officials themselves,

particularly the workers responsible for alleviating the flooding. Thus

a much needed moral boost for the workers has been greatly raised up. At

every flood-stricken area, the King, carrying his 01-m maps and charts,

asked what the problems wer·e and made valuable suggestions as ho1v to

increase the drainage flows of canals and flood areas. The King's

suggestions, aimed at short-term allevi?.Ltion of the flood, were suddenly

followed up and impleruented. 402

400Pichai Chuensuksawadi, "Compassion and Help with Bangkok's Floods", Bangkok Post/World Supplem~nt, 5 December 1983, p.25.

401 An anti-flood officinl, quoted by Chuensuksawad.i, n.400, p.25.

402 Ibid.

- 382 -

After having thoroughly inspected the ever flooded area

without paying attention to any difficulty like dirty floodwater· or

quite fierce mosquitoes, the King, for instance, suggested ways in which

flooding in the eastern suburbs could be alleviated. The !\in~ also

suggested the construction of the flood walls on both sides of

some canals so that more water could be pumped from the canals

into the river.

Moreover the King suggested that the canals be expnnded and

more pumps installed to increase floodwater flows and improve drainage

efficiency. Raising dykes, expanding h'ater gates, installing pumps and

raising sandbag level, being later called the four-point plan, are

significantly implemented in the King's suggestion. 403

After each inspection trip had be12n over, the King asked anti-

flood officials to collect as much information as possible, y,•hich might

be used as reference in the years to come. He spent several !Jour·s 1vitb

the officials going through what should be done and how.

Even through the King's direct .involvement d.id not actually

cut short the time spent on making floodwater recede, the fee]j ng amo11g

the public was much improved. Concerning the lack of coopeJ·at.iou <liHOng

tbe government agencies concerned, the King became the work centre and

bt'ought about a combined effort to remedy the situation.

403Royal Concern for Bangkok's Floods", Banrdwk Post/World ~!lQ.UJ~?_Ull"llt~, 5 December 1983, p.27.

- 383 -

The King took particular interest in any problems ar·ising

during the construction phase of the anti-flood project. One such

problem was polluted waste water, which had been solved by establishing

a sewerage and drainage system, and cost a huge amount. The King has

also suggested that a plan to use water hyacinths from the Makkasan

swamp to make compost for Bangkok farmers might result ir1 compost

containing toxic residues from the polluted water in the swamp. The King

has given further advice that water hyacinth 111 the swamp may be

contandnated and if used for compost for farmers' crops could produce

fruits and vegetables hazardous to consumers. 404 Thus, the Ki11g advised

that natural methods should be used instead of chemical subs tnnces or

any other expensive equipment. Currently the Bangkok Metropolitan

Administration is using the Royal initiative to solve this problem by

using abundant water hyacinth in Makkasan swamp as a natural filter of

polluted water, particularly during the dry ~eason. 405

The people, not only in Bangkok but even more ~,o in the

provinces, have for many years faced the trouble caused by flooding, and

the problems in some years reached nationally disastrous proport~jons.

The King also drew up a plan to stop the flooding in the worst affected

rurals areas. The project clearly sho1vs that the King is not only

concerned with alleviating the immediate hardships of the people 1,hen

'104 Ibicl.

405T S k ' l "n 1 · fl l P · " · 1 I 1· . · f' anya u pan1c 1, n.oya Ant1- ooc roject , A !}J?eCHt. P~LL.l.S::.t!J:~_QJ! 'L the Bangkok Post, 5 December 1986, p.33.

- 384 -

disasters occur, but also wants them to be free from sucl1 difficulty in

the future. 406

6. THE KiNG'S PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES

Anothei field in which the King exerted his energies is public

health with the realization that the need for improvement is greatest 1n

the provinces. The King's implementation in the public health service

has started in Bangkok. It is the pol icy of the King to keep the gates

of tl1e palace opened to anyone seeking help. If people requiring medical

attention come to the Chitralada Palace, the King's medical units will

always take care of them. 407 But in upcountry Thailand, his visit is

much more significant in presaging good tidings of tld s kind of socj aJ

welfare - public health services.

The King h i m s e 1 f takes on the role of me d i cal 111 a 11 ,

occasionally talking at length to villagers on the importance of

sanitation and medical care. He has provided mobile medical units, later

called "Phaet Luang Khluanthee" or the Royal Medical Unit, to the

Ministry of Public Health, thus enabling it to send teams of workers to

the provinces where there are no health centres and red cross u11iLs. The

Royal Medical Unit, whose usual function is to serve the close

406 "Long-term Planning", Bang.h_ok PosfdWorlc! 1iupple.lli_en_t, 5 DcCt,iillH:~r 1 D83, p.29.

407 Pramote Sophark, quotecl by Padilla, "The Royal ~ledical Unit", P0JJ_gJ:Qj~ _Egst/World Supplement, 5 December 1981, pp.25-26.

- 385 -

relatives of the Royal Family including those within the Palace, has

been assigned to back up all medical 1vork conducted for vast numben; of

poor people in upcountJ'y areas. 408

The Royal Medical Unit, founded in 1967, is pact or the ICing's

entourage. during his trips upcountry which last anywhere from a few·

weeks to three months. Many other officials and employees from the

Ministry of Public Health and other government units, for instance, from

the military, the Border Patrol Police, and the Red Cross Society,

usually collaborate with the Royal Medical Unit, and have been in the

service of the King for many years. Each medical unit comprises of a

staff of physicians, dentists, opthalmologists, surgeons, nurses, and

lay attendants. These units are completely financed by the King's

personal funds, with the exception of salary payments. Everything

from medical supplies to transport costs of patients is also borne by

the l\ing. 409

The destination of the King's trips are as var·ied as the

ailments and medical complaints of the residents who have got various

health problems, such as malaria, gastro-enteritis, thyroid,

respiratory, and skin diseases. The medical needs in i·ural places are

much greater than those in the urban areas. The people queue up for

medical attention and medicines in front of "clinic huts" set up outside

4081\rasuang Suksathikarn, PhrachaQ .YoohuC),, (Bangkok, 1987), p. 171.

409 "Helping the Helpless", S_V_Il.[Jlement. of the N_~~ti._on Jl~v ie_li, 5 December 1983, p.21.

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the King's residence upcountry. Some of them are helped for admission

into any of the hospitals .in the area for emergency surgery. For cases

reaching a crisis point, an immediate airlift to belter·-equipJJE-;d

hospitals in Bangkok is secured and for many others in the queue, there

is always appropriate help ready. Despite several difficulties, everyone

in the units finds a great deal of fulfillment and satisfactioH in

their work of providing health for all. The Royal Medical Unit has

t] } 1 d l t . 1. 410 grea _y 1e pe t1em o meet sanJtary .1ves.

Since the Royal Medical Unit has been set up witl1 the King

during upcountry visits, the practice is carried out regularly, and it

is now a tradition strictly adhered by the Royal Family. The

Unit provides round-the-clock medical care to bring better health and

the promise of a better life for the hordes of villagers elsPwhere in

the country.

Apart from the above mentioned concerning about Lhc Kin~' s

public health service, there are other several activities which keep not

only the King, but also the entire Royal family, government departme!lts,

aud ever growing staff, busy the whole year round, for the h'Ork lll'ver

stops. Among the others are the Village Scouts Projecl:s, lhe Raj

Prachasamasai Research Institute and Foundation for· Relief of leprosy,·

the Raj Prachanukroh Fouudatiou for Disaster Relief Services, and the

Artificial Limb Project.

410Teresita M. Padilla, "The Royal Nedical Unit", f~m}gl\_q)_, E0_~_tl_\j_s>r·l!_i ~!,ipplef!l_f1!1, 5 December 1981, pp. 25-26.

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FINAL REMARKS

King Bhumibol Adulyadej's multifarious activities, par· t-

icularly in the sphere of political affairs and social development

as having been written in this Chapter, are only grouped together into

some correlated categories. The King's many talents and successive roles

have proved the King himself to be a worshipping-worthy l1ead of l;he

nation. He is totally recognized as a part of the fabric of Tlw.i life as

rice is to a meal. No Thai who proudly calls himself Thai will tolerate

even a hint of a siur nor poke fun at the King. Even the underground"

leftists, realizing that to oppose the King is to oppose the uwjority of

Thai people, dare not criticize the King or commit lese-111ajesty .. For

Thai people each audience with the King, either formal or informal,

means a lifetime's treasure of them. 411

In the sphere of political affairs, the King has !JOt only

played his excessive role in defusing the critical crisis, or his

remarkable state visits of foreign countries,. but also has secured the

internal stability of the nation. It is obvious that, for Thailand, the

r·ole of the monarchy has proved to be indispensable. The monarchy is a

moral force that binds all' elements in the Thai nation. It is a force

that 1wrks for the greatest good of the Thai people. 412

As for hi s r o 1 e i n soc i a 1 de v e 1 o p men t , de s p i I e lw i rr :c:· it

411 E.J.Dunfee, "King of Kings", Asia Magazine, 29 November 1987, p.17.

112Prem Tinsulanonda, Prime Minister speaking to the U.N. delegates, quoted by Dunfee, Ibid., p.l7.

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COJJst.itutional monarch, the King has played so much countless roles in

helping his people. There is no doubt as to why the King is so loved and

admired by the Thai people. He has sacrificed for the people with

compassion, understanding, patience and insight. So that t!Je 1\ing has

been termed by columnists as the hardest-working monarch in the

world. 413

Another reason implementing to the Thai people's loyalty is

the King's adherence with the Dhospith Raj Dharma, 414 which has always

been inherent the same as his words pledging to "reign w.ith

righteousness for the benefit and happiness of the Thai people", 415

since the beginning of his reign.

The Royal Projects, the name given to the King's pl'evailing;

interest in the plight of his developing nation's front-line of

developers, which number more than a thousand, are the actual scope of

the Royal endeavour in developing the country. Most of the Projects

have been raised to carry out feasibility tests for many of Lhe King's

initiative-worthy ideas. Not only the King's ceaseless role as a

413 "The Royal Projects", Asi~ Magazin~, 19 November 1987, p.17.

414Dospith.Raj Dharma is the obligations of the King according to Buddhist principles, which makes a kind of kingship the ~o-called Dharma Raja, an ideal monarch, whose practices abide by the ten Kingly virtues: almsgiving, morality, liberty, rectitude, gentleness, self-restriction, non-anger, non-violence, forbearance and non-obstruction. The Committee for the Ratanakosin Bicentennial Celebratiou, Th!~ f:l!akri Monarch anq the Thai People ~ A Special Rela:tj_onslill~, (Bangkok, 1982), p.226.

415Qur Q_reat King, Publication gJ: llL~ Nation, 5 December l'JB7, p.4.

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pioneer, a catalyst, and a coordinator, but also his great exam~le of

personal sacrifice and public service, has greatly inspired the

government officials and eliminated bureaucratic red tape 1 n ~~ork i ng for

social development and speeding the advance of technology.

Thanks to the King's countless hours of service, Lhe Thai

people have dramatically increased their standard of living, health and

knowledge. This extraordinary devotion to the well-being of his people

has made the King one of the most beloved monarchs in Thailand's

history. The King is a symbol of Thai unity and nationhood, Lhe moral

leader of the nation. At present, the King's goals remain conUrlllously

the same as those thus far throughout his reign To preserve and

strengthen the unity of the nation and to increase prosperity in every

corner of the country, so that all of Thailand may continue 'to develop,

advancin~ towards a glorious future.

Owing to his excessively multifarious roles, the King has L~en

conferred upon him the title "Sorudej Phra Bhum.ibol Adulyadej

Maharaj" - H.is Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great, on his 60 tl1

birthday- 5 December 1987. 416 And on 2 July 1988, the gre<tt rwtiouhidc

celebrations were organized to honour the King for b.is length of r·eign

h'h.ich has surpassed that of his Hoyal Grandfather, Ein;,; 91udalongkut'rt,

whose reign lasted for just over forty-two year·s. The present King r101v

becomes tile longest reigning monar"ch in Thai history.

']lfjThe Longest-Reigning Monarch g_[ the Kingdom of Tlm.i.li_UJQ, /1. Sp.;ci<d Publication of the Bangkok Post, December, 1988, p.G.