King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world’s longest reigning monarch who is regarded as a demi-god by many Thais, was pushed in a wheelchair through the hospital grounds, wearing the customary full white royal uniform.
Thailand’s revered king left a Bangkok hospital on Saturday, according to an AFP reporter at the scene, to attend a ceremony at the royal palace to mark his 82nd birthday. The king, followed by his family, raised his hand to wave at a crowd of thousands of people who had gathered, wearing pink for good luck, to greet the revered monarch. They shouted: “Long live the king.”

The birthday of King Bhumibol, who is considered a unifying force in a politically turbulent nation, is marked by a public holiday and celebrated by Thais across the kingdom with fireworks and Buddhist rituals.

Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej speaks during a ceremony at the Grand Palace in Bangkok December 5, 2009. Thailand’s aging monarch, King Bhumibol, appeared in public for the first time in more than a month on Saturday ahead of a royal ceremony to mark his 82nd birthday.

His son, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, is due to represent his father at Buddhist ceremonies on Saturday evening and Sunday, and will preside over a garden party for diplomats on December 8.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej has been on the throne since 1946, quite a few more years than Britain’s Queen.

He is popular and respected. But there are concerns about what happens once he has gone. And with an Eton and Oxford-educated party leader who is battling against an older rival for political control of the country, it is a rather familiar scenario to readers in the UK.

It is not only King Bhumibol’s longevity and continuity that keeps Thais in awe but a widespread belief that this is the father of the country.

To the Western eye, Thailand is permeated with tangible and intangible levels of hierarchy based on age, status and wealth. Yet there is one very obvious and undisputed leader who has achieved almost quasi-deity status.

He is a constitutional king with no formal political role, but many regard the influental man as the only person who can unify the country, which has been divided by various political and other interest groups.

During his reign over the past six decades, he has introduced the self suffiency economy concept and initiated more than 3,000 royal projects to improve the livelihood of the mostly rural population.

He has also turned his residence at the Chitralada Palace into a R&D centre for agriculture, believed to be the only palace in the world that is surrounded by paddy fields, dairy farms, fruit and vegetable orchards as well as aquaculture ponds.

Bangkok is the best place in the country to enjoy the celebrations. Do remember that streets around Sanam Luang and Ratchadamnoen are prohibited to traffic. One can reach the area, and just stroll on the streets, traffic-free but brimming with people, watching the glittering sky.
Millions of Thais wore pink today to symbolise their wish for his good health while hundreds of thousands thronged the roads to try to take a glimpse of the King when his motorcade travelled from the hospital to the Grand Palace.

Meanwhile, thousands of well wishers turn up at Siriraj Hospital each day to pray for the king’s health. Doctors have insisted that the king has improved and he is not in anything approaching a serious condition. But his long stay at the hospital and continued absence from public view has fueled unease, speculation and rumors. Recently, the government arrested four people for allegedly spreading rumors about the king’s health on the internet, which, it claims, caused a stock market sell-off in October. Reporters Without Borders, an international media watchdog group, has said those arrested are scapegoats and the charges are baseless.

Thais throughout the country start celebrating HM the King’s 82th anniversary

Loy Krathong is held on the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In the western calendar this usually falls in November.

“Loi” means “to float”. “Krathong” is a raft about a handspan in diameter traditionally made from a section of banana tree trunk (although modern-day versions use specially made bread ‘flowers’ and may use styrofoam), decorated with elaborately-folded banana leaves, flowers, candles, incense sticks etc. During the night of the full moon, many people will release a small raft like this on a river. Governmental offices, corporations and other organizations also build much bigger and more elaborate rafts, and these are often judged in contests. In addition, fireworks and beauty contests take place during the festival.

The beauty contests that accompany the festival are known as “Noppamas Queen Contests”. According to legend, Noppamas was a consort of the Sukothai king Loethai (14th century) and she was the first to float decorated krathongs. The Loi Krathong festival is also associated with the start of vegetable carving.

The festival probably originated in India as a Hindu festival similar to Deepavali as thanksgiving to the deity of the Ganges with floating lanterns for giving life throughout the year. According to the writings of H.M. King Rama IV in 1863, the originally Brahmanical festival was adapted by Buddhists in Thailand as a ceremony to honour the original Buddha, Siddhartha Guatama. Apart from venerating the Buddha with light (the candle on the raft), the act of floating away the candle raft is symbolic of letting go of all one’s grudges, anger and defilements, so that one can start life afresh on a better foot. People will also cut their fingernails and hair and add them to the raft as a symbol of letting go of the bad parts of oneself. Many Thai believe that floating a krathong will create good luck, and they do it to honor and thank the Goddess of Water, Phra Mae Khongkha.

The Thai tradition of Loy Kratong started off in Sukhothai, but is now celebrated throughout Thailand, with the festivities in Chiang Mai and Ayutthaya being particularly well known.

In Chiang Mai Loi Kratong is also known as “Yi Peng”. Every year thousands of people assemble to float the banana-leaf krathong onto the waterways of the city, honouring the Goddess of Water. A multitude of Lanna-style sky lanterns (khom fai) are also launched into the air where they resemble large flocks of giant fluorescent jellyfish gracefully floating by through the skies. These are believed to help rid the locals of troubles and are also taken to decorate houses and streets.

Thailand  Queen Sirikit birthday on 12 August is a nationwide public holiday, celebrated in the whole Thai Kingdom as Mothers Day.  On this day, public buildings throughout Thailand are decorated with her portrait and garlanded with flowers and many colored lights. All around the country the Thai people, businesses and local organizations raise flags and portraits of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit.

Her Majesty Queen Sirikit of Thailand was born on 12 August 1932 as the eldest daughter of His Highness Prince Chandaburi Suranath and Mom Luang Bua Kitiyakara Snidwongse. The name “Sirikit” was given to her by King Prajadhipok or King Rama VII and all name is Somdet Phra Nang Chao Sirikit Phra Borommarachininat.

Mon Rajawongse Sirikit attended kindergarten at the Rajini School in Bangkok and later on went to the Saint Francis Xavier convent school in Bangkok. At the end of World War II, when her father was appointed as Ambassador to France, later on to Denmark and finally as full Ambassador to Great Britain, Mon Rajawongse Sirikit continued her education in those three European countries to finally complete her education at the “Riante Rive boarding school” in Lausanne Switzerland.

It was while her father was stationed as Ambassador in Paris that she first met His Majesty Prince Bhumibol Adulyadej, who was then completing his studies in Switzerland but went now and then to Paris where they had the chance of meeting each other. The meetings in Paris ripened into mutual friendship and understanding.

Later on, when His Majesty Bhumibol Adulyadej had a very serious motor accident in Geneva, Switzerland, and had to stay in a hospital at Lausanne, Mon Rajawongse Sirikit was a frequent hospital visitor. After His Majesty Bhumibol Adulyadej was well enough to leave the hospital, Mon Rajawongse Sirikit arranged to continue her studies at the “Riante Rive boarding school” in Lausanne.

The Royal Couple were married on 28 April 1950 in the Srapatum Palace, one week prior to the ceremonial coronation of His Majesty King Bhumibol (the King wished to conclude his university degrees before being officially crowned). With two great ceremonies only a week apart, the entire Kingdom of Thailand rejoiced in a kaleidoscope of regal pageantry and popular festivities. The nation had a new King and a beautiful, new Queen. On Her Majestys birthday, one of the best places to join in the celebrations is on Bangkok  Ratchadamnoen Avenue and the areas around the Grand Palace, which are festooned with colorful lights, flowers and portraits for this special occasion.

The Royal Thai couple have four children, namely:
H.R.H. Princess Ubol Ratana, born on the on 5 April 1951, in Lausanne, Switzerland.
H.R.H. Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkron, born on 28 July 1952 in Bangkok.
H.R.H. Princess Maha Chakir Sirindron, born on 2 April 1955 in Bangkok.
H.R.H. Princess Chulabhorn, born on the 4 July 1957 in Bangkok.

In the year 1956, when His Royal Majesty King Bhumibol entered the Monk Hood, Queen Sirikit was appointed as Regent of the Thai Kingdom. Her Majesty the Queen performed her duties so successfully that she was given the Royal Title of high distinction of “Somdejphra Borom Rajininath” by the Thai government and the Thai people.

Her Majesty has been a constant source of support and inspiration to those less privileged that look up to the Royal Family for guidance. The Queen has accompanied her husband to every corner of the nation and, many times, has travelled alone on visits to distant provinces. Her Majestys list of Royal Project Foundations echo those of her husband H.M. King Bhumibol, although Her Majesty, understandably, tends to favor womens self-help programs in rural Thailand.

Her work in promoting tolerance and understanding for the Muslim minorities in the southernmost provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat have made her especially popular amongst the local Muslim populace. The Queen has a strong bond with southern Thailand. She spends months in the Muslim-majority provinces every year. This role of the Queen is considered to be as one of the more quiet diplomats.

Because of her interest in Thai handicrafts using local materials, Her Majesty arranged for instructors to be sent out and help the villagers improve the quality of their products. This project continued to expand until it was formally established as the Arts and Crafts Support Foundation under Her Majestys Royal Patronage.

As a National Tribute to the Thai Queens boundless contributions for the entire Thai population and especially the underprivileged in Thailand, 12 August has been declared the Nations National Mothers Day and a public holiday.

Everyone loves a birthday party so as fireworks light up the sky and public buildings throughout the nation are bathed in celebratory, festive floodlights, may we also join with our fellow Thais, countrywide, in singing” Happy Birthday ” for our beloved Queen Sirikit

LONG LIVE THE QUEEN !

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