A unique Monarchy : King Bhumibol Adulyadej (King Rama IX)

thailandhistoryguide — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 19:29:08 +0000

One of the outstanding forces in contemporary Thailand is the monarchy that has evolved under King Bhumibol Adulyadej following his official coronation in 1950. Though theoretically operating under constitutional limitations similar to those that apply in Britain, the king has achieved an imposing moral authority rivaling that of his absolute ancestors, largely through an extensive network of royally initiated programs aimed at rural development. Today the king and other members of the royal family spend much of the year outside Bangkok, overseeing such projects as crop substitution for northern hill tribes to replace their traditional opium poppy and improved water resources in the arid northeast. The great respect earned through these endeavors has enabled the king to act as a decisive mediator in times of severe civil unrest, particularly during the student revolution of 1973 and, even more dramatically, during the political upheaval of 1992 when he made an unprecedented television appearance to effect a compromise between the opposing groups.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej

Thailand History Guide » Monarchy

A unique Monarchy : King Bhumibol Adulyadej (King Rama IX)

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