Thailand Marks 60th Year Of Its 'Development King'
June 29, 2006 | 12:00am
Thailand commemorated His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej's 60th year of Accession to the Throne with a grand five-day celebration graciously attended by kings, queens and royalty from 25 countries.
It was the largest gathering of global royals in recent history, a reflection of what His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei called the "respect and honour" that they have for the world's longest reigning monarch and his phenomenal contribution to Thailand's independence, and political and economic stability.
Thailand declared a national holiday during the June 9-13 celebrations which began with a mass audience attended by nearly a million Thais in the grand square of the Royal Plaza and ended with a glittering banquet for the visiting royal guests in the Throne Hall of the Grand Palace compound.
All televised live nationwide, the celebrations included the magnificent Royal Barge Procession down the Chao Phraya River, the "River of Kings" on which Bangkok stands, as well as religious ceremonies and a presentation for the visiting royals on His Majesty's rural development projects.
In Bangkok and nationwide, millions of Thais wore - and are still wearing -yellow T-shirts with the royal emblem as a show of solidarity, love and respect for the monarch. Yellow represents Monday, the weekday on which His Majesty was born.
The country's airports, hotels, museums, shopping centres, office buildings and art galleries are alive with pictorial tributes to His Majesty. Millions of baht have been raised for charity as well as His Majesty's development projects.
A historic exhibition of displays showcasing His Majesty's hard work throughout his 60-year reign ran to packed capacity over three weeks at the massive exhibition halls of the Impact Muang Thong Thani arena.
The celebrations have been hugely inspiring for the people and residents of Thailand. Their pride in having a unique leader has been buttressed by the flawless execution of the massive security and diplomatic operation of managing so many dignitaries.
The royal events generated millions of dollars worth of global publicity for Thailand and also allowed the Thai people to learn more about the countries of the visiting royalty, featured in regular documentaries aired by local TV stations.
Monarchs from 13 countries participated personally - Brunei, Cambodia, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Monaco, Qatar, Swaziland and Sweden - while royal family members or consorts came from Bahrain, Belgium, Bhutan, Britain, Denmark, Morocco, the Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Spain, Tonga and the United Arab Emirates.
The Sultan of Brunei, the longest reigning among the visiting monarchs, praised the inspiration of His Majesty's "dignity, wisdom, and courage" over the course of a period that has "brought the most rapid and far-reaching changes ever seen in man's history."
Last month, the UN Development Programme presented His Majesty with its first lifetime achievement award. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan paid a special visit to Thailand, hailing His Majesty as "the Development King" and "a visionary thinker (who) has played an invaluable role in shaping the global development dialogue."
Mr Annan said, "Your Majesty's 'Sufficiency Economy' philosophy emphasizing moderation, responsible consumption, and resilience to external shocks is of great relevance worldwide during these times of rapid globalization."
Thai tourism has benefited hugely from various landmarks in the King's life. In 1982, the Bangkok Bicentennial commemorated the founding of Bangkok as the capital as well as the founding of the present Chakri dynasty, of which King Bhumibol is the ninth king.
In 1987, the monumental Visit Thailand Year was proclaimed to mark the King's 60th birthday, completing the auspicious 5th 12-year cycle of life under Buddhist tradition. That first "Visit..Year" saw visitor arrivals surge 23.59% to 3,482,958. Today, arrivals are past the 11-million mark.
In 1999, Thailand celebrated His Majesty's 72nd birthday, completing the next auspicious 6th cycle of life, with a tourism campaign that gave birth to the famous "Amazing Thailand" marketing slogan.
After the formal events, nearly all the visiting royals took time out to visit different parts of Thailand, including the royal development projects, various tourist spots and shopping centres, local schools and factories as well as Bangkok's canals.
Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor Mrs Juthamas Siriwan said Thailand had earned tremendous worldwide goodwill as a result of the royal events. She thanked all those who have visited Thailand this year as well as those who have organised their conventions, exhibitions and incentive trips.
"The Royal Celebrations were a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase Thailand at its best," she said. "We have certainly set new standards of global hospitality, and we hope our entire tourism industry will continue to maintain them in the years ahead."
These events were the most important part of the "Thailand Grand Invitation Year", a colourful, high profile campaign designed to commemorate the 60th anniversary.
Websites for more information about His Majesty King Bhumibol, his speeches, projects and activities:
http://www.60thcelebrations.com/english/news.php
http://www.royalchitralada.or.th/backoffice/index.asp? setlang=en
See full text of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's speech: http://www. 60thcelebrations.com/english/news_detail.php?id=98
Send a card or message of tribute to His Majesty the King:
http://www.60thcelebrations.com/english/tribute.php
http://www.tourismthailand.org/celebrate/
It was the largest gathering of global royals in recent history, a reflection of what His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei called the "respect and honour" that they have for the world's longest reigning monarch and his phenomenal contribution to Thailand's independence, and political and economic stability.
Thailand declared a national holiday during the June 9-13 celebrations which began with a mass audience attended by nearly a million Thais in the grand square of the Royal Plaza and ended with a glittering banquet for the visiting royal guests in the Throne Hall of the Grand Palace compound.
All televised live nationwide, the celebrations included the magnificent Royal Barge Procession down the Chao Phraya River, the "River of Kings" on which Bangkok stands, as well as religious ceremonies and a presentation for the visiting royals on His Majesty's rural development projects.
In Bangkok and nationwide, millions of Thais wore - and are still wearing -yellow T-shirts with the royal emblem as a show of solidarity, love and respect for the monarch. Yellow represents Monday, the weekday on which His Majesty was born.
The country's airports, hotels, museums, shopping centres, office buildings and art galleries are alive with pictorial tributes to His Majesty. Millions of baht have been raised for charity as well as His Majesty's development projects.
A historic exhibition of displays showcasing His Majesty's hard work throughout his 60-year reign ran to packed capacity over three weeks at the massive exhibition halls of the Impact Muang Thong Thani arena.
The celebrations have been hugely inspiring for the people and residents of Thailand. Their pride in having a unique leader has been buttressed by the flawless execution of the massive security and diplomatic operation of managing so many dignitaries.
The royal events generated millions of dollars worth of global publicity for Thailand and also allowed the Thai people to learn more about the countries of the visiting royalty, featured in regular documentaries aired by local TV stations.
Monarchs from 13 countries participated personally - Brunei, Cambodia, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Monaco, Qatar, Swaziland and Sweden - while royal family members or consorts came from Bahrain, Belgium, Bhutan, Britain, Denmark, Morocco, the Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Spain, Tonga and the United Arab Emirates.
The Sultan of Brunei, the longest reigning among the visiting monarchs, praised the inspiration of His Majesty's "dignity, wisdom, and courage" over the course of a period that has "brought the most rapid and far-reaching changes ever seen in man's history."
Last month, the UN Development Programme presented His Majesty with its first lifetime achievement award. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan paid a special visit to Thailand, hailing His Majesty as "the Development King" and "a visionary thinker (who) has played an invaluable role in shaping the global development dialogue."
Mr Annan said, "Your Majesty's 'Sufficiency Economy' philosophy emphasizing moderation, responsible consumption, and resilience to external shocks is of great relevance worldwide during these times of rapid globalization."
Thai tourism has benefited hugely from various landmarks in the King's life. In 1982, the Bangkok Bicentennial commemorated the founding of Bangkok as the capital as well as the founding of the present Chakri dynasty, of which King Bhumibol is the ninth king.
In 1987, the monumental Visit Thailand Year was proclaimed to mark the King's 60th birthday, completing the auspicious 5th 12-year cycle of life under Buddhist tradition. That first "Visit..Year" saw visitor arrivals surge 23.59% to 3,482,958. Today, arrivals are past the 11-million mark.
In 1999, Thailand celebrated His Majesty's 72nd birthday, completing the next auspicious 6th cycle of life, with a tourism campaign that gave birth to the famous "Amazing Thailand" marketing slogan.
After the formal events, nearly all the visiting royals took time out to visit different parts of Thailand, including the royal development projects, various tourist spots and shopping centres, local schools and factories as well as Bangkok's canals.
Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor Mrs Juthamas Siriwan said Thailand had earned tremendous worldwide goodwill as a result of the royal events. She thanked all those who have visited Thailand this year as well as those who have organised their conventions, exhibitions and incentive trips.
"The Royal Celebrations were a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase Thailand at its best," she said. "We have certainly set new standards of global hospitality, and we hope our entire tourism industry will continue to maintain them in the years ahead."
These events were the most important part of the "Thailand Grand Invitation Year", a colourful, high profile campaign designed to commemorate the 60th anniversary.
Websites for more information about His Majesty King Bhumibol, his speeches, projects and activities:
http://www.60thcelebrations.com/english/news.php
http://www.royalchitralada.or.th/backoffice/index.asp? setlang=en
See full text of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's speech: http://www. 60thcelebrations.com/english/news_detail.php?id=98
Send a card or message of tribute to His Majesty the King:
http://www.60thcelebrations.com/english/tribute.php
http://www.tourismthailand.org/celebrate/
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