The king of 'Siam'

BANGKOK, Thailand – Amidst the national angst felt by a country thrust into economic and cultural globalization in the last two decades, Thailand – formerly known as Siam – takes refuge in a beloved institution that serves as a point of unchanging stability – the nation's monarchy.

The productive coconut plantations, elephant treks and pristine sandy beaches that once defined Thailand's national ethos have been replaced by a scourge of drugs, prostitution, economic collapse and the often-destabilizing effect of Western cultural influences. These factors have combined to change the fabric of Thai society from top to bottom.

Thai scholar and author Anuraj Rathamarit, who is currently working on a book on the 1997 Asian meltdown and its cultural impact on the nation, believes that King Bhumibol Adulyadej possesses the wisdom and strength of character to guide Thailand through these turbulent times.

"The king is still revered inside this nation. Before movies are shown, even foreign films, all viewers in the theater are required to stand and salute the king while a video presentation is played about his life and accomplishments," Rathamarit told WorldNetDaily.

"When you drive around Bangkok, and pass certain temples and royal houses the picture of the king is prominently displayed. Often, you will see Thais fold their hands and bow with respect for the king."

Indeed, it is difficult to find anyone who will say anything negative about Thailand's ruling monarch.

King of Thailand and staff

Why are Thai's so respectful of their king, in a way the British people abandoned after World War II?

Shannon Sullivan, a Canadian who moved to Thailand to set up a restaurant on the nearby island of Kho Sumet, thinks she knows.

"The king is very interested in social issues, the welfare of animals, elephants, AIDS, education, drugs. He is a true king in the old-fashioned sense of the word. He truly cares about his people,'' said Sullivan.

Sullivan told WorldNetDaily that one of the first things she learned after moving permanently to Thailand was how to properly refer to the ruling monarch.

"The Thai people call King Bhumibol 'Prachao Yu Hua,' which literally means, 'The Lord above your head.' He is a great and decent man and is worthy of the respect his subjects – including myself and my family – give to him as our leader," Sullivan said.

"If a Thai athlete does well in the Olympics, he or she will not seek to honor themselves, but rather use that moment of fame to pay homage to King Bhumibol. The king seems to bring out the best in people. He has that special quality royalty should have. The British had that mystique but foolishly threw it away, and I say this as a Canadian and citizen of the British Commonwealth. People who want to disregard the opinion of a farang (the Thai word for 'foreigner') like myself would do well to know that king Bhumibol was born in Massachusetts."

Says Rathamarit, "Back in the early 1970s, Thai students were protesting the government about democracy. The army shot them. King Bhumibol opened up the grounds of his royal palace to the students when the army was aiming at them. He risked his throne and his life for their sakes. The Thai people never forgot this. When this event occurred, he became more than just a king – he became a king supremely just."

Now serving in his 56th year on the throne, King Bhumibol, a strong anti-communist who will be 75 next December, remains as popular as ever. In his most recent address to the nation, the King spoke about a variety of issues challenging the Thai people, emphasizing the need to improve English as a second language training for Thai children down to kindergarten.

King Bhumibol told his subjects: "Emphasis should not only be put on learning a language or academic subjects; the power of perception must also be nurtured, meaning that the ethics and other aspects of education must be learned to broaden universal knowledge. Today, the human brain is the slave of computers. The computers are artificial brains, the device that humans have invented to do the thinking for them so man does not have to think anymore. When people do not think, they will not be able to communicate or understand each other."

With those words, the king appears to be furthering the work began by a special Thai monarch who came to the throne almost 150 years ago.

Who was King Chulalongkorn?

Rathamarit pointed out that the achievements and wisdom of King Bhumibol parallel those of King Chulalongkorn, who, as a 15-year-old boy of ill health, succeeded his father, King Mongkut (Rama IV) to the throne of Siam in 1868 and ruled until 1910. Rathamarit believes that the career of King Chulalongkorn should be re-examined in an effort to help Thailand restore her cultural identity.

"King Chulalongkorn is one of the greatest figures in the history of Thailand. Even today, the Thai people often gather and set up candles around the Royal Plaza in an effort to pay homage to Chulalongkorn. His impact upon modern Thailand cannot be understated."

"Chulalongkorn brought Siam from the ancient world and into the modern world. He was extremely interested in promoting education and the arts. As you may know, Thailand is the only Southeast Asian nation that was never colonized by the European powers. This we owe in great part to King Chulalongkorn," Rathamarit said.

When Chulalongkorn ascended to the throne, Thailand was ruled by an oligarchy of nobles who wielded most of the power in Siam. Peasants worked under conditions of forced labor. The national bureaucracy was big, often unjust and inefficient.

However, Chulalongkorn had been home-schooled by his father and was learned in both Thai and Western classical works. After biding his initial years on the throne in relative quiet, Chulalongkorn set out to break up the power of the oligarchs and nobles held over the Thai people.

"Chulalongkorn worked to restore some semblance of power to the monarchy. He abolished slavery. The common people no longer had to bow or lay down at the sight of him. Moreover, he opened Thailand to the ideas and innovations of the Christian, Western civilization, which back then was arguably the greatest civilization the world has ever known. While Great Britain and France were invading Burma, Tibet and Indochina, the King utilized skillful diplomatic engagement with the Europeans to keep them from planting their flags on Thai soil," Rathamarit explained.

"The king also studied the European administrations in neighboring colonies like Indonesia and Malaysia. He reformed the legal and accounting fields, expanded cartography missions and … established a public school system with uniform curriculum – centered around morals, values and ethics – as well as emphasizing teacher training.

"He also set up a national army with a draft and set about the construction of the nation's first military academy. It should come as no surprise that the king brought in foreign experts to help him achieve these goals. He was also extremely involved in the education and schooling of his own children. There was virtually no area of society that the king didn't try to make more efficient."

Rathamarit told WND that King Chulalongkorn's finest hour came when he set in motion reforms that gave peasants titles and deeds to their land.

"One could never be a free man in any century unless he could own property," Rathamarit explained. "And a man cannot be a free man in the 21st century unless he learns to think like a human and not like a machine."