 |
| His Majesty, King of Thailand |
From the moment I landed in the airport, I saw a familiar face greeting me. Decked out in yellow, His Majesty greeted me upon arrival in Thailand in a gigantic oil painting at my terminal and two more big photographs by the time I walked to baggage claim. Driving from the airport to the hotel I saw at least ten more well-lit (because I came in at nearly 1am) shrines to the King. His face is on every Thai baht bill (and my first reaction was, “Wow, he was really handsome”) and Thai people worship the ground he walks. I have to say, after only being here for one week, I have an immense respect and appreciation for the King – in part, because all of the people around me do, and in part, because I think he has an incredibly difficult career, and I think he has done an excellent job of handling his responsibility.
The King is not only Thailand’s longest reigning monarch – but the longest reigning monarch in the world. Born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1927 while his father Prince Mahidol was studying medicine at Harvard, Bhumibol Adulyadej ascended to the throne in 1946 (at the very young age of 19).
 |
| Picture of King and Queen at my University - Chulalongkorn |
In the past several months, it was reported that the King was very sick (although many Thai people today adamantly reassure me that he is OK now) and many stipulate as to who his successor will be. Because I was coming to Thailand, I followed American coverage of the subject prior to my arrival, which reported that the Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn would take over – hence his title of “Crown Prince.” However, upon arriving in Thailand, I have learned that this is not necessarily the case, for this is also a Crown Princess - Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.
 |
| Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn |
Many Thai people do not like the Crown Prince. He is currently on his third wife, and apparently lives a very promiscuous lifestyle. Many worry that if in power, he will abuse his privileges and ignore important issues at hand. I was aware of this prior to entering the country however; I can say after having several conversations about this with different people, I was not aware as to how much the Crown Prince was disliked. What American media failed to cover however (and I am upset to learn this) is the work of the Crown Princess. Crown Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn has spent her entire life emulating the work of her father. She is worshipped by Thai people and well respected.
 |
| Crown Princess Maha Shakri Sirindhorn |
SO – unlike what American media portrays, there is no definitive answer as to who will take the throne. The King himself will choose a successor when it is time, and until then, it is all speculation. Thailand has never had a Queen rule the monarchy and I think this would be an amazing and exciting accomplishment for women worldwide. Thailand has always set the standards of tolerance and acceptance in all of South-east Asia, and I think this would be another perfect opportunity and example for Asia. However, the Crown Princess does not have any offspring – and this is a huge concern. Without children, she does not have anyone to pass the monarchy on to – and many Thais believe this could be the reason she is not chosen to succeed her father.
 |
| The Crown Princess handing out food to flood victims just last week |
No comments:
Post a Comment