ทรงพระเจริญ Long Live the King

The entire gang awaiting His Majesty!

6:15 am…my alarm goes off.  I groan.  My one free morning to sleep in, and instead, I’m getting up early.  I put on my yellow, put on sunscreen, and prepare for the unexpected.

A few of us decided that on our Monday holiday, 5 December 2011, we would get up early and try to catch a glimpse of the King.  December 5^th is his birthday, and I was told by my Thai friend that there is a large parade and procession for the King, on his journey from Siriraj Hospital (where he has resided since September 2009) into the Chakri Maha Prasat Throne Hall.  I didn’t know what to expect, but I assumed it would be another motorcade similar to the ones I have seen at the United Nations – massive guard rails, police, snippers, guard dogs, helicopters, guns, tinted windows and media cameras.

 Riding the BTS into the middle of town was spooky – everything was deserted - more than when we had the floods.  I met my fellow classmates on the BTS and we squished into taxis that flew down the vacated roads to the Grand Palace.  As we started to get closer, we quickly realized why all the streets downtown were empty – the ENTIRE population of Bangkok was aligning the street by the old Palace, waiting for an opportunity to see his Majesty.  The colors, faces, flags and masses that we whizzed by were endless, and as we got out, we felt incredibly unprepared for the madness of the crowd.

We found a space on the curb and assumed, because it was empty, (while in other sections there had been 8-10 rows of people lining up from the curb!), that this curbside area was not on his Majesty’s motorcade loop.  However, after a reporter repeatedly insisted on taking our picture, we decided to exchange information for a photo.  We found out that the King and the entire Royal Family would be doing a motorcade loop around the entire Grand Palace.  So we ran back to the curb, spread out, and waited.  

Waiting in the hot beating sun on hot hot pavement for two hours would have seemed like a horrible idea for our first day off in weeks, but the minute the first Royal guards came out, we could feel the excitement and knew it was all worth it.

As time went on, I kept thinking to myself, “This can’t be where he is driving by, I think we are in the wrong place.  There is NO guardrail and we are right on the road!”

More and more Mercedes and BMWs whizzed past – we were told they were members of the royal entourage, the Privy Council, the Cabinet, the National Assembly, the diplomatic corps, and government officials.  And then, all of a sudden it got really really quiet.  I could FEEL the adrenaline rush and everyone began to chant, “ทรงพระเจริญ” (Long Live the King).  I couldn’t believe it, is this it!?  At this point, we had been waiting more like three hours, no amount of sunscreen could have protected what we had sat through, and I was fairly certain I would need an IV to replenish the amount of water I had sweat out.  No no – this can’t really be him, there is no guard rail!  It’s just me, and the road!

 

People started hitting me and shaking their fingers.  This is when I learned it is forbidden to take pictures of His Majesty and the Royal Family.  So while I can promise you I got to see him (TWICE!!!) I do not have much picture proof.

I obviously did not take this picture, but this is His Majesty on his way to make his speech from the balcony of the Palace December 5, 2011

Again, assuming my UN protocol, usually a few unimportant cars go by in the beginning of the motorcade before the high level official is presented – somewhere in the middle.  Wrong.  His Majesty and the Queen were in the FIRST car, and it took me several seconds to realize it was them.  I was so shocked to see them I didn’t even realize I had been screaming and waving flags the entire time until after they passed.  Screaming for President Obama when he goes by is normal – but no one really “screams” for the King.  They chant, quietly, and wave his flag.

I was a little upset because I felt that I didn’t really get to see His Majesty as much as I had wanted – and not for the assumed reasons.  We were first row – there was no guard rail, no tinted windows, no guard, or no tall person blocking my view.  But I failed to “appreciate” the moment because I didn’t register that he was in the first car, until it had almost past.  Furthermore, I didn’t even look to see who was behind him (aka the Royal Family!) because I had been so star struck.

 This is a video during His Majesty's Speech - you can hear him speaking in the background, and hear how quiet over 500,000 people are while he is speaking...

After the motorcade, many people got up…but we noticed a few did not move.  I asked them why, and they said he was coming BACK after his speeches.  Some students had enough of the hot sun and heat, but I decided, this was my one chance, we had great seats, and I had already sweat out every ounce of water in me…I wanted to see him again.  So we waited.

Then again, just like before, without any warning, people began to chant and this time I was ready.  This time – I got to see the ENTIRE Royal Family, and I could name each member as they went by in their car.  As the white Volkswagen van pulled up, I couldn’t believe how close I got, to the longest reigning monarch in the world.  It was truly indescribable.