A Royal celebration

You can see the complete feature in its original layout on the main Bangkok Post website by clicking here.

This is a very long feature and I am not sure how much of it I will be able to cover today. I'll work through it bit by bit, posting what I have finished right away. I'll first get you started with the main story on His Majesty and then move to the Royal Barge Procession which should be of great interest to many of our readers — especially students and their teachers. 

Introduction

Below is the introduction to "A Royal celebration" together with some vocabulary to help you. Introductions tend to be the most difficult parts of features. One of the reasons the vocabulary can be quite abstract and that is certainly the case here. Basically, however, it is saying that His Majesty the King has been able to take a very old institution — the monarchy — and bring it into the modern world. He promised at the very beginning of his reign to work for the benefit and happiness of his people and he has done so for 60 years, earning him their love and respect. 

You can hear the introduction by clicking here.

On June 9, 2006, Thailand will be celebrating the 60th anniversary of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s accession to the throne. The longevity of his reign is, in itself, truly remarkable, yet what is much more significant is the fact that His Majesty has truly bridged the gap between past and present, traditional and modern, symbolic and realistic, and has redefined the role of the monarch into a truly contemporary sense of the word.

While his royal blood and birthright give him the elevated status that demands obeisance and adoration, his total dedication to his subjects and his country have earned him the love and respect of the people.

‘‘I shall reign with righteousness, for the happiness and benefit of the Siamese people.’’Made by His Majesty, this was a deceptively simple oath comprising a mere 14 words, yet carrying the weight of a lifetime’s sacrifice and devotion that has made the King one of the most beloved monarchs in Thailand’s 900-year history.

For 60 years, he has remained true to that oath, working toward the improved and sustained well-being of his people in every remote corner of the country, earning him most recently the United Nations Development Programme’s Human Development Lifetime Achievement Award, which was presented to him by the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

abstract – based on general ideas
monarchy – a system in which a country has a king, queen, emperor or empress
reign – the time when a king or queen rules a country
accession to the throne – formally becoming the King or Queen of a country
longevity – long period of time
bridge the gap – to reduce or get rid of the differences between two things or groups of people
redefined – caused people to consider or understand something in a new way
role – a position and function in society or in a particular situation
contemporary – relating to the present time or to modern things
birthright – a right to something that you were born with either because of your family or the country in which you were born
elevated status – very high position
obeisance – high respect
adoration – a feeling of great admiration and love
dedication – giving full effort and time in doing something
righteousness – morally right and good
deceptively simple – not really as simple or as uncomplicated as it seems
oath – a formal promise
sacrifice – giving up something that is valuable or important in order to gain something you believe is more important, in this case, the well-being of the Thai people
devotion – a firm commitment or determination to do something
sustained – able to be continued for a long time
remote – far away from cities and places where most people live

The early years

Since this is a major project, I am going to limit myself to the section covering his Majesty's life to 1955. After that I will continue to the section of today's feature on the Royal Barge procession.  I'll divide "the early years" into three short sections for easier reading and listening.

A country in turmoil

Many people have little idea how sudden and difficult the transition to becoming King of Thailand was. King Bhumbibol Adulyadej was only 19 when he ascended to the throne as the new King of Thailand. Few of us have a good idea of the drastic changes that had taken place in the country during that short nineteen-year time period. This section of the feature gives us a brief, but interesting summary of these changes.

You can hear this section by clicking here.

This month’s joyful celebrations are a far cry, however, from the actual circumstances that marked His Majesty’s accession to the throne 60 years ago. It was the most tragic of circumstances—the sudden death of his brother, King Ananda Mahidol—that propelled young Prince Bhumibol Adulyadej, then all of 19 years of age, into his new role.

When he was born 19 years earlier in Boston , Massachusetts , the idea would hardly have occurred to him. His uncle was on the throne as King Prajadhipok,RamaVII. Yet one after another, a series of unfortunate events took place: The death of his father, Prince Mahidol, in 1929; the coup d’etat in 1932 that turned the country from an absolute monarchy into a constitutional monarchy; the abdication of King Prajadhipok in 1935; and finally, the death of his brother, the King, from a mysterious bullet wound in 1946.

The country that he was to rule could hardly have been in a more turbulent state, economically and politically. Since the 1932 coup, local politics concentrated on the delicate power play between civilian pro-democracy leaders, royalist factions and the armed forces. External political tensions were compounded by the conflict between France and Thailand in 1941 over the Mekong border areas. Thailand’s role in World War Two, ignited by the Japanese invasion of the southern coast of Prachuap Khiri Khan, was a delicate balance between its military alliance with Japan and behind-the-lines resistance. Thailand emerged from the war battered, but a recognised ally of the United States . Not long after that, Thailand became embroiled in the Cold War and the anti-communist manoeuvering that were to affect the entire region of Southeast Asia .

turmoil – a state of confusion or disorder
a far cry from – very different from
circumstances – the conditions or events affecting a particular situation
accession to the throne – formally becoming the King or Queen of a country
tragic – extremely sad because it involves death or suffering
propelled – caused to happen, especially suddenly
role – position and function in society or in a particular situation
all of 19 years of age – only 19 years old
coup d’etat – the seizure of power over a country by a group of people
absolute monarch – a king, queen, emperor or empress who has complete power in a country
constitutional monarch – a king, queen, emperor or empress who rules a country, but whose power is limited by the constitution
abdication – the process of giving up the rule of a country
turbulent – of a time where there is a lot of change, confusion and disorder
factions – groups within a large group
tensions – feelings of distrust and worry
compounded – made worse
ignited – started, especially something bad or violent
delicate – easily damaged and requiring careful treatment
alliance – a group of countries who are working together because they have similar aims (each member is an ally)
resistance – fighting against or refusing to work with or allow something
emerged – came out of (a difficult situation)
battered – badly damaged
embroiled – deeply involved in a fight or argument
maneuvering – skilfully trying to control and take advantage of a situation

The new King

This part of the feature deals us how quickly His Majesty had to adjust to his new role. We learn about his upbringing, his education and his character as a child and as a very young King. We learn about his temporary return to Thailand in 1950 and his permanent return a year later and the situation confronting him at that time.

You can hear this section by clicking here.

Having been brought up most of his life overseas, and protected by his mother, the late Princess Mother, in a bid to allow him as close to a normal childhood as he could possibly have, the situation that he found himself in must have been deeply alien and unnerving. Images of that happy young prince with the mischievous grin cavorting with his family soon became a thing of the past. It was a sombre king who returned to Lausanne to complete his studies, switching from science to law in preparation for his new role.

The next five years was dedicated to his studies, with a break in 1950 during which he returned to Thailand for the cremation of King Ananda Mahidol, his wedding to MR Sirikit Kitiyakara and his coronation on May 5, 1950.From the time he returned to his country for good in 1951, it was up to him to carve out his own role in the Kingdom while the government, still suffering from incessant coups, regime changes and constitution adjustments, was more than happy to let him hold a symbolic role. According to the Associated Press at the time, the King arrived back from Switzerland to ‘‘become immersed in the development and turbulent politics of his own country’’.

upbringing – the way your parents treat you and the things that they teach you when you are growing up
confronting – facing
alien – seeming strange and perhaps frightening
unnerving – making you feel worried or uncomfortable
mischievous – fun-loving; enjoying playing harmless tricks on people
grin – a broad smile
cavorting – playing, especially by leaping around in a noisy and excited way
sombre – serious or sad
cremation – the ceremony where a dead body is burned
coronation – the ceremony at which a king or queen is crowned
carve out – to work hard in order to succeed at your career
incessant – continual; happening often
coup (coup d ‘etat) – the seizure of power over a country by a group of people
regime – (critical or negative) a government, especially one you feel is unfair or undemocratic
immersed – completely involved in something
turbulent – of a time where there is a lot of change, confusion and disorder

Meeting his people

In this section, you will learn about the beginning of His Majesty's frequent upcountry trips to remote rural areas that he is so famous for.  This was not something had not been done for a long time and his visits were well received by the local villagers. You'll find out also how the King used his background in modern science to help the people. 

You can hear this section by clicking here.

His Majesty lost no time in learning about his own people, using his passion for science and engineering to introduce measures to improve their livelihoods. By 1952, the grounds of Chitralada Villa, his official palace, had been turned into a fish breeding farm, to be followed by other experimental farms and dairies.

In 1955, His Majesty embarked on the first of his countless upcountry trips, choosing the poorest region of Isan as his destination. Not only did these trips allow him to seehow his people really lived and the extent of their problems, they also brought him closer to the people who had long been left to their own devices. It had been over 20 years since the country had had a resident monarch, someone who could give them hope and be a unifying factor in times of trouble.And as they had dreamed, His Majesty brought with him the hope of good food—sustainable farming, replacement crops—and good health (health care and medicine). His Majesty opened up a new phase in the Thai monarchy as a king who was in close touch with his subjects far and wide.

passion for – strong interest and like for something
livelihood – the way people earn their livings
dairy – shop, company or business that sells milk and foods made from milk
embarked on – started; began
left to their own devices – left alone; having to do everything themselves without help
resident monarch – a king who lived in the country
sustainable – able to be continued for a long time
phase – a particular stage in a process or in the gradual development of something
in close touch with – have close contact or relations with