The ‘developer king’ of kings

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EDITORIAL

The ‘developer king’ of kings

By The Nation

 

Thailand and its people owe their immense progress these past 70 years to the man who occupied the throne

 

His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej will always be remembered as one of Thailand’s greatest “development kings”. His efforts in this crucial area were best exemplified by the many royal projects implemented soon after his ascension to the throne in 1946.

 

By the last official count, there were 4,685 projects initiated by His Majesty, whose relentless development efforts played the leading role in upgrading the livelihood of tens of millions of Thai people, especially those in rural and poverty-stricken areas.

 

From the 1950s to the late ’70s, Thailand faced the critical challenge of communist expansion in Southeast Asia. During the Cold War, the country was a prime target for communist ideologues who recognised that poverty was conducive to converting people to their cause.

 

To counter their incursions, King Bhumibol embarked on one of the longest-running and most important royal journeys ever undertaken, seeking to ensure the wellbeing of the poor by reducing economic hardship in the countryside. In the decades that followed, His Majesty won the hearts and minds of millions of people.

The late King thus became the champion of development experts, who now routinely practise what he preached. Project upon project, the flow of his work was unceasing, no matter how remote the affected areas or how daunting the situation.

 

Dr Sumet Tantivejkul, a long-time royal aide and secretary-general of the Chaipattana Foundation, has affirmed that King Bhumibol was remarkably empathetic when tackling rural development 

challenges.

 

Among the 4,685 royal initiatives, there were seven major categories – water resources, agriculture, public health, transportation and communications, environmental protection, social welfare and education, and occupational development.

 

In terms of geographic areas, projects were distributed relatively evenly based on the stages of regional progress, with the North recording the most, 1,770, followed by the Northeast with 1,178, the South with 908, and the Central region with 805.

 

Among the seven categories, water resources, agriculture and transportation infrastructure, especially building rural roads, figured most prominently on the royal map. Since His Majesty emphasised a people-centred approach, he tirelessly attempted to gather the most accurate geo-social data to ensure his efforts delivered genuine solutions to real issues.

 

In fact, the royal approach represents the key elements of a modern trend, so-called “design thinking”. But he put it to rewarding use decades ago in implementing his renowned rainmaking projects, his “New Theory” of farming, his Chaipattana water aerator and his use of vetiver grass to protect soil against erosion.

 

The approach also allows younger generations to keep earlier efforts constantly up to date, sustainable and friendly to the environment. And this leads to a related royal initiative – the sufficiency economy – which has proved to be a prudent way of living as well as of doing business.

 

King Bhumibol was a strong believer in developing the inner self and urged rural people to give this priority over material development. In addition, he believed that any project’s effectiveness depended on all the stakeholders understanding its every aspect.

 

One of the most memorable royal efforts was the eradication of opium fields in the North, on which hilltribe people were dependent for their living until just a few decades ago. The late King and Her Royal Highness Srinagarindra, the Princess Mother, spent years guiding the hilltribes in the switch to legal crops that would be just as lucrative.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/opinion/30330193

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-10-27

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A true catalyst for unity who helped maintain peace across Thailand during decades of political turbulence.