Long Live The King

I know that the moderators will be wary or indeed have to delete this post, but I want to write it:

I want to say that on the occasion of his birthday that King Bhumibol is indeed Great.

I have lived and studied and written and taught in Thailand for some 14 years now. At first I had the same aversion to royalty that many Westerners have: Just icons to worship; keep the poor people happy.

But after so many years of watching and studying I have to admit that this is indeed a great King.

His brother Ananda was declared King before WWII when Ananda was only 12 years old. After the war, the family returned to Thailand from Switzerland and his brother died a mysterious death. Then Bumiphol became King at age 20 or so.

In the 60+ years since then he had been a good shepherd to his people, dealing with the corrupt, poor times of the ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s, the Vietnam conflict and threat of communism, the rising consumerism of the ‘80s, ‘90s and this century.

He speaks English, French and other languages. He is indeed more international than the present PM. His father graduated from Harvard and founded modern Thai medicine.

No wonder the Thai people love him.

I have great respect for how at age 78 he has spoken out against the recent (many and chaotic) ideas formulated by the present government.

For those foreigners who have not lived in Thailand that long, please remember that He is indeed great.

Long live Bhumibol The Great.