A Siamese Royal Visit To Sweden

[Limbo]

During His visit to Sweden in 1897 on invitation of the Swedish-Norwegian King Oscar II, King Chulalongkorn the Great visited not only the International Art and Industry Fair in Stockholm, but also the little village Utanede in Ragunda (middle part of northern Sweden).

It was the Swedish sawmill industry which had caught His attention and brought Him here.

Hundred years later (1997-1998) in Utanede a Chulalongkorn Memorial Building was erected to memorize this visit. The typical Thai pavilion is visited by hundredthousands of Swedes every year.

Fifty years earlier a local road had already been named after Him: The King Chulalongkorn Road.

Yesterday, 23th June, Sweden came to Chiang Rai: What might have been the first local celebration of the longest day in Sweden, the Midsummernight (when the sun doesn't go down and the night is almost as light as the day) took place in a little village close to Chiang Rai town.

The finest Swedish pickled herring with the obligatory companionship of excellent Norwegian aquavits and Swedish wodkas brought light in the local darkness. A darkness with contributed to the fact that the community singing probably sounded like the sawmill did 110 years ago in Utanede, when the Great King visited it.

Thanks Svenivan!!!

Limbo

Thailand in Sweden (1897/1997) and Sweden in Thailand ('Midsommarafton '2006)

Edited June 24, 2006 by Limbo

[goski]

I clearly missed the Norwegian aquavit but then again I had plenty of the Danish which in my opinion is better.

Nevertheless, very nice of Sven to arrange such a high spirited party for a holiday that one could almost compare to the Thai "Songkran". Although with the slight alteration of celebrating only for one day and instead of throwing water at eachother it tends to be more self inflicted pain by throwing snaps down your own throat.

Thanks Sven!

Edited June 25, 2006 by goski

[Limbo]

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Just found an interesting video about the King Chulalongkorn

(Rama V) Pavillion in Swedish Utanede.

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Swedish King Carl Gustav and Queen Sylvia in Chiang Rai

This visit took place in February 2003, about 106 years

after King Rama V honored Utanede with his presence.

For their dinner a representation of Chiang Rai's finest food stalls

had been brought together at the Rai Mae Fah Luanga thus creating a

kind of cosy 'night market'. Acharn Nakorn Pongnoi had, as usual, organized

a great show with Thai classical music and dance on rafts that were floating

in the lake in front of the Haw Kham Luang.

On the picture: HRH Queen Sylvia composing her dinner at the Rai Mae Fah Luang in

Chiang Rai with the professional guidance of Acharn Nakorn, who together with

His Majesty the King (not visible on the photo) is standing next to her.

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Is Chiang Rai ripe for a King Carl Gustav Pavillion?

Limbo

Edited September 22, 2010 by Limbo

[sceadugenga]

As long as it's not named after Queen Camilla I'll go along.

[Zephyr750C]

The Thai Pavillion in Utanede is a really nice place with beautiful surroundings. I've been there twice. It was built by Thai construction workers. The opening ceremony was performed by Thai Buddhist monks.

The King Chulalongkorn, who was a very foresighted King, wanted to study the swedish railroads and saw mills. But there is an other story about why he wanted to visit Utanede which is situated about 600 kilometers north of Stockholm, the swedish capital.

I don't know if this story is true or not, but it's a nice story and it goes like this: One of King Chulalongkorns daugthers (I'm sorry but I don't remember Her name) accidently fell into the water in Bangkok's harbour and she was near drowning. A swedish deckhand on a swedish merchant ship saw the accident and he dived into the water and managed to save the Princess life. He was from the small village Utanede in northern Sweden. It's told that when King Chulalongkorn visited Sweden he not just wanted to study the railroads and saw mills, he also wanted to visit the small village that was the home of the swedish deckhand who had saved the life of His daughter, the Princess, and thank him in person. Well, as I said, I don't know if this story is true or not but it's a nice story. And it could all have happen this way, who knows?

Take care all .

Edited September 25, 2010 by Zephyr750C

[Limbo]

The Thai Pavillion in Utanede is a really nice place with beautiful surroundings. I've been there twice. It was built by Thai construction workers. The opening ceremony was performed by Thai Buddhist monks.

Take care all .

Believe me: A visit is high on my list, Sweden and especially the northern part

is unbelievable beautiful!

There is also a story about a Siamese princess that was saved by somebody

who threw coconuts in the water to could keep herself afloat untill a noble

could save her. For commoners, touching a royal person meant capital

punishment at those times.

The person who made the arrangements for the Great King's first travel to Europe

in 1897, the time that He visited Utanede, was nobody less than the Belgian international

jurist Gustave Rolin Jaquemijns.

Later King Chulalonglorn (Rama V) bestowed the Siamese noble title Chao Phya Abhai

Raja Siammanukulkij on him. He might have suggested His Majesty to visit Udanede.

Indeed: the foundation in Maechan that we know from different projects for the betterment

of the situation of the ethnic minorities is named after this Belgian/Siamese nobleman

(see the threads on the Hilltribe Violin Orchestre and Chiangrai Hills FC and their new

stadium being built in Maechan).

At a reception about 25 years ago a young longhaired Thai man handed a protestnote to the

Swedish Queen Sylvia concerning the delivery of Swedish weaponry to the Burmese junta.

The big Swedish arms manufacturer Bofors had not respected the embargo and had shipped

the arms to Singapore from where they were went on to Burma.

This was found out after the Swedish Royals had initiated an investigation.

The very same man gained an enormous importance for the north of Thailand. He co-founded

and was Secretary-General of the YMCA's of Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lamphun and Sankamphaeng.

These YMCA's initiated many projects, like for instance the Night Market of Chiang Mai

(originally meant to enable hill tribe people to sell their products), schools, etc, etc.

The introduction of the micro credits in this area was mainly brought forward by him

(here in town the Chiang Rai Vitthayakhome school benefitted from it). He was advisor

of the CCA-UNESCAP and had many more functions.

Sir Vorakit Kantakalung (King Carl Gustav bestowed upon him the title of Knight (First Class)

in the Order of the Polar Star was until 2002 also Honorary Consul of Sweden in Chiang Mai.

It must be about ten years ago that 'Virgin Bluce' of the Chiang Rai Hash House Harriers

introduced me to him for a museum project in Sankamphaeng of the Chansom Shinawatra Foundation,

as his wife and Sir Vorakit knew each other since school days.

I could use office space in the YMCA building of Chiang Mai, almost next to the Swedish

Consulate. Soon I started to assist him with the cultural task of his function.

That's how I met a delegation of politicians and administrators of Ragunda Municipality

(under which Utanede resorts), that had been instrumental for the foundation of the Royal

Pavilion. It was not only extremely pleasant to meet them, but very interesting as well:

Sweden has strict building regulations that one has to adhere rigidly to. They concern not

only the safety of the future users of the building, but also the safety of the workforce

during construction. Swedish builders are also very much aware about the influence of their

climate on materials used.

Thailand has, at least concerning royal buildings, even more strict regulations to

be adhered to even more rigidly.

The Thai Royal buildings have to express the Royal Representation by not only status and function

but also form, proportions, use of materials etc etc.

These two 'sets' of regulations clashed with each other, causing enormous delays.

The Swedes said that the Thais were not allowed to build the way they intended and the Thai said

that they had no choice as it concerned a building with a mystified character.

It was General Chetta Tanacharo, now at the helm of the Peua Pandin Party, who thanks to

Sir Vorakit used his influence to get permission from the Highest Office to instruct the

Thai workers to follow the Swedish building regulations in Utanede.

Limbo

Thailand in the snow: . . .