June 12th, 2006, 16:47
Thailand marks king's 60th anniversary with world's royalty
BANGKOK (AFP) - Thailand has begun three days of solemn religious services to honor King Bhumibol Adulyadej's 60th year on the throne, leading up to celebrations next week with royalty from 25 nations.
The services will take place in a throne hall at the Grand Palace, a sprawling complex of gilded temples and palaces that is one of Bangkok's most recognizable landmarks.
The king, the world's longest-reigning monarch, and his family will pay homage to deceased members of the royal family in a private ceremony to be broadcast live around the country.
Religious services will run through Saturday. Royals from around the world arrive at the weekend for more celebrations Monday and Tuesday, including fireworks and a parade of carved and gilded barges through the capital on the Chao Phraya River.
Among those attending the festivities are Emperor Akihito of Japan, Prince Albert II of Monaco, King Abdullah II of Jordan, Queen Sofia of Spain, as well as leaders of several Gulf states.
But commoners will also be marking the event, each in their own way.
"I'm making my own religious observances for the king, including meditation before going to bed every night for three months since the middle of last month," said Krisada Jaknarai, a 29-year-old from northeastern Thailand.
"This is a time of happiness, and all Thais are very happy to show our loyalty to the king," said Charaspong Disalanand, a 31-year-old doctor who said he was flying his mother to Bangkok from southern Thailand for the festivities.
The public's only chance to see the king is on Friday morning, when he holds an audience on a palace balcony.
The government has declared that day a public holiday, as well as Monday and Tuesday, to allow more people to witness his first public audience since 1999.
Government officials expect hundreds of thousands of people to turn out to see the 78-year-old in the royal plaza in central Bangkok that earlier this year was the scene of months of anti-government protests.
Thais respect their king in large part because he has managed to stay above the rough-and-tumble of Thai politics.
In the run-up to the anniversary, millions of people have been wearing yellow shirts to honor the king. Yellow is the color Thais associate with Monday, the day of the week when the king was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1927.
At that time, Thailand was still the Kingdom of Siam and the end of absolute monarchy was five years away. His father was studying medicine at Harvard, and as the younger brother in the family, no one expected he would ever take the throne.
But after his elder brother died of a gunshot wound in circumstances never fully explained, he was proclaimed king on June 9, 1946, at the age of 18 -- some six years before Britain's Queen Elizabeth II took the throne.
By that time, Thailand had become a constitutional monarchy, but the country stepped only haltingly toward democracy.
The king's reign has seen 15 constitutions and 20 prime ministers -- many of them military dictatorships. But he has carved a role of strict neutrality, only stepping into politics in times of crisis.
His concern with Thailand's poorest people has earned him the hearts of the nation.
And he has travelled the country extensively, asking people about their problems, and sponsoring thousands of development projects to improve their livelihoods.
Even in the southernmost provinces, where Islamic insurgents have battled the government of mainly Buddhist Thailand for two years, people have raced to buy the yellow shirts to show their respect to the king.
"Every Muslim loves the king," said teacher Rose-ainee Tayeyeh in the southern town of Yala.
"I'm wearing a short-sleeved yellow shirt even though my religion requires women to cover their bodies completely," the 29-year-old said.
BANGKOK (AFP) - Thailand has begun three days of solemn religious services to honor King Bhumibol Adulyadej's 60th year on the throne, leading up to celebrations next week with royalty from 25 nations.
The services will take place in a throne hall at the Grand Palace, a sprawling complex of gilded temples and palaces that is one of Bangkok's most recognizable landmarks.
The king, the world's longest-reigning monarch, and his family will pay homage to deceased members of the royal family in a private ceremony to be broadcast live around the country.
Religious services will run through Saturday. Royals from around the world arrive at the weekend for more celebrations Monday and Tuesday, including fireworks and a parade of carved and gilded barges through the capital on the Chao Phraya River.
Among those attending the festivities are Emperor Akihito of Japan, Prince Albert II of Monaco, King Abdullah II of Jordan, Queen Sofia of Spain, as well as leaders of several Gulf states.
But commoners will also be marking the event, each in their own way.
"I'm making my own religious observances for the king, including meditation before going to bed every night for three months since the middle of last month," said Krisada Jaknarai, a 29-year-old from northeastern Thailand.
"This is a time of happiness, and all Thais are very happy to show our loyalty to the king," said Charaspong Disalanand, a 31-year-old doctor who said he was flying his mother to Bangkok from southern Thailand for the festivities.
The public's only chance to see the king is on Friday morning, when he holds an audience on a palace balcony.
The government has declared that day a public holiday, as well as Monday and Tuesday, to allow more people to witness his first public audience since 1999.
Government officials expect hundreds of thousands of people to turn out to see the 78-year-old in the royal plaza in central Bangkok that earlier this year was the scene of months of anti-government protests.
Thais respect their king in large part because he has managed to stay above the rough-and-tumble of Thai politics.
In the run-up to the anniversary, millions of people have been wearing yellow shirts to honor the king. Yellow is the color Thais associate with Monday, the day of the week when the king was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1927.
At that time, Thailand was still the Kingdom of Siam and the end of absolute monarchy was five years away. His father was studying medicine at Harvard, and as the younger brother in the family, no one expected he would ever take the throne.
But after his elder brother died of a gunshot wound in circumstances never fully explained, he was proclaimed king on June 9, 1946, at the age of 18 -- some six years before Britain's Queen Elizabeth II took the throne.
By that time, Thailand had become a constitutional monarchy, but the country stepped only haltingly toward democracy.
The king's reign has seen 15 constitutions and 20 prime ministers -- many of them military dictatorships. But he has carved a role of strict neutrality, only stepping into politics in times of crisis.
His concern with Thailand's poorest people has earned him the hearts of the nation.
And he has travelled the country extensively, asking people about their problems, and sponsoring thousands of development projects to improve their livelihoods.
Even in the southernmost provinces, where Islamic insurgents have battled the government of mainly Buddhist Thailand for two years, people have raced to buy the yellow shirts to show their respect to the king.
"Every Muslim loves the king," said teacher Rose-ainee Tayeyeh in the southern town of Yala.
"I'm wearing a short-sleeved yellow shirt even though my religion requires women to cover their bodies completely," the 29-year-old said.