Prince Charming is coming - Now King

Crowds expected to greet prince - Bangkok POst
Bhutan\'s Crown Prince Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck arrives at the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel & Towers, where he will stay until Sunday during his visit to Thailand as a guest of the government. тАФ SURAPOL PROMSAKA NA SAKONNAKHON

Bhutan\'s Crown Prince Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck is expected to draw a huge crowd of admirers when he visits the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek expo in Chiang Mai today. Up to 50,000 people are expected to turn up at the event to catch a glimpse of the charming prince, who has gained many adoring fans here since his visit to the kingdom for the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of His Majesty the King\'s accession to the throne earlier this year.

Pol Col Wirat Sumanaphan, head of the security and protection centre at the floral expo, said the majority of visitors were expected to be there to greet the Bhutanese crown prince at around 2pm.

Pol Col Sattakit Kornthong, deputy chief of Chiang Mai provincial police, said full security measures would be in place with a 300-strong police force assigned to the compound of the event.

Well-wishers will be allowed to welcome the crown prince on both sides of the path leading into the expo. But the six areas of the park that Crown Prince Jigme is due to visit, including the Royal Pavilion, the orchid garden and Bhutan\'s national garden, will be off-limits to the public during his visit.

During his visit to the expo, the crown prince will officially hand over to Thailand Bhutan\'s \'\'Himalayan Garden of Peace\'\', which is being exhibited alongside other gardens from around the world.

Tickets for the expo today have already sold out, but such is the demand that people have been re-selling tickets at inflated prices to those desperate to see the crown prince.

Meanwhile, Arthit Urairat, rector of Rangsit University, said the university will present Crown Prince Jigme with an honorary doctorate on November 26.

Mr Arthit said the university is also considering granting scholarships to about 30 Bhutanese who are studying at the campus to mark Crown Prince Jigme\'s birthday on Feb 21.

The scholarship programme is part of a joint human resource development project between the university and Bhutan.

Meanwhile, the cabinet has agreed to present a vase specially prepared by the Wiang Ka Long community in Chiang Rai\'s Wiang Pa Pao district as a gift to the Bhutanese crown prince.

"Crowds flock to see Bhutan prince
Bangkok Post : CHEEWIN SATTHA

The whole province of Chiang Mai seemed to have reached fever pitch when a huge crowd of people flocked to see Bhutan's Crown Prince Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck who arrived in the northern province yesterday. Well-wishers left their homes in the early morning, took along the prince's images and waited for hours to welcome him in person while he visited Wat Phra That Doi Suthep and the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek expo. Some of the city's workforce also opted to take a day off to make sure that they would not miss out on a rare chance of getting a closer look at the Bhutanese prince.

Rattanaporn Suwakon, a staff member of Chiang Mai University, said she had been preparing for the occasion for a long time. "I requested the day off , woke up very early and topped up the tank of my car before travelling to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep to welcome the crown prince," she said. She had been impressed by the polite and modest manners of the prince, in addition to his charming appearance, she said. Nisarat Nilsawan, 34, from Chanthaburi, said she rescheduled her return trip, previously set for yesterday, to stay on an extra day because of the prince.

At Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, the most famous temple in the province, the prince was received with a host of red-carpet welcoming ceremonies, including the morale-boosting ceremony. Among the crowds waiting at the temple, an elderly woman managed to lay a piece of cloth at his feet and ask him to put his feet on it so that she could keep it and pay respect to it according to local tradition.

Just before 3pm, the crown prince then visited the floral expo and was greeted by a large group of fans, both foreigners and locals, who competed to get a glimpse of him. The prince took a tour of the six areas of the expo, including the exposition centre, the Royal Pavilion, the orchid garden, and Bhutan's national garden. The crown prince officially handed over to Thailand Bhutan's "Himalayan Garden of Peace," which is being exhibited alongside other gardens from around the world. "

and he is soooo handsome

total 741,188 visitors in 24 days

On the same day Bhutanese crown prince visited the show, 48,314 visitors also visited the show - the highest number of visitors in one day.

http://www.matichon.co.th/newsphoto/newsrelate/200606190752037.jpg

http://www.matichon.co.th/newsphoto/newsrelate/200606171027095.jpg


More pictures from Matichon (http://www.matichon.co.th/news_relate/gallery.php?reid=20060617101847&page_num=2&typenews=)

http://203.154.97.19/citizen_report/special/ratchaphruek/filephoto/6274314-low.jpg

http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/5972/1163314856lk3.jpg

Chuckwow, thanks for those 2 photos you posted. I could not stop looking at both. The monk is absolutely beautiful and the prince is stunning beyond words.

Bhutan \'Prince Charming\' becomes king

(Agencies)

Guwahati, India -- The king of Bhutan has abdicated in favour of his son, the state-run Kuensel newspaper said Saturday, as the remote Himalayan kingdom moves toward a constitutional monarchy.

The decree was published in Keunsel, the government-owned newspaper, on Friday.

A government media official said the announcement was a surprise.

\"We were all expecting the changes to take place only in 2008 as announced earlier by his majesty,\" said Kesang, who uses only one name.

\"The time has now come for me to hand over my responsibilities to Trongsa Penlop Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck,\'\' he was quoted as saying.

King Wangchuck announced in December 2005 that he would abdicate in 2008, when Bhutan is due to hold its first democratic election and switch to a system of constitutional monarchy.

The Kuensel report gave no explanation of why the abdication came earlier than expected.
But Indian news reports said the king had decided to step down to allow the crown prince political exposure before the promised transition diminished his royal role.

It was not immediately known when the coronation will take place.

The 51-year-old king had ruled Bhutan since ascending the throne in 1972 at the age of 17.

\"The best time to change a political system is when the country enjoys stability and peace,\'\' the king had said in 2005 when he announced his plans to abdicate.

\"Why wait for a revolution? Why crown an heir only when the nation is in mourning for a late king?\"

The transition began five years ago when the king handed over the powers of daily government to a council of ministers.

Bhutan, nestled between Asian giants India and China, in 2005 unveiled a 34-point constitution which was sent to 530,000 citizens for their views.

The current king is the fourth ruler in the Wangchuck dynasty that came to power in December 1907.
Although the Bhutanese were surprised by the king\'s 2005 announcement, they hold the Oxford-educated crown prince in equally high esteem, reports say.

The eldest of the king\'s five sons and five daughters, he won his official recognition as prince on October 21, 2004.

[Lunchtime O'Booze]

but he does have a very charming look about him :cheers:

I bet he wouldn't look so charming in a g-string.

[Geezer]

HM the King of Bhutan has abdicated in favor of the personable Prince.

I am in love with the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, the most interesting country I have ever visited. I could exhaust myself attempting to describe Bhutan, so IтАШll not try. I shall only list some facts which impress me:

Tobacco is not imported into the kingdom; tourists may bring a limited amount for their own use.

All Bhutanese receive free medical care. So do tourists.

There are no billboards in the kingdom.

Virtually everyone can speak English. For the past thirty-six years English has been the medium of instruction from kindergarten through collage.

The national zoo was determined to be inconsistent with Buddhist principles and the conservation ethic of the kingdom. It was dismantled and the animals returned to the wild.

There are no plastic bags in the kingdom.

The number of visitors is limited. A visa is only given after a tour and flight are booked and paid for.

Bhutan has a six hundred square mile reservation to protect the habitat of the yeti.

Archery is the national sport.

The population of Bhutan is 600,000.

Bhutan is a monarchy which is being transformed into a parliamentary democracy at the insistence of His Majesty the King.

The Bhutanese eat chilies as a vegetable rather than a spice.

There are no vendors on the sidewalks. (If you look at the photos, notice how uncluttered the towns are.)

In terms of average wage, Bhutan is rated as a poor country, but the land is fertile and the population small, so the people are well fed and beggars and homeless are non-existent.

Bhutan is 72% forest.

If you are interested, you can find a few of my photos here.

http://community.webshots.com/user/hmbirth

[Bob]

Geezer: I took a look through the tourism website and it appears that you can only go there via tour packages which apparently are offered only through two outfits. Can you advise how you handled your trip?

I bet he wouldn't look so charming in a g-string.

You're right--Would be much better out of one!

[Geezer]

As you spend more time online, you will find more tour companies. I used Bhutan Trails http://www.bhutantrails.com.bt/new/aboutus/index.htm and would use them again.

It is true that by government regulation you must book a тАЬpackage tourтАЭ, but Bhutan Trails will be happy to book a trip for one if you wish (I did) and work with you by E-mail to tailor it exactly to your specifications.

The tariff of all tour companies is $200 US per day, plus $45 per day if you wish to travel alone. The tariff is the same if you wish to trek, stay in hotels/guest houses or what ever. This one charge includes a new car, guide, driver, lodging, and food -- everything.

There are so many good things one can say of Bhutan. A quote from Lonely Planet comes to mind, тАЬOf course one should always lock oneтАЩs room, but no one can remember the last time something went missing in a hotel in Bhutan.тАЭ

ThereтАЩs a photo of my guide in the linked photos. HereтАЩs my driverhttp://upload4.postimage.org/1936510/PICT0389a.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/1936510/photo_hosting.html)

[Lunchtime O'Booze]

"Bhutan has a six hundred square mile reservation to protect the habitat of the yeti."

I thought the "yeti" was a mythical creature like the abominable snowman ?. In fact I've often thought Mrs O'Booze looked like one in the mornings. :cyclopsani:

[Geezer]

тАЬI thought the "yeti" was a mythical creatureтАжтАЭ

And perhaps Bhutan is a mythical kingdom.

WhoтАЩs to say?

[fedssocr]

I think mythical kingdom might indeed be true. I have been fascinated by the place for a while as well. I think there was a segment on the country on 60 Minutes a couple of years ago and then there was a documentary made during the 2002 World Cup in which the filmmakers organized a game between the two 'worst' teams in the world according to FIFA's rankings. The two teams were Bhutan and a Carribean country that I can't remember at the moment. It was a charming film. So I started doing some research into the country. And I found out about all of the human rights abuses. People seem to think that the now former king was the most enlightened ruler in the world. But ask the Nepalese refugees what they think of him and you might not find so much praise. Those people were apparently treated appallingly poorly and live in pretty dire refugee camps. The country was closed completely to the outside world for a long time and only on the last 15 years or so has that changed. So the face that the world has been presented with is very much the one that the government wants people to see. I still think it would be an interesting place to visit some time though.

ThereтАЩs a photo of my guide in the linked photos. HereтАЩs my driver

Geezer, thanks for the info on the kingdom and the charming picture of your driver. Did you know that he has a fly on his knee? (yes, I examined the photo closely) :geek:

[Geezer]

тАЬBut ask the Nepalese refugees what they think of him and you might not find so much praise.тАЭ

Yes that is true, and you can ask the Tibetan refugees, and the Indians. Ask the hundreds of thousands of tourists who would flood the country if traveling there were not so expensive and difficult. Perhaps we would do better to ask the Bhutanese what they think.

The Bhutanese in their tiny country are an endangered species. If you want to see Bhutan you had better do it soon. Outside influences are changing it inexorably. The reason it retains itsтАЩ unique culture now is that it was closed until about thirty years ago. China moved into neighboring Tibet, and Bhutan joined the UN so that the rest of the world would know it existed..

I understand your point about refugees, and, IтАЩm sure we will never agree on this, I feel a countryтАЩs first duty is to take care of itsтАЩ own culture and citizens rather than serve as a refuge for citizens of other countries. If the resources of Bhutan were infinite (what countries are?) it should welcome refugees. In actuality BhutanтАЩs resources are meager; they are adequate only because of itsтАЩ tiny population.

Many problems of Germany, France, England, and The US result from an unmanaged influx of people of differing, even opposing, cultures. We gaze enviously at Japan which has avoided this. I donтАЩt think Bhutan could endure such stresses and remain as it is.

IтАЩm sure we will never agree on this, and I donтАЩt like to type, so I shall read, but not respond to differing opinions. What am I, a conservative, doing posting on a gay board anyway?

Yes, this has wandered off the subject of the thread. I shall not be upset if the moderator zaps it.

PS: And look at the chaotic conditions in neighboring Nepal these last nine years. Is it any wonder I fear for little Bhutan?

HereтАЩs Chimi Tenzin, my man in Bhutan.

http://upload4.postimage.org/1942079/000d.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/1942079/photo_hosting.html)

[Smiles]

тАЬ ... Yes, this has wandered of the subject of the thread. I shall not be upset if the moderator zaps it ... "
I would hope not, and don't expect he would. This thread is most interesting, informative, and breaks no posting guidelines.
Thanks for the thoughts on a country not often thought about.

Cheers ...

[fedssocr]

I agree that there are lots of countries with human rights issues. Certainly including my own, so I am not so naive to think that we should only spend our tourist dollars in squeaky clean places.

Here's Human Rights Watch's latest notice on the issues in Bhutan:
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/02/09/bhutan12647.htm

The problem is the ethnic Nepalese people who were forced out of Bhutan into refugee camps on the Nepal side of the border. They are basically people without a country. By rights they out to be allowed Bhutanese citizenship since that's where they are from, yet they are being held in limbo because the past king had them forced out. It's not like they are Nepali people who flooded into Bhutan seeking refuge. It's sort of like the ethnic tribes from Burma who were chased into Thailand and now are stuck there.

The previous king of Bhutan is portrayed in the media as a benevolent and enlightened leader who is a man of peace and harmony. The truth is much more complicated than that.