Sambad Matamat

CITY Of Joy Greets Thai King Rama X

A function was organized on May 6 at the Kolkata residence of the Thai Consul General to wish   King Rama X .He has   succeeded King Bhumibol Adulyadej who breathed his last at Bangkok on September 13, 2016 at the age of 89. May 5 marks the second day of events surrounding the coronation of Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun, more than two years after he ascended the throne. During the three-day celebration, 67-year-old King Vajiralongkorn was  presented with a gold 7.3-kilogram crown, circle parts of Bangkok via a royal palanquin and undergoing  a royal purification ceremony using sacred water gathered from Thailand’s 76 provinces. Vajiralongkorn is the 10th king of the Chakri dynasty. King Rama X   is the only son of the late King and Queen Sirikit. King Rama X was designated as the Crown Prince by the late king. Organized by Miss Sweeya Santipitaks, Consul-General, among those who attended the function were diplomats, local staff, members of Team Thailand (Thai Airways International PCL Kolkata) and members of the Thai community residing in the metropolis. They admired the King and the Queen, wished them all the best, hoped he would  remain committed to  improve  his country’s relations  with India  and urged the Consul General to convey their greetings to the monarch .The  new king has impressive  credentials .He received  education at the kindergarten and primary levels at Chitralada School. In January 1966, he continued his education at King’s Mead School, Seaford, Sussex, and United Kingdom. Thereafter, in August 1970, he began military studies in the Commonwealth of Australia. Having completed his initial studies at King’s School, Parramatta, Sydney, which is a military preparatory school, His Majesty continued his studies at the Royal Military College, Duntroon, and Canberra. During this period, he actively participated in field and academic training with other cadets, and completed his studies in 1976.Having returned to Thailand on 4 July 1977; His Majesty entered the competitive examination to study at the Royal Thai Army Command and General Staff College. He completed the Command and General Staff Course in the 56th Class, receiving the diploma and pin in 1978. He was thus the first Crown Prince of Thailand to attend and complete his studies at the Royal Thai Army Command and General Staff College. His Majesty attained his majority by law at the age of 20, by which point he had also returned to Thailand. On this occasion, he was conferred the title of Crown Prince of Thailand in accordance with the Palace Law of Succession of 1924. His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej graciously presided over the ceremony of investiture to formally confer the title and royal name of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn on 28 December 1972. As such, His Majesty became the third holder of this title in the Chakri Dynasty. On 1 December 2016, His Majesty accepted the invitation to accede to the throne as the 10th Monarch of the Chakri Dynasty, with the name and title of His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun. Incidentally, the constitution of the Buddhist dominated nation stipulates that although the sovereignty of the state is vested in the people, the king will exercise such powers through the three branches of the Thai government. The king is also head of the House of Chakri, the ruling house of Thailand founded by King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke (or Rama I) in 1782. Thailand remains a modern nation with religious freedom since the foundation of the Chakri Dynasty and the city of Bangkok in 1782. The Revolution of 1932 ended absolute monarchy and replaced it with a constitutional monarchy. The monarchy and the royals continue to be respected by the common people. Although there is no official religion, the constitution mandates that the King must be a Theravada Buddhist. Theravada Buddhism is stated to more conservative of the two major traditions of Buddhism. Theravada Buddhism is associated with South East Asia and is perhaps closer to the original Indian form of Buddhism. Anyway, Thailand has emerged as a great tourist destination and visited by several thousand Indians annually.Pic courtesy to CNN (edited by Pranab Kumar Chakravarty).

————————————— Partha Roy

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