Today in the year 1946, the king acceded to the throne of the Kingdom of Thailand and was proclaimed as ‘His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej’, the ninth monarch of the Chakri dynasty. The name ‘Bhumibol’ means ‘strength of the land’, and the tireless efforts of the king with a peerless mission to uplift the poverty of the country have amply proved that King Bhumibol still stands as the towering personality with the strength of the land even today.
As we have seen in the past, several international awards have been presented to the King in recognition of his works and dedication for the cause of the people. Indeed, the king reigns in all the Thai people’s hearts and minds.
To mark the 60the anniversary of the king’s accession to the throne, a large number of monarchs and members of the royal families of 25 countries from around the globe will attend a major celebration in honor of the king in Bangkok from June 11 to 14, 2006.
In Saudi Arabia, the Thai community with the Saudi people joins the Thai nation in celebrating this auspicious occasion by organizing various social and welfare programs. This also includes a blood donation program, well attended by Thai diplomats and Thai nationals, at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center in Riyadh and Jeddah.
It is noteworthy that the blood donation has become a traditional practice among Thai nationals working in Saudi Arabia for the past several years. They donate blood not only to celebrate the Thai events, but also to express their gratitude to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a land that they have embraced as their second home. It is also their wish to alienate themselves from those who tarnished the image of their motherland.
It is our fervent hope that our sincere gestures of good will and friendship will contribute to the improvement of Thai-Saudi relations as the two countries are approaching the 50th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations. I wish and pray for better Thai-Saudi ties to celebrate the 50th anniversary next year.
Suvat Chirapant,
Charge d’Affaires, Royal Thai Embassy
