The King and Thai: a love story

This poster of ruling monarchs from 1908 shows a bygone age of reverence - bygone for most nations but not for Thailand, where the descendents of Rama V (top left) still rule with popular support

ACCORDING to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, over three quarters of a million British people visit Thailand every year, out of a tourist influx of 14.5 million. As many as 60% of these are return visitors.

People are enchanted by the country and many make regular business visits as well as sun pilgrimages. But from our hotels and beaches we may not properly have noticed the deferential yet affectionate attitude of Thais toward not just their King but to his family as a whole. It is a country where at 6 o’clock many people stop in their tracks for the playing of the national anthem. Above that, the King of Thailand is arguably the most revered monarch in the world and his people look to him with a personal esteem which is commonplace.

Tourists, as well as Thais, can come severely unstuck if they show disrespect to the Thai King. Thailand may have transferred from an absolute to a constitutional monarchy in 1932, but popular attitudes to the King reflect an absolutist age and ethos. Earlier this year an Australian citizen was jailed for referring unflatteringly to the current Crown Prince in a book that sold a total of seven copies. He ultimately received a Royal pardon, but not before the case became a matter of international comment and debate. Lese-majeste, or insulting the monarchy, is a very serious matter in Thailand. The current government came to power with a pledge to crack down on breaking this law and has done so.

On a cultural level, probably the biggest exposure we in the West have had in the UK to the Thai monarchy was through the 1956 Oscar winning film The King and I, starring Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr. The image of the bald Brynner as a nineteenth century King Monkut of Siam alongside Deborah Kerr as his Welsh schoolteacher love interest is indeed iconic. But on release the film was banned in Thailand for showing disrespect to the royal family, and in particular for cultural and historical distortion. Half a century later, little has changed. People may still rise in the cinema when the national anthem is played but they cannot do so before watching a film which is now over half a century old.

Open discussion of the Thai monarchy is not tolerated on the internet, either. In October 2008, the government announced plans to spend up to 500 million baht to build a gateway to block websites with contents defaming the monarchy. In April 2009, a Thai was jailed for 10 years in jail for posting comments to someone else’s site. As a further case in point, in December 2008, The Economist published a highly controversial set of articles, A right royal mess, on the monarchy and Thailand’s political situation. These were not distributed in the country. It is no surprise that Thailand performs so badly in the Worldwide Press Freedom Index.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the ninth king of the House of Chakri, is the ruling monarch of Thailand. He has ruled for more than 63 years, making him not only the longest reigning Thai monarch but also the longest reigning current monarch in the world. He attained majesty in 1946 – six years before our own Queen came to the throne. Throughout his country he is accorded close to divine reverence, with titles like Phra Chao Yu Hua (Lord Upon our Heads) or Chao Chiwit (Lord of Life). His more conventional titles also include Head of State and the Head of the Armed Forces, though in parallel to our own monarch he is also officially both an Upholder of the Buddhist religion and the Defender of all faiths.

King Bhumibol ascended to the throne in rather bizarre circumstances. His brother, King Ananda Mahidol, died on 9 June 1946 from a gunshot wound to the head while in his bedroom. Accurate facts around the incident remain difficult to come by or evaluate. As the Wikipedia page on Ananda Mahidol says “The King’s death is still a mystery. The subject is never openly discussed in Thailand.” Tourist guide books advise the visitor not to raise the matter either.

Two thirds of a century later, little has changed in terms of attitudes to the monarch. Nevertheless, both socially and economically, the country is a very different place from the war-torn Thailand of 1946, newly liberated from Japanese occupation. Per capita income has gone up 40-fold and an almost entirely agrarian society has become a substantially urban one. The Vietnam war has come and gone, transforming Bangkok as much as any other major city in the region. A sex industry has arisen which is a mark of shame to the majority of the Buddhist people. Thailand too has been impacted by the twists and turns in the Japanese economy as well as finding a way to grow its own economic power. Indeed, Thailand had the world’s highest growth rate from 1985 to 1996, averaging 9.4% annually, until the Asian collapse ended the years of boom. Since then it has managed to rally. But even now it is economically far more advanced than its neighbours, ranking relatively well in the Index of Economic Freedom and excellently in the Global Services Offshoring Location Index.

Last weekend, the 15th ASEAN summit took place in Thailand, which is still seen as one of the most significant countries in the region. Yet this view of stability is heightened because it borders on some of the most extreme states in the world. Myanmar (or Burma) to its west is as much of international pariah these days as Cambodia to the east was under the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s. The consequences of such brutal regimes have manifested themselves in numerous ways, not least the refugee camps which have characterised Thai borders. Yet political stability and maturity is a comparative study. Thailand may look good compared to its near neighbours or even Vietnam on a historical political scale, but as well as having real issues of press freedom it ranks poorly on the Corruption Perceptions Index.

Recent years have also shown the Thai state to be less stable than tourists realised. The King may have reigned through 15 coups and seventeen constitutions, but the traveller has perhaps not always appreciated this. This changed when a military coup in September 2006 topped international news as martial law was declared and the deposed prime minister and his ministers were accused, unsurprisingly, of lèse majesté. The King played a key role when he endorsed the coup, and ordered civil servants to take orders from the new administration which, over time, has returned some democratic elements to the country. Yet there remains significant instability which cannot be hidden from international view. A constitutional crisis in 2008 spilled over into the occupation of two of Bangkok’s main airports as the disbanded People’s Alliance for Democracy reformed as a vehicle of protest. Once more, the monarchy was drawn into the political tumult.

At present there is a dangerous situation in the south of the country which has claimed over 3,000 lives since 2004. In the provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat a state of emergency and martial law is in place. No wonder therefore that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises the traveller: “There is a high threat from terrorism throughout Thailand. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers. You should exercise caution at all times.”

The latter years of the current King are among the most trying of his reign. But despite political instability the monarch remains a hugely popular and revered figure. Despite his age – he is 83 in December – it is not considered good form to contemplate the day when he will no longer be the father of his nation. Indeed, on a constitutional level, it has been argued that the succession itself is not clear, since under the most recent constitution the Privy Council has considerable powers to designate an heir. As Jonathan Head reflects, “The opacity that has preserved the mystique of monarchy in Thailand makes it impossible to discuss, let alone plan for the succession.”

The lack of open discussion and recent political instability create a heady mix. The health of the King has been an issue for years, albeit one which has been diverted. In 2007 he emerged from hospital in a pink shirt and blazer which, in a PR phenomenon, led to mass consumption of pink garments as a sign of loyalty to the monarchy. But not all reporting is so easily distracted, This September the King was admitted to hospital with flu-like symptoms and his hospitalisation has been, until he appeared on television in a wheelchair last weekend, subject to daily bulletins. “His Majesty has regained more strength. He is able to partake of his meals and can sleep well,” said a statement from the Royal Household last weekend. The Thai love of their incumbent monarch has lasted two thirds of a century. But he is an old man and his fitness remains a matter of concern, however quietly addressed.

As such, Thailand is a country facing considerable political challenges as it moves to the second decade of the twenty-first century.