Nation honours King who turns 88
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COMMANDING overwhelming love and respect from his people, HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej turns 88 years of age today. His birthday, as always, is a cause for celebrations across Thailand.
Alms-giving, merit-making and prayer ceremonies will be held in all provinces today as Thais dedicate good deeds in honour of their beloved monarch. Many, have joined various good activities held to mark the King’s birthday since yesterday.
In Surat Thani province, 89 tuk-tuk drivers together with a cooperative and a firm offered free rides to passengers from 9.30am to 6pm yesterday under a “Do Good Deeds for Our Dad” initiative. His Majesty is the unifying paternal figure of the nation.
In Phichit province, a number of police and local people turned up at the provincial police headquarters to donate blood in another good project for the King.
More than 300 teachers, parents and students in Yala province rode bicycles from their school to an elderly home to provide free food there.
In Krabi province, local leaders joined hands with local students, entrepreneurs and the Trash Hero Ao Nang group in cleaning the Nopparat Thara beach in dedication to His Majesty.
With his moral authority, the much-revered monarch has been a great inspiration for his people in doing good things.
Shirayu Mekseriwatana, a self-employed woman, said: “His Majesty the King is always my inspiration, particularly when I feel lazy and have wasted my time doing nothing. The King did many useful things in one day; I told myself that I also have 24 hours like him, why I let my time pass without doing anything.”
Sanong Bamrungrad, a retired primary-school teacher, said the King had been an example of virtue and values.
Rungroj Phothong, the chief of Mae Sariang Prison in Mae Hong Son province, said, separately, that his agency organised religious practice yesterday to mark His Majesty’s birthday. All 420 inmates listened to religious summons based on Buddhist, Christian and Islamic beliefs.
