His Majesty lives on in the hearts and minds of the young
Many Thais say that the new generation knows little of His Majesty King Bhumibol's devotion to his people and all of the work he did for them, mainly because most were children when he fell ill. But a group of young people interviewed by the Nation says otherwise.
Pabphim Pholdhampalit, 12, Satriwittaya 2 School
When I heard the news about the passing of Nai Luang [His Majesty the King], I was numb with loss, distress and disbelief and couldn’t stop crying.
Ever since I was born, I saw him everywhere; on newspapers, in magazines, on television, banknotes and coins. There are portraits of him in every corner of the country – in my house too. Though I did not have the fortune to meet Nai Luang in person, I felt closely connected to him. He is my other father and the father of the nation.
During my life, Nai Luang had been in and out of the hospital. My parents always told me how much Nai Luang had devoted himself to developing the country, and I also learned in school about his royal duties. I was once taken on a school trip to Chitralada Villa and was surprised to find that it has rice fields, a head of cattle, fish farming and plots devoted to experimental agriculture.
Since I couldn’t explain my sorrow in words, two days after his passing, I drew a picture that took just 10 minutes. I wanted to show that Nai Luang had gone to heaven, while his black-clad people were in deep mourning.
Punthicha Prasartsak, 15
I learned about the King from my family, school and the media. When I was young, I loved asking my grandmother to tell me about the King. She always said that he worked very hard for his people. Once she was very happy and excited as she had an opportunity to have an audience with him. That’s why I wanted to learn more about him. What impressed me most was that during every visit, the King waved and smiled to his people. But I never understood why people always cried when they saw him, until I learned about their love for him.
At that time, I still wondered why we loved him. Now I know why we loved him and why we cried.
The King is like our father, he loved us like his children. He sacrificed his personal happiness, so that people were happy. People never saw him tired, as he always smiled. It made him happy to see his people united.
These reasons have made me love the King with all my heart. I don’t love him because I was told to do so. Now, though he is not with us physically, his teachings and goodness remain in our hearts.
Nippita Pongern, 18, freshman, Chulalongkorn University
My understanding of the role of His Majesty and the monarchy was very limited in my early years. I did not know what ‘Long Live the King’ meant, but I heard people chant it every time the King appeared in public and saw the words written in posters and billboards during royal occasions such as the birthdays of members of the Royal Family.
I must emphasise that it was out of ignorance and not intention that I once proudly told my mum that my hairstyle [song phom in Thai] was the same as ‘Song Phra Charoen’ [Thai for Long Live the King’]. The word song in Thai functions as a prefix followed by verbs or actions performed by the Royal Family. It can also mean shape or style. So I thought that ‘Song Phra Charoen’ was a type of hairstyle!
Of course, my declaration was met with laughter, and I got an explanation.
Years later when I could read well and developed an interest in history, I came across a lot of information about the King, his virtues and his genuine dedication to lift the lives of Thai people, especially the poor. However, the level of my appreciation and love for the King may not be the same as that of the older generation, because the King was rarely seen in public while I was growing up.
Yet, when the news about him passing away hit the nation on the night of October 13, I was too choked to speak. This was the only time I actually felt the sentiment shared by others, the loss of the soul of the nation.
Now, I realise why people say ‘Long Live the King’. People want their beloved King to live forever.
Today, I can look back and appreciate why the king is so loved and respected.
Poochita Prasartsak, 17
It’s not right to say that the new generation born after His Majesty stopped working did not know about his devotion to the country. The King worked even while he was in hospital. I know for sure that he was always worried about his people.
I’ve known about him for as long as I can remember. At first, I did not understand when I was told that the King worked very hard to improve our lives.
But one day, I had the honour of seeing him during the royal funeral of his sister Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana. The King was very sad about the loss, but he always had a smile on his face for his people, because he loved his people and put them before himself. From that moment on, I understood how much he loved us.
His love was one of a father for his children. Sometime we do not know how much our father loves us; we just know that he does and that we love him.
The King worked hard because he could never let his people live difficult lives. He taught us things so we could be self-sufficient, love others as well as do good deeds even though nobody saw these.
I think it must have been very difficult for him to work hard throughout his life for all his people. His activities reflected his love for us all. We didn’t need to see him work to know that he had worked for the country. We can see the results.
That is enough for me to love him as the ‘Father of Thailand’.
Yada Norma, 13, Thanyaburi School
My aunt loves telling me about the King and his dedication to the country. I once had the honour to see him when he was discharged from Siriraj Hospital. I had gone to the hospital with my aunt when I was about 10.
When I saw him, I was delighted and left speechless by the projects and activities that he had done for the people.
For as long as I remember, I have loved watching the Royal News programme on television and have learned about his activities.
I have always known that he is the King who worked very hard to help his people. The project I remember is the Kaem Ling [monkey cheek] project that helped save water and prevent flooding. The King’s teaching that pops up in my head is the one about sufficiency economy.
Kasidit Rewsakul, 20, Nation University student
I learnt about King Bhumibol from my parents who often talked about his devotion to and projects for people across the country. When I grew up, I began searching online for articles on his work and followed news articles. I learned about his sufficiency economy philosophy and the monkey cheek projects.
I used to wonder why the King had to work so hard and travel to remote areas to meet and help people. Why didn’t he stay in his palace and enjoy his stature… it would certainly have brought him happiness.
The news of him passing away shocked me. The King was sick and needed medical attention for many years, because he had worked tirelessly all his life.
It’s a big loss for the country that he is no longer with us. As my family is in the hospital business, I understand that it’s the natural cycle and a fact of life. I am determined to follow his teachings and do good deeds.