When His Majesty gave lessons in democracy

A prime minister once asked the King whether he would like Klai Kangwon Palace in Hua Hin to be expanded with greater facilities. The monarch replied that it wasn’t necessary, but he added that he would welcome the setting aside of a government budget to improve the town’s roads and hospital, since a lot of people would benefit.
Years before, another prime minister asked His Majesty whether police should clamp down on noisy revellers lighting firecrackers at the Prince Chumphon statue close to his Bangkok palace. The King asked him to worry about the law, not the noise or his residence.
“If the lighting of fireworks on such occasions is not against the law, my palace doesn’t matter, and I will live with the noise,” His Majesty reportedly said. “If it’s against the law, even if the noise of the firecrackers doesn’t reach the palace, then police should take action.”
The two replies spoke volumes about His Majesty the King. They demonstrated his genuine concern for the people, his selflessness and also how he viewed and respected law and order. These are characteristics that form what we commonly call integrity, and each of them should be ingrained in anyone working for the public interest in Thailand.
The beloved monarch might have spoken out of his selflessness – but concern for the people, self-sacrifice and genuine respect for the law happen also to be key ingredients for a healthy democracy. His message on the two occasions was simple: The government must think of the people first and uphold the laws.
These are the two main yet simple responsibilities of those tasked with serving the public interest. Everyone, let alone Thaksin or Chuan, should know that. But in the hard reality of politics, those responsibilities have been routinely overlooked, or intentionally ignored, or given way to actions that are considerably less honourable.
Since the King passed away on October 13, a lot of focus has been placed on how Thai politics will change. That focus, however, has apparently been based more on his physical “presence” and “absence” than on the virtues he tried, directly and indirectly, to instil in his people or those whose duty is to serve them.
Thai politics may be about to change greatly, but much of the change may come from a greater yearning for political integrity. It’s a yearning that stems from a collective acknowledgement of the monarch’s deep understanding of public service and democracy. 
Thais will demand more from politicians, expecting them to follow the late King’s good examples. His ideas on providing less-privileged citizens with state services were always spot on. He served them without worrying who would get the credit; he was a lot more concerned about delays, inaction and how to clear obstacles blocking development. For politics to really serve the people, the country needs more men with these kinds of attitudes and fewer who only care about publicity.
As for law and order, he took his own self-interest out of the equation. Thai politics has always had a funny way of promoting law and order. Law enforcement is always politicised, or most effective when interests of the powers-that-be are at stake, or implemented simply for “commercial impact”. There is “justice” in Thailand, but it has served only some people.
This country wants more politicians who will build roads because the people really need them, not because the roads help politicians to reap financial gain or to get re-elected or to travel more conveniently in their constituencies. We want more politicians who will uphold the sanctity of the law, regardless of who stands to lose or gain politically.
As for the general public, to really honour the great monarch, the people must set a higher standard for their political representatives. Politicians must be scrutinised more and without partisanship. Principles the King stood for, like hard work and honesty, must be demanded from politicians in any camp. 
So far, the signs are promising. Thai people believe in their hearts that the monarch was sincere toward his people, whereas the same can’t said about the majority of politicians. This will make Thais look at politics with a fresh perspective. As far as genuine democracy is concerned, this can be only good news.
It’s easy to do good things in politics. It’s not quite so easy, though, to do good when nobody is looking, or when your ultimate goal is to get elected. What His Majesty taught Thaksin and Chuan was that democracy is simple enough, but that doesn’t necessarily mean everyone can carry it out. It requires dedication and sacrifice.