:: Queen Sirikit

From the time His Majesty the King returned to Thailand in 1950 with M.R. Sirikit Kitiyakara by his side as his fiancée, to the day of the royal wedding when she became the Queen of Thailand, Her Majesty has been the cherished Queen of her subjects and the source of their strength and hope. She has been the devoted consort of His Majesty the King and the pride of the Chakri Dynasty.

The sight of Their Majesties standing side by side at their royal residence, at state functions, and during their trips to visit the Thai people in different parts of the Kingdom is a heart-warming experience for the Thai people. After the miserable days of World War Two, the great loss of their beloved late king, and the departure of the new King who had to continue his education abroad, the return of their Majesties the King and Queen was like sacred water that soothed the soul of every Thai. With their presence, the Thai people were grateful and considered themselves fortunate to have their Head of State back, together with his Queen, who is blessed with great beauty and grace.

 

But more than that, Their Majesties have dedicated themselves to hard work, with the benefit and the happiness of the people as their ultimate goals. They have assisted all the suffering underprivileged poor in ever part of the Kingdom, who lack access to opportunities and have no one to turn to. There is no place that is too remote or too difficult to travel to. For the past four decades, Their Majesties the King and Queen have dutifully served as their people's advisors.

Whenever there is a disaster, regardless of where it happens, Their Majesties are always there to alleviate the hardships, and do so without any discrimination. Their assistance has always been on a continuous basis, to enable those affected by their many misfortunes, to become self-reliant again.


Their visits to different parts of the country to get to know the people during the early period of their reign, has created a bond that binds them with their subjects. Their Majesties have a very close relationship with villagers in every region of the Kingdom. They have listened to them talking about their hardships in making a living. His Majesty has never overlooked a single problem faced by the people, and has always looked for ways to address these problems. Her Majesty, on the other hand, has always responded to the King's plans and directions, and is committed to hard work in securing benefits for the people.

Their Majesties, together with other members of the Royal Family, have selflessly devoted themselves to carrying out the great burden of practically assisting their people, and through this, they have won the hearts of every Thai.

Today, the land echoes praises for her Majesty the Queen on the auspicious occasion of her 60th birthday.

:: Their Majesties' Concern for People

“The main principle is that there must be water for home consumption and for agriculture because life depends on it. If there is water, man can survive; without water, he cannot survive. Without electricity, man can survive, with electricity but no water, he cannot survive..”

The above excerpt, from a royal speech delivered on 17 March 1986, clearly states His Majesty the King's recognition of the importance of water to life. All through the 58 years of his reign, His Majesty has performed his duties, beyond the obligations expected of a constitutional monarch, by supporting the government in its efforts to help the people, especially in rural areas. He regularly visits people in all the regions of the country. Each year, their Majesties spend more time at their provincial residences than at the royal residence in Bangkok, to learn about the people's problems and collect the local information necessary, to provide a basis for implementing royal initiations to concerned agencies, and to set up projects to improve the people's well-being, so that they may become self-reliant.