Rama 9, King of Thailand: birthday, biography, family, photo

Not everyone knows the name of the King of Thailand. This is due to the fact that the exotic country is located quite far from our homeland, and the situation in it interests not many compatriots. Currently, the head of the country is Rama 9. The King of Thailand is an interesting person. Let's trace his biography in detail.

Origin

To begin with, we learn the origin of the family in which the future King of Thailand was born. Also, let us dwell on the nuances of his birth.

Rama's father, Mahidola Adulyadej, was a representative of the ruling dynasty of Thailand - Chakri. This glorious family began to reign in Thailand from 1782, when Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke ascended to the throne, also known as Rama 1. He founded a kingdom that became known as Rattanakosin.

Mahidola Adulyadej was the son of King Chulalongkorn, also known as Rama 5. This monarch is the greatest king of Thailand. Not for nothing he was given the nickname "Royal Buddha". Rama 5 managed to modernize the management of the country and the economy in a western manner, but, unlike other countries of Indochina, he managed to maintain the sovereignty of his state, and it did not turn into a colony.

Since Mahidola Adulladet was not the eldest son in the family, after the death of Rama 5 in 1910, the throne of Thailand was alternately inherited by his brothers Vchiravud (Rama 6) and Prachadipok (Rama 7). The latter was governed by the Siamese revolution of 1932, as a result of which Thailand was transformed from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy. And three years later Rama 7 completely disowned the throne in favor of the eldest son of Mahidol Adulyadej - Anand Mahidon.

Mahidol Adulyadet was married to Sangwan Talafat in 1900, later named Sinakharinthra. She did not come from a noble family. The couple lived abroad for a long time: in Germany, France, Switzerland, the USA. In particular, Mahidola Adulyadet was trained in the medical profile in the United States, at Harvard University, at the time when the third child in the family was born - the future King of Thailand Phumipon Adulladet. In addition to him, Mahidol Adulyadej had another son (future Rama 8) and a daughter.

Birth of Rama 9

Phumipon Adulyadej, and exactly the name of the King of Thailand Rama 9 before his accession to the throne, was born in 1927 in the American city of Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the family of Mahidol Adulyadej and Sangwan Talafat.

The birthday of the King of Thailand Rama 9 falls on December 5. At present, this is not just an ordinary date. A national holiday is the birthday of the King in Thailand. How to celebrate it here, probably, do not celebrate the birthdays of monarchs anywhere in the world. Officially it is called Father's Day and is a non-working day . In addition, the birthday of the King of Thailand is constantly held numerous celebrations and themed events. It is noteworthy that the celebration sometimes even temporarily unites political opponents.

Thus, King's Day in Thailand is truly a national holiday.

Childhood and youth

So, the first year of life the future King of Thailand, Rama 5 spent in the US. After completing his father's education at Harvard University, the family returned to Thailand in 1928. A year later she suffered a great sorrow. In 1929, due to severe liver disease, died Mahidola Adulladet, who at the time was only 37 years old. Thus, at the age of two, Phumipon Adulladet was left without a father. The entire burden of raising three children was placed on the shoulders of the mother - Sangwan Talafat. In the capital of Thailand, Bangkok, Phumipong Adulladet received his primary education.

After the 1932 Revolution, little Phumipon Adulyadej took refuge with his family in Swiss Lausanne, at the insistence of Grandma Savang Vadhana (the widow of the great Rama 5), who feared for the life of her heirs in the light of revolutionary events. It was here that he received a secondary education. But in 1935, the King of Thailand Prazadipok abdicated in favor of his seven-year nephew Anand Mahidon - the elder brother of Phumipon Adulyadej. After this, Anand Mahidon took the name of Rama 8, and Phumipon Adulyadej became the de facto heir to the throne and received with his sister the highest title of Prince - Chao Fa.

But even then, Anand Mahidon, Phumipon Adulladet and other family members continued to live in Switzerland. Thailand, Rama 8, together with his brother and mother visited only three years after accession to the throne. All this time the country was ruled by regents on behalf of the king. However, even after the return of Rama 8 actually did not take part in the management of Thailand, and without becoming officially crowned monarch.

Meanwhile, Phumipon Adulladet continued his studies in Lausanne, where he began to study political science and law at a local university, which was considered a very prestigious educational institution.

Accession to the throne

With very tragic circumstances, the accession to the throne of Thailand by Phumipon Adulyadej is connected. In June 1946, his brother King Rama 8 was found dead in the bedroom. The cause of death was a shot in the head of a firearm. To investigate this incident, a commission was set up, which managed to determine that the death was not due to an accident. But there was a murder or suicide, it was not established. Later, after the resumption of the investigation, three people were found guilty in the murder, who were executed in 1955. But many researchers consider this verdict politically motivated, and the real reasons for the death of the king have not been uncovered.

Whatever it was, but in 1946, the brother of the deceased monarch of Thailand Phumipon Adulladet, who adopted the name of Rama, became King of Thailand.

The first years of government

How did Rama 9 start? King of Thailand? It should be noted that although the legislative power of the monarch in the country was severely limited, but Phumipon Adulyadej, unlike his brother, from the first days of the government showed an interest in the political and economic situation in the country. However, due to the fact that at this time, Rama 9 completed his studies in Switzerland, he was still for some time to be away from Thailand and could not take direct part in the government of the kingdom.

To this period of life of Rama 9 is the accident, in which he fell on the Geneva-Lausanne highway in 1948. Serious back injury and numerous cuts from this car accident was received by the King of Thailand. Photos of Phumipon Adulyadej at that time were often made only when he was in darkened glasses to hide the mutilation.

However, the injuries were over, and after the completion of training the king returned to Thailand in 1951.

Marriage and Coronation

In April 1950 in Thailand, Rama 9 was combined with the marriage with the princess Sirikit. She, unlike the king's own, came from a very noble family, and her father was an ambassador. At the time of the marriage, Sirikit was not yet 18 years old, so her parents put the signature on the marriage certificate instead of the bride.

The future queen was born on August 12, 1932, and after her ascension to the throne her birthday is celebrated annually in Thailand as Mother's Day.

Soon after the wedding, in May 1950, the king and queen were officially crowned. Since then, May 5 is officially celebrated as Coronation Day.

Subsequent period of government

After marriage, coronation and graduation, Rama 9 began to take a more active part in governing the country than before. He began to show activity both in political life of the state, and in public, and also influenced the foreign policy of Thailand.

He personally visited the remote rural areas of the country to learn more about the life and needs of ordinary citizens in order to try to improve their well-being. Moreover, Phumipon Adulladet allocates aid for the development of the regions not only at the expense of the state budget, but also from personal finance, since it is a dollar billionaire. For all his life he took part in financing more than three thousand target projects. This won Rama 9 considerable popularity in the country.

In 1956, Phumipon Adulyadej temporarily took monasticism, as required by the Buddhist religion.

He made a lot of efforts to democratize Thai society, which was especially evident in the 90s of the XX century. Even supporting military coups, Rama 9 did this primarily to ensure that political elites could not actually usurp power.

So, during the military coup that took place in 2006, the king supported the junta, which displaced the incumbent government headed by Thaksin Shinawat, as it violated the norms of democracy and was implicated in corruption schemes. It should be noted that the junta did not usurp power, but in 2007 it transferred it to the lawfully elected government.

During the coup of 2014, Rama 9, although he did not openly support the putschists or the incumbent government, as if alienating from political disputes, but appointing the leader of the junta of General Prayut Chan-Ochch as the country's actual leader, the king made it clear on whose side he .

But nevertheless it should be noted that in recent years, due to his age and health problems, Phumipon Adulladet is increasingly moving away from the management of public affairs and politics, although he tries to influence the development of Thailand for the benefit of his subjects as much as he can.

Classes in other areas

King Phumipon Adulladet is a versatile personality, and his interests encompass not only the sphere of government.

The monarch densely dealt with the issue of creating artificial clouds, and he owns a patent in this field of research. He has Rama 9 achievements in engineering. He himself designed a sailboat, which has been constantly floating since then. But this is not the only ship that is built according to the design of the king.

Phumipon Adulyadej is fond of photography on a professional level. It is noteworthy that on a banknote of 1000 baht he is pictured with a camera.

In addition, Rama 9 at the highest level owns the game on the saxophone. He also writes his own compositions, which were even shown on Broadway. But this is not surprising, because his teacher was the great master of jazz Benny Goodman.

One of the inventions of Phumipone Adulyadej was the creation of a formula for a new type of fuel based on a mixture of diesel oil and palm oil.

Also known is the book of the king, who became in Thailand a real bestseller, which he devoted to describing his dog named Tongdaeng.

But this is only part of all the achievements of the King of Thailand in various fields of activity.

A family

The royal family apart from Rama 9 himself and his wife Sirikit consists of their children and grandchildren.

Maha Vachiralongkorn is the only son in the King's family, therefore he is the heir to the throne. He was born in 1952, that is, two years after the wedding of Phumipon Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit. He received his higher education in Great Britain and the Australian continent. He devoted his life to military service, took part in military operations against Vietnamese guerrillas, has the rank of general and admiral.

He was married three times. In his first marriage, he was with his cousin on the maternal line of Soamesavali Kitiyakara. A year after the union was concluded, in 1978, they had a daughter, Bajrakitiyabha. But this marriage was terminated.

For a long time, Prince Vachiralongkorn lived without an official marriage with actress Yuvadhida Polpraset. They officially formalized their relationship only in 1994. By that time they already had six children. But two years later this union also fell apart, as the prince accused his wife of treason.

In 2001, Vachiralongkorn married for the third time, on a girl of non-common origin, Srirami Akkharpkhongprich. In 2005, she gave him the son of Diepangkorn Ramiichoti, who, after Vachiralongkorn himself, is considered the second in line for succession to the throne. But in 2014, and this marriage broke up.

In addition to his son, King Phumipon Adulladet has three daughters: Ubolrotana, Sirindhorn and Chulabhorn Valailak. The last of them in 1982 married vice-marshal Virayud Tishiasarin. In the marriage they had two daughters: Siribachudabhorn and Adityadornkitik. But the family life of Chulabhorn Valailak, like that of his brother, did not work out, and the marriage was terminated. However, this princess deserved the people's love for her achievements in the field of medicine development.

These are the relatives of the King of Thailand. The monarch's family enjoys the love and respect of the Thai people.

general characteristics

We have studied the biography of the King of Thailand, Rama 9, and on its basis we can make some judgments about the monarch as a person.

Phumipon Adulladet is a versatile person. The sphere of his interests is amazing. It extends from the field of science and art to the field of international politics. A significant role in such a wide range of interests played a quality education, which in its time received Rama 9.

In addition, it is worth noting that the king never remained indifferent to the problems of his subjects. He tries to solve them as far as possible. This characterizes him as a not indifferent person. Rama 9, unlike his brother, actively influences the state policy of Thailand, but at the same time tries to do it in democratic ways, without going beyond his powers.

Quiet attitude is experienced by Phumipon Adulyadet and his family.

At the same time it is worth noting that in recent years, the king, who is currently the longest ruling monarch in the world, has worsened health problems. In particular, he suffers from a disease such as dropsy of the brain. But let's hope that Rama 9 will continue to please his subjects for a long time, managing Thailand.