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Ill-health has forced King Bhumibol to miss today’s Royal Barge Procession along the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok. The king is said to be making good progress following his recent illness, but wasn’t well enough to attend the ceremony today which marked the end of Buddhist Lent and was held to commemorate the monarch’s forthcoming [...]
Today is Mother’s Day in Thailand, the date fixed to coincide with the Queen’s birthday. Queen Sirikit is considered to be the mother of the nation just as the king is seen as the father of the nation. Queen Sirikit is 75-years-old and there have been nationwide events to mark the day with candle-lighting ceremonies [...]
May 5th is a public holiday in Thailand as it marks the Coronation Day of the world’s longest reigning monarch. King Bhumibol Adulyadej came to the throne in June 1946 following the death of his brother, King Ananda. Prince Bhumibol was only 18 at the time and his mother insisted he carry on his education [...]
Oliver Jufer has been deported from Thailand after serving just a couple of weeks of his 10-year prison sentence for lese majeste. His freedom comes as a a result of a pardon from the man he insulted, King Bhumibol. King Bhumibol has previously stated that despite his position, he should not be above criticism. Contrary [...]
Most guide books advise tourists to Thailand to respect the Thai monarchy on their visits to Thailand. That advice is given for a reason. It isn’t just a case of being rude when anybody in Thailand insults the royal family, it is actually against the law to do so. That fact has been graphically illustrated [...]
A Swiss man living in Chiang Mai has pleaded guilty to insulting the King of Thailand and faces the prospect of a 75-year prison sentence. The incident occurred on December 5th 2006 (the King’s birthday) when 57-year-old Oliver Rudolf Jufer drunkenly defaced portraits of the Thai king. His actions were captured on CCTV. Insulting the [...]
