Bhumibol Adulyadej
Who was Bhumibol Adulyadej?
King of Thailand from 1946 to 2016, the longest-reigning monarch in Thai history who was also an accomplished jazz musician and composer.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Bhumibol Adulyadej (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Bhumibol Adulyadej, known as Rama IX, was King of Thailand from June 9, 1946, until he passed away on October 13, 2016. His reign lasted 70 years and 126 days, making him the longest-reigning Thai monarch, the longest-reigning independent Asian monarch, and the third-longest-reigning sovereign worldwide. Born on December 5, 1927, at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts, he was the third child of Prince Mahidol Adulyadej and Princess Srinagarindra. After his father passed away in 1929, the family moved to Switzerland. Bhumibol went to school there before studying at the University of Lausanne. He became king after his older brother, King Ananda Mahidol (Rama VIII), died suddenly in June 1946.
During his time as king, Bhumibol helped Thailand become an important ally of the United States and one of Southeast Asia's leading economies. From 1985 to 1994, the World Bank reported Thailand as the fastest-growing economy in the world, with expectations that it would join the Asian Tigers. This economic growth led to a bigger urban middle class and more political involvement, although it was disrupted by the 1997 Asian financial crisis. His reign experienced efforts at democratization and frequent military coups, including the 2014 coup that ended two decades of civilian rule. Throughout these challenges, the king was often seen as a figure who united the nation, and his involvement in political crises was sometimes crucial.
Apart from his royal duties, Bhumibol had many personal and professional interests that made him unique among modern royals. He was a talented jazz musician, playing the saxophone, clarinet, trumpet, and guitar, and he composed several original pieces like H.M. Blues, Love at Sundown, Near Dawn, and Royal Guards March. He performed and recorded with well-known jazz musicians and took the genre seriously. He also painted, took photographs, wrote, and sailed. In 1987, he received the Gold Olympic Order for his contributions to sports and sailing in Thailand.
Bhumibol married Sirikit Kitiyakara on April 28, 1950, a day before his coronation, and she became Queen of Thailand. They had four children together. According to Forbes magazine, his fortune, including assets managed by the Crown Property Bureau, was about US$30 billion in 2010, making him the richest royal for several years. However, the Bureau's assets were legally held by the crown as an institution, not by the king personally. Bhumibol died at the age of 88 at Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok on October 13, 2016, after a long period of poor health. Thailand observed a one-year mourning period after his death.
Before Fame
Bhumibol Adulyadej grew up in Switzerland after his family left Thailand following his father, Prince Mahidol's, death. He studied at Mater Dei School and the Ecole Nouvelle de la Suisse Romande, then went to the University of Lausanne. He started with science but switched to law and political science when he unexpectedly became the heir to the throne. His childhood was during the 1932 Siamese revolution, which ended Thailand's absolute monarchy and changed the royal family's role in the country.
His rise to the throne was sudden. His older brother, King Ananda Mahidol, died from a gunshot wound under circumstances that were never fully explained, and Bhumibol became king at just eighteen. He initially went back to Switzerland to continue his studies, where he developed a lasting passion for jazz, composing music and practicing seriously. He returned to Thailand for good in 1951, starting the process of shaping what constitutional monarchy would mean in a country going through rapid and often turbulent changes.
Key Achievements
- Reigned as King of Thailand for 70 years and 126 days, the longest reign of any Thai monarch and any independent Asian sovereign on record
- Composed more than 40 musical works, including jazz standards and marches, and performed alongside internationally acclaimed musicians such as Benny Goodman and Stan Getz
- Developed and personally patented an environmental aerator device used to treat polluted water, reflecting his broader commitment to rural development and environmental improvement
- Received the Gold Olympic Order in 1987 for his promotion of sailing and sport in Thailand, and was himself a competitive sailor
- Presided over Thailand's period of fastest economic growth, during which the World Bank ranked it the world's fastest-growing economy from 1985 to 1994
Did You Know?
- 01.Bhumibol composed the song 'Love at Sundown' in 1946, the same year he ascended the throne, and performed it live with jazz legend Benny Goodman during Goodman's visit to Thailand.
- 02.He was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, because his father was studying medicine at Harvard University at the time, making him one of the very few monarchs of any country to have been born in the United States.
- 03.Bhumibol held a patent in Thailand for a low-speed surface aerator, a device he developed to help oxygenate polluted waterways as part of his environmental development projects.
- 04.He received the Royal Order of the Seraphim from Sweden in 1950, making it one of the earliest major international honors of his reign, awarded just four years after he became king.
- 05.Despite the enormous wealth attributed to the Crown Property Bureau, Bhumibol was known to live relatively modestly within the palace, and associates frequently described his personal lifestyle as disciplined and unpretentious.
Family & Personal Life
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour | 1960 | — |
| collar of the Order of the Golden Fleece | 2006 | — |
| Chief Commander of the Legion of Merit | 1960 | — |
| Gold Olympic Order | 1987 | — |
| Order of the Crown of the Realm | 1963 | — |
| Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Saint Olav | 1960 | — |
| Collar of the Order of the Star of Romania | 2000 | — |
| Royal Victorian Chain | 1960 | — |
| Grand Order of Mugunghwa | 1981 | — |
| Royal Order of the Seraphim | 1950 | — |
| Order of the Queen of Sheba | 1968 | — |
| Knight of the Order of the Elephant | 1960 | — |
| Collar of the Spanish Order of the Civil Merit | 1960 | — |
| Order of the Crown of Brunei | 1990 | — |
| Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Cambodia | 1954 | — |
| Grand cross of the Order of the Million Elephants and the White Parasol | 1963 | — |
| Order of Pahlavi | 1968 | — |
| Collar of the Order of Charles III | 1987 | — |
| Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany | 1960 | — |
| Order of Sikatuna | 1968 | — |
| Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer | 1963 | — |
| Star of the Republic of Indonesia | 1961 | — |
| Knight Grand Cross in the Order of the Netherlands Lion | 1960 | — |
| Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau | 1960 | — |
| Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold | 1960 | — |
| Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Pius IX | 1960 | — |
| Grand Cross of the Order of the Liberator General San Martín | 1960 | — |
| UNDP Human Development Lifetime Achievement Award | — | — |
| Collar of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum | 1963 | — |
| Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic | 1960 | — |
| Grand Star of the Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria | 1964 | — |
| Thiri Thudhamma Thingaha | 1960 | — |
| Grand Cross of the Sash of the Three Orders | 1960 | — |
| Nishan-e-Pakistan | 1960 | — |
| Order of Brilliant Jade | 1963 | — |
| Nepal Pratap Bhaskara | 1986 | — |
| Royal Family Order of Selangor | 1999 | — |
| Royal Family Order of Terengganu | 2000 | — |
| Order of the Rajamitrabhorn | 1962 | — |
| Order of the Royal House of Chakri | 1938 | — |
| Order of the Nine Gems | 1946 | — |
| Knight Grand Cordon of the Order of Chula Chom Klao | 1935 | — |
| Order of Rama | 1946 | — |
| Grand Cordon of the Order of the White Elephant | 1946 | — |
| Grand Cordon of the Order of the Crown of Thailand | 1946 | — |
| Order of the Direkgunabhorn | 1991 | — |
| Order of Ramkeerati | 1987 | — |
| Bravery Medal | 1946 | — |
| Dushdi Mala Medal | 1946 | — |
| Chakra Mala Medal | 1946 | — |
| Grand Cross of the Order of Merit | — | — |
| Order of al-Hussein bin Ali | — | — |
| Order of Good Hope | — | — |
| President's Medal | 2012 | — |
| Order of the Yugoslav Star | — | — |
| Grand cross of the Order of the White Lion | 1994 | — |
| Grand Collar of the Order of Prince Henry | 1999 | — |
| Order of Stara Planina | 2001 | — |
| Order of Merit for National Foundation | — | — |
| Grand Cross of the Order of the Legion of Honour (Philippines) | — | — |
| Order of the Liberator | — | — |
| Bronze Wolf Award | 2006 | — |
| honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons | 1983 | — |
| honorary doctorate of University of Perpignan | 2002 | — |
| honorary doctor of Massey University | 2002 | — |