Ten years ago at the celebration of 60th anniversary of the King’s accession to the throne at Royal Plaza, we looked at Thailand’s past glories. Yesterday, as we gathered to sing the Royal Anthem, we looked ahead to a bright future.
We felt hopeful about Thailand. It was more than just the unity of Thais loyal to the late, revered King, but a demonstration that we were stronger than we had thought. We saw people’s kindness, friendship and willingness to help each other. We saw the determination of the people to do good in dedication to the King.
As unstintingly loyal as she is to HM King Rama IX, my 67-year-old mother did not spend even a second to think about attending this singing event. We left our home at 6.30am to avoid the traffic, and she walked a long way from where the bus dropped us off to Sanam Luang.
Although confusion over the programme and the lack of information held us back until 9.30am, there was enough space for us to put down our Bt20 plastic sheets as seats.
During the sound check and rehearsal at 10am, the master of ceremonies told us not to be shy and sing louder. But I could not.
My volume became lower each of the three times as I tried to hold back my tears. During the break afterwards, an old woman sitting next to me cried many times, saying she missed the King so much.
As the crowds kept coming, it took us about an hour to return from a lunch break outside Sanam Luang. My mother and I were afraid that we would not be able to find our seats, but suddenly a woman followed us and showed the way. She was one of the people who sat in the same area in the morning.
Afterwards, I heard some of the strangers in the area asking for Line ID, as they became friends. We felt more of the warmth in our heart.
When we were getting ready for the singing at 1pm, Sanam Luang was so quiet that we could hear the noise from across the street, where another sea of people queued up to pay respects to HM the King at the Grand Palace. And when the time arrived, we sang louder and louder. The tears and an overwhelmingly emotional feeling could not stop us.
What we now know for sure is that Thais can realise how much we can unite and will never forget how much we admire this revered, dedicated King. Thais and even our foreign friends are familiar with the phrase “sabai sabai” (easy, easy) as a characteristic of Thais, who have for long seen HM King Bhumibol as the pillar of their society and guardian. Yesterday’s event showed if Thais are determined, we can achieve anything.