And as the country’s head of state, the King had numerous duties involving the forging of ties with various countries, regardless their political ideology. He visited over 25 countries in Asia, Europe and America, while welcoming to Thailand numerous heads of state and government.

He made frequent foreign visits during 1960s. In June 1960 he embarked with Her Majesty the Queen on a seven-month series of state visits to the United States and 13 European countries.

Their Majesties arrived in Washington on June 28 that year, and were met at Washington National Airport by President Dwight D Eisenhower. The Washington Post & Times Herald said in its headline, “President and 75,000 in Streets Greet Thailand King and Queen”. The following day, the King addressed a joint session of the United States Congress.

During the visit, the King reached out to locals, who were impressed by his talents, particularly in music. He visited the apartment of Benny Goodman and spent two hours playing music with the jazz supremo, along with fellow jazz greats Gene Krupa, Teddy Wilson, Urbie Green, Jonah Jones, and Red Norvo.

While in California, he toured Paramount and Desilu Movie Studios, where the chatted with ease with Hollywood executives and legendary stars like Elvis Presley, Bob Hope, and Lucille Ball.

From September 29 to October 5, 1964, their Majesties embarked on a memorable state visit to Austria, where the King’s musical compositions were performed by the Nieder Osterreich Tonkunstler Orchestra in the Vienna Concert Hall.

He did not make another foreign visit for more than two decades through the 1970s and 1980s. But in 1994, he inaugurated the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge and crossed it to visit Laos where, on the other side of the Mekong River, the people revered him in a similar manner to Thais. Laos was the last country he made a state visit to.

His Majesty was the only monarch to hold patents – a 1993 patent for a wastewater aerator, Chai Pattana, as well as several rainmaking patents since 1955, including for the so-called Sandwich rainmaker in 1999 and the Super-sandwich in 2004.

He received many awards and other forms of recognition from various organisations and agencies under the United Nations, for his contributions to the improvement of the environment and nature conservation. In May 2006, he was presented with the first United Nations’ Human Development Lifetime Achievement Award, for his efforts towards human development in improving the lives of his people. The award was presented by then-UN chief Kofi Annan.

The awards he received are just a part of his contribution to the world. Contributions such as the sufficient economy philosophy were designed to enhance the wellbeing of not only Thais but of people all over the world.