Their Majesties the King and Queen granted an audience to newly appointed foreign envoys at the Amporn Sathan Throne Hall in Dusit Palace on Thursday.
As part of the ceremony, the envoys were required to present their credentials and letters of placement to Their Majesties.
The first ambassador to present her credentials was Muna Abbas Mahmood Radhi, who has been appointed ambassador of Bahrain. Before assuming the position in Thailand, she oversaw the Africa and Asia Department in Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry.
The next envoy was the Netherlands Ambassador to Thailand Remco Johannes van Wijngaarden, who was previously the Dutch representative in Shanghai, China.
Also presenting credentials was Chilean Ambassador Alex Geiger Soffia. Before assuming his position in Bangkok, Soffia was director-general of North America, Central America and the Caribbean Department of Chile’s Foreign Ministry.
He was followed by Sándor Sipos, who has been designated ambassador of Hungary. Before assuming this position, Sipos was director-general of the Department of Special Economic Zones in Hungary’s Foreign Ministry.
The last two were Juvêncio de Jesus Martins, ambassador of Timor Leste, and Israel Ambassador Orna Sagiv.
Before assuming their positions in Bangkok, Martins was Timor’s chargé d’affaires to Indonesia and Sagiv Israel’s chargé d’affaires to Thailand.
Their Majesties King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida presided over a graduation ceremony for students at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University in Nonthaburi on Saturday.
The ceremony took place in the Anek Nithat building, where students received their graduation honours for the academic year 2018-2019.
Among them was Parliament president and former prime minister Chuan Leekpai, who attended the ceremony to receive an honorary doctorate in Communication Arts: Communication Innovation for Political and Local Administration.
This was Chuan’s 18th honorary doctorate degree. He has received honorary PhD’s in various disciplines since 1985, including political science, jurisprudence, painting, philosophy, psychology, and education.
Their Majesties King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana performed a religious ceremony to make merit on Queen Suthida’s birthday on Friday (June 3) at 5.38pm at Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram (Wat Phra Kaew) in Bangkok.
Their Majesties lit candles in front of the Emerald Buddha and presented offerings before heading to the Amarin Winitchai Throne Hall of the Grand Palace to attend another religious ceremony. There, they attended prayers given by a group of 45 Buddhist monks, after which His Majesty offered alms.
Their Majesties then paid respect to the Royal Nine-Tiered Umbrella, before leaving the throne hall.
At 7.19pm, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha presided over the candle-lighting ceremony to celebrate HM Queen Suthida’s birthday at Sanam Luang plaza. The ceremony was also attended by the House speaker, speaker of the Senate, Chief Justice, president of the Constitutional Court, chiefs of the armed forces and the Royal Thai Police, high-ranking government officials and their spouses, and the general public.
The prime minister gave a speech to express the Thai people’s gratitude for the royal kindness of Queen Suthida, before placing a pedestal tray of flowers at the base of Her Majesty’s portrait while the orchestra played the royal anthem. The PM then led a cheer of “Song Phra Charoen” (Long Live the Queen) three times, before lighting candles to celebrate her birthday.
His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Her Majesty Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana on Monday (May 30) presided over the opening ceremony of the Siam Phastra Phusa Sangasilp Gala Dinner to celebrate the upcoming 90th birthday of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother, on August 12.
The event was held at the Grand Ballroom of Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok Hotel in Pathumwan district.
Their Majesties were welcomed by Khunying Natthika Wattanavekin Angubolkul, president of the Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Associations of Thailand (FBPW Thailand) under the royal patronage of HM Queen Sirikit, organiser of the event.
After the opening ceremony, Their Majesties visited an exhibition on Thai traditional textiles, divided into three zones. The first zone depicts the royal works of HM Queen Sirikit regarding the preservation and promotion of Thai textiles. The second displays the history and achievements of FBPW Thailand, which has member organisations in 22 provinces. The final zone shows 90 examples of Thai textiles along with their history, inspiration, and details on local communities that make them.
Before returning to Amporn Sathan Throne Hall, Their Majesties granted commemorative brooches to event sponsors and people who have demonstrated outstanding achievements in preserving and promoting Thai traditional textiles at the national and international levels.
Their Majesties King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana on Thursday oversaw a ceremony to appoint the Phraya Raekna (Lord of the Royal Ploughing Ceremony) and Celestial Maidens for the Royal Ploughing Ceremony.
The ceremony took place at Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram (Wat Phra Kaew or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha) in Bangkok’s Phra Nakhon district.
Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati also participated in the ceremony.
Their Majesties paid respect to Phra Phuttha Maha Mani Rattana Patimakon (the Emerald Buddha) and other sacred images, as well as sprinkling holy water on crops for an abundant harvest in Thailand.
This year, Agriculture Ministry Permanent Secretary Thongplew Kongjun was appointed as Phraya Raek Na, while officials from agriculture-related agencies such as Department of Agricultural Extension were selected for the roles of Celestial Maidens.
The ancient royal tradition to mark the start of the rice-growing season and forecast the harvest is being held at Sanam Luang in Bangkok’s Phra Nakhon district on Friday.
His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Her Majesty Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana performed a religious ceremony at Bangkok City Pillar Shrine to mark the city’s 240th anniversary on Tuesday.
The ceremony took place at 5.06pm at the shrine in Phra Nakhon district.
Their Majesties also worshipped sacred images in the area, such as protective deities, namely Thepharak, Chaopho Ho Klong, Phra Suea Mueang, Phra Song Mueang, Chaopho Chetakhup and Phra Kan Chai Si.
Their Majesties returned to Dusit Palace in Dusit district after the ceremony.
King Rama I had the Bangkok city pillar erected near the Temple of the Emerald Buddha on April 21, 1782, with the city’s horoscope inside. The original pillar was made of cassia wood known as Chaiyaphruek, measuring 75cm in diameter and 270cm high.
During the reign of King Rama IV, the old pillar was replaced by a new one made of the same kind of wood, measuring 5.115 metres high and standing on a base 180cm wide, sheltered by a Prang-shaped shrine as it appears today.
His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Her Majesty Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana performed a religious ceremony to make merit on Coronation Day at the Grand Palace’s Amarin Winitchai Throne Hall in Bangkok’s Phra Nakhon district on Wednesday at 10am.
They were accompanied by Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati, the Princess Rajasarinisiribajra, and Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya.
Their Majesties were welcomed by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, Princess Debaratanarajasuda, the Princess Royal, and Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn, the Princess Srisavangavadhana, at Amarin Winitchai Throne Hall.
During the ceremony, the King attended prayers by a group of 20 Buddhist monks, after which he offered alms to them.
Their Majesties then paid respects to the nine Buddha images built in honour of the past nine monarchs of the Chakri Dynasty – Kings Rama I to Rama IX – before leaving the throne hall.
Members of the public were allowed to pay homage to former kings at Prasat Phra Thep Bidon (Royal Pantheon) in the Emerald Buddha Temple inside the Grand Palace complex on Wednesday.
At noon, the Royal Thai Army, Royal Thai Navy and Royal Thai Air Force fired cannons, 21 shots from each, from the north side of Sanam Luang to celebrate Coronation Day.
Saturday, May 4, 2019, was the start of a 3-day traditional ceremony which culminated in the coronation of Thailand’s 10th King of the Chakri Dynasty. The first day of HM King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s Coronation, May 4, is now commemorated as a public holiday in Thailand each year.
Their Majesties King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana presided over a merit-making ceremony to mark the upcoming Coronation Day at the Grand Palace in Bangkok on Monday.
The ceremony took place at 6pm in the Amarindra Winitchai Mahaisuraphiman Throne Hall. Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati also participated in the ceremony.
Coronation Day commemorates the formal consecration of the King by anointment and crowning.
Historically, the coronation ceremony took place as soon as possible after the death of the previous monarch. However, in the last century this tradition has been replaced by a mourning period of about a year following the succession.
Coronation Day falls on May 4 to commemorate the crowning of His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn in 2019.
The Thai Red Cross Society and Kasikorn X (KX) have jointly unveiled “Digital Arts NFT: RedCross x KX” – a digital art exhibition to showcase the artworks of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.
This is the first time in Thai art history that art pieces will be presented in the form of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on Coral, an NFT marketplace platform of KX. Proceeds from sales of the artworks will be presented to the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund of the Thai Red Cross Society.
Interested persons are invited to view the exhibition offline and online on the NFT Innovation Wall from Tuesday until May 14, at ICON Art & Culture Space, 8th Floor, ICONSIAM.
Tej Bunnag, secretary-general of the Thai Red Cross Society, said, “Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, who is also Executive Vice President of Thai Red Cross Society, is the first artist who has graciously given art pieces to the Thai Red Cross Society’s exhibition. It is organised by the Fund Raising Bureau of the Thai Red Cross Society. The event is aimed at inviting donations on the Coral Platform of KX in the form of non-fungible tokens or NFTs. Furthermore, the exhibition also affirms Her Royal Highness’s vision and clemency towards the Thai people, with the purpose of preparing all Thais for any adverse incidents, and to provide relief and recovery from natural disasters and threats caused by emerging diseases.”
The first donations via the Coral Platform will be granted by Her Royal Highness to the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund of the Thai Red Cross Society for use in the aforementioned objectives.
Pasinee Limatibul, member of the Thai Red Cross Society Committee and Chairman of ICONSIAM Co Ltd, added that a total of 32 art pieces including oil paintings, watercolour paintings, crayon paintings, poster colour paintings and lithographs were given to the Thai Red Cross Society from Her Royal Highness’s collection, and the history of each painting has been presented in Her Royal Highness’s books.
The oldest paintings are “Barbados Pride Trees”, painted in 1963 when Her Royal Highness was in Grade 3, whereas “Purple Vase” was inspired by oil paintings of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who had given remaining paints to Her Royal Highness. Additionally, there are paintings that reflect the lifestyles of people from all walks of life, such as “Rice Farmers and Miners”, “Temple of the Emerald Buddha”, as well as those inspired by poems or various other works of literature.
The Princess’s 32 paintings reflect her genius in arts and as a storyteller via her memoirs. Her paintings will be converted into digital files on the Coral Platform of KX to offer the public an opportunity to view their artistic genius while also enhancing and connecting the art world to the digital world in a seamless manner.
The exhibition featuring Her Royal Highness’s artworks will be on display from today until May 14, at ICON Art & Culture Space on the 8th floor of ICONSIAM. Opening hours are 11am to 8pm on weekdays, and 10am to 8pm on weekends. Subsequently, the artworks will be uploaded to the coralworld.co website for future viewing, and donations can be made from June 2022 onwards.
Their Majesties King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana presided over a graduation ceremony for students at the Royal Police Cadet Academy in Nakhon Pathom on Sunday.
The ceremony took place at 5.39pm in Choonhavan Hall, where 267 police officers received their graduation honours for the academic year 2020.
The King and Queen granted diplomas and ceremonial swords to each of the graduates in turn.
His Majesty then gave a speech to all graduates, emphasising that apart from knowledge and skills, they must show honesty in their duties and daily life.
The King advised graduates to be mindful in their actions, speech and thought in order to maintain peace for the country and people.