King Bhumibol was born in 1927 in Cambridge, Massachusetts US. He became King when he was only 18. He completed his studies in Switzerland in the early 1950s before returning to Thailand. He has devoted the last few decades to developing rural areas, starting more than five thousand projects.

“Our loss is our gain, learn how to love and unite”.This is one of the messages given to the Thai people by the king. In the past 60 years, King Bhumibol has greatly improved the lives of poor people. He travelled across the entire country, visited communities even in the most extreme areas, making him the most widely travelled king in Thai history.

King Bhumibol is a constitutional monarch with limited power. But he has had enough moral authority to act decisively in political crises.

In 1992, violent clashes between pro-democracy demonstrators and the military government swept through Bangkok. The King acted fast, speaking to the leaders and demanding an end to confrontation. Obedience was immediate, with the government falling just days later. The King showed himself to be a worthy leader, earning the affections of an entire nation.