60th anniversary of the accession of Bhumibol Adulyadej


The Sixtieth Anniversary Celebrations of Bhumibol Adulyadej's Accession to the Throne 2006 (งานฉลองสิริราชสมบัติครบ ๖๐ ปี พ.ศ. ๒๕๔๙)

Name	The Sixtieth Anniversary Celebrations of Bhumibol Adulyadej's Accession to the Throne 2006
Date/Time	1 January—31 December 2006
Place	Thailand Thailand Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
Arranger	The Royal Thai Government
Occasion	Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of HM The King Bhumibol Adulyadej Bhumibol Adulyadej Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...

The Sixtieth Anniversary Celebrations of HM The King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...

's Accession to the Throne 2006 (th.

Thai language

Thai , also known as Central Thai and Siamese, is the national and official language of Thailand and the native language of the Thai people, Thailand's dominant ethnic group. Thai is a member of the Tai group of the Tai–Kadai language family. Historical linguists have been unable to definitively...

งานฉลองสิริราชสมบัติครบ ๖๐ ปี พ.ศ. ๒๕๔๙; RIT translit.

Royal Thai General System of Transcription

The Royal Thai General System of Transcription is the official system for rendering Thai language words in the Latin alphabet, published by the Royal Institute of Thailand...

Ngan Chalong Siriratchasombat Khrop Hok Sip Pi Pho So Song Phan Ha Roi Si Sip Kao) were the celebrations held throughout Thailand

Thailand

Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

from the beginning to the end of 2006 in order to celebrate Bhumibol Adulyadej

Bhumibol Adulyadej

Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...

's 60th year on the throne. The celebrations were arranged by the Royal Thai Government with Thaksin Shinawatra

Thaksin Shinawatra

Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....

as Prime Minister

Prime minister

A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...

, and joined by global monarchs.

Official Emblem

Bhumibol Adulyadej selected one of the twelve emblems presented by the Fine Arts Department, Thailand's Ministry of Culture, to be the official emblem for the Celebrations. The selected emblem was designed by Somchai Supphalakamphaiphon, an artist to the department.

There are several symbols in the emblem. The centerpiece is an abbreviation of the King's name in golden yellow, the colour of Monday, his day of birth. The abbreviation is set on a blue background, which is the color of the monarchy. It is encircled with diamonds, which symbolise wise men, important authors, craftsmen, white elephant, graceful women, vigorous soldiers and public servants.

The Royal Regalia

Regalia

Regalia is Latin plurale tantum for the privileges and the insignia characteristic of a Sovereign.The word stems from the Latin substantivation of the adjective regalis, 'regal', itself from Rex, 'king'...

is circumscribed the throne consisting of a crown; on the sides are a sword and a yak

Yak

The yak, Bos grunniens or Bos mutus, is a long-haired bovine found throughout the Himalayan region of south Central Asia, the Tibetan Plateau and as far north as Mongolia and Russia. In addition to a large domestic population, there is a small, vulnerable wild yak population...

's tail whisk; under the throne is a pair of slippers. These five objects are used in coronation ceremonies, and are the same as those used in the king's coronation in 1946.

The bottom of the emblem features a pink ribbon with the name of the Celebrations inscribed in gold. The two ends of the ribbon are held by the monkey god Hanuman

Hanuman

Hanuman , is a Hindu deity, who is an ardent devotee of Rama, a central character in the Indian epic Ramayana and one of the dearest devotees of lord Rama. A general among the vanaras, an ape-like race of forest-dwellers, Hanuman is an incarnation of the divine and a disciple of Lord Rama in the...

, Rama

Rama

Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...

's perfectest army in the India's Ramayana epic

Ramayana

The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...

, and a garuda

Garuda

The Garuda is a large mythical bird or bird-like creature that appears in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology.From an Indian perspective, Garuda is the Hindu name for the constellation Aquila and...

, the Hindu

Hindu

Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...

God Narayana

Vishnu

Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....

's vehicle. The green and gold colors in the background represent the fertility of the land.

Royal Ceremonies

Bhumibol Adulyadej endorsed the royal programmes during the periods of June 2006 as follows:

Date	Time	Ceremony	Place
Thursday, 8 June	17.00 hours	The merit making royal ceremony in dedication to the royal ancestors	Amarin Winitchai Throne Hall
Friday, 9 June	09.00–17.00 hours	The letting of the public paying of homage to the royal ancestors	Phra Thep Bidon Hall, Wat Phra Si Rattanasatsadaram Wat Phra Kaew The Wat Phra Kaew is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand. It is a "potent religio-political symbol and the palladium of Thai society". It is located in the historic centre of Bangkok , within the precincts of the Grand Palace.The main building is the central ubosoth, which...
	10.00 hours	The homage paying royal ceremony in dedication to the royal ancestors	Anantasamakhom Throne Hall Ananda Samakhom Throne Hall The Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall is a former reception hall within Dusit Palace in Bangkok, Thailand. It now serves as a museum and is from time to time employed for certain state occasions....
	10.00 hours	HM The King Bhumibol Adulyadej Bhumibol Adulyadej Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX... and HM The Queen Sirikit Sirikit Somdet Phra Nang Chao Sirikit Phra Borommarachininat , is the queen consort of Bhumibol Adulyadej, King of Thailand. She is the second Queen Regent of Thailand... holding the grand audience	Balcony of Anantasamakhom Throne Hall Ananda Samakhom Throne Hall The Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall is a former reception hall within Dusit Palace in Bangkok, Thailand. It now serves as a museum and is from time to time employed for certain state occasions....
Saturday, 10 June	17.00 hours	The 60th Year on Throne Anniversary Royal Celebrations: The establishment of ecclesiastical ranks The religious ceremonies The throne celebrating walking ceremony	Amarin Winitchai Throne Hall
Monday, 12 June	16.00 hours	HM The King Bhumibol Adulyadej Bhumibol Adulyadej Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX... and HM The Queen Sirikit Sirikit Somdet Phra Nang Chao Sirikit Phra Borommarachininat , is the queen consort of Bhumibol Adulyadej, King of Thailand. She is the second Queen Regent of Thailand... , as well as members of the royal household, welcoming the visiting monarchs	Anantasamakhom Throne Hall Ananda Samakhom Throne Hall The Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall is a former reception hall within Dusit Palace in Bangkok, Thailand. It now serves as a museum and is from time to time employed for certain state occasions....
Monday, 12 June	18.30 hours	The monarchs inspecting the Royal Projects Exhibition and the Royal Barge Procession Thailand's Royal Barge Procession Thailand's Royal Barge Procession is a ceremony of both religious and royal significance which has been taking place for nearly 700 years. The exquisitely crafted Royal Barges are a blend of craftsmanship and traditional Thai art. The Royal Barge Procession takes place rarely, typically...	The Royal Thai Navy's Auditorium, and Ratchanawikasapha (Royal Thai Navy Hall)
Tuesday, 13 June	19.30 hours	Royal Banquet Banquet A banquet is a large meal or feast, complete with main courses and desserts. It usually serves a purpose such as a charitable gathering, a ceremony, or a celebration, and is often preceded or followed by speeches in honour of someone....	Borommaratchasathit Maholan Hall, Grand Palace

The entire royal ceremonies were nationwide broadcasted by The Television Pool of Thailand through every general television channels in accordance with the date and time as stated.

State Ceremonies

Lighting of Well-Wishing Candles Ceremony, Friday, 9 June 2006, 19.19 hours, Sanam Luang
Sanam Luang
Sanam Luang is an open field and public square in front of Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace, Bangkok, Thailand. Sanam Luang is located in the Phra Nakhon district, the historic center of Bangkok....

.

Feasting Assemblage arranged by the Government to offer the dinner to the monarchs, the Government House.

Trooping the Colour
Trooping the Colour
Trooping the Colour is a ceremony performed by regiments of the British and the Commonwealth armies. It has been a tradition of British infantry regiments since the 17th century, although the roots go back much earlier. On battlefields, a regiment's colours, or flags, were used as rallying points...

, Thanon Ratchadamnoen.

Visiting monarchs

There exist 44 monarch-headed countries in the present but only 29 monarchs in total because Elizabeth II is considered the constitutional monarch of 16 states of Commonwealth realms. Of all 29 monarchs, 25 accepted the invitation from the Royal Thai Government to join the celebrations in Thailand: 13 countries participated the celebrations by themselves, 12 sent their representatives. The two countries that could not join the celebrations were Nepal

Nepal

Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...

, owing to the internal political instability, and Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...

, owing to the royal health and its prevailing circumstances.

Commemorations

The wearing of royal-yellow T-shirts to celebrate the occasion is a voluntary joint expression of the Thai people (although in some organizations it has become mandatory), and as the main celebration period of June 9–13 approached, shirts bearing the special emblem for the celebration rapidly sold out. The Commerce Ministry ordered another 500,000 to meet demand. In the weeks that followed the celebration, many people still wore their yellow shirts.

Also popular are orange rubber wristbands, similar to the Livestrong wristband

Livestrong wristband

The LIVESTRONG Bracelet is a blue silicone gel bracelet launched in May 2004 as a fund-raising item for the Lance Armstrong Foundation, founded by cyclist and pnumonia survivor Lance Armstrong. The bracelet itself was developed by Nike and their ad agency Wieden+Kennedy.-Purpose:The bracelet is...

s, that say "We love the King."

Photographs of the ceremonies are also popular. The Royal Household Bureau has set up a photo lab specifically to fill orders for official images, and on Bangkok's streets there are vendors selling copies of the photos of the king and the visiting royals. Also, newspapers such as the Bangkok Post
Bangkok Post
The Bangkok Post is a broadsheet, English-language daily newspaper published in Bangkok, Thailand. The first issue was sold on August 1, 1946. It had four pages and cost 1 baht, a considerable amount at the time....

and The Nation
The Nation (Thailand)
The Nation is a broadsheet, English-language daily newspaper founded in 1971 and published in Bangkok, Thailand, and is owned by the Nation Multimedia Group.The Nation is a member of the Asia News Network...

report brisk sales of commemorative publications.

External links

The Sixtieth Anniversary Celebrations of His Majesty's Accession to the Throne – official website for Diamond Jubilee
Palaces of the King – Galleries of images by Royal Household photographers
A Visionary Monarch – provides a lot of insights on his visions and contributions to the country.