The “Chulalongkorn Day or “Piya Maharaj Day” is considered as the memorial day for King Chulalongkorn, or King Rama V, which falls on 23 October every year. King Chulalongkorn the Great was one of the most important kings of the Chakri Dynasty. The most prominent contribution he made was slavery abolition as well as numerous national reforms undertaken to modernize the country.

King Chulalongkorn “Phra Chula Chom Klao Chao Yu Hua” succeeded to the throne at the death of his father, King Rama IV “Phra Chom Klao”. He was born on September 20, 1853, the first son of Queen Ramphai Pamarapirom (Thepsirindra) and the 9th surviving son of King Mongkut. King Rama V ascended the Throne in 1868 at the age of 15, with Chao Phraya Sri Suriyawongse as Regent. His death on 23 October 1910 was a great loss to the entire nation as he was one of the most honored and beloved kings, who was praised as “Somdej Phra Piya Maharaj- the Great and Beloved King”.

The King’s reforms have greatly benefited every aspect of Thai life, especially the abolition of slavery, the expansion of the communication system through the construction of railways, the establishment of post, telegraph services and the creation of a ministerial system, which all the current ministries and departments owe their origin of his initiatives. Moreover, the King established a variety of public utilities as well, particularly in the fields of health care and education. At that time, the world did not allow him to proceed smoothly with his administrative reforms as it coincided with the age of colonialism. The King, therefore, had to adapt his foreign policy to maintain a balance and multilateral relations as well as avoid confrontation with the major powers. In the last period of his reign, the nation lost a lot of lands to France. At the time of the crisis, Thailand was eventually able to keep independence even if some of the territories were sacrificed.

King Rama V’s long reign of 42-years was a prosperous era of national reforms and the emergence of Thailand into the modern epoch. He learned the systems of Western Governments and also sent the royal children to receive education in the West. Furthermore, he was the first Thai monarch who traveled frequently to neighboring and other countries around the globe.

During his reign, King Chulalongkorn wished to make His people less subservient. After the coronation in 1873, he proclaimed that prostration in front of the king be abolished. Later, in 1905, the slavery was completely ended. This slave abolition was the most important royal contribution to the nation. The Slave Act was enacted by the King in 1905 to prohibit slave trade. Apart from slavery abolition, all of his numerous contributions and reforms for the prosperity and sustainable development for the nation were too numerous to mention.

Up until now, Thai people believe in the King’s miraculous power of bringing good luck and prosperity to the persons who pays respect to him. Thus, the King’s pictures are normally seen in almost every house across the nation. People from all walks of life generally pay tribute to the Great King and lay wreaths at the Equestrian Statue, which is located at the Royal Plaza in the Capital City of Bangkok.

Source: Thai Public Relations Department

Thailand celebrates Her Majesty the Queen’s birthday today with many activities to pay tribute to the “Mother of the Land.” Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has urged the people to conduct good deeds in order to show gratitude to Her Majesty, who has contributed tremendously to the nation.

Her Majesty turns 77 on 12th August 2009. She was born in 1932, when Thailand changed its administrative system from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy. Her birthday is also observed as National Mother’s Day.

Originally, Thailand observed April 15 as National Mother’s Day as designated by the Cabinet in 1950. The celebration of National Mother’s Day was later discontinued, but in 1976, the National Council on Social Welfare of Thailand proposed that Her Majesty’s birthday be designated National Mother’s Day. The Cabinet approved the proposal and the celebration of National Mother’s Day was resumed in 1976. To celebrate Mother’s Day each year, the National Council on Social Welfare of Thailand selects outstanding mothers of the year, who are presented with awards as model mothers.

One of the activities launched jointly by several organizations to mark Mother’s Day is to take mothers to travel for pleasure. The activity provides an opportunity for family members to spend time together, thus promoting the bonds of love and care for mothers. In Thai society, a mother is accorded the highest significance as the giver of life and the person who nurtures and brings up family members. She is also someone who works for a living to help sustain the household and who teaches knowledge and skills until the children become self-supporting, all this without demanding anything in return.

Her Majesty the Queen devoted her time and energy to the caring for the four royal children during their younger days. With all her official functions and duties, she still arranged her schedule to spend as much time as possible with her children. When the royal children approached adulthood, Her Majesty found more time to involve herself in many areas of public life, especially concerning public welfare and the plight of the poor and the underprivileged.

For almost 60 years Her Majesty has worked side by side with His Majesty the King to eliminate difficulties within the Kingdom. Throughout the long period, she has never complained of weariness but has always been happy to be in the middle of people. Her kind heart and deeds are known not only to Thai people but also to the world at large. She appreciates good deeds conducted by the people in celebration of her birthday, saying that they reflect the spirit of giving and dedication, as well as the unity of the people.

It is truthful to say that Her Majesty the Queen is deeply loved and admired by her subjects. August 12 each year is a special day for Thailand’s people to pay tribute to their beloved Queen, who is recognized as Mother of the Land and who has always been a loving and devoted mother.

Source: Public Relations Department

The Day of Vesak, or Visakha Puja, falls on the full moon day of the sixth lunar month, coinciding with May 8 this year. About 2,000 Buddhist leaders from all over the world have joined an International Buddhist Conference on the United Nations Day of Vesak in Thailand, scheduled for May 4-6.

Visakha Puja commemorates the birth of the Buddha, his attainment of enlightenment, and his passing away. An extraordinary aspect of the occasion is that the three incidents took place on the same day but different years. The Buddha attained enlightenment at the age of 35 and passed away at the age of 80. He spent 45 years propagating his principle of freedom from suffering.

The United Nation General Assembly at its 79th plenary meeting in late 1999 adopted the resolution for international recognition of the Day of Vesak. The resolution recognizes that the Day of the Full Moon in the month of May each year is the day most sacred to Buddhists. The international recognition of Visakha Puja also acknowledges the contribution that Buddhism has made for over 2,500 years.

The Buddha taught mutual loving-kindness and forbearance for the sake of peace and happiness in society. Since these principles are shared by the United Nations Charter, the United Nations declared that Visakha Puja was a day of universal significance, and directed that observances be held, as appropriate, at the United Nations Headquarters and other United Nations offices in May each year.

Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana represented His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn in presiding over the opening ceremony of the International Buddhist Conference on the United Nations Day of Vesak 2009. In her address, she said that the Buddha’s teachings provide all of the virtues necessary for discovering the Dhamma and preaching it throughout the world for the sake of peace, happiness, and welfare of both the individual and the world as a whole. Major topics of discussion at the conference included Buddhist Approach to the Environmental Crisis, Buddhist Approach to the Economic Crisis, and Buddhist Approach to Political Conflict and Peace Development.

Buddhism began to make its way into Thailand during the time of King Asoka the Great of India in the year B.E. (Buddhist Era) 218. After its introduction into Thai society, Buddhism gained wide acceptance because of its emphasis on tolerance and individual initiative, which complemented the Thais’ cherished sense of inner freedom. It has had a profound influence over Thai arts, culture, tradition, and learning. More importantly, it has dominated the character of the vast majority of the Thai people.

At present, Thailand is the location of the headquarters of the World Fellowship of Buddhists, an international Buddhist organization which promotes coordination and cooperation to enhance Buddhism throughout the world. There are currently around 32,700 Buddhist monasteries and more than 350,000 monks across the country.

Source: The Government Public Relations Department

Today is National Teacher’s Day in Thailand and I thought I would take this opportunity to show you how well respected teachers are in Thailand. It is a pleasure teaching here and I wouldn’t dream of teaching anywhere else. Certainly not in America! Every January 16th is a holiday for us and we get the day off work. Then, at the start of the academic year in May, all of the students come to school with flowers and prostrate at our feet. You cannot get a better job than that! In Thailand, teachers get a lot of respect in the local community though, unfortunately, they don’t get much money in comparison to other jobs. Many of them have to supplement their income with second jobs and private students.

Today I want to talk about manners in a Thai school. If you speak to any Thai teacher, they will immediately say that their students are naughty and badly behaved. They will also comment that children these days are not as well mannered as they were in their day. This might very well be true. In the 15 years I have been teaching here, I have seen some watering down of Thai ethics in both the school and local community. However, ask any educators that have visited our school from America or Europe and they will all agree that our students are the best mannered children that they have ever met.

The Thai people are world famous for their hospitality and their smiles. From an early age they are taught to be well mannered and considerate of other people. Surprisingly, most of this is done in schools across the country. The students are taught not only how to behave at school and their community, but also at home. The students are taught from an early age that they have to do their part in order to keep the family together and happy. Their chores around the house should be done without question. They should prostrate at the feet of their parents on both Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. They should wai their parents in both greeting and a way of saying thanks. They should be forever grateful to their parents and should always show them the utmost respect.

Proper manners start as soon as the students arrive at school early in the morning. Most, though not all, will wai their parents in a prayer like gesture as they are dropped off at school. This is a way of saying both “thank you” and “goodbye”. They then greet the teacher by the front gate, with a wai and then slightly bow their head as they walk into the school. As they enter the first building, they pause to take off their shoes. They carry them in their hand as they walk up to their classroom. If they meet any teacher in the corridor, they will put down their shoes and wai that teacher. If a teacher is walking down the stairs, they will stop to let the teacher pass.

Inside the classroom the students are just as polite. Maybe too polite. As I walk into the classroom for my English class, the class captain will shout out “please stand up” in English. This is not really a good translation of the Thai version which they do for other lessons. Really they should say something like “students, pay your respects”. They all then stand up and say “sawatdee krap/kaa” to the teacher. This is the Thai greeting. The teacher then replies with the same greeting and tells the students to sit down. They then say “thank you”. What I always find amusing is the little routine we have at the end of the lessons. Which, by the way, ends when I say it does and not when the bell goes. When I am ready to leave, I signal to the class captain that the lesson is over. She will then tell the students to pay respect to me in much the same way as before. They then thank me for teaching them that lesson. They do this even though I may have been horrible to them or just given them a lot of homework!

In the classroom, the teacher is always right and anything she says will not be questioned. Even if she is wrong. In the past, the teachers taught many classes using the “rote” system. This usually involves the teacher standing at the front of the class reading from one of the text books. The students then sit quietly in their rows listening attentively. Sometimes the teacher will ask the students to read from their books at the same time or repeat after her. From an educators point of view this is obviously very good. It is very easy to maintain discipline when everybody is doing the same thing at the same time. The students are very respectful and don’t really give us a great deal of trouble. However, this is starting to change. For the past few years, the government has been encouraging us to use a “child centered” method of teaching. This means the focus during lessons should be on the students rather than the teacher. The students now do more group work and quite often have to try and work out things for themselves.

In some ways, these new methods are good. I have always said that Thai students are taught what to think instead of how to think. However, the downside of this new approach is that discipline and class control is starting to slip. Students are now questioning the teacher. The want to know why things have to be done in a certain way. Freedom of speech may sound like a good idea, however, the idea of questioning your elders or disputing what they say goes against Thai culture. Students at that age are more likely to cross the line without realizing it. We are starting to see students who are more cheeky or not listening to what the teacher is saying. Before, the students all did the same thing. Now they are split up into groups and are working on different projects. To the older teachers, this looks like chaos. They don’t like it so much. However, the younger teachers realize the potential of teaching the students how to think for themselves.

Despite these changes to teaching methods, some things haven’t changed. If a student wants to go to the toilet during a lesson, he or she will come up to me with their hands together in a prayer-like gesture and kneel at my desk. They will then ask if they can be excused. If I then say yes they will then wai me and say “thank you”. On returning to the classroom, they will hover by the doorway with their hands again in the wai position. They now ask for permission to come back in. When I say “yes” (am I really going to deny entry?) they will thank me again. When I first came to Thailand the students would kneel in the doorway waiting for me to give them permission to enter the classroom. This seems to have stopped now.

If you have read my blogs you would know that the level of your head is very important. In the classroom, if the students want help with their homework, they have to approach the teacher on their knees. They cannot just stand by the desk as their head will be higher than the teacher. Also, if they walk by the seated teacher, the would have to bow their head out of respect. In the past, when students entered the school office, they had to do so on their knees. They weren’t allowed to stand at all. However, these days they can walk in but they would still have to kneel at the desk of the secretary. This isn’t just for the students. If a teacher is called to the office of the school director, they shouldn’t sit on a chair unless invited. They should first kneel at the desk.

Change is to be expected. It is inevitable. However, change is not always for the best. How much of the culture of Thailand is lost when they try to emulate the West? Will all of these examples of Thai manners just become “quaint” and old fashioned? Will Thailand as a country be better off as an an exact clone of the West? I don’t think so. People love Thailand for its charm and level of repect it shows. I for one would hate to see Thai students act like some American and European students dfo in the classroom. Some of my Thai students have seen American movies where students swear at and even hit their teachers. They are shocked and say it will never happen here. But it could. When I first started teaching here in Thailand I told my students not to kneel at my desk or wai me. I regret that now. We all need to do our part to make sure Thai ethics and the Thai way of life is preserved for future generations. It doesn’t matter if we are Thai or foreign. We all have a duty.

You can find the archives for my Teaching in Thailand blogs over at our new website www.ThaiSchoolLife.com.

The other day, I was showing some people around the school. They were visiting from Australia. They made a good point that some of the teachers were a bit slow taking down the “Happy New Year” banners from the classrooms. I said that well may be true from their point of view. But you could look at it another way. They are also a little early for the next one. In less than two weeks, on Monday 26th January 2009, the Chinese will be celebrating their own new year - the start of the Year of the Ox.

A number of teachers and students have Chinese ancestry so I guess it would make sense to continue the celebration. In fact, I think about 25% of the students will be absent from school on New Year’s Day at the end of this month. For the teachers and kitchen staff that have to work, there will be a ceremony taking place at the school in order for them to honour their dead ancestors. And of course, there will be some extremely loud firecrackers!

For Thai people, their traditional new year is on April 13th. This is called Songkran and over the years it has turned into a good excuse to have a massive water fight. However, underlying this, by tradition, people will pour a small amount of perfumed water over their elder’s hands and in return will receive a blessing. More about that nearer the time.

In The Nation newspaper, they had a few do’s and don’t for the Chinese New Year. I want to share a few with you:

* Wear new clothes, preferably red.
* Give red envelopes containing money to children.
* Keep your rice bucket fall as it symbolises abundance in the coming year
* Don’t wash your hair or sweep the floor as you might sweep/wash away your good luck.
* Don’t use or carry sharp object as these will pierce any good fortune coming your way.
* Don’t talk loudly, speak badly, say the number four or mention death.
* Don’t drop your chopsticks or break things.
* Don’t borrow or lend money

A happy new year to everyone. See you at the next new year celebrations which is coming very soon!

On the second Saturday of January every year, the Thai people celebrate National Children’s Day. This has been going on for about 50 years now. Children are seen not only as the national treasure, but they are also seen as the future of the country. It is important that they are protected and that they are guided into becoming responsible citizens. In the West, we are taught that adults always come first. But in Thailand, an old woman, weighed down with shopping bags on the bus, will actually stand up in order to let a child take her seat. Well, maybe not as extreme as that, but adults do let children take their seats even though their feet might be killing them.

On this special day, all over the country, children are entertained with many events. In Samut Prakan, the local Naval Museum and Naval Academy opened their doors for the children. This morning I went there to take some pictures. There were hundreds of children playing on tanks and warships and having their pictures taken with guns that were taller than them. There were plenty of games for them to play and prizes to win. After the Naval Academy, we stopped by the post office as I needed to buy some stamps. Set up by the door there was a table ladened with a large variety of candies and also ice cream. All of this was free and was being given out to every child that came into the post office. Other places like the Crocodile Farm also let children enter for free today. I suppose it is a bit like Christmas.

Every year we have the ABAC Poll that tells us what the children want for their future. Here is the findings which were published in the Bangkok Post:

About 60% of the children want to see the end to the protests, while 37.2% want to see unity in the country. Some 15.8% want the adults to donate goods like sports equipment to children. The survey questioned 1,157 children aging 10 to 15 years old living in Bangkok. It was conducted from Wednesday to Friday. Most of the children, or 91%, say they would like adults to set good examples on showing respect to the monarchy, while 89.1% say they want to see national reconciliation. Some 72.5% say they want adults to respect the rules of laws, while 71.8% say they want them to support each other. When asked what they want from Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, about 39% say they want things like computers, mobile phones, cars and homes from him. Some 27% say they want scholarship and free education, while 22% say they want to see peace in the country.

I am not sure how they undertook this poll. Somehow I cannot see ten year olds saying that they want an end to protests. ABAC must have given them a list to choose from. Most kids I know are more interested in their comic books or the latest video games. Notice also how most Children's Day events are centered around guns and tanks. Take a look at this picture that I posted today from the troubled south of Thailand.

The date of the "new year" in Thailand has moved around a few times over the years. It started as a movable festival called Songkran that followed the dates of the lunar months. In 1889, it was fixed to be held on the 1st of April. This continued until 1941 when 1st of January became the "new year" and a public holiday. This was done to be in-line with much of the rest of the world. However, Thais continued to celebrate their traditional new year on 1st of April. In 1948, the government officially fixed the 13th of April as Songkran Day and made it a public holiday. In 1989, the government proclaimed the 12th to 14th of April public holidays in order to allow people to return to their hometowns for making merit. In 1997, the government changed the dates of Songkran festival to be from the 13th to the 15th of April.

The following is a translation of the announcement of the Thai government dated 1940 when the "new year" was first changed to 1st of January:

Traditionally, the first waning moon day of the first lunar month was accepted by the Thai people as New Year’s Day, in correspondence with the Buddhist Doctrine which regarded winter as the beginning of the year. Later on, it was changed by the Brahman Doctrine that adopted the first waxing moon day of the fifth month as New Year’s Day. Afterwards, the government followed a Solar Calendar and has accepted the first of April as the first day of the year, since B.E. 2432 (1889 A.D.).

As other countries world-wide adopted the first of January as New Year’s Day which was not related to their religions and political ideologies, but to astronomy; it is therefore appropriate for Thailand to have adopted the solar calendar as other countries have done, because the first of January is closest to the first waning moon day and also when winter time begins. The acceptance of the first of January as New Year’s Day would also be related to Thai ancient tradition which was related to Buddhist belief and would be shown as an equivalent standard to other nations.

Hence, the Royal announcement set up the calendar year act of B.E. 2483 (1940 A.D.) by the suggestion approval of the parliament on 17th of September B.E. 2483 (1940 A.D.) and promulgated on 17th of October B.E. 2483 (1940 A.D.), and finally the government accepted the first day of January as New Year’s Day. Therefore, there was the Royal announcement to the members of the Royal Family, Religious sectors and Thai people to accept the first of January as the first day of the year. Since its beginning in 2484 (1941 A.D.), New Year’s Day is believed to have made the country and people of Thailand "prosperous and joyful".

So, the year now changes on the 1st of January. Today saw the start of the year 2552 B.E. For many Westerners, this may seem strange, but the Buddhist Era in Thailand is 543 years ahead of the Christian Era. So, 2552 B.E. is the same as 2009 A.D. I will tell you more about dates and time in Thailand later here at www.ThaiCultureBlogs.com.

Main Source: Ministry of Culture
Photographs: Richard Barrow (Taken at Paknam in Samut Prakan on New Year's Day, 1st January 2009.)