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ABOVE AND BEYOND
PERUSE THE PAGES OF THAILAND: NINE DAYS IN THE KINGDOM, A NEW PHOTOGRAPHY BOOK IN HONOUR OF HIS MAJESTY’S MILESTONE BIRTHDAY
In the countryside just outside of Bangkok city, a farmer
sets out racks of fish to dry under the sun. Yann Arthus-Bertrand, France
THAILAND IS ALL SET to celebrate the 80th birthday of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej on 5 December, 2007. But the festivities are not limited to this one day: special events in His Majesty’s honour have taken place throughout the kingdom nearly every day since the beginning of January this year. After all, the King of Thailand is one of the world’s most popular monarchs, living by a strict moral code and setting up thousands of worthy royal initiatives during his incredible 61-year reign.
“His Majesty has proven himself to be the King of all Thailand, of all Thais, from the most prosperous to the poorest in the most deprived rural areas,” says Didier Millet of Editions Didier Millet (EDM), publisher of the new coffee table book, Thailand: Nine Days in the Kingdom. It celebrates the country in an elegant showcase of 55 leading international photographers, invited to a special nine-day shoot around Thailand in January. Among the group were France’s famous aerial photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand and 11 respected Thais, including the project’s chairman, Surat Osathanugrah of The Royal Photographic Society of Thailand.
“EDM is proud to be associated with such a talented creative team,” says Millet. “The company has published many books on Thailand, and now has the opportunity to give something back to the country. The book is a fitting tribute to His Majesty’s long and successful reign, and to the achievements of the Thai people.”
Providing a fascinating photographic trip through modern Thailand, the glossy tome extends the concept of its predecessor, Thailand: Seven Days in the Kingdom, produced 20 years ago by the same editorial team to celebrate His Majesty’s 60th birthday. The auspicious number nine was selected this time around to reflect the King’s other official title of Rama IX.
Thailand: Nine Days in the Kingdom is a visual journey around the nation, offering views from above the land, below the sea, and across society. We reveal nine images that provide a glimpse of the myriad of places and faces this special publication has captured.
Late afternoon at Chatuchak weekend market in Bangkok. This sprawling bazaar is one of the biggest in the world and attracts hundreds of thousands of shoppers every Saturday and Sunday. Over 10,000 stalls sell everything from turtles to used sneakers to the latest creations of young Thai designers. Gueorgui Pinkhassov, France
An office worker walks home along Bangkok’s Rama IV Road, past the popular night market known as Suan Lum Night Bazaar. The market’s Ferris wheel has since been dismantled and the bazaar is set to close in favour of a new real estate project. S.C. Shekar, Malaysia
The Skytrain zips over one of Bangkok’s busiest intersections, past Lumpini Park. It connects 23 stations in the downtown area and has revolutionised public transportation in the city. Ben Simmons, USA
A fortune-teller peeks out of his shop in Chinatown. One of the more obscure methods of fortune-telling is face reading. The fortune-teller bases his predictions on a person’s facial features. In Thailand, fortune-telling is not just for fun. The vast majority consult fortune-tellers to answer serious questions about when to hold important events such as a wedding or a business launch, or when to have a child. Dominic Sansoni, Sri Lanka
Each year for 10 days, hundreds of monks from Nong Khai and surrounding provinces in northern Thailand gather at Mahachulalongkorn Buddhist University’s Nong Khai campus for a winter camp to further their religious studies. Here, at the break of day, they are chanting and praying before eating their morning meal. Michael Yamashita, USA
Locals walk through the stalls at the annual Suphan Buri fair. Fairs and festivals are an important part of the cultural fabric of Thailand and there is unlikely to be a town in the country that does not host one.
Laura El-Tantawy, Egypt/UK
The 92m-high Buddha statue at Wat Muang in Ang Thong province is surrounded by rice fields. Workers were applying gold paint to the statue when this picture was taken. The photographer ascended in their crane to capture this shot. Romeo Gacad, Philippines
Two exhausted fighters come together in a clinch at Bangkok’s Ratchadamnoen Stadium. In muay thai, boxers are not separated when this happens and they will take advantage of these moments to deliver blows with their knees. Greg Gorman, USA
Thailand: Nine Days in the Kingdom (2007) is published by Editions Didier Millet (www..edmbooks.com) and available across Thailand, as well as in Europe, USA and Australia. Accompanying the book is a DVD featuring a documentary about the project, and an exhibition of published and unpublished images from this book will be on display at Zen, CentralWorld, Bangkok, from 6-25 November, 2007.
For more information, visit www.9days-inthekingdom.com
IN HIS OWN TIME
His Majesty King Bhumibol of Thailand holds the title of being the world’s longest-serving monarch; however, his achievements go beyond his 61-year-long reign.
Revered for his high moral standards and generosity, King Bhumibol has been involved in thousands of royally initiated projects across numerous sectors to help Thailand’s sustainable development, and is well known for his hands-on research in farming and reforestation. His Majesty’s talents also extend to the artistic world: he is an accomplished jazz saxophonist and composer, as well as keen photographer, painter, sculptor and author.
TIME LINE
1927
Born on 5 December in Cambridge, Massachusetts (USA)
1930s
Childhood years spent in Lausanne, Switzerland with Her Royal Highness the Princess Mother, and his brother and sister
1946
On 9 June, the 20-year-old royal ascends to the throne and is crowned His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, the ninth monarch of the Royal House of Chakri
1950
King Bhumibol marries Mom Rajawong Sirikit Kitiyakara, daughter of the Royal Siamese Ambassador to Paris
1960
American clarinist and jazz legend, Benny Goodman accompanies His Majesty on saxophone in one of many royal jam sessions
1970s
His Majesty launches the first of a series of reforestation projects, venturing across Thailand to work with farmers and developing agricultural programmes
1982
A first-of-its-kind exhibition of 47 original paintings by His Majesty goes on show at London’s National Gallery
1996
Release in Thailand of His Majesty’s book, The Story of Mahajanaka. The tale is from Buddhist scripture and about perseverance through difficult times
2006
The nation joins King Bhumibol in celebrating his 80th birthday through a series of special events
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