The Sixtieth Anniversary Celebrations of King Bhumibol Adulyadej's Accession to the Throne (; ) were the celebrations held throughout

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

in 2006 to celebrate

King King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...

Bhumibol Adulyadej Bhumibol Adulyadej (5 December 192713 October 2016), titled Rama IX, was King of Thailand from 1946 until Death and funeral of Bhumibol Adulyadej, his death in 2016. His reign of 70 years and 126 days is the longest of any List of Thai mo ...

's 60 years on the throne. The celebrations were arranged by the Royal Thai Government with

Thaksin Shinawatra Thaksin Shinawatra (, ; born 26 July 1949) is a Thai businessman and politician who was the 23rd prime minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006. Since 2009 he has also been a citizen of Montenegro. Thaksin founded the mobile phone operator A ...

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

, and attended by representatives of other monarchies.

Official emblem

King Bhumibol selected one of twelve designs presented by the Fine Arts Department of the

Ministry of Culture Ministry of Culture may refer to: * Ministry of Tourism, Cultural Affairs, Youth and Sports (Albania) * Ministry of Culture (Algeria) * Ministry of Culture (Argentina) * Minister for the Arts (Australia) * Ministry of Culture (Azerbaijan)Ministry o ...

to be the official emblem for the celebrations. The emblem selected was designed by department artist Somchai Supphalakamphaiphon. There are several symbols in the emblem. The centerpiece is a cypher of the king's name in golden yellow, the colour of Monday, his day of birth. The cypher is set on a blue background, which is a royal colour. The device is encircled with diamonds, which symbolise wise men, important authors, craftsmen, the sacred

white elephant A white elephant is a possession that its owner cannot dispose of without extreme difficulty, and whose cost, particularly that of maintenance, is out of proportion to its usefulness. In modern usage, it is a metaphor used to describe an object, ...

, graceful women, vigorous soldiers, and public servants. The Royal Regalia that circumscribe the device: the

Great Crown of Victory The Great Crown of Victory (; ) is one of the regalia of Thailand. Made of gold and enamelled in red and green during the reign of King Rama I in 1782, the Crown (headgear), crown is 66 centimeters (26 inches) high and weighs 7.3 kg (16 poun ...

surmounts the throne, flanked by a sword and a yak's tail whisk; under the throne is a pair of royal slippers. These five objects are used in coronation ceremonies, which were last used during the king's coronation on 5 May 1950. 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 (; , ), also known as Maruti, Bajrangabali, and Anjaneya, is a deity in Hinduism, revered as a divine ''vanara'', and a devoted companion of the deity Rama. Central to the ''Ramayana'', Hanuman is celebrated for his unwavering devotio ...

, the devotee and leader of

Rama Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda' ...

's army in the

Ramakien The (, , ; ; sometimes also spelled ) is one of Thailand's national epics. It is a Thai version of the ancient Indian epic ''Ramayana'', and an important part of the Thai literature, Thai literary canon. King Rama VI was the first person t ...

, and

Garuda Garuda (; ; Vedic Sanskrit: , ) is a Hindu deity who is primarily depicted as the mount (''vahana'') of the Hindu god Vishnu. This divine creature is mentioned in the Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain faiths. Garuda is also the half-brother of the D ...

, the

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

god

Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...

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

Main programmes

Royal ceremonies

The king endorsed the royal programmes during the periods of June 2006 as follows: The royal ceremonies were broadcast in their entirety nationwide by the

Television Pool of Thailand Television Pool of Thailand (; ) is an organization established by Bangkok Broadcasting & Television Company Limited Channel 7 HD, Royal Thai Army Radio and Television Station Channel 5 HD, Thai Television Channel 3 HD and Thai Television Ch ...

through every general television channel at the dates and times listed.

State ceremonies

* Lighting of Well-Wishing Candles Ceremony, Friday, 9 June 2006, 19:19,

Sanam Luang Sanam Luang (, ; ), officially Thong Sanam Luang (), is a open field and public square in front of Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace, Bangkok, Thailand. Sanam Luang is in the Phra Nakhon District, the historic center of Bangkok. In the ''Roy ...

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

Trooping the Colour Trooping the Colour is a ceremonial event performed every year on Horse Guards Parade in London, United Kingdom, by regiments of Household Division, to celebrate the King's Official Birthday, official birthday of the British sovereign, though t ...

, Thanon Ratchadamnoen.

Commemorations

Thais wore royal yellow tee shirts to celebrate (although in some organisations it became mandatory), and as the main celebration period of 9–13 June approached, shirts bearing the celebrations' special emblem rapidly sold out. The

Ministry of Commerce A ministry of trade and industry, ministry of commerce, ministry of commerce and industry or variations is a ministry that is concerned with a nation's trade, industry and commerce. Notable examples are: List *Algeria: Ministry of Industry and ...

ordered another 500,000 shirts to meet demand, and many people still wore yellow shirts weeks after the celebrations ended. Also popular were orange rubber wristbands, similar to the Livestrong wristbands, inscribed "We love the King." Photographs of the ceremonies are also popular. The

Bureau of the Royal Household The Bureau of the Royal Household (BRH) is a royal agency with a status equivalent to a ministry of the Royal Thai Government, directly under the authority of the monarch. It is responsible for royal affairs concerning the King and the Royal Fami ...

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 visiting royals.''

The Nation ''The Nation'' is a progressive American monthly magazine that covers political and cultural news, opinion, and analysis. It was founded on July 6, 1865, as a successor to William Lloyd Garrison's '' The Liberator'', an abolitionist newspaper ...

'
"Royal Household Bureau to sell jubilee celebration pictures"
, 20 June 2006. Also, newspapers such as the ''

Bangkok Post The ''Bangkok Post'' is an English-language daily newspaper published in Bangkok, Thailand. It is published in broadsheet and digital formats. The first issue was sold on 1 August 1946. It had four pages and cost one baht, a considerable amount ...

'' and ''

'' reported brisk sales of commemorative publications. On 16 January 2007, the government officially declared the end of the 60th anniversary celebrations and commenced year-long celebrations of Bhumibol's 80th birthday.

Attendents

Foreign Royalty

* The

King of Bhutan The King of Bhutan, officially the Druk Gyalpo (; ), is the constitutional monarch and head of state of the Kingdom of Bhutan. In the Dzongkha language, Bhutan is known as ''Drukyul'' which translates as "The Land of the Thunder Dra ...

* The

Sultan Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be use ...

and Queen of Brunei * The

King of Cambodia The monarchy of Cambodia is the constitutional monarchy of the Kingdom of Cambodia. The king of Cambodia () is the head of state and head of the ruling Royal House of Norodom. In the contemporary period, the king's power has been limited t ...

* The

Prince Henrik of Denmark Prince Henrik of Denmark (; born Henri Marie Jean André de Laborde de Monpezat; 11 June 1934 – 13 February 2018) was the husband of Margrethe II of Denmark. He served as her royal consort from Margrethe's accession on 14 January 1972 unt ...

(representing the

Queen of Denmark The monarchy of Denmark is a constitutional institution and a historic office of the Kingdom of Denmark. The Kingdom includes Denmark proper and the autonomous territories of the Faroe Islands and Greenland. The Kingdom of Denmark was alrea ...

) * The

Emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

and

Empress of Japan The empress of Japan is the title given to the wife of the Emperor of Japan or a female ruler in her own right. The current empress consort is Empress Masako, who ascended the throne with her husband on 1 May 2019. Empress regnant Titles * ...

* The

King of Jordan The king of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan () is the monarchical head of state of Jordan. He serves as the head of the Jordanian monarchy—the Hashemites, Hashemite dynasty. The king is addressed as Majesty, His Majesty (). Jordan is a const ...

* The

and Queen of Lesotho * The Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein * The

Grand Duke of Luxembourg The Grand Duke of Luxembourg is the head of state of Luxembourg. Luxembourg has been a grand duchy since 15 March 1815, when it was created from territory of the former Duchy of Luxembourg. It was in personal union with the United Kingdom of ...

* The

Prince of Monaco The sovereign prince () is the monarch and head of state of the Principality of Monaco. All reigning princes and princesses have taken the name of the House of Grimaldi. When Prince Rainier III died in 2005, he was Europe's longest reigning mo ...

* The

Emir Emir (; ' (), also Romanization of Arabic, transliterated as amir, is a word of Arabic language, Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocratic, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person po ...

and Sheikha Mozah of Qatar * The

Queen of Spain The monarchy of Spain or Spanish monarchy () is the constitutional form of government of Spain. It consists of a Hereditary monarchy, hereditary monarch who reigns as the head of state, being the highest office of the country. The Spanish ...

(representing the

King of Spain The monarchy of Spain or Spanish monarchy () is the constitutional form of government of Spain. It consists of a Hereditary monarchy, hereditary monarch who reigns as the head of state, being the highest office of the country. The Spanish ...

) * The

and

Queen of Sweden The monarchy of Sweden is centred on the monarchical head of state of Sweden,See the Instrument of Government, Chapter 1, Article 5. by law a constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system.Parliamentary system: see the Ins ...

* The

Duke of York Duke of York is a title of nobility in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of List of English monarchs, English (later List of British monarchs, British) monarchs ...

(representing the

Queen of United Kingdom The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the form of government used by the United Kingdom by which a hereditary monarch reigns as the head of state, with their powers regulated by the British const ...

)

References

External links

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. {{Bhumibol Adulyadej Chakri dynasty Bhumibol Adulyadej Monarchy of Thailand Ceremonies in Thailand Jubilees 2006 in Thailand June 2006 in Asia

Official emblem

Main programmes

Royal ceremonies

State ceremonies

Commemorations

Attendents

Foreign Royalty

See also

References

External links