If you are inclined to follow the rumours about King Bhumibol’s health then you could do worse than start with the meaty synthesis put together by Political Prisoners in Thailand. It includes all of the key sources.
In response to this style of coverage, the editorial team of The Nation has come out firing. They have suggested that “rumours on HM’s health are deplorable”. They parrot the standard rebuttals to any non-sycophantic coverage of the royal family and call on “those who began the rumours…to stop playing tricks on public sentiment”.
Instead of dismissing these rumours as “deplorable” I would suggest they are, in fact, the natural outcome of the very tricky situation that Thailand now faces. Efforts to block coverage of royal matters through the lese majeste law have only served to starve domestic and international audiences of reputable information. The resulting gaps are filled by innunedo, idle gossip, and, yes, informed speculation. Reacting to criticism of his unauthorised biography of the king, Paul Handley argued that “[t]he palace lives on gossip and rumor, at least that which benefits it.” The current wave of royal rumours are valuable fodder for those hoping to understand the country’s political future.
Investors, diplomats, journalists, academics, analysts, politicians and many others all have a professional interest in the difficult transitions that the kingdom may be facing. Strict control of official information and the threat of legal sanction have clearly failed to stop the rumour-mill.
Rumours about the king’s fragile health are as natural right now as the indignation that informs The Nation‘s commentary.
I just wonder why anyone bothers to comment on what The Nation publishes at all. Because it’s written in English? No-one reads it and its owners are close to bankruptcy. It has basically zero impact on Thai public opinion.
It’s not hard in this country to find an idiot to say or write something objectionable.
Why not cover what the influential newspapers or better still, blog sites in Thailand are saying? (or not saying, as the case may be).
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The issue here is that the public tend to align the health of the ruler with the health of the nation, so it is always better to have speculation than risk a recession by confirming a monarchs ill health
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Here are two interesting quotes on the matter.
“If you do not worship it [the monarchy], at least do not destroy it. If you do not have loyalty, at least do not create confusing rumors, because the destruction of the monarchy means the destruction of Thai society.”
A lecturer of political science at Sukhothai Thammathirat University; from his column in Post Today of October 19, 2007.
“What we need most now is loyalty [to the monarchy], because Thailand has the monarchy and religion. When we lack them, then there will be no Thailandness [khwampenprathetthai] left any longer.”
Gen. Jiradet, who has just moved in with the Phuea Thai party (Post Today, October 24, 2007)
What Thailand needs most now is that the Thai “elite” gets the nonsense out of their minds and start thinking…
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I am not sure what “nonsense” of the Thai elite Srithanonchai alludes to.
That the Thais, elite and poor alike, revere HMK Bhumibhol is NOT nonsense.
What “thinking” do Srithanonchai wish the Thais (elite or otherwise) to get started on?
Nothing has changed at NM, I can see (after months of my deliberate absence). Despondency rules at NM blogs just because Thailand got rid of Thaksin . . . and thank you for that if I may say so from my personal point of view, mind you.
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Welcome back Vichai N! As we can see, you still refuse to leave the shell of your ideological dream world…
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Why should I Srithanonchai? (discard my dreams)
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Perhaps, Vichai, because deceiving oneself (and others) might lead to a rude awakening?
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There are four issues here:
1. The end of the physical body does not mean the end of all! Only if, like many secular western minds do, a person is reduced to the body. If we follow a less narrow minded view, even if a physical body may die, this does not mean that the person ├нs dead?
2. All religions and in particular Buddhism point out that the end of the physical body can as well be understood as a moment of liberation: of liberation from the bondages of the soul with the material everyday life. Consequently, the end of the body is only an intermediate stage. Especially if life was formed around doing good deeds without personal interests, it means that suffering in this world is rewarded by eternity.
3. From this follows that his majesty the King will not die, in fact, can not die. He might leave this world, but certainly remains in the hearts and minds of all Thai people.
4. This poses a problem though: Can there be a successor?
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HRK:
Are you suggesting that HM King Bhumipol will become the first monarch who is not based on a worldly bodily presence but merely on a spiritual kind of representation and attachment? That’s an interesting indea for the solution of Thailand’s current political and ideological problems. But I am not sure whether it is practical. After all, the king has to sign many documents.
Anyway, here is another indicative quote, this time from Chai-anan Samudavanija (ASTV Phuchatkan, 26 October 2009):
“The thing that would create the worst situation is the change that would make Thai society lose its institution that has been a force of trust for the people. That there have been attacks on General Prem constitute indirect actions regarding the shaking of the national institution. That Gen. Prem went as far as using the word ‘betraying the nation’ when Gen. Chavalit got himself involved with the Phuea Thai Party can be regarded as the open beginning of a war between those who oppose the ammatayathipattai and those who support Gen. Prem, who is the chairperson of the Privy Council.
Increasingly, the conflict will shift from support of Thaksin towards an opposition against the political system that has the king as head of state. And it is this conflict that will create unprecedented divisions in Thai society.”
In sum: Thai politics will be fraught with high risk for the next two to five years. Given the central existential importance that the ammart accord to the monarchy for the very survival of the nation, one might well assume that they are prepared to counter any such crisis with strong repressive measures. This would be a tragedy for the Thai people and the limited democracy they have achieved so far. Obviously, it will also fundamentally affect Thailand’s investment climate, and thus her economic wellbeing.
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Srithanonchai I don’t see the problem you mention. These are just mere worldly matters and can easily be solved. I see two possibilities:
1. His majesty the King will live on in the institution of the monarchy. Is this viable? Do the people love the abstract monarchy as much as they love the king?
2. The petty material matters you cite can easily be taken care of by a worldly representative. Isn’ t the pope such a worldly representative of a spiritual force?
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perhaps Vichai N and HRK (and others?) might like to help us get a better understanding of their attitudes by addressing the issue of succession in the Thai monarchy
HMK has been revered (and respected) by many, especially Thais, and this reverence (and not so much respect) has extended to the institution and the various hangers-on, the other members of the family and even some of the privy councillors
however it appears to be “commonly believed” that the Crown Prince would not automatically carry the same reverence and respect into the position of King
so what of the hangers-on in that case?
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HRK:
1) It is normally assumed that the respect accorded to the King is, as mostly in Thailand, a rather personal affair and not directed towards the institution as such. Thailand is a society that values personal good deeds and relations, not mainly abstract institutions (apologies if someone thinks that this is an unwarranted generalization, but it is derived from long-term observation). In other words, the monarchy “as an institution” depends for its status on the personal qualities of the king (Chulalongkorn, Vajiravudh, Prajadhipok, Mahidol, Bhumiphol and, in the near future, Vajiralongkorn).
2) There must be the signature of the king on many documents. However, given your other-wordly approach, I would think that a medium could be employed whose hand could be led by the spiritually eternalized monarch. However, first, the Thai constitution does not provide for such a solution. Second, from your perspective, what role would any successor supposed to play?
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What has mindless respect and crawling before just another common human brought about and made possible in Thailand? …
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For those who still want more indicative quotes, here is another one:
“Please help return Thailand to the land of smiles. I firmly believe that the protection of the nation’s important institution is an important task of every Thai, who must safeguard the institution of the monarchy, which is the emotional center of the people of the entire nation. Therefore, everybody, every work unit must help to investigate, help to protect, help to eradicate any media and persons whose behavior is dangerous for the nation’s principal institution.”
Interior Minister Chawarat Chanwirakun in a speech given to newly elected local government executives (Matichon, 30 October 2009)
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Anybody have any ideas on why it is Chulabhorn doing the talking on the king’s health? She seems the only one in the family speaking and she’s been doing it from Thailand, Italy and Germany.
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Ralph: it’s not the first time, she has made the health statements in the past for both of her parents. It seems in these cases she is the designated family spokesperson.
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Thanks polo. It does, however, seems somewhat odd that the statements come from abroad and that those on the spot say nothing.
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Science, including medical matters, seems to be her ‘portfolio’, just as society & cultural matters are the domain of Phra Thep. This seems logical, given their academic fields. The fact that she was overseas is an indication that things were not as serious as the rumours indicated.
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Michael: Thanks. I’m not sure I agree with the latter point though. Not serious? The king remains in hospital for 5 weeks? Not serious?
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I didn’t say it’s not serious. I said, “not as serious as the rumours indicated.” I don’t know what you heard, and I can’t repeat what I heard, but it was MUCH more serious than spending 5 wks in hospital.
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Well, given that some of the rumours said he was dead, that must be true.
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ive heard the king is a good king, like one of the good leaders around. such a pity
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Another sighting of hospital-bound HMK is in the offing :
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/2010/09/28/national/Royals-to-attend-concert-honouring-His-Majesty-30138868.html
Note this appearance is in memory of HMK’s last performance
in front of a student audience, on 29th September 1976.
We all know how the music played during the next month : October.
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