The celebration of the 230 years of the Rattanakosin era is also meant to honor His Majesty the King on the occasion of his 85th birthday anniversary, 5 December 2012, and to pay tribute to the nine kings of the Royal House of Chakri.
The event “Commemoration of the 230 Years of Rattanakosin” will take place
on Phra Athit Road, at Thammasat University, and at Silpakorn University in
Bangkok on 8-10 December 2012, 15-16 December 2012, 22-23 December 2012, and
12-13 January 2013, between 4:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.
During the period, Phra Athit Road – from the area under Pin Klao Bridge to
the Bang Lamphu intersection – will become a walking street, where food and a
wide range of products will be offered. There are many interesting activities
that will inspire people to think about Bangkok in its early days and follow
its changes up to the present. An exhibition on Rattanakosin will be held in
front of Thammasat University.
At Santi Chai Prakan Public Park, cultural performances will be staged,
such as concerts, the khon masked drama, and li-ke music drama. The events will
also include film screenings and bicycling, and numerous artistic and cultural
attractions in the area will be open to the public. There will be booths
showing artistic works and period photographs of Rattanakosin.
The year 2012 marks the 230th anniversary of Bangkok as the capital of
Thailand. The history of Bangkok, or Rattanakosin, dates back to the year 1782,
when King Rama I established Bangkok as the capital. The first king of the
Royal House of Chakri, King Rama I built the Grand Palace and the Temple of the
Emerald Buddha complex, which is now a major landmark of Bangkok and one of the
country’s important tourist attractions.
King Rama I was indeed a great builder. His son, King Rama II, is
recognized as an outstanding artist not only by Thailand but also the world at
large. He was honored as one of the world’s great personalities by UNESCO. King
Rama III is recognized as one of Thailand’s most energetic builders of
monasteries.
King Mongkut, Rama IV, was the first Chakri king to embark seriously on
reform based on Western patterns. His reign marked the first stage in the Thai
Kingdom’s dealings with the West during the Age of Imperialism. He employed
Western experts and advisors at the court and in the administration. The reform
and foreign policy of King Mongkut were carried on by his son and successor,
King Chulalongkorn, Rama V, who was the first Thai king to visit Europe, where
he was successful in enhancing Thailand’s role in the international arena. His
greatest achievement, among many, was the abolition of slavery.
King Chulalongkorn’s son and successor King Vajiravudh, Rama VI, was the
first Thai king to have been educated abroad. Recognized as an accomplished
scholar, King Vajiravudh produced prolific writings in both Thai and English.
King Prajadhipok, Rama VII, was the last Thai king under the absolute monarchy.
He granted the first constitution to the Thai people in 1932, following the
change of the country’s absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy. His
nephew, King Ananda Mahidol, Rama VIII, succeeded him as the eighth monarch of
the Royal House of Chakri.
The present monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Rama IX, is the
longest-reigning monarch in the world. His numerous development projects and
his philosophy of Sufficiency Economy not only bring direct benefit to the Thai
people but can also be applied worldwide.
The history of the Royal House of Chakri is, in fact, the history of the
Rattanakosin, or Bangkok, period. The celebrations planned this year will
reveal how spectacularly the city of Bangkok has grown over the past 230 years.
(thailand.prd.go.th)