music
ambience: chanting of barge oarsmen
It’s a special occasion in Thailand today – a royal birthday that’s treated as a national holiday. I’m Jim Metzner and this is the Pulse of the Planet. King Bhumipol Adulyadej turns seventy-five today. He took the throne as a teenager and is now the longest-reigning monarch in the world. Among the people of Thailand, the king is well-loved, something of a father figure, and his birthday is always a day of celebration across the country. In Bangkok, the buildings are strung with colored lights in honor of the royal birthday. The King and Queen preside over a ceremony at the Royal Plaza, where the elite Royal Guards swear allegiance to the throne, dressed in their finest regalia. And some years, there’s a ceremonial procession of barges down the Chao Praya river flowing through the heart of the capital. As people line the banks to watch, the chanting of the oarsmen echoes across the water.
The oarsmen in the royal barge procession are members of Thailand’s Royal Navy, chosen for this special duty on the strength of their voices. The Commodore’s voice, leading the chants, is relayed by radio to the oarsmen.
The chanting of the sailors in the royal barge procession gives voice to a deep affection for King Bhumipol, whom many in Thailand regard as the soul of his nation.
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