New Year messages: Thailand

New king calls for unity among countrymen

Thais offering New Year prayers with portraits of Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his father, the late King Bhumibol, during the mass alms-giving religious ceremony at the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration City Hall yesterday.
Thais offering New Year prayers with portraits of Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his father, the late King Bhumibol, during the mass alms-giving religious ceremony at the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration City Hall yesterday. PHOTO: EUROPEAN PRESSPHOTO AGENCY

BANGKOK • Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn called for unity in his first New Year address since taking over from his late father, who was widely seen as a unifying force during decades of turbulence.

Any appearance by the new king is closely watched, and the pre-recorded address was only the second time he has spoken to the public since taking the throne on Dec 1 after the death of his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

The new king has yet to command the popularity that his father enjoyed and has spent much of his adult life abroad.

In the speech on Saturday evening, the king urged his countrymen to find common ground as they head into the new year. "No matter what problems we may face in our country, we believe that if we work together, we can overcome and alleviate any situation," he said.

He thanked the public for their show of loyalty towards his father, still widely mourned after a rule that spanned seven decades. "This is a testament to how Thais are grateful, kind, compassionate and patriotic," said the king.

The usual New Year firework displays in Bangkok have been cancelled this year out of respect for the mourning period.

King Bhumibol charmed Thais with his reputation as a hard-working king who dedicated himself to rural development projects for the poor. His annual speeches used to be peppered with moral guidance to a country battered by political protests and military coups.

In the coming weeks, the new king is expected to endorse a Constitution drafted by the military government to start the process of restoring democracy. The military toppled an elected government in 2014 and enforced political calm in a country divided by more than a decade of conflict between military-backed royalists and populist political forces.

REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on January 02, 2017, with the headline New king calls for unity among countrymen. Subscribe