97. RAMA X, PHIL-THAI

RAMA X, PHIL-THAI

Dr. Troy Alexander G. Miano

28 July 2019

Our mayor and mayora invited me and my wife to visit the land of the Siamese people or the land of the Thais. We journeyed together with some of the municipal and barangay heads including the family and friends of the first family of Cabatuan. Today is our third and last day in this kingdom in the Indochina peninsula in Southeast Asia.

While walking in the busy city center of Bangkok, I tried to recall the rich history of this nation which I read a long time ago when I was drafting the background of my coins and banknotes collection particularly the monetary unit - baht. At one time, I also encountered a drawing of a Siamese couple in one of the pages of the Boxer Codex circa 1590. I began browsing the net on the trade relations of our country, the Republic of the Philippines and the Kingdom of Thailand. The Wikipedia reveals that the Philippines established formal diplomatic relations with Thailand on June 14, 1949. The relations between the two are described as warm and friendly. Thailand is one of the Philippines' major trade partners and one of the Philippines' sources of rice through Thai exports. Bilateral relations continue to be strengthened through talks and agreements on economic, security and cultural matters including concerns on rice trade, fight on drugs and human trafficking. Thailand has an embassy in Manila, while the Philippines maintain an embassy in Bangkok.

One tangible proof of the good relations between the two ASEAN countries is the monument erected in the capital-city of Manila. The Philippines–Thailand Friendship Circle is a traffic circle in Santa Ana District located at the intersection of Jose Syquia, Manuel A. Roxas, Revellin and Zamora Streets, near the Santa Ana Public Market. Originally unnamed, residents of Santa Ana simply called it the "Rotonda" up to present.

A marker was installed and it reads: “This park is designated as the Philippines-Thailand Friendship Circle as a sign of friendship and cooperation between the peoples of Thailand and the Philippines. Created by Ordinance No. 7964, Series of 1999, authored by Hon. Luciano “Lou” Veloso, this park was constructed as a reciprocal gesture of goodwill of the City of Manila to the City of Bangkok which renamed one of its streets “Soi Philippines” in 1998, during the centennial of Philippine independence and in the spirit of the Sister City agreement signed in Manila on June 24, 1997, by Hon. Bhichit Rattakul, Governor of Bangkok and Manila Mayor Alfredo S. Lim. This park was first inaugurated on the occasion of the 50^th anniversary of Philippines-Thailand Diplomatic Relations and the visit of His Excellency Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai of the Royal Kingdom of Thailand on June 15, 1999.”

Renovation works on the circle would not be complete until 2002. The circle was re-inaugurated on March 30, 2009 by Mayor (1992-1998 & 2007-2013) Alfredo S. Lim, in commemoration of sixty years of Philippines–Thailand relations. The Philippines–Thailand Friendship Circle contains a 10-foot (3 meters) artificial waterfall, a nipa hut, an orchidarium, statues, a performance area and a bonsai garden. At the center is a monument named the Angel of Unity, commemorating the relationship between the two countries.

I have always been fond of researching the etymology of names of different places. Kyle Hulme expounds on the etymology of the name Thailand at theculturetrip.com. Before Thailand was known as such, it went by a different name: Siam. Yet whilst the kingdom of Siam exists no longer, its name is still found in several places. Conjoined twins are often referred to as Siamese twins, in reference to the famous case of Chang and Eng, two Thai brothers who were conjoined and later relocated to the United States. The popular breed of cat, the Siamese cat, also has Siam in its name. Even further back in Thailand’s history, there wasn’t one nation, but several kingdoms which later became a unified Siam in the 18^th century. The word “Siam” itself is one that’s Sanskrit in origin, coming from the word “Śyāma”, which means “dark or brown”, in reference to the skin color of the native people. On June 24, 1939, the territory was renamed to “Thailand”. In 1946, it was reverted to the old name “Siam” and after two years it was permanently christened to “Thailand” and officially as the Kingdom of Thailand, the name used up to present.

Theculturetrip.com further expounds: To understand the name Thailand, it must first be broken into its two constituent parts. Whilst “land” is easy to understand, the “Thai” part takes a little more explains. Not only does it mean “free”, Thai is also an ethnic group in the country, giving the word Thailand a double meaning of both “Land of the Free” and “Land of the Thai People”. Thailand being known as the “Land of the Free” is a huge source of pride for the Thai people; Thailand managed to retain its independence whilst the Western powers were carving up and stealing land in Southeast Asia and all around the world, and it’s referenced on the country’s national anthem.

Today is a special day to the Thais since it is the birthday of their tenth king, Phrabat Somdet Phra Vajira Klao Chao Yu Hua or simply Vajiralongkorn who turned 67. Browsing more the net, records reveals that the Rama (king) was born today in 1952 and is the King of Thailand since 2016. He is the second child and only son of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit. In 1972, at the age of 20, he was made crown prince by his father. After his father's death on October 13, 2016, he was expected to accede to the throne of Thailand but asked for time to mourn before taking the throne. He accepted the throne on the night of December 1, 2016. His father was cremated on October 26, 2017. His coronation took place from May 4 to 6, 2019. The Thai government retroactively declared his reign to have begun on October 13, 2016, upon his father's death. As the tenth monarch of the Chakri dynasty, he is also styled as Rama X. Aged 64 at that time, Vajiralongkorn became the oldest Thai monarch to ascend to the throne.

The best experience I had in my Bangkok trip is the visit to Bangkok Temples. In this cultural heritage exposure, I had the chance to visit the Wat Intharawihan, a soaring 32-meters high standing Buddha located at Wisut Kasat Road in Banglamphu, Rattanakosin (Old City). The statue began its construction in 1867 during the reign of Rama IV and is decorated with glass mosaics and 24-carat gold. It took over 60 years to complete and is the tallest of its kind in the world. Back in the Philippines and in our province, we have monumental edifices like the six Spanish-era Roman Catholic Churches considered as cultural treasures plus a number of Spanish period ruins. The rich cultures of nations particularly in Southeast Asia should be documented and promoted more for the present and future generations to love, preserve and treasure.