King

Praew has compiled charming anecdotes showcasing the King's sense of humor that occurred during his visits to his subjects. Some of these stories are sure to bring a smile to your face!

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“Today, I am the King... I should be able to pass through this arch now...”
In the early days around 1955, whenever he traveled to stay at the Klai Kangwon Palace, the King would drive his own royal car to remote areas in Hua Hin, Nong Plub, and Kaeng Krachan, much like King Rama V's excursions, without the locals knowing he was coming.

One day, while driving through a village in the Huai Mongkol area of Hua Hin, the locals were busy decorating an arch to welcome him, unaware that it was the royal car. They insisted, “Today, no one can pass through this arch until the King has gone through first…” The King then drove his car off to the side and did not pass under the arch.

The next day, when he officially visited the village with his entourage, he greeted the man who had been at the arch the day before, saying, “Today, I am the King... I should be able to pass through this arch now...”

“Well, it's good that you said it was usable, and I’ll promote you to a craftsman too.”
There was a story I heard from an elder long ago about a craftsman working on the ceiling in the palace. One was standing on a ladder with his head under the ceiling while another held the ladder below. When the King arrived, the one below bowed down. The one above, not seeing, said, “Hey, hold it steady, don’t let it wobble.” The King held the ladder, and he said, “Good, once this job is done, I’ll make you a real craftsman.” (He probably just started working and hadn’t completed his probation.) When he finished and stepped down, he saw the King had been holding the ladder, and he nearly fell down in shock, quickly bowing. The King said to the craftsman, “Well, it’s good that you said it was usable, and I’ll promote you to a craftsman too.”

“It’s okay, the alcohol is strong; germs will die off.”

We have many stories about him to share with friends. Let’s start with this one. It happened in 1970 when he visited a village in the mountains of Chiang Mai. The village headman invited him to visit his home, which was made of bamboo and thatched with dry grass. They set up a mattress for him and poured homemade liquor into a cup that hadn’t been washed properly, leaving dark stains. His entourage was worried because he usually didn’t use stained cups, so they whispered that he should pretend to drink and pass the cup to his attendants. But he drank it all in one go. Later, he remarked, “It’s okay, the alcohol is strong; germs will die off.” Isn’t that touching?

“Why do you look so much like the King?”
Someone once told me that when the King visited a fresh market and stopped to eat noodles, the noodle seller, seeing him, asked, “Why do you look so much like the King?” He didn’t answer but just smiled, paid for the noodles, and praised them for being delicious. The seller later found out who he was and felt delighted.

“Who does the woman belong to?”
Sometimes our King had to mediate family disputes. One time, a hill tribe man complained that he had given his wife two pigs and some money, but she ran off with another man after receiving the money. The King decided that the husband should be compensated and let the wife go as she wished. Both families were satisfied, and he humorously remarked, “But the bad part is, I have to pay for it… so that woman has to belong to me.” He laughed, and shortly after, the woman brought local liquor to offer him, saying, “If I get drunk, who knows what will happen…”

“Three hundred bumps.”
There were many times he worked late into the night, surrounded by swarming mosquitoes biting his body, neck, arms, and face, along with various insects bothering him. The King would still study maps under the light of a flashlight held by someone without flinching. The most he would do was lightly wave his hand to shoo them away. Once, he humorously recounted a story about “mosquitoes”:

“...In Bang Chak, but there are no Bang Chaks, the mosquitoes are very numerous. I stood to look at the map and got bitten on both legs, and when I returned, my legs were swollen and red. I counted and found one hundred and fifty bumps on each leg, totaling three hundred…”

“This arm didn’t fall; only this one did.”
The King visited Sakon Nakhon to meet the villagers and asked a man who came to see him why his arm was in a cast. The man replied, “I fell off a bridge.” The King then asked, “What about the other arm?” The man replied, “This arm didn’t fall; only this one did.” The King laughed.

“I’ve never tasted it.”
The King visited the southern province of Narathiwat, where there were issues with acidic soil and salinity. He asked the villagers who came to greet him, “How is the soil behind your house? Is it salty?” The villagers looked at each other, puzzled, and replied, “I’ve never tasted it.” The King remarked to his entourage, “The villagers here have a good sense of humor.”

“...We’ve caught it now...”
Lady Genlong Sinthawong, a close aide to Her Majesty the Queen... Once at the “Thai Progress” exhibition on February 17, 1995, after the King and Queen visited various displays, they arrived at the Sony Pavilion, designed as an “Undersea World” using the latest “Magic Vision” technology. In the deep water, there were moments when sea creatures swam by. Colorful small fish would swim right in front of you. Importantly, they had a sign saying that whoever caught a fish would receive a television set. We tried hard but couldn’t catch any because they were just images. However, the King remarked, “We’ve caught it now,” lifting a camera for the presenter to see and added, “It’s in here.” After that, it’s needless to say, because when the photos were developed, they showed fish that could be touched, so Sony had to graciously present a television set as promised.

“Suffering at night...”
Police Major General Suchart Phueksakorn, Director of the Phra Dabos Project Office, former Director-General of the Postal and Telegraph Department... He regularly listened to and communicated with police officers via radio, so he was aware of the difficulties and troubles faced by lower-ranking officers.

Some police officers at the guard posts were frustrated with family issues and living conditions. After drinking, they lost their composure and didn’t know who to confide in, so they rambled on the radio. Some fell asleep on duty and accidentally pressed the microphone button, causing snoring to be broadcasted. Others sang folk songs on air to alleviate their boredom.

Fortunately, at the National Police Control Center “Pathumwan,” one night, a radio operator expressed his hunger and inability to find food while on duty. Upon hearing this, the King felt compassion and ordered via radio to the writer, as the direct supervisor of that unit, to “Please graciously provide a refrigerator to store food for night shifts.”

“It’s named Koh Chang.”
Once, the King traveled by sea and asked a local official about an island they were passing. The official replied, “That island is named Koh Chang, Your Majesty.” The King said, “Then it must be related to me!” (If you’re confused, read it again.)

“Send the guy back to the palace.”
In the past, when he would travel to Hua Hin, he often visited the Hua Hin market, sometimes going alone. One time, as he was about to return, a motorcycle taxi at the market asked, “Are you going, sir?” It turned out that this gentleman was interested, so he ordered the motorcycle taxi to take him to Klai Kangwon Palace, while the driver thought he was just a government official. But when they reached the palace, the guards saluted, and the driver realized who he was.

“Call me auntie!!”
One day, the King visited villagers in a province, and many villagers came to welcome him. As he walked along the path, an elderly woman bowed down and took his hand, expressing her joy at meeting him and speaking to him affectionately. The King remained silent and did not respond.

The attendants exchanged worried glances, fearing he might not appreciate it. But when we heard him respond to the elderly woman, we couldn’t help but stifle our laughter because he said, “How can you call me auntie? You’re much younger than my mother; you should call me ‘auntie’ instead.”

“We have the same name.”
Using royal language with the King seems to be a big deal that makes everyone tense across the country because they’ve learned it since childhood but never used it. When attending significant events, they get nervous, which is natural for anyone, including high-ranking officials who come to report or pay respects to the King during various royal duties.

Lady Veerawitaya, Deputy Secretary of the Royal Household, once shared that due to the King’s immense merit and authority, some people couldn’t suppress their nervousness when bowing to him, leading to mistakes despite rehearsing well.

Years ago, a high-ranking official bowed and reported, “Your Majesty, I humbly request permission to report... I, General Bhumibol Adulyadej, request your royal permission to report...” When he finished, the King smiled warmly and, in a good mood, said, “Oh, good, we have the same name...” That day, those who attended had to hide their laughter in the Dusit Palace because the official was so nervous he forgot his own name.

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