[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 94 (Friday, June 9, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S8124]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                  TRIBUTE TO KING RAMA IX OF THAILAND

 Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, today, King Bhumibol Adulyadej of 
Thailand begins the 50th year of his reign. It is my great pleasure to 
join Montana's Thai community in offering him congratulations and best 
wishes.


                            the ninth reign

  King Bhumibol took the name Rama IX and opened the Ninth Reign of the 
Chakri Dynasty on June 9, 1946, just a few months after the end of the 
Second World War.
  At the time, like the rest of Southeast Asia, Thailand faced severe 
questions. They arose from the end of colonialism in neighboring 
countries; the rise of radical ideologies worldwide; and endemic 
poverty, illiteracy and illness.
  Today, Thailand is one of the anchors of the modern, prosperous 
Southeast Asia. Bangkok has become one of the world's great cities and 
commercial centers. The Thai political system is evolving into a stable 
parliamentary democracy; in fact, a new political campaign opens today 
as candidates across Thailand file their papers to run for Parliament. 
And the Thai economy grows by 7 percent or more every year.
  Much of this extraordinary success is due to the wise guidance of 
King Bhumibol.
  The King has led by example. He has embodied the 10 traditional moral 
principles of Buddhist Kings: charity toward the poor; morality, 
sacrifice of personal interest; honesty; courtesy; self-restraint; 
tranquility of temperament; non-violence; patience; and impartiality in 
settling dispute.
  And he has led by action. Together, King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit 
have devoted decades to improving the lives of Thai people in rural and 
impoverished regions. They constantly travel the country's 73 
provinces, meeting with villagers and staying close to the people. The 
results are obvious in improved public health, the spread of education 
to all Thai children and the renewal of traditional crafts and 
textiles.


                   king rama ix and the United States

  King Bhumibol has also been a great friend of the United States. 
During his reign, the Thai-American relationship has
 grown from one largely based on American aid and political support, 
into a partnership for trade, prosperity, environmental protection and 
regional peace. And Thailand is about to fulfill the pledge he made in 
his 1967 Address to a joint session of Congress: to end reliance on 
American foreign aid.

  The new maturity of Thai-American relations can be seen in our 
prospects for trade. American exports to Thailand more than tripled in 
the last 7 years. They grew to nearly $5 billion last year, and now 
support nearly 100,000 jobs in America.
  Prospects are especially good for my State of Montana. Our farmers 
and ranchers can supply a generation of newly affluent Thai consumers 
with top-quality wheat, beef, and pork.
  Montana environmental technology companies--in areas from mine waste 
reclamation to clean coal technology, sustainable forestry and low-
impact agricultural fertilizer--can help Thailand address its fast-
growing environmental problems. Firms like Mountain States Energy in 
Butte are already looking to the Kingdom for opportunity.
  And people-to-people contracts between Thailand and Montana are 
growing fast. Thais like former Ambassador Birabhongse Kasemsri are 
helping to support the Montana economy, by coming as tourists to see 
our National Parks and visit our skiing areas. And in several cities, 
some of the newest members of the Montana family operate well-run small 
businesses like the Thai Deli in Missoula and the Thai Orchid 
Restaurant in Billings. They work hard, provide jobs and add a new 
touch of diversity to our State.


                               conclusion

  Mr. President, King Bhumibol is now the longest-reigning King of 
Thailand. And history is certain to rank his reign with those not only 
of the greatest Thai monarchs of the past--Ramkamhaeng, creator of the 
Thai alphabet; Naresuan and Phra Narai in the Ayutthaya era; Mongkut 
and Chulalongkorn in the last century--but the great constitutional 
monarchs of the world and the democratic leaders of modern times.
  It is my great pleasure to join all the Thai Montanans in 
congratulating King Bhumibol as he begins the 50th year of his reign, 
and looking forward to many more to come.


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