[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 16541-16542]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  REMARKS CELEBRATING THE 85TH BIRTHDAY OF HIS MAJESTY KING BHUMIBOL 
                               ADULYADEJ

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EDWARD R. ROYCE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 5, 2012

  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, on December 5th, His Majesty King Bhumibol 
Adulyadej of Thailand celebrated his 85th birthday. I would like to 
take this opportunity to express my well wishes and best regards to him 
and to the people of Thailand.
  Throughout his 66-year reign, King Bhumibol--currently the world's 
longest reigning monarch--has been a strong proponent for Thailand's 
development. Since the 1950s, he has initiated more than 4,000 
development projects throughout Thailand, ranging from public health, 
agriculture productivity, environment, flood and drought, education and 
job creation.
  These activities have helped raise the standard of living of Thais, 
particularly those in rural and difficult-to-reach areas.
  King Bhumibol's hard work and contributions have earned him 
admiration worldwide. In 2006, the United Nations Development Programme 
awarded King Bhumibol its first-ever Human Development Lifetime 
Achievement Award.
  Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts on December 5th, 1927, King Bhumibol 
has played

[[Page 16542]]

an important role in promoting Thai-U.S. friendship, including his two 
state visits to the United States in 1960 and 1967.
  As we celebrate King Bhumibol's birthday, it is an opportunity to 
look forward to next year's celebration of the 180th Anniversary of the 
U.S.-Thailand treaty alliance. Thailand is our longest standing ally in 
Asia, and has been a reliable partner and friend in the region.
  The United States and Thailand's partnership is wide ranging; we are 
economic partners, we participate in military training exercises 
together, and our cultural and people-to-people exchanges are on the 
rise. The two countries have cooperated on counterterrorism.
  As our relationship continues to strengthen, we are delighted to join 
our friends in Thailand in celebrating the 85th birthday of His Majesty 
King Bhumibol Adulyadej on December 5, 2012.

                          ____________________