The 5th December is His Majesty the King Bhumibol Adulyadej's birthday or วันเฉลิมพระชนมพรรษา พระบาทสมเด็จพระเจ้าอยู่หัว in Thai language. This public holiday is celebrated nationwide as Father's Day ("WAN PHO HENG CHAT" - วันพ่อแห่งชาติ). The King is considered as the father of all Thai people.
Starting a few weeks before the King's birthday, all buildings are covered up with Royal symbols and portraits of His Majesty all over the Thai kingdom.
Born in 1927, His Majesty the King has captured the hearts of the Thai people through his devotion to improving the welfare and well-being of his subjects.
Every year in December, huge portraits of His Majesty are raised in temples, administrative buildings, schools, houses, shops by individual people and organizations.
His H.M. the King Rama IX is highly recognised among Thai society because he always takes care about his people. Each year he used to go up-country to visit villages and towns to talk to people and to know their problems. He is not a King far away from his people. He has created many foundations and has done many projects to improve the life of his people. He was responsible of projects which helped hill tribes to replace their opium culture with substitution cultures.
On the 5th december early morning time, Thai Buddhist people go to temple and make offerings to monks as usual.
Each year in the evening of the 5th december, a free huge concert is organized in Sanam Luang, the area in front of Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok. It is a great honour for singers to be invited to play one song in the concert dedicated to the King. Some of them sing songs composed by the King himself. Every kind of Thai music is played such as Molam, Thai country music, pop, Disco Dance and also every kind of singers from very old one to teenagers in order to give satisfaction to the crowd.
National flags decorate buildings to wish His Majesty many happy returns of the day and a long life ("SONG PHRA CHAROEUN" - ทรงพระเจริญ).
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