Thailand Celebrates His Majesty the King’s 86th Birthday

BANGKOK, December 5 (TNA) - Thai people throughout the country are participating activities in honour of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej on the occasion of his 86th birthday anniversary on Thursday (Dec 5). In the morning, a great deal of Buddhists gave alms to 2,000 monks at the Buddha Monthon Buddhist park in the central Nakhon Phathom province to make merits for the well-being of His Majesty the King. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) also organised a similar alms-giving event at the Sanam Luang field. Representatives of the armed forces and government officials as well as a large number of people participated in the alms-giving. Many government officials and people also wrote and signed their names in well-wishing books at the Saha Thai pavilion in the Grand Palace to extend their best wishes to His Majesty the King. Crowds of people show up at the National Blood Center of the Thai Red Cross Society to donate blood to make merits for the well-being of His Majesty the King. In the central Ayutthaya province, the former capital of Thailand, locals gave alms to 87 Buddhist monks at Wat Phananchoeng Worawihan temple. Government officials vowed to be good civil servants and leaders of three religions prayed for the good health of His Majesty the King. In the northern Uttaradit province, people lined along a two-kilometer section of a local road to give alms to 199 Buddhist monks. The Department of Fisheries and people of Phayao province in the North released more than 500,000 fishes into the Kwan Phayao lake that is the biggest natural water source of Phayao in order to make merits for the well-being of His Majesty the King. In the northern Chiang Mai province, an elephant named Phayap at the Maesa elephant camp used its trunk to hold a paintbrush and write a “Love Father” message in honour of His Majesty the King and the show highly impressed Thai and foreign visitors who gave it loud applause. Meanwhile, people in many northeastern provinces gave glutinous rice to Buddhist monks to make merits for the well-being of His Majesty the King.(TNA)