A COMMENT ON THE KING
My history with this country goes back decades, and I have long admired and wondered about the monarchy. Since my formative years living here, the king, whose reign began about a year after Harry Truman's, died. He was long admired by the people and reflected an image of a serious, able, and honorable leader of the nation.
His son, who became king in 2016, had not earned his father's reputation. Even when I a Peace Corps Volunteer here, ordinary Thais would mumble something complementary about him and leave it at that. His personal life suggested he had other interests than being a king. He became king anyway, and now his likeness, and that of his fourth wife, adorn public spaces. The presentation above stood outside the local post office.
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| The late father (left) and the son |
Even on the currency, the effort continues to legitimize the new king. But this detail from a sample bill tells me the artist's heart isn't in the message. The old king appears placid, erudite, wise, a calming presence. He was all of those things in real life. By contrast the son looks nervous, unsure, like he has been forced to pose for a family portrait and would rather be out with his buddies.
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King Chulalongkorn
photo courtesy of wikimedia commons |
But on this journey, the most memorable portrait I saw of a member of this dynasty hung on the wall of a humble local restaurant. It was an image of King Chulalongkorn. This king, who reigned from 1868 to 1910, was George Washington and Abraham Lincoln rolled into one. Educated, well-traveled and multilingual, he transformed his country from a feudal backwater into sturdy participant of the international order, and prevented it from ever being colonized. Numerous institutions bear his name, including a university, a major hospital, and a national holiday. He was named one of twenty "Most Influential Asians of the Century" for the 20th Century.
In other words, when you talk about this guy, you talk about him with respect.
Then, in the very restaurant where I enjoyed my breakfasts and most dinners, was this cartoon of a guy cooking a simple meal wearing an outfit you would see on any rural peasant relaxing at home. It is unmistakably a picture of the most revered and respected person in the history of this proud nation.
I have never seen any Thai monarch portrayed this way, let alone the greatest of its kings. Perhaps this artist wanted to show this king embodying basic values of his subjects.
I wasn't sure what to make of it, but I love it.
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