His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej generous compassion

His Majesty the King was born on Monday the 5th of December 1927, at Mount Auburn Hospital, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A., being the third and youngest child of Their Royal Highnesses Prince and Princess Mahidol of Songkla.

His Majesty attended the Ecole Nouvelle de la Suisse Romande, Chailly sur Lausanne. Later on he moved to the Gymnase Classique Cantonal of Lausanne from where he received his Bachelier s lettres diploma. He then chose to enter Lausanne University to study science, but the sudden death of his elder brother, King Ananda Mahidol, in Bangkok on the 9th of June, 1946, changed the course of his life completely, for the Law of Succession bestowed on him the arduous but challenging function of the Thai Crown.

The Government on behalf of the people came to ask the Princess Mother for her other son to be their King. As he had not finished his education, His Majesty decided to go back to Switzerland for another period of study, but this time in the subject of Political Science and Law in order to equip himself with the proper knowledge for government.

Following the completion of his education in Switzerland in the early 1950s, His Majesty returned home to Thailand. In the years following, he began what has become his way of life - traveling throughout the year to the provinces and rural areas of the kingdom to visit his people, talk to them and, perhaps even more important, listen to them. He learns first hand of their needs and their problems and then sets about trying to find a way of giving immediate help; later these problems are studied in depth to find a permanent solution or way of assistance.

The Lover of Music From an early age the King has been a lover of music and an accomplished saxaphone player, with his own palace jazz band.He has composed many pieces including “A caring Monarch who loves his People”.Perhaps this photograph above all others signifies how the Thai people see their King.

In 1946 the King of Thailand, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, came to the throne. He is now the longest reigning monarch in the world.He is loved and respected by his people.In a world where few monarchies survive, Thailand is both unusual and fortunate. Fortunate because of having a King who has both far-reaching knowledge and generous compassion: and unusual because throughout each year of his reign, he has become more deeply loved and respected by his subjects. Today, after having reigned for more than half a century, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej is known and admired far beyond the borders of his own country.He was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts on December 5, 1927. He married Queen Sirikit on April 28, 1950.
80 year old Thai king Bhumibol Adulyadej is the richest monarch in the world with wealth worth $35 billion. The surprising addition of wealth in his coffer has been due to transparency of his riches.
Now, he owns over 3,000 acres of real estate land in prime locations in Bangkok, shares in a major bank and in the Siam Cement.

The king is quite popular in Thailand, and is considered semi-god among Thai citizens. He has knocked down Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of oil-rich Brunei who was on the top in previous list of Forbes.

The major reason behind Brunei king falling down in the list according to the magazine is Brunei oilfields were in the danger of drying up. Also, he has had to cut back on his country's oil production because of depleting oil reserves. Incidentally the 62-year-old Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah ranked fourth with wealth worth $20 billion.