Word: thrones
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...absolute ruler, Kings and soldiers have combined, in a typical Thai equilibrium of accommodation, to provide a smooth chain linkage of government. The Thai sense of nationhood is partly the result of never having felt the trauma of colonial conquest. Even more, it resides in the charisma of the throne, reinforced by the nation's pervasive Buddhism. In Buddhist theology, the King is one of the highest of reincarnations, rich in his person in past accumulated virtue. Even in remote parts where spirit-worshiping peasants may never have heard of Thailand, they are likely to know-and revere...
...when kings have gone out of style and the craft of kingship is all but forgotten, it is the good fortune of Thailand-and of the free world-that the present occupant of the nine-tiered umbrella throne, ninth monarch of the 184-year-old Chakri dynasty, not only takes the business of being a king seriously but has taken it upon himself to mold his emerging nation's character. In the musical five-tone Thai tongue, his full name rings like the roll of monsoon thunder...
...shown himself mostly interested in le jazz hot, Hitchcock thrillers and swift sports cars-one of which he smashed up on a Swiss road, very nearly losing an eye. To this day he seldom appears in public without tinted glasses. He had been studying science; when he assumed the throne in 1946, he went back to Switzerland to finish his studies and switched to law. He first saw his beautiful second cousin Sirikit when she was only 14, at a reception in Paris, where her father was the Thai ambassador. When he returned to Europe as King, he pursued...
Packing a Lunch. Under Sarit's successor, Premier Thanom Kittikachorn, Bhumibol is more than ever the throne behind the power. He and Sirikit, working as a ceremonial team with all the pageantry that Thais love, take every opportunity to identify themselves with Thailand and its progress. Whether it be the dedication of a new dam or highway, the ancient ceremony of the first spring plowing, or the certification of a newly found royal white elephant (an auspicious omen in Thai mythology), Bhumibol uses each event to emphasize the rich heritage and unity of his nation. (One discontinued tradition: feeding...
...chair when he dies. Peng's top adversary is Defense Minister Lin Piao, 57, who reappeared from a long absence along with Mao last week, and whose army newspaper, Chiehfang Chun Pao, has been leading the criticism of the pragmatists. Lin is a clear contender for the throne...