Photo: Harry Pot / Anefo / CC0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)

Bhumibol Adulyadej

ラーマ9世　/　らーま9世

American statesperson

December 5, 1927 – October 13, 2016　・　Mount Auburn Hospital, Massachusetts, United States

Massachusetts
statesperson
engineer
saxophonist

My Take

It fascinates me that a king who reigned over Thailand for seventy years was born in a Massachusetts hospital, and that this same monarch wrote jazz, played saxophone, and trained as an engineer. Bhumibol Adulyadej resists the usual image of a distant sovereign. Composing pieces like H.M. Blues and Love at Sundown, he had an artistic voice few heads of state ever cultivate. Long reigns tend to ossify into ceremony, yet he kept hands-on curiosity alive across decades. I find that combination of endurance, technical mind, and genuine musicianship genuinely rare, and it earns my lasting respect for a remarkably multidimensional figure.

Overview

Bhumibol Adulyadej (5 December 1927 – 13 October 2016), titled Rama IX, was King of Thailand from 9 June 1946 until his death in 2016. His reign of 70 years and 126 days is the longest of any Thai monarch, the longest on record of any independent Asian sovereign, and the third-longest of any sovereign state.

Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

1. Profile

Name (English): Bhumibol Adulyadej
Name (Japanese): ラーマ9世
Reading: らーま9世
Born: December 5, 1927 – October 13, 2016
Zodiac / Chinese zodiac: Sagittarius / Rabbit
Origin: Mount Auburn Hospital, Massachusetts, United States
Blood type: Private
Height: 170 cm
Agency: Private
Occupation: statesperson / engineer / saxophonist / composer / jazz musician

2. Background

Elementary school: Private
Junior high: Private
High school: Private
University: University of Lausanne

Awards & achievements

1960 Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour
2006 collar of the Order of the Golden Fleece
1960 Chief Commander of the Legion of Merit
1987 Gold Olympic Order
1963 Order of the Crown of the Realm
1960 Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Saint Olav‎
2000 Collar of the Order of the Star of Romania
1960 Royal Victorian Chain

3. Relationships

Spouse: Private
Children: Private
Parents: Private
Siblings: Private

4. Personality

Motto

Private

5. Works & records

Category	Title	Role
Notable work	H.M. Blues	—
Notable work	Love at Sundown	—
Notable work	Near Dawn	—
Notable work	Royal Guards March	—
Notable work	New Year Greeting	—
Notable work	Smiles (Song)	—

6. Links

Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%A9%E3%83%BC%E3%83%9E9%E4%B8%96

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