Motherly Love

Her Majesty's care and compassion shine through

By Nuttaya Muneerut

This Mother's Day, we Thais honour the greatest mother of them all, Her Majesty Queen Sirikit. After her marriage to His Majesty the King, Queen Sirikit became very familiar to Thai people as she accompanied His Majesty on many of his duties. However, Her Majesty is also very active in many of her own projects � for example, the Sai Jai Thai Foundation.

On her many tours with His Majesty, Queen Sirikit showed great compassion for wounded soldiers, policemen and civilian volunteers, even giving personal attention to their problems. As the number of wounded increased, Her Majesty established the Sai Jai Thai Foundation on the occasion of the birthday anniversary of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn on 2 April 1975. The foundation also looks after the families of those who have died in service to their country.

supporting the local economy

As Her Majesty has travelled extensively around the country, she has witnessed first-hand the poverty suffered by many families whose income is dependent on agriculture. Having come to the conclusion that Thais are industrious with ample supply of raw materials, Her Majesty has given her full support to those who produce local handicrafts.

For example, in Hup Kaphong village in Petchaburi province, the Queen encouraged the women to make hats, handbags, mats, and other accessories. Moreover, at Prachuap Khiri Khan, Her Majesty the Queen initiated an artificial flower-making project using cotton, silk, and other materials. Similarly in Ang Thong province, the Queen supported the making of clay dolls or chao wang (palace) dolls. Such efforts attracted a number of donors, and in 1976 the Foundation for the Promotion of Supplementary Occupations and Related Techniques ("SUPPORT") was founded.

Through her compassion and care for the people she loves, Her Majesty Queen Sirikit truly deserves to be regarded as the mother of all Thais.

Vocabulary

honour (v): to do sth that shows great respect for somebody/something
accompany (v): to travel or go somewhere with somebody
compassion (n): a strong feeling of sympathy for people who are suffering and a desire to help them
extensively (adv): to a great extent; a lot
industrious (adj): working hard; busy
handicrafts (n): activities such as sewing and weaving that use skill with your hands and artistic ability to make things
artificial (adj): made or produced to copy sth natural; not real