From basketball, boarding institutions and military education in Australia to flying military and commercial plane, His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua, set to change 72, did a bit before he ascended the throne in May 2019
PUBLISHED: 1 Jul 2024 at 04: 30
NEWSPAPER SECTION: News
As the auspicious occasion of His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua’s 72nd holiday on July 28 techniques, Thais are expressing their commitment and delivering best wishes to the king.
The King is the only child of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great, also known as King Rama IX, and Her Majesty Queen Sirikit the Queen Mother, who was born on July 28, 1952 at the Ambara Villa in Dusit Palace, a complex of imperial apartments in Bangkok.
He was a young prince who attended Chitralada School inside the palace grounds for his first knowledge.
The young prince quickly developed into a passionate football player, and he constantly practiced after school before starting a group of his own. He frequently traveled with the staff with him and played pleasant suits with locals while playing in the provinces.
The duke furthered his education worldwide, first in the UK at King’s Mead School in Sussex and Millfield School in Somerset, and finally after in Australia where he attended King’s School, Parramatta in Sydney, where he underwent firefighter training from 1970- 1971.
His Royal Highness Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn was proclaimed heir to the throne at the age of 20 and made Crown Prince by his parents. On December 28, 1972, the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall hosted the classic investiture service.
That same year he attended Canberra’s Royal Military College, Duntroon, and eventually enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts program at the University of New South Wales ‘ faculty for military reports, which joined with Duntroon to give courses in arts, science and engineering.
Under this curriculum, graduates had to pass both military and academic studies. 1976 saw the graduation of HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn.
He spent the first ten months of that year working for the Special Air Service Regiment in Perth, Western Australia, where he received a scholarship from the Defense Ministry for further military training and studies.
As a qualified military pilot with plenty of flying experience, he branched out to commercial aircraft. The Crown Prince was granted a commercial pilot’s license by the Civil Aviation Training Centre, and he was able to fly in a Boeing 737-400 with his wings.
The Crown Prince was supposed to succeed the late king right away after his father passed away on October 13, 2016, but he requested to observe a period of mourning before accepting the position.
On Dec 1, 2016, Gen Prem Tinsulanonda, who then served as the regent, led the heads of the country’s three branches of government for an audience with the Crown Prince to invite him to ascend the throne as the new King. The Crown Prince accepted the invitation and accepted his rightful position as Chakri Dynasty’s King Rama X.
