Royal Activities and International Cooperation
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Soon after acceding to the throne, and frequently accompaniedby HM the Queen, the King made visits to remote parts of Thailandtalking and listening to the people_ mostly farmers struggling tomake a living off the land. These visits marked the beginning of many years of important field trips.Although quite young andwith limited practical experience,His Majesty was astute enough torealise that the people’s problemsshould not be addressed byshowering them with money inacts of charity. On the contrary,the King wanted something muchmore far-reaching and long-lasting. Subsequently, following thehumanitarian principles embracedby his parents, the young KingBhumibol resolved to find a wayto empower the poor andmarginalised people of Thailandto solve their own problems. This