Taking part in the celebrations and to personally present their best wishes were a total of 13 monarchs from around the world, while another 12 sent representatives to attend the festivities. The group photograph, taken in the magnificent interior of Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall, is considered an historic image with the most number of the world’s monarchs and royal representatives ever taken together in one place at one time. Yet such was the feeling of love and respect that the world’s royal families felt for His Majesty the King, for his longevity, his dedication and sacrifice towards his people and his country.
The royal guests were also invited to view the spectacular Royal Barge Procession held especially for this grand occasion, seated in the Royal Thai Navy Auditorium opposite the Grand Palace. On the final day of week-long celebrations a banquet was served in Borommaratchasathit Maholan Hall, the Grand Palace.
The following year brought new concerns for His Majesty, however, as his elder sister, HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana, was hospitalised for abdominal cancer. She passed away on January 2, 2008, and the royal cremation ceremony was held on November 15, 2008, providing a truly solemn and magnificent farewell to a sister to whom His Majesty had been so close since childhood.
His Majesty’s health suffered setbacks as a deep fever required the King to be hospitalised at Siriraj Hospital in September 2009, beginning a lengthy stay that would last for four years. This was also the period of great political divide within the country, with the red shirt protests at its height in 2010 resulting in numerous deaths and arson that all but shut down the city of Bangkok.
Bangkok was besieged again the following year, not by protests or arson, but by floods that were triggered by numerous storms that hit Thailand during the monsoon season, with much of Bangkok’s suburbs as well as surrounding provinces being inundated for approximately four months.
From his hospital bed, His Majesty the King would demand to be consistently updated on flood issues. Even with his own health at risk, His Majesty had the well-being of his people at heart, and he continued to work on solutions to the flood problems.