The Hardest Worker

The main reason that Thai people love their King so much is that he has spent so much of his time working for them. During his 60 years on the throne, he has been just about everywhere in Thailand helping people, especially in faraway areas that you can only reach by walking.

His Majesty has been especially interested in helping his people have a good environment to live in. This means keeping Thailand's forests, fields, and farmlands healthy and ensuring there is enough water at all times. And when there is too much water, it means keeping it under control so that it doesn't flood the countryside. Indeed, the Thai King is one of the world's experts on water management.

It was interesting to watch His Majesty work. When he travelled to faraway areas of the country, he always liked to carry maps with him. Many of the maps he made himself. His used different kinds of maps — the ordinary flat maps we use, of course, but he also used aerial maps and photos taken from planes, helicopters and even satellites. That way he could see exactly where the forests, rivers and fields were and he could see if the environment was being damaged. He was very organised and kept detailed records on every place he visited. He also took photos everywhere he went. As a result, he often knew more about an area than the people who lived there.

Wherever he went, the King liked to talk to ordinary people. He asked them many questions about their problems and he gave them advice on how to solve them. More than that, His Majesty has sponsored hundreds and hundreds of projects helping people to help themselves.

One of the most important ideas he has given to the people living in the countryside is how to use their land correctly. He suggests they divide it into different parts, some for rice farming, some for a fish pond, some for growing fruit trees and the rest for their house, a vegetable garden and for their animals. That way they can always have what they need and they can sell...