New Year Card 2009 from His Majesty the King King urges people to be attentive; think carefully, be prudent
BANGKOK, Jan 1 (TNA) - His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej urged the Thai people to be attentive, think carefully and to practice prudence before taking any action so that genuine and sustainable benefits and happiness would happen to individuals and society as a whole.
In his traditional televised New Year address on New Year's Eve, the King said Thais should think and act carefully and look at every angle of a situation – both pros and cons -- with thoughtfulness.
Right thinking and right actions will contribute to the success and happiness of each person and will bring peace and order to the nation as a whole, he said.
His Majesty the King also extended his best New Year wishes to the people and expressed grateful appreciation to all those who were involved in arranging the royal cremation ceremony for his sister, Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana, November 14 to 19.
Saying that the ceremony was held with honour, the King then wished the people happiness and success in the coming year. Many people will remember the monarch sitting into the small hours of the morning following the cremation ceremonies and how he showed respect to all involved, especially to the musicians who played the last farewell to the princess.
His Majesty also designed a New Year greeting card for his subjects.
The card depicts His Majesty the King, in a light brown suit with blue necktie, sitting in a chair with Khun Tongdaeng, his favourite pet dog, sitting on his left and Khun Nai Daeng, the mother of Khun Tongdaeng, on his right. (TNA)
Researchers:Cholthanee Koerojna and Mana Sanguansook
Editors: Carleton Cole and Kim Wells Atkinson
Supporters/Resources: Historical Societies in Massachusetts; Boston, Cambridge, Belmont, Gloucester, Brookline, Arlington, West Chop – Martha’s Vineyard,in New Hampshire – Mount Washington Observatory, in Vermont – Burlington Historical Society, in New York- Lake Placid Historical Society; in Connecticut – Hartford; Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Public Health, Simmons College,
Mount Auburn Hospital
Massachusetts has become an important place for Thailand’s history. Trail of Thai Royalty is the history following foot steps of H.M. the King’s parent, Prince Mahidol Songkla and Princess Mother (Sangwan Talapat) while they lived in Massachusetts. The history captures their lives, homes and places where the family stayed during 1916 to 1928.
The information in this trail is based on Cholthanee’s research on Prince Mahidol of Songkla and Princess Mother’s story in Massachusetts since 2000.Cholthanee’s research is based on Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana’s books, Mae-Lour-Hai-Fung and Chao-Chai-Lek-Lek-Yu-Wa-Krasat, Glad Adventure by Dr. Francis B. Sayre, Somdej Ya and Massachusetts by Nimitr Namchai and many more references from Thai books, documentary and historical society archives in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and New Hampshire.
The beginning of the trail is at the back of BirthplaceMonument. This trail will present Massachusetts map and the number on the map related to the content of each historic home.The visitors can follow the historic trail from this site to visit 10 historic places.
The starting trail plaque will be placed on the back of the Birthplace monument. The content will contain the map of Massachusetts with numbers locating the map
Trail of Thai Royalty in Massachusetts according to the content.
Gloucester
1. The Harding cottage at 3 Page Street, Bass Rocks, was the summer headquarters of the Siamese (Thai) legation of Washington, DC in 1916 where Prince Mahidol visited on his way to Harvard University to study public health.
Cambridge
2. The house at 11 Hawthorn Street was originally located at the corner of Brattle and Church streets, where Prince Mahidol occupied it from 1916 to 1918 while studying at Harvard.
3. The house at 11 Story Street was another residence of Prince Mahidol (1918 – 1919) who was studying at Harvard.
4. The building at 44 Langdon Street housed the Siamese (Thai) Office of Educational Affairs, other governmental offices and officers between 1917 and 1927, including the Siamese Alliance (Siam Samakom) led by Prince Mahidol. Miss Sangwan Talapat (who was to become the Princess Mother) stayed here briefly in 1918 on her arrival in Boston.
5. The house at 15 Berkeley Street was the Williston family home where the future Princess Mother lived from September 1919 to April 1920.
6. Mount Auburn Hospital (formerly Cambridge Hospital) at 330 Mount Auburn Street was where Prince Bhumibol Adulyadej was born on December 5, 1927. The royal baby was to become King Rama IX of Siam (Thailand) and was the first monarch born in the continental USA.
Belmont
7. The house at 49 Cedar Road was the Kent family home where the future Princess Mother stayed from July 1919 to September 1919 after she had become engaged to marry Prince Mahidol.
Brookline
8. In one of the units at 63 Longwood Avenue, Prince Mahidol lived with his wife and three children: Princess Galyani Vadhana, Prince Anandha, and the newborn Prince Bhumibol Adulyadej, from 1926 until they all returned to Thailand in 1928.
Martha’s Vineyard
9. The house at 703 Main Street, West Chop, was the vacation home of Prince Mahidol and his family during the summer of 1926.
10. The house at 741 Main Street, West Chop, was the vacation home of Prince Mahidol and his family during the summer of 1927.
PLAQUES WITH FURTHER HISTORICAL NOTES ARE DISPLAYED AT EACH SITE.
This house, the home of Emily Harding, served as the summer headquarters of the Siamese (Thai) legation at Washington, DC. Prince Mahidol of Thailand and his party arrived in Gloucester on August 27, 1916. While they stayed at the Hotel Moorland nearby, Prince Mahidol spent much time at this house before beginning public health studies at HarvardUniversity in September.
Prince Mahidol was a son of King Chulalongkorn and Queen Savang Vadhana and was the father of the two kings, Rama VIII and Rama IX. Prince Mahidol was the first Thai royal to study in the USA.
Prince Mahidol of Siam (Thailand) occupied this house from 1916 to 1918 while studying public health at Harvard University. At that time this house was located at the corner of Brattle and Church streets (45 Brattle Street) where it had originally been built. The house was moved to its present location in 1926.
Prince Mahidol of Siam (Thailand) moved to this house in 1918, the year after it was built. He stayed here until he completed his public health studies at Harvard University in 1919.
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44 Langdon Street, Cambridge
Between 1917 and 1927 this building housed the Siamese (Thai) Office of Educational Affairs that took care of Thai scholarship students in America. Staff of other governmental offices also worked and lived here.
One of those students was Miss Sangwan Talapat, who was to marry Prince Mahidol and become the Princess Mother. Having received a scholarship from Queen Savang Vadhana to study nursing, Miss Sangwan arrived in Boston by train from San Francisco with eight other students on the evening of September 21, 1918. She was welcomed at South Station by Prince Mahidol who had come to greet the students and take them to the Brattle Inn at 48 Brattle Street. Miss Sangwan later moved to 44 Langdon Street and stayed here until September 28.
From 1921 to 1927 this building also housed the Siamese Alliance (Siam Samakom), the first Thai student association in the USA, established under Prince Mahidol’s leadership. Prince Mahidol, a son of King Chulalongkorn and Queen Savang Vadhana, was the first Thai royal to study in the USA.
The Princess Mother of Thailand (née Miss Sangwan Talapat) stayed in this house with the Williston family from September 1919 to April 1920. Miss Sangwan was preparing herself to study nursing at Simmons College and local hospitals under a scholarship from Queen Savang Vadhana. Miss Sangwan studied arts and other subjects with the two Williston sisters Emily and Constance and attended Miss Edith Johnson’s Tutoring School as well.
Miss Sangwan first met her future husband on her arrival at South Station in Boston in 1918. Prince Mahidol, a son of King Chulalongkorn and Queen Savang Vadhana, was studying public health at Harvard University, the first Thai royal to study in the USA.
Behind these tall windows is the operating room where Prince Bhumibol Adulyadej of Siam (Thailand) was born on December 5, 1927. Prince Bhumibol became King Rama IX in 1946 and was the first monarch of any nationality to be born in the continental USA.
The mother of the future king, née Miss Sangwan Talapat, stayed to nurse her royal son for 21 days at this hospital (then known as Cambridge Hospital). She was a student at Simmons College at that time, while her husband Prince Mahidol was a student at Harvard Medical School
The Princess Mother of Thailand (née Miss Sangwan Talapat) stayed in this house with the Kent family from July 1919 to September 1919, after she had become engaged to marry Prince Mahidol. Miss Sangwan was preparing herself to study nursing at Simmons College and local hospitals under a scholarship from Queen Savang Vadhana.
Miss Sangwan lived with the Strong family in Hartford, Connecticut and studied at North Western Grammar School from September 1918 to July 1919.
Prince Mahidol of Siam (Thailand) lived in one of the apartments here from 1926 to 1928 with his wife and their young children: Princess Galyani Vadhana, Prince Anandha (who was to become King Rama VIII), and Prince Bhumibol Adulyadej (who was to become King Rama IX). Prince Bhumibol was born at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge on 5 December 1927, the first monarch to be born in the continental United States.
While living here Prince Mahidol graduated from Harvard Medical School and the Princess Mother studied nursing and household economics at Simmons College and local hospitals. In July 1928 the family returned to Thailand.
In the summer of 1926, Prince Mahidol of Siam (Thailand) stayed at this house with his wife and their children: Princess Galyani Vadhana (aged 3 years) and Prince Anandha (aged 1), who was to become King Rama VIII. Prince Mahidol was studying medicine at Harvard Medical School and the Princess Mother was studying nursing and household economics at Simmons College and local hospitals.
Prince Mahidol was a son of King Chulalongkorn and Queen Savang Vadhana and was the father of the two kings, Rama VIII and Rama IX. Prince Mahidol was the first Thai royal to study in the USA.
This house was the vacation home of Dr. Francis Bowes Sayre, a professor at Harvard Law School, who was adviser in foreign affairs to King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) in Bangkok (November 1923 ¬¬to September 1924) and in Europe (the ensuing year). His Majesty conferred on Dr. Sayre a distinctive name and title of high nobility: Phraya Kalyan Maitri.
In the summer of 1927, Prince Mahidol of Siam (Thailand) stayed at this house, the home of Mrs. Elijah Cleveland, with his wife and their children: Princess Galyani Vadhana (aged 4 years) and Prince Anandha (aged 2), who was to become King Rama VIII. Prince Mahidol was studying medicine at Harvard Medical School and the Princess Mother was studying nursing and household economics at Simmons College and local hospitals.
The last visit to Very Reverend Francis B. Sayre Jr., former Dean of the Washington National Cathedral, grandson of the President Woodrow Wilson and the last baby born in the White House, and son of Dr. Francis Bowes Sayre (Phraya Kalyan Maitri – Thai title); Dean Sayre died at age 93 at home in Vineyard Haven on Oct. 3, 2008.
Our last unforgettable visit to his home in Vineyard Haven was on Sat., Aug. 9th, 2008.
President Woodrow Wilson, Francis B. Sayre and the newborn Francis B. Sayre Jr. January, 1915
I had called him on Wed. Aug. 6th and talked with him about our planned visit with my husband, Mana Sanguansook and the King of Thailand Birthplace Foundation officer, Charles Intha. He recognized me on the phone and we planned for a visit. The nurse was a little concerned when she learned that we planned to arrive on the island on the 10:30 a.m. ferry because he always got up around noon time and could no longer walk a mile. I told the nurse to let him sleep on his normal schedule, and not to awaken him.
Wishing to preserve a good memory of our time together on this trip, we brought a camcorder with us to record our visit. The day of arrival, we missed the 10:30 a.m. ferry and had to get off in Oak Bluff on the next schedule. We bought lunch for all of us as usual from Oak Bluff and brought it with us to eat with him and the nurse. When we walked into his home, we saw him waiting for us at the doorway with happy smiling face. The nurse told us that he had awakened early and waited for us patiently. He kept asking when we would be there. He had asked the nurse every day since Wednesday, “When are the important people coming?” The nurse kept reassuring him, “Saturday, today is not yet Saturday”. We had a very nice lunch with him and good conversation as usual. We asked permission to videotape our visit with him. He said ok and joked around with the camera men and commented often on his age. He said, “I am 97 years old” a few times, but he finally said, “Do you know I am 93 years old?” He teased me for my imperfect English and then he pretended to baptize me by putting his hand on my head when the nurse told us that many people told him that he baptized them while he was on his routine walk. We told him that he had a happy life because he helped so many people to be happy including all of us. We expected to visit him again before winter, by the end of October, but it was too late. The memory of our good time is in our hearts forever. Dean Sayre was such a kind person and would surely have been loved by anyone who had the opportunity to know him.
Our past eight years visiting Martha’s Vineyard were not for pleasure or sightseeing. We went to the island to pay our respect to Dean Sayre and his family who we love and respect, to wish them good health and good lives as well as to receive blessing from him for our good lives. Our eight-year relationship with him makes it very difficult to think about the West Chop and the Main Street trail. We used to walk from his house to his beach houses and to the West Chop Club. He showed us his woodworking shop and tools. He told us many stories about his work at Washington National Cathedral, including the U.S. president inaugurations and woodworking for the cathedral. While his wife was still alive, we visited them few times a year from spring to fall. They waited for us at the dock. His wife, Harriet cooked lunch for us. We had nice lunches together at the beach house and at the main house. She took us to see the berry bushes on the beach and gave us her delicious homemade wide berry yam to take home. After his wife passed away, we still visited him every year. He was very happy and enjoyed every visit. He always shared with us his good memory about the relationship of Prince Mahidol and his father. He showed us a few items that his father received from the prince and the kings. We felt good about making him happy and we were also happy at every visit. Our next trips to Martha’s Vineyard will never be the same!
What brought us to know the Sayre’s family? I was researching on His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej family’s history and found that His Majesty family spent time on the island in summer 1926 and 1927. The Martha's Vineyard Historical Society helped to locate the vacation homes and the owners from the Gazette archive in 1926 and 1927. The vacation home in the summer of 1926 was his father’s home on 703 Main Street, Vineyard Haven. The King of Thailand Birthplace Foundation has included this home in the “Trail of Thai Royal in Massachusetts” project and we hope to dedicate this home next year.
In Thailand, every student in school learns about Dr. Francis Bowes Sayre and his exemplary work for Thailand. I remember having difficulty saying his American name. I feel honored and privileged to have had an opportunity to know his son, grandchildren and their families in person. The people of Thailand respect and are so proud of Dean Sayre’s father. Thailand owes a great deal of Dr. Sayre’s exemplary work.
The Sayre family has a long relationship to Thailand, with both Thai government affairs and the Royal family.
On the government side, Dr. Sayre’s father, Dr. Francis Bowes Sayre, served as an adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prince Traidos and King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) in Bangkok from 1923 to 1924 according to his Glad Adventure book. In recognition of his exemplary work for Thailand, and for his being a “true friend” of Thailand, His Majesty conferred on Dr. Sayre a distinctive name and title of high nobility: Phraya Kalyan Maitri. He was the second American who receive that Thai title.The first American was Westengard, Jens Iverson. The most important work was “Breaking Siam’s Nineteenth Century Shackles” of the unjust and unequal treaties that ten European countries imposed upon Thailand (Siam) such as the exemption from the jurisdiction of Siamese Courts and the requirement under the treaties that no tariff above 3 per cent be levied on imports. Dr. Sayre represented Siam in negotiations with European countries to eliminate extraterritoriality; Siam subsequently concluded several treaties with European countries along the line of the 1920 Siam-US Treaty and protocol.
He also served as an adviser to King Prajadhipok (Rama VII) in 1926 according to the King’s letter to Dr. Sayre on Jul. 23rd, 1926 from Prince Damrong’s files and Glad Adventure book. Dr. Sayre returned to Bangkok in the summer of 1926 at the request of King Prajadhipok for his advice on “Problems of Siam”.
Cholthanee, Mana and Chicago Supporters with Francis B.Sayre Jr.
From Francis B. Sayre Jr.
During that time, the young Dean Sayre was 8 years old. Dr. Sayre’s family lived in Thailand for a year with three children, 8, 7 year-old boys and a 4-year-old girl. Dean Sayre had a good memory of living in Thailand during that time. When members of the King of Thailand Birthplace Foundation visited him and his family in West Chop, he told stories about his home in Thailand and his father’s book, sharing happy memories of Siam. He remembered seeing many snakes in Thailand. His fondest memory was of King Vajiravudh sending the King’s white elephant for him, his brother, and sister to ride. While his parent was dining in the palace with the King, the King asked if the children had ever ridden an elephant. His father replied no, and so the next morning the King’s white elephant, resplendent in royal trappings, majestically appeared in front of his home. He never forgot the ride that morning upon the King’s elephant.
On the royal family relationship, during his father’s mission in Thailand, his father became a good friend of Prince Mahidol of Siam, who later became the father of two kings, King Anandha (Rama VIII) and King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX).
From 1926 to 1928, Prince Mahidol, with his wife and their children: Princess Galyani Vadhana, Prince Anandh, who became King Rama VIII, stayed in Massachusetts for his studies. The king’s family spent much time with the Sayre’s family in Cambridge and West Chop homes. In the summer of 1926, Prince Mahidol’s family stayed with the Sayres at their West Chop home. Dean Sayre was 11 years old, King Anandh was 1 year old and Princess Galyani Vadhana was 3 years old. In the summer of 1927, the family came back to the West Chop again. Although they stayed one or two houses away from the Sayre’s home, they looked after each other closely. The family ties remained close until the present King Bhumibol Adulyadej was born. In Dr. Sayre’s book, Glad Adventure, he noted about the birth of King Bhumibol Adulyadej: “His second child, Prince Bhumibol, was born in a hospital in Cambridge close by our home so that they could be near Jessie and me.” Prince Mahidol family returned to Siam in Jul. 1928 and they still wrote each other until Prince Mahidol died on Sep. 24th, 1929.
Cholthanee with Francis B.Sayre and Mrs Harriet Sayre.
From Francis B. Sayre Jr.
Dean Sayre remembered Prince Mahidol and family well. At each of our visits with him, he told us his fond memory about Prince Mahidol’s family, M.R. Thepparit Devakul and his son, Mom Tri (M.L. Tridhosyuth) who have become a part of his family. He always received us with a very kind and smiling face. Dean Sayre was, like his father, a true friend and will be remembered with appreciation, admiration, respect and affection.
The memorial service was held at Grace Church in Vineyard Haven on Saturday, October 11, 2008 at 10 a.m. A funeral service will be held at the Washington Cathedral on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2008 at 1 p.m.
