Message from His Excellency General Prayut Chan-o-cha (Retired), Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand

13 October 2016 will forever be remembered as a day of profound sorrow as the entire Thai nation lost their ‘Father of the Land’. Thais from all walks of life felt the sense of irreplaceable loss and bereavement that resonated throughout the Kingdom. Whilst the nation grieves during this somber period of mourning, His Majesty the Late King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s wisdom and lifelong work will continue to be the beacon of hope that guides us into a new dawn.

For seven decades, His Majesty ceaselessly devoted his entire reign to the advancement of the nation and the wellbeing of the Thai people in all aspects. The international praise and accolade he received, from monarchs of lands near and far, to numerous international organisations, including the Human Development Lifetime Achievement Award from the United Nations Development Programme in 2006, stand as testament to His Majesty’s selfless devotion to his subjects. Under His Majesty’s tutelage, Thailand steadily grew from an underdeveloped country to a middle-income country with more than 67 million people and the second largest economy in the ASEAN Community.

One of the greatest gifts that His Majesty the Late King bestowed upon us is the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP). A myriad of projects and initiatives have been borne out of His Majesty’s working precepts under SEP. As the torch bearers of His Majesty’s legacy for development and the betterment of the nation, all Thais should strive to apply the philosophical framework of SEP in each and every aspect of our lives to honour His Majesty’s memory. On the international level, we shall continue to actively promote SEP to the world, as Thailand’s valuable contribution to the principles and practice of sustainable development.

Ultimately, we must work together as one to help carry forward His Majesty the Late King’s greatest legacy that is the Thai nation, to realise his vision and hard work.