Candle rite ushers in Father's Day

Civil servants and members of the public members make merit yesterday morning at Bangkok’s Sanam Luang to mark His Majesty the King’s birthday, also National Father’s Day./Prasert Thepsri

To celebrate the King's 81st birthday, Thais nationwide also made merit in the morning, signed getwell books during the day and participated in a candlelighting ritual in the evening.

Banyat, 64, said he was proud to be chosen and thanked his parents for teaching him to be a person with good thoughts, good words and good behaviour. He also urged all fathers to follow HM the King's example and speeches to do good things for the majority and Thailand as this would also set a good example to their own children.

An award recipient from Bangkok's Sai Mai district, Narong Buasri, is a farmer who took good care of his three children until they all obtained bachelor's degrees. He praised the King's sufficiencyeconomy philosophy as a good principle in life as he used all his 30 rai of land to grow rice and vegetables to consume in the family and sell.

Another recipient, Phat Keusakul, 76, a shadowplay artist from Surat Thani, said he taught all his five children by example to be a giver practising virtue and sacrifice as well as conserving the art of shadow play.

At 6.45am yesterday, officials and members of the public offered food to 282 Buddhist monks at Sanam Luang's northern corner before the Foundation of King Rama 9 then hosted another foodoffering and robepresenting ceremony to 10 senior Buddhist monks.

The foundation is hosting events from December 16 to celebrate the King's birthday with activities including Monday's mass ordination, outdoor performances by students from Tuesday and a walking rally on Thursday.

Yesterday evening, a candlelighting ritual, presided over by caretaker Prime Minister Chaovarat Chanweerakul, was held at 7.29pm at Sanam Luang to honour the King, and similar events were also held at the same time around the country. The Sanam Luang ritualplanners prepared two million candles to hand out to participants and also arranged fireworks, stage performances and a boxing contest to follow the candlelighting.

Earlier, at 10am, Chaovarat led senior officials and military leaders to sign a birthdaywishes book for HM the King at Sahathai Hall in the Grand Palace.

At news of HM the King's slight illness, Luang Pho Khun, revered abbot of Wat Ban Rai in Nakhon Ratchasima, yesterday morning offered his blessing for the King's quick recovery as he would be the Thai people's protector forever. The monk blessed the public in a meritmaking ceremony attended by 1,000 people in Dan Khun Thot district.