The auto painter who has looked after His Majesty the King's cars for about a decade credits the King's advice for him "to know his own standing" with his success in repaying his Bt10-million debts and becoming a wealthy business owner.
Anan Romreunwanichkij said in a recent interview on TV Channel 3's "At Ten" show that he was contacted to do the painting and upkeep of all the royal cars in late 1998 or early 1999.
"The first one I did was the Rolls-Royce that His Majesty the King uses in the annual Royal Guards parade, which celebrates his birthday on December 5. I got weak in the knees just seeing the car and I stared at it from 9am on the first day until 3am the next day," he said.
Instructed to use his usual brand of auto paint, the man recalled that he prayed at the Rolls-Royce's doorstep before beginning the paint job and that security cameras were installed and security officials stationed at the garage during the work.
Anan said his mother, who had left China to take refuge under the mercy of His Majesty in Thailand, had asked him to do the job as a present out of their deep gratitude and he agreed despite the economic slowdown and his Bt10 million in debts.
After His Majesty accepted Anan's wish to waive the auto-paint fees for seven royal cars, HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn had a royal chauffeur tell Anan that the King was discontented with the offer.
Anan said he was told that the King wanted him to know his own standing about which things were appropriate to give as a present and which were not.
"His Majesty might have learned about my overwhelming debts and thus wished to remind me. I regarded this as a blessing and I took this phrase of 'knowing one's own standing' as a guiding principle for my life until today," he said.
"Using that advice and working honestly without taking advantage of others, can you believe this? My life from having Bt10 million in debts has improved, my business has expanded, my family life been happy and my mother, now 90, is still strong. It's like what I've done was a blessing that came back to me many-fold," he said.
Besides the King's cars, Anan also is responsible for those of the rest of the Royal Family. Each one is simply decorated, with no extra accessories, except for a small storage bin and a workspace.
Anan also had a chance to learn about the beloved monarch's devotion to his subjects. Once he checked the King's car right after a visit to his subjects. Noticing that the floor carpet was damp and smelly, he realised the car must have been driven through flood waters, which leaked into the interior and most likely soaked the King's feet all the way.
He asked the chauffeur why he had not hurried to get this car repaired and was told that that had to wait until the King's visit to his subjects was completed.
Anan admired His Majesty for his frugality. The King would opt for a small fuel-saving car for private affairs. He would also wait until a royal car sustained multiple scratches before sending it in to be repainted, compared to many owners who would have an painting job done once their car bore one tiny scrape.