Visitors from outside the Kingdom are often enthralled and amazed at the incredible attention paid to the king and the royal family in Thailand. It’s understandable, especially if you’re coming from the US, where the tradition of nobility and aristocracy doesn’t exist. It’s a fascinating spectacle, and one that is worth understanding from a Thai perspective.

What causes the most confusion and misunderstanding is Thailand’s lese majeste law, which makes it illegal to speak out against the royal family. It’s happened before, that a drunken Westerner decides to publicly insult the king, or in a recent case, deface a poster of him, and then finds himself up on charges in the local jailhouse. If you do find yourself in such a situation, don’t make the mistake of thinking that your embassy can help you. You have broken a local law, and are subject to local punishment. That said though, although the stated punishment can be severe, in almost every case in recent history, the king himself has issued forgiveness, on the condition that the guilty party simply leave the country.

Everywhere you turn you will see pictures of the king and queen, not only in public venues, but also in shops, restaurants, and even in private homes. If you go to the movie theater, before the movie plays, everybody stands up quietly while the theater plays the royal anthem and shows a picture of the king. Even in Thai homes in the US, you will still often see a photograph of the king in a prominent location. Thai people often refer to the king as “father”, and exhibit a genuine, strong affection for him. It’s important to note that the attention and respect given to the king is done not out of fear, but out of genuine love and respect. Over his 60 years on the throne, the king has taken a personal interest in his country and its people, personally leading a number of projects designed to make life better, and he has earned the respect of his people. Just one example of many—the country’s vast distance learning program, which brings remote education to the poorest part of the Thai countryside, piped in directly from the King’s School in Hua Hin, using the latest interactive technology.

An interesting side note about the king, is that he is quite an accomplished Renaissance man himself. Most of the kings ever since Mongkut (Rama IV) have been well educated men of science and letters, and the present king actually owns a number of patents for his own original engineering designs. In addition, he is an accomplished jazz musician and composer, and during his younger days, played with Benny Goodman on occasion. If you have a chance, give a listen to “HM Blues”, a marvelous original jazz composition written by the king, which is often played by some of the country’s leading musicians.

The whole concept may seem mysterious and foreign, but remember, you are in a mysterious and foreign place. Vive la difference, and don’t forget to stand during the royal anthem.