The second of March is, from now onwards, a significant date for all Thai citizens following its recent designation proposed by the Ministry of Labor to the Cabinet meeting as the National Labor Skill Standards Day. Apart from honoring all talented craftsmen of Thailand, the occasion highly commemorates His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej for earning his title as “the Father of Thai Craft Standards”, which is derived from his superb artisanship and inspirational presence to all citizens, especially skilled laborers.
The concept of the National Labor Skill Standards Day was prompted by His Majesty the King’s speech granted on Monday, March 2, 1970, during his chairmanship of the opening ceremony of the 1st National Skill Labor Competition at Lumphini Park in Bangkok. His Majesty’s enlightening statement reflected his sound understanding of the importance of Thai labor skill.
“Every skilled laborer is a crucial component of the nation’s well-being as well as the lives of all people since we have tremendously benefited from and inevitably relied on his or her creations on a daily basis. With today’s fast-growing science and technology, Thai craftsmen are in greater needs for support from all directions in order for them to adhere to the high labor skill standard and to produce efficient works that well accommodate the public demand.”
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His Majesty the King’s interest in crafts had in deed been expressed since his early childhood back in Switzerland. For any piece of toy he wished to acquire, he would either save up his own money for it or recreate it himself entirely. Among the pieces assembled by the then young prince were a glider, a miniature battleship, and a wooden trolley, which bring to light the root of His Majesty’s natural gift in the field. Even after his ascension to the throne on June 9, 1946, His Majesty the King has consistently involved himself in various personal invention projects while his most prominent expertise has been witnessed in the area of boat design and building.
In 1966-1967, such passion that His Majesty the King had for sailing, combined with his fine craftsmanship, became a driving force for him to start designing and building his own sailboats: the Mod, the Super Mod, and the Micro Mod. The three noteworthy achievements were specifically crafted to best suit the physical attributes of Thai sailors and were officially registered in His Majesty’s name under the International Moth Class in England. Moreover, during the 4th Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) hosted by Thailand in 1967, His Majesty the King won a gold medal in the sailing competition with his own Super Mod boat, making him the first King in the Asian history to have triumphed in sailing and also the first King of Thailand to have given full devotion to sports. .
In addition to His Majesty the King’s nautical inventions, a long list of his other creations are in no way inferior in significance as each of them has yielded remarkable benefits to the nation and has gained much acclaim from around the globe, for instance the Chaipattana Aerator, which is used for purification of polluted water, as well as the Royal Rain Making Project for providing artificial rain to alleviate drought problem. .
Therefore, the National Labor Skill Standards Day, having been set on March 2 of every year, is mainly to serve as a reminder for all skilled laborers in Thailand of His Majesty the King’s commitment and unrelenting effort in putting his creative inventions into good use for the benefit of the nation’s citizens as well as to encourage Thai craftsmen to follow His Majesty’s footsteps in realizing the importance of Thai labor skill and its continual enhancement to higher standards in order to help propel the nation forward.
