Bangkok--Dec 1--TAT
-- ‘His Majesty’s Pioneering Living Museum’ Winner of the Award of Excellence - Agro-tourism Site, Thailand Tourism Awards 2004
Throughout the centuries, it has been customary for Thai monarchs to assume several designated roles: as Devaraja or ‘God King’, the caring and concerned ‘Paternal King’ and ‘Father of the Nation’ and Phra Chao Paen Din — ‘Lord of the Land’, a particularly vital role in a nation where over 60% of the population remain dependent on agriculture and farming for their livelihoods.
In His Majesty’s designated role as ‘Lord of the Land’, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of the population through the implementation of development projects designed to alleviate rural poverty, particularly His Majesty’s pioneering work in agricultural development and economic self-sufficiency. Public support for this cause leads many people to visit the Royal Projects.
The Khao Hin Sorn Royal Development Study Centre, a royally-initiated model of sustainable alternative development and the first of six Royal Study Centres to be established, is a ‘Living Museum’ that reflects His Majesty’s vision, wisdom and insight and His Majesty’s theories are put into action. At Khao Hin Sorn, HM King Bhumibol personally introduced several important initiatives to help villagers achieve sustainable, economic self-sufficiency, and personally supervised experiments in the implementation of ‘New Theory’ Farming or Integrated Farming.
As a result of the implementation of the Khao Hin Sorn project, a formerly dry, barren drought-stricken land has been transformed into the ‘green zone’ it has become today. The success of various pioneering royally-sponsored research and development initiatives in agricultural development introduced at Khao Hin Sorn became the blueprint for other subsequent Royal Development Projects.
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