Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand celebrated her 63rd birthday on Monday, 2 April. To commemorate her birthday, Thailand has designated 2 April of each year as Thai Heritage Conservation Day.
In honour of her birthday, an exhibition has been set up in the Thai capital of Bangkok, displaying over two hundred paintings of the Princess, created by 12 artists. The exhibit will help fund the development of young people in remote areas of the country by donating some of the proceeds to charity. It will also help attendees learn about the Princess’s interests, including local culture, literature, and music. Princess Siridnhorn is very passionate about preserving Thai culture. The exhibition is complete with shops selling traditional Thai products, and visitors are encouraged to dress in traditional Thai clothing.
To celebrate further, Princess Sirindhorn released fish into the Chao Praya River on the day and had an aquatic-themed birthday cake. The Ministry of Fisheries selected ten fish species and a total of 590,000 fish for the Princess to release from Wasukree Pier. Species included giant Mekong catfish, clown knifefish, red-tail fish and a couple of freshwater stingrays. Additionally, local residents released 100,000 tiger prawns into the Mae Klong River, and Surasak Charoensirichote, Governor of Rayong province, released fish into the Rayong River.
Civil Servants Day, a day to celebrate the anniversary of the enactment of the first Civil Service Act, in Thailand was on 1 April. On the Princess’s birthday, alms were given to over 60 monks, as happens on Civil Servants Day each year. Almsgiving is the respect given to Buddhist monks and nuns and is a symbolic connection to the spiritual realm.
The Princess is one of the most active members of the Thai Royal Family and the third of four children of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej and his wife, Queen Sirikit. Her older brother, His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn, is the oldest Thai monarch to ascend to the throne.
