Sirindhorn
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HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn is the second daughter of the King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand and is currently second in line to the throne. She is a member of the Thai Royal Family or Chakri Dynasty. She is said to be popular and admired, although the merit of this claim is difficult to judge as any realistic assessment of the Thai royal family is impossibly given Thailand's stifling lese majeste Her full name and title is "Somdet Phra Theppharat Ratchasuda Chao Fa Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Ratthasima Khunakon Piyachat Sayam Borommaratchakumari" (Thai: สมเด็จพระเทพรัตนราชสุดา เจ้าฟ้ามหาจักรีสิรินธร รัฐสีมาคุณากรปิยชาติ สยามบรมราชกุมารี). She is styled "her royal highness" (Thai: สมเด็จพระเจ้าลูกเธอ เจ้าฟ้าสิรินธรเทพรัตนสุดา กิติวัฒนาดุลโสภาคย์). Thais commonly refer to her as Phra Thep (Thai: พระเทพ), meaning "princess angel."
Biography
Sirindhorn, born April 2, 1955, is the third child of King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit of Thailand. Because the king has only one son, the Thai constitution was altered in 1974 to allow for female succession. This made Sirindhorn second in line to the throne (after the crown prince). She was invested with the title “Somdet Phra Theprat Ratsuda Chao Fa Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Ratthasima Khunakon Piyachat Sayam Borommaratchakumari” (Thai: สมเด็จพระเทพรัตนราชสุดา เจ้าฟ้ามหาจักรีสิรินธร รัฐสีมาคุณากรปิยชาติ สยามบรมราชกุมารี) on December 5, 1977. The English form of this title is "princess maha chakri." Her title in Thai is the female equivalent of the title held by her brother Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, but she has never been the heir apparent. Unlike previous constitutions, the Interim Constitution (2006) does not mention succession. However, this is not thought to alter the pre-existing succession arrangement.
Easily the most beloved member of the royal family, after the king and queen, she enjoys the widespread admiration of the Thai people and is considered her father's intellectual successor. She spends much of her time helping her father with his various projects and has never married.
Education
Sirindhorn attended kindergarten to upper secondary levels at Chitralada School. She ranked first in the National School Examinations in the primary level (grade 7) in 1967, first in upper secondary level (grade 12) in 1972 and fourth in the National University Entrance Examination.
She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in History (First Class Honor, Gold Medal) from Chulalongkorn University in 1976, and a Master of Arts in Oriental Epigraphy (Sanskrit and Cambodian) from Silpakorn University in 1978 with the thesis entitled 'The Inscriptions Found at Prasad Bnam Run (Prasat Phnom Rung)'. She also obtained a Master of Arts in Pali and Sanskrit from Chulalongkorn University in 1980 with the thesis entitled 'Dasaparami in Theravada Buddhism'.
Sirindhorn also obtained Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Development from Srinakharinwirot University in 1986 with the thesis entitled 'Development of an Innovative Design for the Instruction of Thai Language at the Upper Secondary School Level'.
Works
In Thailand, she is often referred to as the "Princess of Technology" or the "Princess of Information Technology", due to her interest and expertise in applying science for the country's development.
Besides her passion for technology, she holds degrees in History and a doctorate in Educational Development. She speaks fluent English, French, and Chinese, and is currently studying German and Latin. Princess Sirindhorn has a very good background in Chinese culture, as well as other oriental cultures. In recent years, she has paid many visits to China, both officially and privately, for her studies of the Chinese language and culture.
An accomplished musician, she plays the trumpet and several Thai traditional instruments, including the ranat (xylophone) and saw duang.[1] She also teaches at the History Department of the Chulachomklao Military Academy, where she is the nominal head of the department.
Awards
She received many awards and recognition. Some of them are
- The Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service (Philippines) in 1991[2]
- Chinese Language and Culture Friendship Award in 2000
- Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development (India) in 2004
- Understanding and Friendship International Literature Award by Chinese Literature Foundation of Chinese Writers Association in 2001
She was also conferred many honorary degrees, such as
- Honorary degree of Doctor in Chinese Studies of Humane Letters, Thammasat University in 1991
- Honorary degree of Doctor in Agriculture, Khon Kaen University in 1991
- Honorary degree of Doctor in Rural Technology, Thammasat University in 2002
- Honorary degree of Doctor in Regional Development Strategies, [[]] in 2004
- Honorary degree of Doctor in Environmental Science, Thammasat University in 2005
- Honorary degree of Doctor in Veterinary Medicine, Chulalongkorn University in 2007
Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn has graciously accepted the UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador title for the "Empowerment of Minority Children through Education and through the Preservation of Their Intangible Cultural Heritage." UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura conferred this title on 24 March 2005.
In her honour
Because of her interest in foreign cultures, technology, conservation and education, there are a number of academic and research institutions in Thailand which have been granted permission to use her name, such as
- Princess Sirindhorn's College, Mueang Nakhon Pathom, Nakhon Pathom Province
- Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre (Public Organization), established 1991
- HRH Princess Mahachakri Sirindhorn Music Library, Mahidol University, opened in 1991
- Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology (SIIT), Thammasat University, established as International Institute of Technology (IIT) in 1994, renamed SIIT in 1996.
- Sirindhorn International Thai-German Graduate School of Engineering (TGGS), King Mongkut's Institute of Technology North Bangkok
- Natural History Museum in Commemorative on 50th Birthday Anniversary of Princess Maha Chakri (PSU Natural History Museum), Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai Campus, Hat Yai, Songkhla Province, established as Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Natural History Museum in 2007.
- Princess Sirindhorn Neutron Monitor,[3] a Galactic cosmic ray detector at Thailand's highest mountain, Doi Inthanon, in Chiang Mai Province.
Also places:
- Amphoe Sirindhorn of Ubon Ratchathani Province
- Sirindhorn Dam stops the Dom Noi River in Sirindhorn, Ubon Ratchathani Province.
- Sirindhorn Museum (Phu Kum Khao Dinosaur Museum), Phu Kum Khao Dinosaur Research Center in Sahatsakhan, Kalasin Province.
Several fauna species are named after her, including
- Eurochelidon sirintarae (Princess Sirindhorn bird or White-eyed River Martin), a critically endangered swallow first described in 1968.
- Phricotelphusa sirindhorn (Panda crab). It was described in Crustaceana in 1989.
- Phuwiangosaurus sirindhornae (Sauropod, herbivore dinosaur) from the early Cretaceous period. It was described in 1994.
- Acanthosquilla sirindhorn (Panda mantis shrimp). It was described in Crustaceana in 1995.
- Streptocephalus sirindhornae (Anostraca, freshwater fairy shrimp). It was described in Journal of Crustacean Biology in 2000.
- Macrobrachium sirindhorn (freshwater prawn). It was described in Crustaceana in 2001.
- Trigona sirindhornae (Apidae, bee)
- Sirindhorn thailandiensis (Princess moth).
- Loxosomatoides sirindhornae (freshwater kamptozoan). It was described in Hydrobiologia (Hydrobiologia) in 2005.
Numerous plant species also have been named after her, including the Sirindhornia spp. (Orchids):
- Sirindhornia pulchella can only be seen in Doi Chiang Dao, blooming around April to June.
- Sirindhornia mirabilis can only be seen in Doi Hua Mot in Tak Province, blooming during May to June
- Sirindhornia monophyla can bee seen in Doi Hua Mot in Tak Province from March to June, as well in Myanmar and China.
Other plant species includes
- Bauhinia sirindhorniae (Sam sip song pra dong - Leguminosae -Caesalpinioideae, vine). It was described in Nordic Journal of Botany in 1997.
- Magnolia sirindhorniae (Princess Sirindhorn'smagnolia)
- Thepparatia thailandica Phuph. or Khruea Thepparat Malvaceae. Thepparat is her royal title. It was described in Thai Forest Bulletin (Botany) in 2006.[4]