The long reign of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej began at the end of World War II and has lasted up to the present day. In the more than six decades that have passed, Thailand has undergone major changes, politically, socially, and even physically, as the nation can witness today. In fact, the entire outlook of the country has been transformed. In the middle of this sea of change, however, there is an institution that remains intact and prominent in the minds of all Thais, namely the monarchy. It is an indisputable fact that the person who plays a crucial role in the development of the country in all aspects is His Majesty the King, who commands great love and respect among his subjects. But it remains a great puzzle to the entire world how a monarch is able to bring progress and development through uncountable projects and programs initiated throughout his reign. The mobilization of ideas and implementation of development concepts and projects require thorough data gathering and accurate analysis of problems, as well as creative ideas to formulate projects in such a way that will bring about the intended changes. With his great talents and kind concern for his subjects, His Majesty devotes his time and energy to study problems in localities in detail. Based on such studies, solutions are meticulously worked out, for problems ranging from the local to the national level.

In so doing, communication skills and strategies are essential. His Majesty the King has clearly shown his true understanding of the concept and has employed communication and public relations strategies, while adapting communication theories to create good understanding among the public. The function of public relations is the managing of communication with clear objectives and goals, to link various groups in society together, leading to common understanding and the attainment of common objectives. When all the groups have a common goal, linkages are created, resulting in synergy. Therefore, His Majesty'ss great skill in applying public relations principles to his work bring benefits and happiness to the Thai people, whose love and respect for their King increase day by day. His Majesty the King has thereby become the heart and soul of the Thai nation.

This book deals with His Majesty the King'ss life and work, focusing on his character and his talent for communication and application of public relations principles to his undertakings for the well-being and happiness of the Thai people, ever since his ascension to the throne. The royal activities are wide-ranging and varied. One book can cover only a few examples of His Majesty'ss communication skills. Over and above all that, however, is His Majesty'ss ability to adapt communication principles to public relations work, which is more complicated than normal communication techniques, as the process requires accurate planning and implementation of the projects. Target groups in public relations operations include persons within the organization, as well as members of the general public. Communicating with the masses to create knowledge and understanding, to gain acceptance for new concepts, and to change people'ss behavior, is, to say the least, not easy. But with his talents and his devotion to the well-being of the people, His Majesty has been able to successfully conduct public relations work that even public relations nearly experts regard as nearly impossible tasks.

At the end of this book, an analysis of His Majesty's character and talents, as well as his royal activities, is presented as an "afterword," based on public relations theories and concepts, to explain clearly the great talents of His Majesty the King of Thailand in communication and to show why he deserves the title of the Great King of Communication and Public Relations.