สำนักงานราชบัณทิตยสภา

108  The Journal of the Royal Institute of Thailand Volume IV - 2012 Royal support has greatly promoted the Thai traditional performing arts; the Royal Khon Performances at the Thailand Cultural Centre in recent years have been greatly appreciated by both Thai and international audiences. Various great episodes of Khon organized by the SUPPORT Foundation (The Foundation of the Promotion of Supplementary Occupations and Related Techniques of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit of Thailand.) were presented: Prommas Episode in 2007 and restaged in 2009, Nang Loi Episode in 2010, The Battle of Maiyarap in 2011, and Jong Tanon Episode (the Building of the Causeway to Longka) in 2012. The SUPPORT Foundation of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit of Thailand was established in 1976 by Her Majesty to promote supplementary occupations and related techniques for the people in the rural areas who are, by nature and practice, quite skilled in traditional handicrafts. Their excellent craftsmanship has been passed down from generation to generation. Her Majesty has accompanied His Majesty the King on his visits to remote villages in all corners of the kingdom, and she has discovered that the majority of Thai farmers do not earn enough to support themselves, yet they possess extraordinary craftsmanship that should be promoted seriously. This is the main purpose of the SUPPORT Foundation of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit of Thailand. Figure 6: Her Majesty the Queen at Khon Performance organized by the SUPPORT Foundation By Courtesy of the SUPPORT Foundation King Rama VI’s Promotion of Khon and Drama in General