สำนักงานราชบัณทิตยสภา

The Journal of the Royal Institute of Thailand Volume IV - 2012 22  The state visits thereafter in June 1960, which lasted seven months and four days, were not only to present the world’s youngest monarch to the world, but they also clearly demonstrated the clear position of Thailand’s foreign policy, which was aiming to form alliances with the western world, particularly the United States of America. In this connection, the presence of Queen Sirikit of Thailand, with Her Majesty’s charm and beauty, was a major key to the success of the royal tours. 4. On Her Majesty’s State Visit in 1960 and 1962 – Ambassador of successful Mission for Thailand - A New Era in Thai-Asian and Western Relations When King Chulalongkorn travelled to Europe in 1897, he was alone without Queen Savabha Pongsri. The traditional role of Siamese women and the duration of the journey, would not allow her to travel. More over, Queen Savabha Pongsri as Queen Regent of Siam had a more important duty at the time of political crisis of the country and during the absence of the King. The world travel of the ninth Monarch of the Chakri Dynasty was different. Here, - Queen Sirikit, as the second Queen Regent in the Thai history, accompanied, for the fi rst time, His Majesty King Bhumibol, representing Thailand as a goodwill Ambassador resulting in the success of the missions and consequently marked an important turning point in relations between Thailand and Asian-Western countries. Similar to the fi rst visit to Europe of King Chulalognkorn, the state visits of Queen Sirikit in 1960 and 1962 were not recreational trips. In the word of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit in In Memory of the State Visits of His Majesty the King: “I once thought that visiting foreign countries would be a joyful and exciting experience, especially for young people. […] I never left my homeland at all because the King de fi nitely had no intention of leaving the country, except for an unavoidable reason. As the Head of the Thai Nation, the King thought it best to stay inside the country in order to be close to his people. […] and as for me, I never thought of going anywhere if He did not go.” Queen Sirikit on Her Majesty’s State Visits in 1960 and 1962