III 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 9 

Honoring in praise and remembrance the extraordinary life, steady leadership, 

and remarkable, 70-year reign of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 10, 2017 

Mr. HATCH (for himself, Mr. ROBERTS, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Mr. COTTON, Ms. 

DUCKWORTH, Mr. FLAKE, Mr. GARDNER, Mr. MCCAIN, and Mr. REED) 

submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 

on Foreign Relations 

MARCH 15, 2017 

Committee discharged; considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring in praise and remembrance the extraordinary life, 

steady leadership, and remarkable, 70-year reign of King 

Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. 

Whereas His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej enjoyed a 

special relationship with the United States, having been 

born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1927 while his father was completing his medical studies at Harvard University; 

Whereas King Bhumibol Adulyadej ascended to the throne on 

June 9, 1946, and celebrated his 70th year as King of 

Thailand in 2016; 

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Whereas, at the time of his death, King Bhumibol Adulyadej 

was the longest-serving head of state in the world and the 

longest-reigning monarch in the history of Thailand; 

Whereas His Majesty dedicated his life to the well-being of 

the Thai people and the sustainable development of Thailand; 

Whereas His Majesty led by example and virtue with the interest of the people at heart, earning His Majesty the 

deep reverence of the Thai people and the respect of people around the world; 

Whereas His Majesty reached out to the poorest and most 

vulnerable people of Thailand, regardless of their status, 

ethnicity, or religion, listened to their problems, and empowered them to take their lives into their own hands; 

Whereas, in 2006, His Majesty received the first United Nations Human Development Award, recognizing him as the 

‘‘Development King’’ for the extraordinary contribution 

of His Majesty to human development; 

Whereas His Majesty was recognized internationally in the 

areas of intellectual property, innovation, and creativity, 

and in 2009, the World Intellectual Property Organization presented His Majesty with the Global Leadership 

Award; 

Whereas His Majesty was an anchor of peace and stability 

for Thailand during the turbulent decades of the Cold 

War; 

Whereas His Majesty was always a trusted friend of the 

United States in advancing a strong and enduring alliance and partnership between the United States and 

Thailand; 

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Whereas His Majesty addressed a joint session of Congress 

on June 29, 1960, during which His Majesty reaffirmed 

the strong friendship and goodwill between the United 

States and Thailand; 

Whereas the United States and Thailand remain strong security allies, as memorialized in the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty (commonly known as the ‘‘Manila 

Pact of 1954’’) and later expanded under the ThanatRusk Communique of 1962; 

Whereas, for decades, Thailand has hosted the annual Cobra 

Gold military exercises, the largest multilateral exercises 

in Asia, to improve regional defense cooperation; 

Whereas Thailand has allowed the Armed Forces of the 

United States to use the Utapao Air Base to coordinate 

international humanitarian relief efforts; 

Whereas President George W. Bush designated Thailand as 

a major non-NATO ally on December 30, 2003; 

Whereas close cooperation and mutual sacrifices in the face 

of common threats have bound the United States and 

Thailand together and established a firm foundation for 

the advancement of a mutually beneficial relationship; 

and 

Whereas, on October 13, 2016, at the age of 88, His Majesty 

King Bhumibol Adulyadej passed away, leaving behind a 

lasting legacy for Thailand: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) honors the extraordinary life, steady leader3 ship, and remarkable, 70-year reign of His Majesty 

4 King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand; 

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1 (2) extends our deepest sympathies to the mem2 bers of the Royal Family and to the people of Thai3 land in their bereavement; 

4 (3) celebrates the alliance and friendship be5 tween Thailand and the United States that reflects 

6 common interests, a 183-year diplomatic history, 

7 and a multifaceted partnership that has contributed 

8 to peace, stability, and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific 

9 region; 

10 (4) congratulates His Majesty King Maha 

11 Vajiralongkorn on his accession to the throne; and 

12 (5) building on the strong foundation of alliance 

13 nurtured during the reign of the father of His Maj14 esty King Maha Vajiralongkorn, looks forward to 

15 deepening the bonds of friendship between Thailand 

16 and the United States. 

Æ 

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