His Majesty the Late King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand The Innovative Inspiration for Entrepreneurship Around the World

Abstract

During his 70-year reign, His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand conducted numerous development projects to improve the livelihoods of his subjects. One such project was to convert peat swamp areas into productive agricultural land, minimizing environmental impact and the wetland ecosystem. In 1984, he solved the problem of soil acidification by using good water management and an irrigation system, which included simulating dry and rainy seasons, dykes, and lime in combination with soil flooding or mixed with topsoil. The Soil Improvement Project advanced with new findings gained through research, and His Majesty advised the team to use successful experiments as a guideline but remember failed ones to avoid repeating mistakes. The technique was applied in other provinces, such as Nakorn Nayok, which suffer from similar problems. The National Innovation Agency (NIA) wishes to honor His Majesty as the "Father of Thai Innovation" and seeks the "Klaeng Din Project" as a National Innovation Project. His Majesty's unique socio-culture position and his involvement in finding solutions have led to the impressive development of agri-preneurship in Thailand. He applied his knowledge in sciences to create and support over 4,000 Royal Development Projects, focusing on increasing efficiency and effectiveness of farming methods, modern techniques, and inventions like artificial rainmaking. These achievements have created a positive impact on local and global scale, earning His Majesty the recognition of "Thailand's Development King" by the United Nations and the international community.