King Bhumibol: The Symbolic "Father of Water Resources Management" and Hydraulic Development Discourse in Thailand

• Published in: Asian studies review Vol. 39; no. 4; pp. 649 - 668
• Main Author: Blake, David J.H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Nathan Routledge 02.10.2015; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Antiquity; Colleges & universities; Cosmology; Discourse; Governance; Heads of state; Hegemony; hydraulic development; Hydraulics; Ideology; King Bhumibol; kingship; Legitimacy; Longevity; Management; Monarchy; Networks; Power; Reputations; Scholarship; Social sciences; Society; state-making; Symbolism; Technology; Thailand; Water resources; water resources control; Water resources management; Water supply; Thailand; ISEW, Thailand
• ISSN: 1035-7823; 1467-8403
• DOI: 10.1080/10357823.2015.1086972

The present Thai monarch's reputation in matters hydrological is an integral element of the mythology and symbolism that have characterised his reign. Royalists have carefully constructed the king as a semi-deified "Father of Thai Water Management", "Royal Rainmaker", wise inventor of hydraulic technology and planner of "royal initiatives" over a period of six decades. Yet, despite the links that are often drawn between water resources control, spiritual cosmology and political governance surrounding pre-modern Southeast Asian rulers, there has been surprisingly little critical scholarship undertaken on this contemporary aspect of kingship and state-making in Thailand. This paper examines the evolving discourse surrounding the monarchy and hydraulic development as a response to a perceived neglect regarding the central role of water in cementing the king's power and legitimacy. It argues that King Bhumibol's apparent hegemony in the national water resources governance paradigm has been an essential element underpinning the longevity and authority of his reign, partly facilitated through the workings of a network of allied strategic interests. Drawing from a range of sources, this paper makes a cautious start in addressing the subject and attempts to open up a space for further critical reflection and discussion regarding the significance of water resources control to Thailand's royal statecraft.