500 Baht 2017, Thailand
| in Krause book | Number: 133 |
| Years of issue: | 2017 |
| Edition: | |
| Signatures: | Finance Minister of Thailand: Apisak Tantivorawong (in office August 2015 - July 2019)Governor of the Bank of Thailand: Dr. Veerathai Santiprabhob (in office 1 October 2015 - 30 September 2020) |
| Serie: | King Bhumibol in Different Ages |
| Specimen of: | 2016 |
| Material: | Cotton fiber |
| Size (mm): | 156 х 72 |
| Printer: | Note printing Works, Banknote management group, Bank of Thailand |
* All pictures marked 
are increased partially by magnifying glass, the remaining open in full size by clicking on the image.
** The word "Specimen" is present only on some of electronic pictures, in accordance with banknote images publication rules of appropriate banks.
Description
Watermark:
HM The King Rama IX. Denomination.
Avers:
King Rama IX in the Royal House of Chakri gown.
Bhumibol Adulyadej (Thai: ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช; (Sanskrit: bhūmi·bala atulya·teja - "might of the land, unparalleled brilliance"); 5 December 1927 – 13 October 2016), conferred with the title King Bhumibol the Great in 1987 (officially conferred by King Vajiralongkorn in 2019), was the ninth monarch of Thailand from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama IX. Reigning since 9 June 1946, he was the world's longest-reigning current head of state from the death of Emperor Hirohito of Japan in 1989 until his own death in 2016, and is the third-longest verified reigning sovereign monarch in world history after King Louis XIV and Queen Elizabeth II, reigning for 70 years and 126 days. During his reign, he was served by a total of 30 prime ministers beginning with Pridi Banomyong and ending with Prayut Chan-o-cha.
Forbes estimated Bhumibol's fortune – including property and investments managed by the Crown Property Bureau, a body that is neither private nor government-owned (assets managed by the Bureau were owned by the crown as an institution, not by the monarch as an individual) – to be US$30 billion in 2010, and he headed the magazine's list of the "world's richest royals" from 2008 to 2013. In May 2014, Bhumibol's wealth was again listed as US$30 billion.
After a period of deteriorating health which left him hospitalized on several occasions, Bhumibol died on 13 October 2016 in Siriraj Hospital. He was highly revered by the people in Thailand – some saw him as close to divine. Notable political activists and Thai citizens who criticized the king or the institution of monarchy were often forced into exile or to suffer frequent imprisonments, yet many cases were dropped before being proceeded or were eventually given royal pardon. His cremation was held on 26 October 2017 at the royal crematorium at Sanam Luang. His son, Maha Vajiralongkorn, succeeded him as King. 
The Monogram of HM The King Rama IX is on foil part, above denomination 100 (right side).
Each of the members of royal family has its own symbolic color and monogram. Thus, even just seeing the monogram it is possible to determine, without any photos, who personally present at the event.
As a part of monogram of King is the Great Crown of Victory, the most important royal regalia and a symbol of royal power. The royal crown is of a traditional Siamese conical shape. Its top symbolizes the authority of the king in heaven and its base his caring for his people on earth. The crown is 66 cm. high.
In top is the national emblem of Thailand - Garuda.
At the bottom is stylized Orchid flower.
Revers:
The 2017 Bank of Thailand Commemorative Series is one year after the death of H.M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
The 500 Baht banknote shows the already mature years of the king, the 1990s.
The central image is The King with a camera, in a colorful shirt. The photo that I found does not match the image on the banknote 100%. In my image, the king, it seems to me, is a little younger. The fold of the arm also does not match the photo. But - he is in a colorful shirt. The costume, it seems to me, could have been lightened by the designers of the banknote. As well as the color of the handkerchief was darkened.
The Chaipattana Foundation is a non-government organization founded by King Bhumibol operating in Thailand since 1988, that develops projects of national and social benefit to the Thai people. The Foundation's aim is to provide prompt, timely, and necessary responses to problems affecting the people of Thailand. "Chaipattana" means Victory of Development.
The foundation is not subject to the budgetary constraints or regulatory requirements of government agencies. The Foundation is officially registered as a legal entity at the Ministry of the Interior. All committee members have the freedom to consider and initiate work activities.
"Cultivation is regarded as a highly important occupation for it produces essentials of life. Without cultivation, we would not have raw materials for food and garments or any construction work. Hence, we have to conduct agriculture." - King Bhumibol Adulyadej, May 11, 1978
The foundation supports projects in:
Soil Solutions and Development
The New Theory
Integrated Farming
The foundation supports research on Vetiver, which is useful for habitat restoration and flood management.
Lower, right is The Chaipattana aerator.
In the early 1990s, the king combined his keen interests in mechanisms, motors, and vehicles and his strong desire to help the Thai people by cleaning the increasingly polluted waters of his country by developing an oxygen-enhancing device. The Chaipattana aerator treats polluted water by enhancing the amount of oxygen to boost the function of bacterium in decomposing any organic matters in the water, clearing away the cause of deterioration. The aerator has been designed to allow the water to have some contact with the air. Each of its spraying paddles plunges into the water and lets it seep through the holes as the paddles rotate upwards into the air. Such rotation helps add the amount of oxygen and thus purify the water. The aerator produces some waterflow to enrich the water with air (which consists of approximately 21 % oxygen).
The Model RX-2 consists of two wheels between which six baskets are mounted. The baskets are open on top and have a lot of small holes along the walls and on the bottom. This ensures that, when the wheels turn, the baskets are filled quickly when diving into the water and empty slowly in a lot of thin water jets, maximizing its efficiency by creating turbulence in the water. Another model of the aerator, RX-5, was patented in 2001.
According to Dr. Sumet Tantivejakul, secretary-general of the Chaipattana Foundation, King Bhumibol invented the aerator after observing how the problem of polluted water in canals and other sources affected people’s well-being. “His Majesty the King granted the mechanical aerator and directed the Chaipattana Foundation to provide funds for research in connection with the information with a view to increasing the level of oxygen in water and cutting down pollution.
“In the initial stage, His Majesty introduced a pilot-model of the Chaipattana Aerator at Bowonniwet Wihan Temple. The model worked so well that it resulted in on-going development and application in several areas. This evidenced his genius for developing concepts in ways that are simple enough for them to be widely applied, while at the same time bringing about remarkable results. This could only happen due to His Majesty’s great erudition and amazing command of a full range of relevant aspects of each issue,” Dr Sumet said.
In 2000, the Chaipattana aerator earned international recognition when the Belgian Chamber of Inventors presented King Bhumibol with the “Gold Invention Award” at the Eureka Exhibition held in Brussels that year due to the aerator’s value in terms of water treatment around the world. Later, a Chaipattana aerator was presented as a gift to Belgium and installed at Woluve Sainte-Pierre park in the heart of Brussels.
The citizens of Thailand owe a great deal to this royal invention as the procedure effectively alleviates the problem of water pollution, making the water became clearer, less foul and higher in oxygen amount. Aquatic animals such as turtles, soft-shelled turtles and fish can survive when the water quality meets the standard.
On August 30, 2017, a Chaipattana aerator was installed at the construction site of the Royal Crematorium on the Sanam Luang Ceremonial Grounds in Bangkok as one additional reminder of the important inventions of the king. (stampaday.wordpress.com)
To the right, from the central image of the King, the King cuts a pile of rice as part of a project sponsored by the royal family, in Prachinburi province, about 100 km. away, east of Bangkok, November 18, 1998.
To the left of the main image - The King is watering the Vetiver grass.
Concepts and Theories on Soil.
“Tricking the Soil”.
In Southern Thailand, soil acidity was considered a serious problem for agriculture. It was caused by flooding which led to swamp soil that became strongly acidic after the water dried up.
In early 1970S, His Majesty the King had traveled every year to Daksin Palace in Narathiwat province for a temporary stay and to perform his duties in relation to the royal projects. As a result of these regular visits, His Majesty acquired knowledge and better understanding about local problems, particularly flooding and soil acidity. In order to improve soil conditions in the aftermath of the flooding, His Majesty began to seek an approach to soil acidity.
This prompted His Majesty’s initiative on Klaeng Din (tricking the soil or soil aggravation) as a remedy for the problem. The method consists in alternately drying out and wetting the land to accelerate the soil’s chemical reaction and raise the acidity to the maximum. The soil is then de-acidified through various techniques such as controlling the ground-water level to prevent the release of sulphuric acid, applying liming materials at 1-4 tons per rai, and washing away acidity with water. Selected crops are then introduced. His Majesty’s techniques have turned wastelands into arable farmland.
Vetiver Grass for Soil Degradation and Erosion.
Another method initiated and developed by His Majesty to improve soil is to grow vetiver grass.
Known in Thai as ya faek, the plant is an indigenous Thai plant, long lived and grows in a dense clump. The leaf is linear with pointed tip, 35-80 centimeters long and 5-9 millimeters wide. It propagates by both asexual reproduction, though tillering, and sexual reproduction, and by producing flowers and seeds. Vetiver grass is therefore not a weed like cogon or lalang grass (Imperata cylindrica).
The plant has deep root system extending vertically into the soil in a dense cluster. It also forms a wall which efficiently traps sediment and preserves topsoil. Upon his recognition of these properties, His Majesty asked that studies and experiments be conducted on the use and cultivation of vetiver grass.
“Vetiver grass should be grown. It is very useful in helping to hold soil together and prevent erosion. The grass preserves the topsoil…and helps retain organic elements. Young leaves of the grass also can be fed as food to animals.” - His Majesty the King’s remarks on vetiver grass.
After establishing the benefits of growing vetiver grass, His Majesty introduced several methods to make the most effective use of the grass, including planting vetiver grass along the contours of a hill, using the grass to prevent erosion in gullies, planting it on steep slopes, and using the grass to conserve soil moisture. The success of these initiatives has been recognized around the world and prompted the International Erosion Control Association to present His Majesty with an International Merit Award for excellent work as a soil and environment conservationist. Regarding soil improvement, His Majesty once said of his concept that:
“The key idea is to conserve the topsoil which is rich in nutrients. It should not be peeled off. Existent perennial trees should be preserved to maintain the moisture in the soil.”
Due to his initiative on vetiver grass as well as his contribution in helping to promote the use of it, Thailand has become one of the world’s most successful and progressive hubs for the study and planting of vetiver grass. (www.chaipat.or.th)
Unfortunately, I have not yet found a photo that is on the banknote on the left - the king is standing, with a pointer, near the stand, at the presentation.
As well as I, so far, have not found any information about the image of the gods, from above, on the left, on a banknote.
In the top left corner is Garuda - national emblem of Thailand.
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