King Jigme of Bhutan

Bhutan's ambassador to Thailand describes King Jigme's approach to being a king in an interview with the Bangkok Post.

King Jigme, the young king of Bhutan (Source: WIkipedia)

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INTERVIEW

For king and country

14 Mar 2013
Zhang Qi

On the far right, His Excellency Kesang Wangdi, Bhutan Ambassador to Thailand.

Bhutan Ambassador to Thailand Kesang Wangdi talks about his down-to-earth monarch and the challenges ahead for the developing country... In an interview with the Bangkok Post, he shared his thoughts on issues that his country faces.

His majesty King Jigme is young and hugely popular with today's generation. In your opinion, how do you think he has impacted the lives of Bhutanese youth?

He is very accessible and passionate. He always shows respect to everyone. We have seen him walking on foot for days, carrying his personal belongings on his back, while visiting villages and talking with locals. He has a compassionate heart and is known to help people in need. When it is brought to his attention that someone is landless, he gets to the bottom of why that is so, and makes sure that the person is immediately allocated land.


So he uses his power as monarch to manage problems?

While he has the power to decide on things, it has to be used under the law. He does a very important job as a constitutional head and defender of the constitution. Using his knowledge, he can intervene in issues concerning elections, governance and law-making. In the case of landless people, he tries to help them by speeding up the often lengthy government procedure. He steps in to help when he sees a problem.

When his subjects face personal calamities in their lives, such as a fire, an aeroplane crash or an earthquake, he's always the first person to assist them in getting their lives back to normal. He takes it on himself to ensure the families are looked after, houses are built, and asks the government to allocate resources to people affected. He takes action, genuinely out of his own initiative. His selfless nature and caring heart is what inspires our young people.

Our young king also lives a very simple life. He cycles every day and stays in a simple cottage. When he was a prince, he went to ordinary schools in the capital, wore a school uniform, ate and mingled with other students.

He did very well and then went to study at Oxford. When I met him in the UK, he looked like an ordinary student, nothing about him said he was royal. He got his degree in economics by hard work and commitment.


...your economy has kept growing rapidly. Isn't it fast enough to absorb new recruits to the working field?

That's true, but the thing is our government is very successful in pushing literacy and education.

We established an excellent education system, our instructional media is English. As a result, the literacy rate is very high, we have almost 900 Bhutanese students studying in Thailand. Similarly, we have young people in India, the US, Australia and the EU, and they all want to return to Bhutan after completing their education.

How can we find careers for all these highly educated people in the economy? Though there are job openings at corporate level, I would say we also need education tailored more towards basic careers such as ones found in the service industry.

We encourage young people to take vocational training, whether this means being an electrician or plumber, so their expertise can match needs in the economy....  [Read the rest of this article here].

(Source: Bangkok Post, INTERVIEW, For king and country, 14 Mar 2013, Zhang Qi, link) 

 
Kingdom of Bhutan Vocabulary

Bhutan (noun) - a small country in the snowy mountains north of India and south of China (See Wikipedia)
Bhutanese (adjective)

King Jigme - Bhutan's young king who is also popular in Thailand (See Wikipedia)
House of Wangchuck - Bhutan's royal family (See Wikipedia)

ambassador - a government official who represents a country in another foreign country  เอกอัครราชทูต (See Wikipedia)
Bhutan Ambassador
His Excellency Kesang Wangdi, Bhutan Ambassador to Thailand

monarch - a king or queen กษัตริย์ หรือราชินี

down-to-earth - has a practical and sensible approach to things
down-to-earth monarch

developing country - a country that is poor and doesn't not have much industry yet

challenges - new and difficult tasks that require great effort and determination
the challenges ahead
the challenges ahead for the developing country

interview - to ask someone questions in a meeting for a newspaper article, television show, etc. The noun form is also interview สัมภาษณ์, การสัมภาษณ์
In an interview with the Bangkok Post.

issues - an important subect that people are discussing and debating about, subjects that need to be considered ประเด็น
country faces issues
issues the country faces

he shared his thoughts on issues that his country faces

Bhutan Ambassador to Thailand Kesang Wangdi talks about his down-to-earth monarch and the challenges ahead for the developing country... In an interview with the Bangkok Post, he shared his thoughts on issues that his country faces.

popular -  something that many people like
hugely popular - very popular

generation - a group of people in society who are born and live around the same time รุ่น (คนรุ่นต่างๆ)
today's generation
hugely popular with today's generation

youth - a boyor girl or a young man or young woman เด็กหนุ่ม, วัยรุ่น
Bhutanese youth
the lives of Bhutanese youth

impact - have an effect on (to change something in some way after doing something) ผลกระทบ
how has he impacted the lives of Bhutanese youth

His majesty King Jigme is young and hugely popular with today's generation. In your opinion, how do you think he has impacted the lives of Bhutanese youth?

accessible - people can contact easily (and tell him about something important)
passionate - doing things with great energy, love and strong emotions
He is very accessible and passionate.

respect - to show someone that you think highly of them; to accept the importance of someone's rights or customs นับถือ
show respect to
He always shows respect to everyone.

belongings - the things you own ข้าวของเครื่องใช้
personal belongings - the things one person owns

locals - people who live in a small area near to each other 
locals in a village - ชาวบ้าน

We have seen him walking on foot for days, carrying his personal belongings on his back, while visiting villages and talking with locals.

compassionate - when people are in a bad situation, having sympathy for them wishing the best for them and helping them, sympathetic ที่รู้สึกเห็นใจ,  ที่รู้สึกเศร้าใจไปกับความทุกข์ของผู้อื่น

a compassionate heart
He has a compassionate heart and is known to help people in need.

landless - when people who need land (such as farmers ) do not have land
landless farmer - a farmer who does not own land so must rent it from others (so making a living from )

allocated - given for a special purpose or use
allocated land

immediately - happening right after something else with no delay; right away ทันที
immediately allocated land

When it is brought to his attention that someone is landless, he gets to the bottom of why that is so, and makes sure that the person is immediately allocated land.

power - the ability to control or influence what people do or thing อำนาจ
his power as monarch
So he uses his power as monarch to manage problems?

the power to decide on things
While he has the power to decide on things, it has to be used under the law.

constitution - for a country the basic set of principles and laws that describe how to govern the country with the rights and duties of citizens รัฐธรรมนูญ
defender of the constitution

constitutional - correct or allowed according to the constitution ถูกต้องหรืออยู่ในขอบข่ายที่ระบุไว้ในรัฐธรรมนูญ
constitutional head and defender of the constitution
He does a very important job as a constitutional head and defender of the constitution.

intervene - to become involved in a situation in order to try to stop or change it แทรกแซง
governance - the way that a country, political unit, or company is managed and run
Using his knowledge, he can intervene in issues concerning elections, governance and law-making.

procedure - a way of doing something ขั้นตอนการดำเนินการ
government procedure
lengthy government procedure

speed up - make something go faster
speeding up the often lengthy government procedure
In the case of landless people, he tries to help them by speeding up the often lengthy government procedure.

step in - Same as "intervene" แทรกแซง (intervene in a situation to help)
steps in to help
He steps in to help when he sees a problem.

subject -  a person who lives in a kingdom (citizen) that has a king or queen as their sovereign or ruler ประชากร, พลเมือง

calamity - a big event such as a flood or fire that causes a lot of damage to property and causes people to suffer
personal calamities 

earthquake - a sudden shaking movement of the ground แผ่นดินไหว

When his subjects face personal calamities in their lives, such as a fire, an aeroplane crash or an earthquake, he's always the first person to assist them in getting their lives back to normal.

allocate - to officially give out an amount of or share of something แบ่งส่วน to officially give something to someone จัดสรร, จัดแบ่ง
resources - things needed for proper functioning, to get a job done ทรัพยากร ทรัพยากรที่มีอยู่

allocate resources
the government to allocate resources to people affected

ensure - to make certain that something happens or is done รับรอง ให้ความมั่นใจ ให้การยืนยัน
He takes it on himself to ensure the families are looked after, houses are built, and asks the government to allocate resources to people affected.

genuinely - honestly, sincerely  อย่างจริงใจ
initiative - 1. ; 2. a new plan for dealing with a problem or achieving some goal ความคิดริเริ่ม

He takes action, genuinely out of his own initiative.

selfless - caring about other people's needs and problems more than your own  ซึ่งไม่เห็นแก่ตัว, ซึ่งคำนึงถึงผู้อื่นก่อน, ซึ่งไม่เห็นแก่ได้, ซึ่งไม่ละโมบ
nature - the basic quality of feature of something ลักษณะที่แท้จริงของสิ่งต่างๆ, ธรรมชาติ
his selfless nature

inspire  - give people energy, excitement and enthusiasm to do some activity  ดลใจ,  บันดาลใจ, ดลบันดาลใจ, ให้กำลังใจ, กระตุ้น
inspire young people

His selfless nature and caring heart is what inspires our young people.

simple - easy to understand; not complicated ง่าย,ไม่ยุ่งยาก, ไม่ซับซ้อน
simple life

capital -  the main city for government in a country เมืองหลวง
school uniform

mingle - to mix freely with other people, speaking with them and getting to know them (example: mingle with other people at a party to get to know them )
mingled with other students.

Our young king also lives a very simple life. He cycles every day, stays in a simple cottage. When he was a prince, he went to ordinary schools in the capital, wore a school uniform, ate and mingled with other students.

commitment - willing to give your time and energy to something that you believe in; a promise or firm decision to do something การมอบความไว้วางใจ

He did very well and then went to study in Oxford. When I met him in the UK, he looked like an ordinary student, nothing about him said he was royal. He got his degree in economics by hard work and commitment.

unemployment - the number of people without a job (See Wikipedia) การว่างงาน การตกงาน

In Bhutan's Tenth Five-Year Plan (2008-2013), unemployment was a frequently mentioned word. Would you say it is a major problem for Bhutan today? 

address a problem - try to solve a problem
priority - something important that must be done first สี่งที่สำคัญเป็นลำดับแรก

While unemployment today is not a major problem for us, addressing it is a big priority for our government.

rate - the level or speed at which something happens or changes อัตรา
unemployment rate

figures - statistics, numbers describing the economy  
unemployment figures

I would say the general unemployment rate is going down. However, what is slightly high are unemployment figures amongst our youth.

reason - an explanation of an event, why an event happened เหตุ ; เหตุผล ; สาเหตุ
qualified - having the schooling and training and experience needed to do a job

The reason behind this is simply because we are producing university graduates at a much faster rate than the way the market is moving. So we have all these qualified youngsters but not enough jobs to go around.

absorb - 1. to take things into a system or organization; 2. to take in a liquid, gas or other substance form the surface or space around ซึมซับ ดูดกลืน

But your economy has kept growing rapidly. Isn't it fast enough to absorb new recruits to the working field?

literacy - the ability to read and write อ่านออกเขียนได้
pushing literacy - working hard to make sure the country has high levels of  literacy (are literate)
pushing literacy and education
our government is very successful in pushing literacy and education.

established - created
We established an excellent education system,

instructional media
our instructional media is English. As a result, the literacy rate is very high,

How can we find careers for all these highly educated people in the economy? Though there are job openings at corporate level, I would say we also need education tailored more towards basic careers such as ones found in the service industry.

investment - taking your money and putting it into projects to make a profit or earn interest (buying stock shares, bonds, real estate)
FDI [foreign direct investment]

encourage - make people interested in and excited about doing an activity ปลุกใจ
encourage FDI [foreign direct investment]

vocational - teaching the skills necessary for particular jobs การสอนวิชาชีพ
training - to teach people how to do an activity or job การฝึกฝน
vocational training

electrician - ช่างไฟฟ้า
plumber -  ช่างประปา

expertise - special knowledge and skills (gained from training, study, or work experience) ทักษะความรู้, ความคิดเห็นของผู้เชี่ยวชาญ ความถนัด ความชำนาญเฉพาะทาง

match - be the same as or very similar to something else ซึ่งไม่คู่ควร
expertise matches needs in the economy

We encourage FDI [foreign direct investment], encourage people to take vocational training, whether this means being an electrician or plumber, so their expertise can match the needs