6 37' 25.4756" N 100 04' 02.61555" E —Satun, Thailand. - Permanent Geographic Coordinates on Waymarking.com

This object is a geographical marker commemorating the 72nd birthday of the King of Thailand, Rama IX, as he is known in the English speaking world. I am unaware of the existence of a list of these markers. Those I know of I have discovered in my travels in the kingdom.

This marker is located outside the main entrance of the provincial hall of Satun province. Specifically, the marker is directly behind a plinth without a statue, which stands in front of the hall. Thus easy to find. Satun province lies ~900kms to the south of Bangkok.

This marker is identical in appearance to the previous such markers I have come across (listed in this category), apart of course, for the coordinates. It is a apex-truncated, square pyramid (four sided pyramid with the top removed), approximately 1 metre high, dark brown in colour, a central marker on top, and with gold lettering. The combination of brown and gold is not the easiest to read.

The dedicatory year given on the marker is 2542, in the Buddhist Era, which converts to 1999 AD. For the sake of simplicity I shall use the Gregorian calendar from hereon. The King of Thailand was born in 1927. This marker commemorates 6 cycles of his life. Each cycle is 12 years, thus 1927 plus 72 gives 1999. Therefore the marker does indeed celebrate 6 cycles of the king's life, his 72nd year, in 1999.

I am unsure why a cycle has 12 years, possibly a reflection of the Thai astrological system, which does play a role in Thailand, and has 12 divisions, as does the western. I have seen the King's 72nd, 12 cycle birthday, commemorated by other means in Thailand. Clearly, it has some import.

I also gather, though I am uncertain of this, that the latitude and longitude listed on the marker is associated in some manner with the time of the King's birth. Yet, the rather high accuracy given on the marker, five decimals of an arc second, is a figure both difficult to measure and is subject to change due to continental drift. The text does mention 'GPS'. If the position was determined via the global positioning system, the pseduo-accuracy given is far greater than can be supported by this method. This being the case, the accuracy given can be taken as no more than a gesture of respect.

Type of structure: Structure Difference between the post coordinates and your GPSr reading: Negligible. Reason for the coordinates: Celebration of the 72nd birthday of the King of Thailand.

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