Thai King is world's richest royal

Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej is the world's richest royal. Thailand Jumped the Shark asks if it is a source of pride or national embarrassment. Bangkok Pundit comments too.

9 comments

  • I’m just wondering. Where is his money came from???
    and how much he did give to his people??? I heard that he is going to give up his power to people like King of some country in Africa or some sort. Is that true?

  • Krit

    If we look at the new Forbes article (“The Crowing Fortune”)on the King’s wealth:
    http://www.forbes.com/magazines/global/2008/0901/032.html

    From there we can see that the CPB’s real estate holdings in Bangkok are worth at $31 billion, while the shareholdings amount to around $3 billion.

    So, I think the important point is that the figure of $35 billion is mostly assets. The shares invested long-term (providing stability to the economy), and the real estate is being mostly leased at low-priced rent to state agencies and low-income tenants. Bangkokpost cited a figure of 7% of CPB’s land being leased at commercial rates. Paul Handley makes the same comment in the new Forbes Article that the CPB is not charging market rates, and that “raising them would cause serious repercussions, especially for its thousands of low-income tenants.”

    So not surprisingly, the research for 2005 done by Porphant and cited in the new Forbes article shows that the income that CPB got from its $31 billion-valued real estate holdings is only $80 million and that from company shareholdings is $200 million, making total annual income at $280 million (figures already adjusted to current exchange rate).

    How much of the annual income generated by the CPB goes to charity is unknown, but I am sure a good share of it does go to charity.

    The new Forbes Article makes the point that the CPB’s goal is: “to aid the country’s development by investing in key industries and providing below-market-rate housing for low-income citizens.”

  • beatrice

    Dear Adrina,
    If the rumor is true, hope King Aduljadeh donates a few billion dollars for his poor people, so Thai boys won’t seek sex changes for the prostitution anymore.

    Just hope for the best, because King Aduljadeh is old now, and 35 or 31 billion of dollars is too much for a country that has million people still live under the poverty.

  • Gondin

    Dear Beatrice
    Thai boys won’t seek sex changes for the prostitution anymore if the western tourists leave their sex problem at home, I think.

  • Ongart

    To everyone who has made comments,
    I use to live in Thailand and I am very certain that the King would never give his fortune to someone in South Africa. The majority of the Kings wealth comes from land, and it is not legal for anyone other than a Thai person to own land in Thailand. Therefore, he would not leave his land to a South African. The King is one of the worlds greatest men and he cares so much about his people, he always puts them first.
    As for the Thai boys. Beatrice is correct. Tourists are PIGS. The number of old men from western countries you see walking the streets with young Thai girls and boys makes me sick. It is people like them that make the rest of us look bad in the eyes of the Thai people.
    RAO RAK NAI LUANG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • To Gondin, I think not only the westerns who seek for sexual pleasure from Thai Prostitutes.. they are from everywhere including Thailand itself. Why you must blame on the westerns?

  • if you don’t know his life (King bhumipol) ,may be you say some thing bad to him,if you know him more and more .
    you will not say that any more. so stop talking any thing if yo don’t know the true story.

  • Thaiboy

    Richest or not Thai people still poor and suffer form debt. Belive it or not Royal Family doesn’t pay Tax and no one can sue royal family for cheating in business. That is monarchy in Thailand.

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