Rajini School memories honour Princess Bajrakitiyabha’s warmth and grace

A collection of cherished memories from the Rajini School community, as time has taken away “Princess Pa”, the little princess who remains in the memories of senior and junior students of Rajini School.

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- พัชรกิติยาภา -

A little bird flies across the sky
The vast heavens stretch so far away
As if they were time itself
That will carry me away from you

– Bajrakitiyabha –

(unofficial translation)

Let us begin this article with a piece written by Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendiradebyavati Kromluangrajasarinisiribajra Mahavajrarajadhita, known affectionately as Princess Pa, while Her Royal Highness was still a student at Rajini School. The piece was later published in “Satawat Rajini Sathan”, a commemorative book marking the 100th anniversary of the royal founding of Rajini School.
 

Many people may already have read this writing before. But reading it again today may bring an indescribable heaviness to the heart, as time has taken away “Princess Pa”, the little princess who remains in the memories of senior and junior students of Rajini School from the time Her Royal Highness studied there from Kindergarten 1 through Mathayom 3, far too quickly.

Princess Pa: Her time at Rajini School

During more than ten years of life at Rajini School, Her Royal Highness created countless memories for teachers, students and staff inside the school. Before opening the memory boxes of senior students and classmates of Her Royal Highness, let us respectfully present another excerpt from Her Royal Highness’s writing about life at Rajini School, published in “Satawat Rajini Sathan”, the commemorative book marking 100 years since the royal founding of Rajini School. One part reads:

“When I think of the time I studied at Rajini School, there were both happy and sad moments mixed together. There are many periods I remember well. The moments I remember as especially fun were the many school trips to various provinces. Each time, we would travel by bus early in the morning, eat snacks on the bus and talk so loudly that the teachers would scold us.

On the trip to Khao Wang in Phetchaburi province, some friends were very excited to see monkeys. I do not know whether they were excited because they had never seen monkeys before, or because they were afraid the monkeys would bite them. But in the end, the monkeys scattered because they could not withstand the power of Rajini School students.
 

 

 

Later, when we separated to continue our studies elsewhere, I became more distant from my friends. Once in a while, I would return to visit the school and hear news from time to time about the changes in my friends and Rajini School. Now I have studied for a doctorate and am close to finishing, so I may be considered quite a senior alumna.

When I returned to meet my friends at a class reunion and then continued talking at home, one friend began singing ‘Pikun Kaew’, so we joined in and sang together again.

The beauty of this song made me realise that the important things I learned from Rajini School, beyond academic knowledge, were friendship and life lessons gained from teachers, friends, sisters and brothers, as well as all staff members at this school.

The experiences we had at school taught all of us to be aware of the duties we have towards those around us and towards ourselves. This is what helps society as a whole develop and progress as it should.”

Her Royal Highness was the joy of the Rajini community

Teacher Supakanya Chavanich, manager of Rajini School and an alumna of the school’s 78th class, said:

“When Her Royal Highness entered Kindergarten 2, I was studying in Mathayom Sueksa 5. What we senior students often tried to do was to sneak a look at Her Royal Highness. Even when we had no business there, we would try to find some excuse to go to the kindergarten building just to sneak a look. When Her Royal Highness took a nap in the afternoon wearing the white kindergarten student sleepwear, Her Royal Highness was so adorable.

Another memory that has stayed very clearly in my mind is from the mornings when Her Royal Highness arrived at school. Her Royal Highness would go to pay respects at the monument of Her Majesty Queen Saovabha Phongsri, the royal founder of Rajini School. Her Royal Highness had a small white cloth doll in Her Royal Highness’s arms. It was probably Her Royal Highness’s beloved companion doll, which Her Royal Highness brought to school every day. It was an image that senior students remembered especially clearly. Having Her Royal Highness at the school was a source of joy for many generations of Rajini students. It is a pity that I was at school together with Her Royal Highness for only one year.

When I later returned to help look after work at the school, I had the opportunity to have my final audience with Her Royal Highness on December 7, 2022. On that day, I was granted an audience together with Mom Luang Pratintip Nakornthap, the honorary manager and former manager of Rajini School. When Her Royal Highness saw Teacher Prathinthip, Her Royal Highness came forward to show respect to the teacher and spoke with her with a bright expression. Her Royal Highness had such beautiful conduct towards teachers. It was a deeply moving image, and every time I think of it, my eyes fill with tears.”

Her Royal Highness was a reader and had the heart of a fighter

Teacher Watcharaporn Sanongkhun, assistant principal for administration at Rajini School and an alumna of Rajini’s 76th class, said:

“I had the opportunity to teach Princess Pa twice in preparation for Thai-language reading-aloud competitions organised by the Bangkok Metropolitan Bank, once when Her Royal Highness was in Prathom 6 and again when Her Royal Highness was in Mathayom 3.

Her Royal Highness truly had knowledge about reading. When Her Royal Highness was in Prathom 6, I would find reading passages as exercises, and it turned out that Her Royal Highness could read all of them. That meant I had to go and find more difficult passages.”

This led to the moment when Princess Pa asked the teacher:

Princess Pa: “Teacher, which level is this passage normally taught to?”

Teacher Watcharaporn: “It is used for Mathayom 6, Your Royal Highness.”

Princess Pa: “Oh... and can the Mathayom 6 seniors read it?”

Teacher Watcharaporn: “Some can, and some cannot, Your Royal Highness.”

“Her Royal Highness really could read everything. Her Royal Highness told me that at the palace, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn had built a library with a great many books. Her Royal Highness told me, ‘Pa loves reading very much, Teacher.’

Her Royal Highness liked Thai-language books and literature. Her Royal Highness liked everything and could read everything.

In Mathayom 3, Her Royal Highness entered the same competition again. If I remember correctly, Her Royal Highness came second. On the day of the competition, I went along. Before Her Royal Highness read, there was one student who read very clearly and was very talented. Her Royal Highness was on the stage and turned to look at me below, as if asking whether Her Royal Highness could compete with that student. Her Royal Highness did not say anything, but I understood that Her Royal Highness may have felt that the other student was also very good. I could only nod to encourage Her Royal Highness until Her Royal Highness read. It turned out that Her Royal Highness stumbled over one word. When Her Royal Highness came down from the stage, Her Royal Highness said, ‘Pa read one word incorrectly.’ I told Her Royal Highness, ‘It is all right, Your Royal Highness. There were so many words. One mistake is all right.’

If you ask whether Her Royal Highness was a fighter, then in competitions Her Royal Highness was ready to compete, ready to use Her Royal Highness’s ability, and prepared and did the homework. Even though Her Royal Highness had many duties following royal engagements during that period, Her Royal Highness still carried out the responsibility very well. This is something that impressed me.”

Royal friends since Kindergarten 1

Lek — Sirikan Ariyamahapong, formerly Sasikarn Abhayavongsa, a classmate and royal friend from Rajini 91, said:

“Since I can remember, wherever I saw Her Royal Highness, I would always see Lek and Koi, Nisara Supanvanij, as well. We grew up together and did everything together. We were truly inseparable. I cannot remember why we were so close.

Lek was born early in the year, Koi in the middle of the year, and Her Royal Highness at the end of the year. Lek was like an older sister who looked after everyone. Wherever we went, we went together for every activity from when we were small.

Some days after school, Her Royal Highness would invite us to continue playing at Amphorn Sathan Throne Hall, and our mothers would pick us up in the evening. The activities ranged from reading books, playing with dolls, flying kites and riding bicycles to climbing trees. Her Royal Highness was truly very mischievous, so much so that palace officials appointed Her Royal Highness the leader of the gang.

Whenever Her Royal Highness had to travel abroad, Lek and Koi would go to Don Mueang Airport to see Her Royal Highness off almost every time. Her Royal Highness was only a little child, but when Her Royal Highness had to attend royal duties, Her Royal Highness had another role. Lek and Koi would always give Her Royal Highness encouragement.

One endearing thing about Her Royal Highness was that Lek was allergic to prawns, and Her Royal Highness was allergic too. Lek was allergic to prawns but could eat Hanami snacks. Her Royal Highness really wanted to eat Hanami, so Her Royal Highness ate Hanami and also took allergy medicine. In the end, Her Royal Highness recovered from the prawn allergy, but Lek is still allergic. Her Royal Highness would look after me and say that I could not eat this or that, because Her Royal Highness had once seen me have an allergic reaction to prawns until my lips swelled and my bronchial tubes became swollen.

When I was in primary school, Lek broke her arm twice. Her Royal Highness saw that whatever I played, my arm might break again. Her Royal Highness would look after me and stop me from playing too recklessly, because Her Royal Highness was even more reckless. Her Royal Highness loved climbing trees very much. When at Amphorn Palace, Her Royal Highness would lead the climbing. The royal guards knew that Her Royal Highness was very mischievous, so they made Her Royal Highness the leader of the gang and followed Her Royal Highness around.

Her Royal Highness’s childhood life at school was very normal. We ate together. The spoons tied together in bundles were the same. There were no privileges. We slept together. When we could not finish our milk, we secretly poured it away together.

We did not have to use royal language. We used the word ‘rao’, meaning ‘we’ or ‘I’, with Her Royal Highness. As Rajini girls, when we started to grow up, we understood that when we played among ourselves, we did not have to use royal language. But when we went to formal events, we had to show respect to Her Royal Highness in a manner appropriate to Her Royal Highness’s honour: curtseying, prostrating, paying respects and using royal language. When we were friends, we used the language of friends.

In Thai music class, Her Royal Highness, Lek and Koi all chose to learn the chakhe, the Thai zither. Her Royal Highness had tried playing the saw duang, but it made a loud ‘ee-or’ sound, and Her Royal Highness said it probably would not work. Her Royal Highness tried playing the khim and struck it until a string broke. In the end, we learned the chakhe. I remember that we practised very hard because we had to perform at the Thailand Cultural Centre.

Apart from music lessons at school, every Tuesday and Thursday we would continue practising for another two hours at Amphorn Sathan. We practised until our fingers became bruised and the bones in our hands protruded. The teachers who came to teach were very strict. Even Lek, who was quite a well-behaved child, became tense. Some days we wanted to skip practice and go play badminton, but we would push ourselves, practise first and then play afterwards.



As for the photograph of Her Royal Highness as a drum major, at that time Her Royal Highness was probably in Kindergarten 2. Her Royal Highness had seen older students who were drum majors twirling batons and throwing them into the air. It looked very cool, so Her Royal Highness wanted to twirl and toss the baton and catch it like the older students. Her Royal Highness practised many times. The baton fell and was dented quite a lot. In the end, the teachers and seniors had to beg Her Royal Highness, saying, ‘Please just hold it and sway it back and forth, Your Royal Highness,’ because they were afraid the baton might fall and hit Her Royal Highness.

When we grew up and looked back, we realised that, at Kindergarten 2, just holding the baton without dropping it and walking in rhythm with the parade would probably have been enough. Lek and Koi were tired just walking behind, but if Her Royal Highness kept fighting, we were always there as support.

Lek wants people to see this side of Her Royal Highness as well — that Her Royal Highness did not receive anything easily. Some people like to say that because Her Royal Highness is royal, Her Royal Highness would have privileges. But for Lek, being royal means living under expectations. Not only did Her Royal Highness have to complete something, Her Royal Highness also had to do it well. Lek and Koi, who were there with Her Royal Highness, knew of Her Royal Highness’s pressure and effort all along, from childhood.”

Setting up a vaccination table

Hari — Pakakorn Nutithawat, formerly Sirinat Palawat, a classmate and royal friend from Rajini 91, spoke about a memory from vaccination day:

“In front of the vaccination room there was a table for the royal guards. Her Royal Highness played at setting up a vaccination table before entering the real room. Her Royal Highness took on the role of a doctor and used a compass to poke friends’ arms first. The friends played along and queued up for Her Royal Highness to vaccinate them. But it did not hurt and there were no wounds.

That evening, at home, we received a phone call from Her Royal Highness Princess Soamsawali Krom Muen Suddhanarinatha. My mother answered the call and was shocked at first. Her Royal Highness had called to apologise because Her Royal Highness’s daughter had teased a friend.

The next day, we were called to meet at school. Princess Soamsawali said to Princess Pa:

‘His father is a policeman. If you use a compass to poke his child’s arm, I will be arrested.’ The fathers of both Lek and Hari were policemen. Her Royal Highness taught her daughter that one must not hurt other people’s children. I remember that after that, Her Royal Highness invited everyone whom Princess Pa had played doctor with and poked with the compass to go and play at the palace.”

There were many impressive memories of Her Royal Highness.

“On every friend’s birthday, Her Royal Highness would have a card or a note for them. On Valentine’s Day, we were not popular enough to receive stickers, so Her Royal Highness would bring stickers and put them on us to help heal the hearts of friends who were not popular.

Also, when my mother received Her Royal Highness during royal visits to the province where my mother served as provincial governor, Her Royal Highness would raise Her Royal Highness’s hands in a wai first, as if seeing the mother of a friend.

Her Royal Highness was someone who encouraged everyone. I remember in cooking class, we made corn tod man (Thai Corn Fritters). Everyone else made theirs beautifully, but Hari’s was a complete failure. Her Royal Highness brought a spoon and gathered it into pieces, tasted it and said it was quite delicious.”

Do you not remember me?

Chomphu — Maneenop Muttamara, a classmate and royal friend from Rajini 91, said:
 

“Phu entered Rajini School in Mathayom 1 and was in Mathayom 1/2, the same class as Her Royal Highness. Because I was cheerful and fun, Her Royal Highness probably liked me, and we went off to play mischievously together many times. Her Royal Highness would invite me to run away from the royal guards. In Mathayom 2 and Mathayom 3, we were not in the same class, but we still greeted each other normally. Then we drifted apart when we went to university. It was probably around our second year; Her Royal Highness was at Thammasat University and Phu was at Silpakorn University.

In front of Silpakorn University there was a stylish restaurant called Na Phra Lan. One day, Phu walked up to the second floor of the restaurant and saw Her Royal Highness sitting with friends from Thammasat.

Phu did not dare go up to greet Her Royal Highness because we had not seen each other for a long time, and I was afraid Her Royal Highness would not remember me. After a while, Her Royal Highness got up, walked over and said, ‘Phu, is that you? Do you not remember me?’

Phu replied to Her Royal Highness, ‘Your Royal Highness, in this world there is no one who would not remember Your Royal Highness.’ Her Royal Highness laughed a little and said, ‘Why did you not come and say hello?’ Then we chatted briefly.
 

I remember that in Mathayom 1, Her Royal Highness wrote in my friendship book: ‘Although you are a new student, we are quite close. Do not give up. Do not retreat. That would not be good.’ When I look back, perhaps I had complained to Her Royal Highness that I had just entered the school and was finding it hard to adjust. Her Royal Highness must have been encouraging me, and so wrote those words.

At the end, Her Royal Highness wrote a telephone number and the address as Amphorn Sathan Throne Hall. I teased Her Royal Highness, asking, ‘If I send a letter to this address, will it arrive?’ Her Royal Highness laughed and said that it really would.”

Simple but deeply meaningful ordinary days

Tae — Nuttakarn Surakitbunharn, a classmate and royal friend from Rajini 91, said:
 

“Tae was in the same class as Her Royal Highness in Mathayom 3/1. Teacher Daraphan Yoopho was our class teacher. Tae was someone who greeted everyone and knew almost the entire year group. I do not know when I became close to Princess Pa. By the time I realised it, I had somehow become a playmate who went here and there with Her Royal Highness.

From walking around the school, it became following Her Royal Highness to various events, going to Amphorn Palace, going to a flower event at the Hilton — I was extremely tense and heavily briefed — going to gatherings with Her Royal Highness’s royal relatives, going to Siam and Dan Neramit, until the teachers had to add extra lessons on manners.

There was one time in art class. Tae was not very good at drawing and was bored. Her Royal Highness was bored too, so Her Royal Highness said, ‘Let’s go to the bathroom.’ At first, we did not intend to skip class. But when we reached the bathroom at Rajini School, the sinks were large and we could lift ourselves up and sit on the edge. We sat chatting so happily that we completely forgot we had to return to class.

We talked until people were searching for us all over the school. The royal guards could not enter the bathroom to look for us because they were men. Everyone was frightened and searched everywhere, and no one thought we would be sitting in the bathroom chatting. When we came out, both of us were scolded, because when teachers scolded students, they never made exceptions for anyone. But Tae was scolded a little more severely.”
 

“Playing something, Her Royal Highness wanted to try being a horse and wanted to test strength. And I happened to be so small,” Tae — Nuttakarn Surakitbunharn said.

“The story that impressed me most was when Her Royal Highness visited me at hospital, because I never expected that just because I had had my appendix removed, Her Royal Highness would come to visit me. At that time, we were very young, and my family was deeply moved. The hospital informed us that we should change rooms because Princess Pa would come to visit. Her Royal Highness gave me a vase of flowers, wrote me a card and sat chatting with me. At that time, I was still young and worried that after the operation I would have a scar and might not look beautiful. Her Royal Highness came to encourage me.

Looking back, it was something I never expected. I was just an ordinary person, yet Her Royal Highness took the time to visit me at hospital.

Speaking as a Rajini friend, I must respectfully thank the school, Teacher Mom Luang Pratintip and all the teachers who helped train and teach every student. Above all, I respectfully thank Her Royal Highness Princess Soamsawali Krom Muen Suddhanarinatha. Her Royal Highness never taught Princess Pa to stand above the people; Her Royal Highness taught her daughter to bend down towards the people. It was not only Tae who felt this. Friends in our year, seniors, juniors and even school service staff such as janitors felt it. Her Royal Highness was polite and gentle, and never behaved badly towards anyone.

We were like students at every school. We had close friends. There were days when we had to study seriously, and days when we were bored and ran away to play mischievously. After school, we would invite one another to eat the school’s larb moo as dinner before going home.

Her Royal Highness was affectionate when meeting senior students Her Royal Highness liked. These days, people would call it skinship. This can be seen in photographs with senior students. If Her Royal Highness met senior students, Her Royal Highness would be affectionate. But with friends and junior students, Her Royal Highness was not like that. It was a lovely moment.

The image in the memories of Rajini students is of Her Royal Highness’s gentleness and kindness. The days at school were ordinary days. We did not feel anything special that Her Royal Highness was Princess Pa.

We studied together in ordinary classrooms with fans, in the heat. We ate from the same pot, the same kind of food. We stood together in the hot sun during assembly. When we went to camps and activities, we slept in tents together. Her Royal Highness did not sleep better than anyone else. Every day was therefore an ordinary day that was simple, yet deeply meaningful and immensely precious.

Another act of kindness from Her Royal Highness that Tae’s family will never forget was in 2005, when Tae’s mother passed away. Her Royal Highness showed such overflowing kindness by granting a wreath to be placed before the body. It was the highest blessing in life, because my mother was an ordinary housewife. Even though my mother has passed away, for our family who remain, it is a source of great joy and gratitude for Her Royal Highness’s kindness, and we have kept that wreath to this day.”

Stories from the land of Buddhism

Chaphet Chalanukroh, an alumna of Rajini’s 80th class, spoke of her memory of following Her Royal Highness and serving during an eight-day trip to India, where she was the only still photographer for the event.

“In 2002, a group of students from the Senior Executive Programme in Justice Administration, or Bor Yor Sor, travelled to important Buddhist sites such as Bodh Gaya, Varanasi, Sravasti, Kushinagar and Lumbini to follow in the footsteps of the Buddha.

On this journey, there were 39 monks who had been ordained to make merit for His Majesty King Rama IX on the occasion of His Majesty’s 84th birthday anniversary.

One member of the group was Princess Pa, who joined the trip as a student of Bor Yor Sor Class 16, travelling to pay homage to important Buddhist sites throughout the eight days.

Princess Pa and the group joined a ceremony beneath the Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya before continuing to follow in the footsteps of the Buddha to various cities.

In Sravasti, Her Royal Highness went to pay homage at Jetavana Monastery and presided over the foundation-stone laying ceremony for the Dhamma Sabha building in honour of the 84th birthday anniversary at Wat Thai Jetavana Mahavihara.

This building was built for the study of the Dhamma, meditation practice and Buddhist activities, and can accommodate about 2,500 people.

On that occasion, Princess Pa performed many important ceremonies, including paying royal homage, presenting Thai-dhamma offerings, giving alms, watering trees and closely following work on the propagation of Buddhism in India.

This journey is considered another page of history because Princess Pa was the first Thai member of the Royal Family to travel to pay homage at all four major Buddhist sites.

Princess Pa then travelled on to Kushinagar and Lumbini to study the history of the Buddha and pay homage at further important Buddhist sites.

Later, an exhibition of all the photographs we had taken was held at Siam Paragon. Her Royal Highness graciously presided over the opening and viewed the exhibition. Her Royal Highness was extremely approachable. I remain deeply touched to this day. It was the greatest blessing of my life. After that, I had opportunities to serve as a photographer at two or three more events in Bangkok.”

Her Royal Highness was very lovely and cheerful

Prapaipat Khompat, an alumna of Rajini’s 78th class, said:

“When I had just started working, I was responsible for entertainment news. During the period when Bui — Porntip Nakhirunkanok — had won the title, I had the chance to be close to Her Royal Highness. I did not conduct any serious interview, but I recorded sound and atmosphere at that time. Her Royal Highness was very lovely and cheerful.

After that, I had the opportunity to film the work of the Senior Executive Programme in Justice Administration, or Bor Yor Sor, in India. Her Royal Highness travelled with the group as a participant in that Bor Yor Sor class.

Her Royal Highness was still the same: simple, eating the same food as everyone else, travelling together with the large group to every place and many cities. From being tense at first, it made me relax and feel at ease. I was very happy to do work that was a blessing in my life.

Later, I organised anti-drug-related events several times. Her Royal Highness presided over them. I would look forward to organising those events. Her Royal Highness paid attention to the details of the exhibitions and viewed them attentively. Once in my life, I had the chance to do small work that carried enormous value for my heart.”

“Princess Pa” and these stories of ordinary yet extraordinarily precious days will remain in the memories of the Rajini community forever.

Residing in the hearts of the people, with remembrance of Her Royal Highness’s graciousness for eternity.

The Rajini community.

 

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