The French students have “The Little Prince” written by St-Exupery and the Thais have “The Story of TongDaeng” written by His Majesty the King of Thailand. It is both a unique and interesting book; unique as this is the biography of a stray dog that the King took home and took good care of all his life, and interesting as it teaches Thai core values and shows the way of how Thai pupils and citizens should behave in society. It is also a bilingual Thai-English book.
Through the pages, children discover how a simple stray dog elevated itself, with the guidance of His Majesty King Bhumibol, to the higher rank of the Thai society by following a path which inspires every single Thai generation.
“Thainess” taught by TongDaeng
Here are the core values of what it is and what it takes to be Thai:
● Intelligence
● Discipline
● Obedience
● Loyalty
● Order
● Gratitude
● Sense of Duty
● Respect of the Hierarchy
● Good Manners
● Grace, Aesthetics and Look
● Patience
● Humility
● Devotion
TongDaeng is the symbol of what is “Thainess” and as emerged as the standard-bearer of all Thai Institutions from head to toes (this explains why a young Thai worker was jailed and charged under the Act 112 for Lese Majeste crime after he mocked TongDaeng on Social Media.)
TongDaeng has thus become this allegory of a whole Nation.