August 6, 2016
In Thailand, a rapid transit line serving both the northwestern part of the capital city of Bangkok and the neighboring central province of Nonthaburi was formally opened. This 13-mile (23-kilometer) line is the second one within the Metropolitan Rapid Transit (a mass rapid transit system serving the Bangkok metropolitan area) to be operated by Bangkok Expressway and Metro Public Company Limited.
While better known as the Purple Line, this segment of the region’s public transportation network was officially designated as the Chalong Ratchadham Line. “Chalong Ratchadham” is the Thai phrase for “To Celebrate the Great King’s Reign with Righteousness,” and it was selected as the name for the new line to help commemorate that year’s 70th anniversary of when Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) became king of Thailand.
Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, one of Bhumibol’s daughters, presided at the inaugural ceremony for the Chalong Ratchadham Line. Just a little over two months later, Bhumibol died at the age of 88; he is second only to King Louis XIV of France as the longest-reigning monarch of all time and holds the record as the longest-reigning monarch to serve on the throne only as an adult.
Photo Credit: Rsa (licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en)
For more information on the Thailand-based Metropolitan Rapid Transit’s Chalong Ratchadham Line (also known as the Purple Line), please check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_Line_(Bangkok)
Transportation History 
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