Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother was recognized as the genuine model of “Teacher of the Land.” From a young age, Her Majesty was interested in serving as a teacher. She liked playing teacher-student games, while playing with other kids at her home.

During her stay at Klai Kangwol Palace in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, Her Majesty, after returning from visiting local residents, would use a pavilion at the Pranburi beachside to teach villagers herself. Her Majesty focused on teaching them how to read and write and provided them with knowledge about other subjects, as well, such as Buddhism, ethics, and healthcare. 

Her Majesty also taught them to be good citizens and show their love for their motherland. Her gracious kindness and good intention to provide education for people in rural remote areas encouraged various sectors of society to join hands in establishing “Sala Ruam Chai” for the first time in 1976 as a community learning center for rural people.

Her Majesty Queen Sirikit was aware of the importance of education, which is the starting point of learning even beyond school. In her role as a mother, Her Majesty cultivated the habit of reading in the royal children since they were young. She read to them and told stories from different sources, as well as buying various types of books for them. Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn cited the Queen Mother as a model teacher and the first teacher in her life. She brought what she had learned from her mother to help in national development. 

The Princess wrote the book Mother and Education, recounting her own experiences and memories of the Queen Mother’s dedication to education. In the book, the Princess made these perceptive remarks:

“Mother read a lot. She had all kinds of books. She would buy books everywhere she went and would get the maximum benefit from them. Even today, she still reads a lot. Sometimes when I'm busy, I don't have time to read, but I don't know how she always finds the time. She buys her own books, and also buys to give to me, even when I got older. She taught me to read silently and read out loud, which she said, would help improve my speaking skills. She also encouraged me to set up libraries and collect books.”

The Princess said that Her Majesty Queen Sirikit had given her advice on education and that she followed the guidance given by her mother, which helped her be successful in her studies.