OUR HISTORY

Mae Fah Luang was the title given to Princess Srinagarindra by the hill tribe people in the north of Thailand. Since the late 1960s, the Princess Mother worked to improve the living conditions of rural Thais, particularly the ethnic minorities in remote mountainous areas that were only accessible by helicopter. On those visits, she learnt about their hardship, their lack of opportunity in life and the illnesses that plagued them. She would be accompanied by a medical team to take care of any sick or injured she came across. She would also bring the villagers clothes, food, other essentials, and even toys for the children. It was this very image of the Princess Mother descending from the skies that gave rise to the name “Mae Fah Luang” (meaning Royal Mother from the Sky) and became the affectionate title by which the local people address the Princess Mother.

In 2000, the centenary year of birth, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) honored the Princess Mother as a “great personality in public service in the fields of education, applied science, and human, social, and environmental development”.