Thais mourn the world’s longest-serving monarch
Print Edition
THAILAND’S King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world’s longest-reigning monarch, died at the age of 88 yesterday, leaving a divided nation bereft of a rare figure of unity.
Bhumibol’s death ends a remarkable seven-decade reign and plunges Thailand into a deeply uncertain future.
Most Thais have known no other monarch and he has been portrayed as a guiding light through decades of political turmoil, coups and violent unrest.
The palace said the monarch passed away at 3.52pm. “Although the team of doctors treated him to the best of their ability, his condition deteriorated,” the Royal Household Bureau said.
As the news filtered out, large crowds erupted in mourning outside the hospital where Bhumibol spent most of the last two years, many of them wailing and sobbing.
“How will Thailand live without you father?” cried one distressed young man as others chanted “Long live the king!”
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha, the former army chief, described the king’s passing as “the most devastating moment for Thais” since the death of his predecessor and older brother Ananda in 1946.
He moved quickly to declare that the king’s 64-year-old son, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, is the named successor.
He is much less well known to Thais and has yet to attain his father’s widespread popularity. He spends much of his time overseas, especially in Germany, and is a keen pilot who flies his own Boeing 737.
In a televised address to the nation, Prayut said Thailand would hold a one-year mourning period and that all entertainment functions must be “toned down” for a month.
Thai television stations switched to a special announcement that began with black and white photographs of the king, before a formally dressed presenter read out the palace statement.
Bhumibol’s death is a major test for the country’s generals, who seized power in 2014 vowing to restore stability after a decade of political chaos, a turbulent period exacerbated by the king’s declining health as jostling elites competed for power.
The military has deep links with the palace and many inside the kingdom saw the putsch as a move to ensure generals could stamp down on any instability during a succession.
It is difficult to overestimate Bhumibol’s importance to most of his subjects. He is revered as a demigod by many, and seen as rising above the kingdom’s fractious politics.
It is not unusual to see Thais moved to tears when they talk of a future without him.
Officially known as King Rama IX, he descended from the Chakri dynasty which came to power in Thailand in the late 18th century.
His subjects have had many years to get used to the prospect of no longer having Bhumibol — he has not been seen in public for months and has suffered prolonged ill health.
His reign spanned a remarkable era in which Thailand transformed itself from an impoverished, rural nation into one of the region’s most successful economies.
He built a reputation for criss-crossing the nation to visit the rural poor and sometimes intervened to quell key moments of political violence — although at other times he stayed silent and he approved most of the army’s many coups during his reign.
Heir apparent Vajiralongkorn will inherit one of the world’s richest monarchies. During his reign, Bhumibol, with his establishment allies, built up a multi-billion-dollar empire spanning property, construction and banks under the banner of the Crown Property Bureau.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
