Reply To:
Name - Reply Comment
Last Updated : 2023-09-30 04:28:00
Sat, 30 Sep 2023 Today's Paper
Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, has died after 70 years on the throne, the palace says.
The king, 88, was widely revered in Thailand. He was seen as a stabilising figure in a country hit by cycles of political turmoil and multiple coups.
He had been in poor health in recent years and made few public appearances.
The king's death comes as Thailand remains under military rule following a coup in 2014.
The palace had warned on Sunday that the king's health was "not stable".
Many Thais had been wearing pink to try to bring good luck to the ailing monarch. Hundreds of people had gathered outside the hospital where he was being treated.
King Bhumibol's heir-apparent is 63-year-old Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, who does not attract the same level of affection as his father.
Strict lese-majeste laws mean public discussion of the succession are punishable by lengthy jail terms.
Given the pivotal role the king has played in maintaining the balance of power in Thailand's volatile political environment, the succession will be a formidable challenge for the government, says the BBC's Jonathan Head in Bangkok.
King Bhumibol, who was born in Cambridge in the US state of Massachusetts, acceded to the throne on 9 June 1946 after his brother, King Ananda Mahidol, died.
Though a constitutional monarch with limited powers, King Bhumibol was regarded by many Thais as semi-divine. They looked to him to intervene in times of high tension.
He was seen as a unifying and calming influence through numerous coups and 20 constitutions.
However, his critics argued he had endorsed military takeovers and at times had failed to speak out against human rights abuses. (BBC)
Add comment
Comments will be edited (grammar, spelling and slang) and authorized at the discretion of Daily Mirror online. The website also has the right not to publish selected comments.
Reply To:
Name - Reply Comment
In recent times, the skies above SriLankan Airlines, the national carrier of
The country’s health sector has recently witnessed allegations of massive c
Having passed the Sri Lanka Education Administrative Service Exam in 1988, Mr
History was made on July 26, 2023, when Sri Lanka-born Gary Anandasangaree wa