Thailand mourns: King Bhumibol dead

BANGKOK : Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world’s longest-reigning monarch, has died at the age of 88, the palace announced, leaving a divided nation bereft of a rare figure of unity.

Bhumibol’s death yesterday ends a remarkable sevendecade 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.

“At 3. 52pm he died at Siriraj Hospital peacefully,” the Royal Household Bureau said in a statement.

“Although the team of doctors treated him to the best of their ability, his condition deteriorated,” it said as large crowds erupted in mourning outside the hospital where the monarch spent most of the last two years.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha, the former army chief who leads Thailand’s ruling junta, said that the king’s 64-year-old son, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, is his named successor.