BANGKOK: Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej was the revered “father of the nation” whose reign spanned seven politically turbulent decades, shielded by harsh defamation laws and an intense personality cult.
The world’s longest-serving royal sovereign until his death yesterday at the age of 88, Bhumibol rebuilt a near-extinct monarchy into one of the wealthiest and most powerful on the planet – and one whose roots go deep into modern-day Thailand.
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