This article is from the source 'independent' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/thailand-king-dead-bhumibol-adulyadej-dies-age-88-death-world-longest-monarch-a7359281.html

The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
King of Thailand dead: World's longest reigning monarch King Bhumibol Adulyadej dies aged 88 King of Thailand dead: World's longest reigning monarch King Bhumibol Adulyadej dies aged 88
(35 minutes later)
The world's longest-reigning monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, has died aged 88 the palace has confirmed. The world's longest-reigning monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, has died aged 88, the palace has confirmed.
The palace said the King passed away peacefully on Thursday at Bangkok's Siriraj Hospital after a 70-year reign. The palace said the King passed away peacefully on Thursday at Bangkok's Siriraj Hospital after a 70-year reign. 
Bhumibol Adulyadej became king in 1946 and was revered in Thailand as a demigod. He anchored the Southeast Asian country through violent upheavals at home and communist revolutions next door.  Bhumibol Adulyadej became king in 1946 and was revered in Thailand as a demigod. He anchored the Southeast Asian country through violent upheavals at home and communist revolutions next door, as well as a period of rapid development. 
Hundreds of tearful Thais have journeyed to the hospital since King Bhumibol's deteriorating health was first announced by the palace on Sunday. Wearing pink and yellow shirts in the King's honour, many in the crowd sat in the hospital courtyard, positioned to look up toward the building where the king is confined. Every now and they shouted “Long live the king,” with some wiping away tears.  Parliament is due to meet in a special session later on Thursday after a meeting of the cabinet. King Bhumibol's son and heir apparent, the 63-year old Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, is set to become Thailand's new king.
Saranya Chungsuvanich, a local resident, came to the hospital on Thursday after hearing about the King's condition and before the news broke of his death.  Anxiety about the King's health and the succession has formed the backdrop to over a decade of political upheaval in Thailand that has included two coups. King Bhumibol was seen as a force for unity - particularly given the length of time he sat on the throne - and there have long been concerns that without him the country's divisions could worsen.
“I feel that our king is like my father,” she said. “Every day, I will pray at home, but I feel that I should be here, very close to him," she said  That appears unlikely under the military government of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who has kept a tight grip on power since toppling an elected government in 2014. That followed a previous army-staged coup in 2006.
King Bhumibol was viewed by many in the majority Buddhist nation as a bodhisattva, or holy being who delays entering nirvana to aid the human race, with junta leaders and Prime Ministers all showing due deference.
Hundreds of tearful Thais have journeyed to the hospital since King Bhumibol's deteriorating health was first announced by the palace on Sunday. Wearing pink and yellow shirts in the King's honour, many in the crowd have sat in the hospital courtyard, positioned to look up toward the building where the King has been confined. Every now and they shout “Long live the king,” with some wiping away tears. 
Many more broke into tears after the King's death was announced. “I feel so saddened by this news. He has given so many things to the country,” Apinut Jaroonpipatkul, a 25-year-old medical student told Reuters.
King Bhumibol also garnered respect from around the world, with the US seeing him as a crucial ally as communist revolutions erupted around the region. 
Prime Minister Prayuth has said that Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn will become the new monarch after the death of his father in accordance with the constitution. He said the crown prince was designated the successor to the crown on Dec. 28, 2002. 
“We the government must proceed with the next steps in accordance with the law,” he said. 
He said the government will notify the National Legislative Assembly, or parliament, of the King's successor, and they will act accordingly with the laws of succession in the constitution. 
The once-vigorous King had withdrawn from public life over the last decade due to his ill health. He lived at a Bangkok hospital and had been notably silent about the political upheaval that has shaken Thailand in recent years. The once-vigorous King had withdrawn from public life over the last decade due to his ill health. He lived at a Bangkok hospital and had been notably silent about the political upheaval that has shaken Thailand in recent years. 
His son and heir apparent, the 63-year old Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, is expected to become Thailand's new king. But Prince Vajiralongkorn has yet to command the respect and adoration that his father drew after a lifetime on the throne.
More Follows. He has kept a lower profile than King Bhumibol for most of his life but in the past two years took on more of the public duties the king was no longer able to perform. The prince divorced his third wife in 2014.
  Thailand's strict lese-majeste laws has left little room for public discussion about the succession. It has been so long since Thailand has had a succession, there is no modern precedent.
Mr Prayuth said that the government will observe one year of mourning and flags will fly at half-staff for 30 days. No government events will be held for 30 days, he said. 
The Prince's coronation will not take place until a mourning period is over. When the King's sister died in 2008, a 100-day mourning period was declared. She was cremated 10 months after her death.