Thais gripped by grief after beloved king’s death
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Thailand King Bhumibol Adulyadej acknowledged the crowd in Bangkok during the June 2006 celebrations of the 60th anniversary of his accession to the throne. Thailand’s Royal Palace said on Thursday that Thailand’s King Bhumibol, the world’s longest-reigning monarch, died at age 88.
BANGKOK » Grieving Thais went to work dressed mostly in black Friday morning, just hours after the palace announced the death of their beloved King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the politically fractious country’s unifying figure and the world’s longest-reigning monarch. He was 88.
Traffic and businesses appeared to be running normal, but many Thais — some seen crying — were dressed in muted colors and there was a somber mood on the streets following an outpouring of sorrow on Thursday when the king’s death was announced. Television channels ran shows devoted to the king’s life.
The news had been expected, and hundreds of people had gathered since Wednesday at Bangkok’s Siriraj Hospital, where Bhumibol had been treated for various ailments for much of the past decade. Many sobbed loudly, clutching each other in anguish and shouting “Long live the king.”
“There is no word to explain my feeling right now,” Gaewkarn Fuangtong, a humanitarian worker, said in Bangkok’s financial district.
“I lost one of the most important people in my life. I feel like I haven’t done enough for him. I should have done more. I will do good, do better for his sake.”
The government announced a one-year mourning period and a 30-day moratorium on state events, and all public offices and schools will fly flags at half staff for 30 days.
Don't miss out on what's happening!
Stay in touch with top news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!
But businesses, tourist attractions and public transport were to remain open Friday because of the government’s desire not to hurt the sputtering economy.
“The stock market, investments, other businesses should not stop. Do not try to let the country lose its credibility, especially in the case of impact on the stock exchange,” Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said in a televised address to the nation.
He said Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn will succeed the king under the constitution, but had asked for more time to mourn with the nation before ascending the throne. No date has been set for his coronation.
Most Thais have seen no other king in their lifetime and thought of Bhumibol, who reigned for 70 years, as their father and the embodiment of goodness and godliness.
Although a constitutional monarch, he wielded enormous political power and served as a unifying figure during Thailand’s numerous political crises. But in recent years, he suffered from a variety of illnesses that affected his kidneys, brain, lungs, heart and blood. He remained publicly detached from recent political upheavals, including the 2014 coup that brought Prayuth, an army general, to power.
“Since I was young I saw him work really hard, and now it’s hard to explain. I feel numb inside,” said Danaiwut Wiroonpiti 26, a photographer who was crying outside the Grand Palace where the king’s body will be taken in a procession Friday. “He’s the center of all Thai people. It’s like we lost the main pillar of our lives, the person who holds us together. I can’t hold my tears.”
Portraits of Bhumibol displayed in most Thai homes and businesses generally depict him in arduous travels to remote villages, where he often went to see the situation of his subjects first hand.
But recently, whenever Bhumibol appeared in public, he was in wheelchair, waving feebly at his subjects. Even those rare appearances stopped as he became confined to the hospital.
On Sunday, the palace announced his health had become “unstable,” and on Wednesday, Vajiralongkorn rushed back from Germany, Prayuth canceled a trip abroad and royal family members began gathering at Siriraj Hospital.
He died a little before 4 p.m. on Thursday, the palace said. His death was announced three hours later in a broadcast carried simultaneously by all TV stations.
“Even though the board of doctors has closely monitored and treated him to the best of its abilities, the king’s condition never improved,” the palace said in a statement. It said he passed away peacefully.
“He is now in heaven and may be looking over Thai citizens from there,” Prayuth said in a statement. “He was a king that was loved and adored by all. The reign of the king has ended and his kindness cannot be found anywhere else.”
Messages of condolences poured in from across the world.
“With a creative spirit and a drive for innovation, he pioneered new technologies that have rightfully received worldwide acclaim,” U.S. President Barack Obama said. “His majesty leaves a legacy of care for the Thai people that will be cherished by future generations.”
French President Francois Hollande hailed the king for “exceptional human qualities … his profound sense of justice, his care for modernity and sustainable development.” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi described him as “one of the tallest leaders of our times.”
Bhumibol Adulyadej (pronounced poo-mee-pon ah-dun-yaa-det) became king in 1946. He anchored the Southeast Asian country through violent upheavals at home and communist revolutions next door with a blend of majesty and a common touch.
There is great concern about the succession, since Vajiralongkorn has not earned the same respect as his father.
Government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said for the next 30 days all TV and radio stations, including online media, will broadcast the same programs provided by a government-controlled pool. He did not specify foreign TV channels in the rule, but on Thursday night all channels on the country’s main satellite TV service, including BBC and CNN, were replaced by the pool footage.
21 responses to “Thais gripped by grief after beloved king’s death”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
That’s so cute! He saved the ribbons from his Christmas gifts and taped them to his shoulder. I never would have thought of doing that!
Very sad day for the people of Thailand. Truly a great King that actually got involved among his people on a one to one basis. Will be interesting to see who will succeed him, certainly not his son, hoping will be his daughter.
The article states that his son will succeed him.
My in-laws live there, and they say the oldest daughter did and do more good things than the son ever did and he is in line for the throne, so sad it is stated in their constitution that only a son may ascend to the throne. Condolences to the people of Thailand.
What does it matter? Thailand is little more than a banana republic with a figurehead for king. The military runs the country and always has.
They sell children as sex slaves yet will jail people for what most westerners would consider minor infractions of law. Totally warped priorities to say the least, I don’t know why anyone would want to go there.
I expect this for you since you are usually rude and disrespectful. I have many friends there and they love the king and are very saddened by his loss.
This is the 21st century. Very hard to keep the traditional ways. Children of Royalty are more educated and sometimes more often then not don’t feel like leading any country. They want to do their own thing. It’s like if you are a professional in sports or whatever and you force your kids to follow your footsteps.
And you know how his children feel or what they care about. Tell us more of your truth.
Ehhhh, no loss for me although I’m sure the Thai people feel very differently. I’ve always favored democracies where those in power at least have the appearance of having earned their position. Don’t know anything about this guy except what I read in this article and that it’s a criminal offense to insult him or his family. It’s archaic and ripe for abuse IMO but it’s their country so their rules.
It is really funny when people who have no idea what they are talking about make such a harsh comment. Your ignorance is showing.
He was a puppet of the military junta and now that he’s gone, I suspect the Chinese are going to make some serious inroads in Thailand. See what happened this past week when a Hong Kong based young democracy activist (Joshua Wong) tried to enter Thailand.
Their (Chinese CCP) strategy is working thanks to such populist bottom feeders like Duterte in the P.I., the Thai junta and pliable, welfare dependent places like Laos, Cambodia and Burma.
China this, China that. People like you must get all your information from watching 10 minutes of FOX and listening to a 2 minute interview of politicians. China’s still light years behind the US in overseas military actions and presence. China will never forget their century of humiliation at the hands of foreign powers.
Just for your information, Thailand is spending $36B to buy Chinese made subs and they are looking to Russia for military planes. Cambodia and Laos are both communist coutries and their economies are tightly woven into the Chinese economic strategy. The Chinese are financing for many of the railroad infrastructure in many of the SE Asian nation. Mori, you need to read other news publication than just relying on SA. America is losing its influence and stature in the world arena.
Your post does nothing to contradict what I said. Ever heard of relativity? $36B? A drop in the bucket compared to US military sales, including some to our “friends”, the Saudis. Cambodia and Laos has their economies tightly woven into the Chinese economic strategy? Gee, I’d think that would be pretty obvious given their proximity with each other. Just like both Mexico’s and Canada’s largest trading partners by far are the US. Does that mean the US is trying to take over Mexico and Canada? And FYI Laos and Cambodia are NOT communist countries, even big bad China isn’t strictly communist, it’s been moving toward a free market economy for decades. And you need to stop relying on FOX and a 2 minute TMZ blurb from Trump for your information.
Been to both Cambodia and Laos several times and they are not Communist as you mentioned. Tourism is booming, just as the way Cuba will be in a few years now that there is access by commercial carriers.
Beloved and respected by his people, let the world’s prayers and condolences help alleviate their sorrows and loss! Peace and heartfelt compassion to the people of Thailand.
You have Aloha than anyone who ever posts here. Mahalo.
Maybe the rest of the commenters are just unhappy people.
Not pompous like King Obama.
Sorry to hear this news. I’ve been to Thailand many times and their king was really loved and respected by their folks. Unlike here where Barry, Hillary and Donald’s demise would bring cheers from our populous.
Hard name to pronounce; even harder to say it real fast.
And your ridiculous point is????