Thailand's
King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who was the world's longest-reigning monarch, died in
hospital on Thursday, the palace said in an announcement. He was 88.
King Bhumibol
reigned for seven decades after ascending the throne in 1946. His loss will be
deeply mourned in Thailand, where he was regarded as a pillar of stability
during decades of political upheaval and rapid development.
The palace did
not give a reason for his death but he has been sick in hospital with various
ailments for much of the past year.
"His
Majesty has passed away at Siriraj Hospital peacefully," the palace said,
adding he died at 15:52 (0852 GMT).
His son and
heir apparent, the 63-year old Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, is expected to
become Thailand's new king.
Parliament was
due to meet in a special session later on Thursday after a meeting of the
cabinet, a legislature official said.
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.
More than
1,000 people gathered at the hospital where the king had been staying. Many of
them started to cry as the news of his death broke.
"I feel
so saddened by this news. He has given so many things to the country,"
said Apinut Jaroonpipatkul, a 25-year-old medical student.
King Bhumibol
was seen as a force for unity, and there have long been concerns that without
him the country's divisions could worsen.
That seems
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.
Prince
Vajiralongkorn has yet to command the respect and adoration that his father
drew after a lifetime on the throne.
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.
Thailand is
expected to be in mourning for months and possibly longer, and the prince's
coronation will not take place until that 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.
The king was
seen as head of an institution central to Thai identity and as a father-figure
to the nation.
Reuters
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