Thailand’s people woke up on Friday to the first day in 70 years without King Bhumibol Adulyadej, a king worshipped as a father-figure who guided the nation through decades of change and turmoil.
The king, the world’s longest-reigning monarch, died in a Bangkok hospital on Thursday (October 13). He was 88.
People wearing black were seen gathering near the Grand Palace, where streams of locals have been arriving to pay their respects to the beloved monarch.
“Since the news yesterday, I have been feeling lost and I don’t know what to say. I feel like my heart was stabbed by a knife and ripped apart….I’m here today to bid him farewell,” said 27-year-old Yanee Premsungya.
The King had been in poor health for several years but his death has shocked the Southeast Asian nation of 67 million people and plunged it into mourning.
Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn is expected to be the new king but he does not command the same adoration that his father earned over a lifetime on the throne.
Thailand has endured bomb attacks and economic worries recently while rivalry simmers between the military-led establishment and populist political forces after a decade of turmoil including two coups and deadly protests.
The king stepped in to calm crises on several occasions during his reign and many Thais worry about a future without him. The military has for decades invoked its duty to defend the monarchy to justify its intervention in politics.
Military government leader Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said the country was in “immeasurable grief … profound sorrow and bereavement”.
He said security was his top priority and called for businesses to stay active and stock investors not to dump shares. Banks and financial markets are to stay open on Friday, industry officials said.
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016
