R.I.P. King Bhumibol (King Of Thailand)
On Thursday, the world has lost a big personality, influential monarch and a kind soul.
King Bhumibol Adulyadej has died at the age of 88 in a Hospital in Bangkok.
Everytime I have visited Thailand, I notice how much they respect and adore their king.
A picture of him is hung up in almost every restaurant or shop, and his face is even painted on some houses in Bangkok.
When I was in the Cinema in Thailand, everybody stood up to respect the king right before the movie started!
Bhumibol was loved and admired by the people almost like a god.
Although he didn't influence the state affairs a lot in the last couple of years, he always represented peace.
The Thais are very serious about this loss - they have advised a national mourning period of one year, where all employees of the state are supposed to wear black.
Thai people had been camping, praying and singing in front of the hospital continuously for several days, as soon as the information about Bhumibol's bad health went public.
Now, after his death, thousands are still staying there - mourning.
For most Thais, this is the only King they've ever known, and he was always so kind and managed to achieve piece!
Thailand has had political issues for the longest time, and now that their beloved king is dead, the future is very unsure.
Bhumibol's 61 year-old son Maha Vajiralongkorn, who is not nearly as loved by the people as his father, will become his successor.
So who was King Bhumibol?
He went to school and studied in Switzerland.
Since he was only the nephew of the King at the Time, nobody actually expected him to become a King one day.
But his Dad died, the King didn't have any kids, and Bhumibol's brother was shot at the age of 20.
So Bhumibol became the next in line for the throne (at 18 years old!)
He and his wife Sirikit had 4 children.
He was a true Buddhist at heart and even spent some time in a monastery.
He reigned for over 70 years, and became a symbol of unity and peace through Thailand's turbulent history.
Although the absolute monarchy was abolished in 1932, he still remained an important political figure and always managed to settle the disputes.
King Bhumibol was the longest reigning Monarch of the world:
He started his reign 6 years before Queen Elizabeth II, although he's actually 2 years younger than her!
Rest In Peace!
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© Sirwinchester
I don't understand why people would hail the King this much.
Any person who gets that much adoration so that people stand up for him in the cinemas before a movie starts where they play propaganda of how 'great' he is, and anyone who allows people to be put in jail for insulting him/her or his/her dog, is in my opinion a very bad and self-obsessed person. I also don't buy into the official story that the King's brother had committed suicide. It worries me that people are so gullible and easily submit themselves to their rulers.
Because it's always been that way. The Thai aren't coming from a Democracy with fresh eyes. I thought the same as you when everyone stood in the movie theater. I'm looking around like, "Are you kidding?" I did stand out of "respect" but was laughing inside. He had them wrapped around his finger. Monarchies are absurd servitude.
The assumption that the love we have for our king is purely because we are under-educated and the failure to recognize his accomplishments, because you're stuck with his title, is superficial and pure ignorance in truths and dimensions of people and society of other cultures.
But that’s ok.
I’m not writing all this to beg you to love whom we love or even to respect him.
I understand if you do not understand our loyalty to him.
What I’m asking for is very simple: let us grieve.
You would see us cry. You would see us try to do things we believe are ways to repay his love and his hard work for us. You may not understand any of this and that’s ok. But, please, let us grieve. Be respectful to our loss.
If you don’t understand the concept of how losing our beloved King could be so painful, at least, I believe, you would be able to understand the pain of losing someone you genuinely love and respect; Can you?
It’s not too difficult, is it?
Your life will carry on as usual, even when you don’t talk about us. But our lives… our lives have changed and our hearts brokened.
Let us grieve, let us mourn, and let us do what we want to do. Stop attacking us, at least not at this time of mourning. Be respectful to this great loss.
I can't be the only one who sees these things as creepy and unhealthy in the extreme, rather than merely a reflection of the monarch's character.
Very sad news. Thanks for the history of the king. You have a lot of knowledge. I enjoy this post so much, nice pictures too. May he rest in peace!
so sad! I really hope that this won't have negative consequences for thailand's politics!!
who knows what the future will hold!
the Thai's really respected him like a god. Big loss for the country (and for the world)
the Thai's are extremely sad - hopefully this will become a positive change for the country's future
Rest In Peace <3
amen!
he had been sick for a long time so maybe this is a relief for him!
that's true - maybe he's in a better place now.
longest-reigning monarch of the WORLD?! 70 years of his 88 year-old life - that's incredible
It really is! He spent 90% of his life serving the country
his reign was longer than the queen?! that's CRAZY
right? and almost nobody acknowledges it
I didn't even know anything about him, but his story is amazing! People are really crying because of him, and admiring him like he's a pop star
they are so attached to him, it's heart-warming.