Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej has died aged 88, ending seven decades on the throne.
A statement from the royal household bureau said Bhumibol, who was the world’s longest reigning monarch, “passed away peacefully” at 3.52pm (8.52am BST) on Thursday at Siriraj hospital in Bangkok.
King Bhumibol became a unifying father figure and rare source of stability for a nation that has
weathered more than a dozen coups since he came to power in 1946 aged just 18.
King Bhumibol had been treated by doctors for “water on the brain” and a chest infection in August 2015. On Sunday, the palace said his condition had become unstable.
His son and heir apparent, the 63-year old Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, is expected to become Thailand’s new king.
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