King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world’s longest reigning monarch, has died at the age of 88.
A statement from the royal household bureau said Bhumibol, who was king for seven decades, “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.
Most Thais have only known King Bhumibol on the throne and his influence has superseded that of bickering politicians since the closing days of the second world war.
During the king’s rule, there have been close to 20 attempted or successful coups – the last one in May 2014 when a military junta seized power – but the monarchy has remained revered.
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