Bhumibol Adulyadej, the king of Thailand. The current king of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej, is the longest-reigning monarch in the world today, as well as Thailand's longest-reigning king ever. The beloved king's common name is pronounced "POO- mee-pohn uh-DOON-ja-deht"; his throne name is Rama IX. Early Life: Born a second son, and with his birth taking place outside of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej was never meant to rule. His reign came about through a mysterious act of violence. Since then, the King has been a calm presence at the center of Thailand's stormy political life. On December 5, 1927, a Thai princess gave birth to a son named Bhumibol Adulyadej ("Strength of the Land, Incomparable Power") in a Cambridge, Massachusetts hospital. The family was in the United States because the child's father, Prince Mahidol, Mysterious Succession: was studying for a Public Health certificate at On June 9, 1946, King Ananda Mahidol died Harvard University. His mother studied in his palace bedroom of a single gunshot nursing at Simmons College. The boy was wound to the head. It was never conclusively the second son for Prince Mahidol and proven whether his death was murder, Princess Srinagarindra. accident or suicide, although two royal pages When Bhumibol was a year old, his family and the king's personal secretary were returned to Thailand, where his father took convicted and executed for assassinating up an intership in a hospital in Chiang Mai. him. Prince Mahidol was in poor health, though, 18-year-old Prince Bhumibol had gone in to and died of kidney and liver failure in his brother's room about 20 minutes before September of 1929. the gun went off, so conspiracy theorists Schooling in Switzerland: have long implicated him in Ananda Mahidol's death. Bhumibol's uncle was appointed his In 1932, a coalition of military officers and Prince Regent, and the new king returned to civil servants staged a coup against King the University of Lausanne to finish his Rama VII. The "Revolution of 1932" ended degree. In deference to his new role, he the Chakri Dynasty's absolute rule and changed his major from science to political created a constitutional monarchy. science and law. Concerned for their safety, Princess Srinagarindra took her two young sons and Accident and Marriage: little daughter to Switzerland the following Just as his father had done in Massachusetts, year. The children were placed into Swiss Bhumibol met his wife-to-be while studying schools. overseas. The young king often went to In March of 1935, King Rama VII abdicated Paris, where he met the daughter of in favor of his 9-year-old nephew, Bhumibol's Thailand's ambassador to France, a student older brother Ananda Mahidol. The child king named Mom Rajawongse Sirikit Kiriyakara. and his siblings remained in Switzerland, Bhumibol and Sirikit began a demure however, and two regents ruled the kingdom courtship based on taking in Paris' tourist in his name. Ananda Mahidol returned to sights. Thailand in 1938, but Bhumibol remained in In October of 1948, Bhumibol rear-ended a Europe. The younger brother continued his truck and was seriously injured. He lost his studies in Switzerland until 1945, when he right eye and suffered a painful back injury. left the University of Lausanne at the end of Sirikit spent a lot of time nursing and World War II. entertaining the injured king; his mother urged the young woman to transfer to a elected. This intervention by the king was school in Lausanne so that she could the beginning of an era of civilian-led continue her studies while getting to know democracy that has continued with just one Bhumibol better. interruption to this day. Bhumibol's image as an advocate for the people, reluctantly On April 28, 1950, King Bhumibol and Sirikit intervening in the political fray to protect his got married in Bangkok. She was 17 years subjects, was cemented by this success. old; he was 22. The King was officially coronated one week later. Lese Majeste and Royal Prerogatives: Military Coups and Dictatorships: Although Thailand is a constitutional monarchy, Bhumibol retains more powers The newly crowned king had very little actual than other heads of state such as Great power. Thailand was ruled by military Britain's Queen Elizabeth II. He can veto dictator Plaek Pibulsonggram until 1957, laws passed by parliament, pardon convicted when the first of a long series of coups criminals, and approve or disapprove cabinet removed him from office. Bhumibol declared members. Bhumibol also has significant martial law during the crisis, which ended leeway in allocating money to his own pet with a new dictatorship forming under the development projects within the country. king's close ally Sarit Dhanarajata. From outside of Thailand, King Bhumibol Over the next six years, Bhumibol would looks very much like other modern kings - revive many abandoned Chakri traditions. He quiet, dignified, with plenty of hobbies to fill also made many public appearances around his free time. However, to the Thai people he Thailand, significantly reviving the prestige of is quasi-divine, the Buddhist "Dharmaraja" the throne. and an avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. As Sarit died in 1963, and was succeeded by such, he is protected by strict laws of lese Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn. Ten majeste. years later, Thanom sent out the troops Most Thai citizens genuinely love and revere against huge public protests, killing hundreds their king. However, anyone who feels of protestors. Bhumibol opened Chitralada otherwise, and criticizes Bhumibol or any Palace's gates to offer refuge to the other member of the royal family (living or demonstrators as they fled the soldiers. dead), faces as much as fifteen years in The king then removed Thanom from power prison. Bhumibol himself has invited criticism and appointed a the first of a series of in a 2005 speech, but nobody can publicly civilian leaders. In 1976, however, Thanom support his position and advocate repeal of returned from overseas exile, sparking the lese majeste laws without breaking another round of demonstrations that ended them! in the October 6 Massacre, in which 46 2006 Coup: students were killed and 167 injured at Thammasat University. In April of 2006, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his party were accused of In the aftermath of the massacre, Admiral lese majeste, including plans to depose King Sangad Chaloryu staged yet another coup Bhumibol. The accusers produced no and took power. Further coups took place in evidence at all, but this incident helped fuel 1977, 1980, 1981, 1985 and 1991. Although an on-going political crisis. King Bhumibol tried to stay above the fray, he refused to support the 1981 and 1985 On September 19, 2006, the military coups. His prestige was damaged by the overthrew Thaksin's government and constant unrest, however. declared martial law. King Bhumibol endorsed this coup, and Thaksin was forced Transition to Democracy: into exile. As of this writing, Thaksin's When a military coup leader was selected as younger sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, is the Prime Minister in 1992, huge protests broke Prime Minister. out in Thailand's cities. The demonstrations King Bhumibol's 60th Anniversary: turned into riots, and the police and military were rumored to be dividing into factions. In June of 2006, King Bhumibol and Queen Fearing a civil war, King Bhumibol called the Sirikit celebrated the 60th Anniversary of coup leader and the opposition leader to an their rule, also known as the Diamond audience at the palace. Jubilee. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan presented the king with a Human Bhumibol was able to pressure the coup Development Lifetime Achievement Award as leader into resigning; new elections were part of the festivities. In addition, there were called, and a civilian government was banquets, fireworks, royal barge processions, concerts and official royal pardons for 25,000 Commonly used minority languages in convicts. Thailand include Lao, Yawi (Malay), Teochew, Mon, Khmer, Viet, Cham, Hmong, Akhan, The joyous celebration of Bhumibol's 60-year and Karen. reign brought to the fore worrisome questions of his succession. The octogenarian Population king has spent much of the past two years in Thailand's estimated population as of 2007 the hospital, suffering from back problems, was 63,038,247. The population density is Parkinson's disease and depression. 317 people per square mile. Bhumibol and Sirikit's son, Prince The vast majority are ethnic Thais, who Bajiralongkorn (born 1952), is the heir make up about 80% of the population. There apparent, but he is not nearly as popular as is also a large ethnic Chinese minority, his parents. Prince Bajiralongkorn is rumored comprising about 14% of the population. to have a gambling problem and a very Unlike the Chinese in many neighboring active private life, in addition to be "erratic." Southeast Asian countries, the Sino-Thai are The prince's sister, Princess Sirindhorn, is well-integrated into their communities. Other more popular than her brother, and the Thai ethnic minorities include the Malay, Khmer, Constitution allows princesses to be Mon, and Vietnamese. Northern Thailand also appointed successor if there is no male heir is home to small mountain tribes such as the apparent. Most constitutional scholars Hmong, Karen, and Mein, with a total believe that King Bhumibol could appoint his population of less than 800,000. daughter as his successor if he chose, but he Religion has not made any indication that he will do so. Thailand is a deeply spiritual country, with 95% of the population belonging to the King Bhumibol's Life and Legacy Theravada branch of Buddhism. Visitors will Although he was never intended for the see gold-spired Buddhist stupas scattered all throne, Bhumibol Adulyadej has been a across the country. successful and increasingly beloved king of Muslims, mostly of Malay origin, make up Thailand over the many decades of his reign. 4.5% of the population. They are located Superficially his life seems similar to other primarily in the far south of the country, in monarchs, such as Japan's Emperor Akihito; the provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, both are semi-divine, have a life-long and Songkhla Chumphon. interest in science, enjoy art and music, etc. However, unlike the current Emperor of Thailand also hosts tiny populations of Sikhs, Japan, Bhumibol plays a significant if Hindus, Christians (mostly Catholics), and shadowy role in the politics of his realm. Jews. The ninth Chakri king of Thailand has guided Geography his country through very turbulent political Thailand covers 514,000 square kilometers waters. In fact, he has already earned the (198,000 square miles) at the heart of title "The Great." How the nation will fare Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar after he passes away is anybody's guess. (Burma), Laos, Cambodia, and Malaysia. Thailand Facts and History The Thai coastline stretches for 3,219 km Government along both the Gulf of Thailand on the Pacific side, and the Andaman Sea on the Indian Thailand is a constitutional monarchy under Ocean side. The west coast was devastated the beloved king, Bhumibol Adulyadej, who by the Southeast Asian tsunami in December has reigned since 1946. King Bhumibol is the of 2004, which swept across the Indian world's longest-serving head of state. Ocean from its epicenter off Indonesia. Thailand's current Prime Minister is Yingluck Shinawatra, who assumed office as the first The highest point in Thailand is Doi ever female in that role on August 5, 2011. Inthanon, at 2,565 meters (8,415 feet). The lowest point is the Gulf of Thailand, at sea Language level. Thailand's official language is Thai, a tonal Climate language from the Tai-Kadai family of East Asia. Thai has a unique alphabet derived Thailand's weather is ruled by the tropical from the Khmer script, which is itself monsoons, with a rainy season from June descended from the Brahmic Indian writing through October, and a dry season beginning system. Written Thai first appeared around in November. Average annual temperatures 1292 A.D. are a high of 38° C (100° F), with a low of 19° C (66° F). The mountains of northern in turn by the Siamese leader General Thailand tend to be much cooler and Taksin. Taksin soon went mad and was somewhat drier than the central plain and replaced by Rama I, the founder of the coastal regions. Chakri dynasty with continues to rule Thailand today. Rama I moved the capital to Economy its present site at Bangkok. Thailand's "Tiger Economy" was humbled by During the nineteenth century, the Chakri the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis, when the rulers of Siam watched European colonialism GDP growth rate plummeted from +9% in sweep across neighboring countries of 1996 to -10% in 1998. Since then, Thailand Southeast and Southern Asia. Burma and has recovered well, with growth at a Malaysia became British, while the French manageable 4-7%. took Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Siam The Thai economy depends mainly on alone, through skilled royal diplomacy and automotive and electronics manufacturing internal strength, was able to fend off exports (19%), financial services (9%), and colonization. tourism (6%). About half of the workforce is In 1932, the military forces staged a coup employed in the agriculture sector, and d'etat that transformed the country into a Thailand is the world's top exporter of rice. constitutional monarchy. Nine years later, The country also exports processed foods like the Japanese invaded the country, inciting frozen shrimp, canned pineapple, and canned the Thais to attack and take Laos from the tuna. French. Following Japan's defeat in 1945, the Thailand's currency is the baht. Thais were forced to return the land they'd taken. History The current monarch, King Bhumibol Modern humans first settled the area that is Adulyadej, came to the throne in 1946 after now Thailand in the Paleolithic Era, perhaps the mysterious shooting death of his older as early as 100,000 years ago. For up to 1 brother. Since 1973, power has moved from million years prior to the arrival of Homo military to civilian hands repeatedly. sapiens, the region was home to Homo erectus such as Lampang Man, whose fossilized remains were discovered in 1999. As Homo sapiens moved into Southeast Asia, they began to develop appropriate technologies: watercraft for navigating the rivers, intricate woven fish nets, etc. People also domesticated plants and animals, including rice, cucumbers, and chickens. Small settlements grew up around fertile land or rich fishing spots and developed into the first kingdoms. and developed into the first kingdoms. The early kingdoms were ethnically Malay, Khmer, and Mon. Regional rulers vied with one another for resources and land, but all were displaced when the Thai people immigrated into the area from southern China. Around the 10th century A.D. ethnic Thais invaded, fighting off the governing Khmer empire and establishing the Sukhothai Kingdom (1238-1448), and its rival, the Ayutthaya Kingdom (1351-1767). Over time, the Ayutthaya grew more powerful, subjecting the Sukhothai and dominating most of southern and central Thailand. In 1767, an invading Burmese army sacked the Ayutthaya capital and divided up the kingdom. The Burmese held central Thailand for only two years before they were defeated