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Thailand's beloved king, unifying figure, dies at 88

Officially known as King Rama IX, he descended from the Chakri dynasty which came to power in Thailand in the late eighteenth century.

By :  naren pulloor
Update: 2016-10-13 16:17 GMT
Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, has died at the age of 88, the palace announced Thursday, leaving a divided nation bereft of a rare figure of unity.
An undated file photo of Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej. (Photo: AFP)
As the news filtered out, large crowds erupted in mourning outside the hospital where Bhumibol spent most of the last two years, many of them wailing and sobbing. (Photo: AP)
King Bhumibol with former US president Bill Clinton. (Photo: AP)
During his reign Bhumibol, with his establishment allies, built up a multi-billion-dollar-empire spanning property, construction and banks under the banner of the Crown Property Bureau (CPB). In image, King Bhumibol with former US President George W Bush (Photo: AP)
Backed by an intense palace-driven personality cult, he is revered as a demigod by many, seen as rising above the kingdom's notoriously fractious political scene. In image, King Bhumibol with the Queen of England. (Photo: AP)
He built a reputation for criss-crossing the nation to visit the rural poor and sometimes intervened to quell key moments of political violence -- although other times he stayed silent and he approved most of the army's many coups during his reign. In image, the King with Queen Sirkit and the Crown Prince. (Photo: AFP)
Though junta leaders, prime ministers and courtiers approached him only on their knees, Bhumibol was remarkably down-to-earth. He rolled up his sleeves and hiked into impoverished villages and remote rice paddies to assess the state of his country. (Photo: AFP)
His reign spanned a remarkable era in which Thailand transformed itself from an impoverished, rural nation into one of the region's most successful economies, dodging the civil wars and communist takeovers of its neighbours. In image, King Bhumibol and Queen Sirkit welcome the Queen of England. (Photo: AFP)
Bhumibol's death is a major test for the country's generals, who seized power in 2014 vowing to restore stability after a decade of political chaos, a turbulent period exacerbated by the king's declining health as jostling elites competed for power. In image, This file combination picture released in 1955 shows Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit posing with their first two children Princess Ubol Ratana and Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn. (Photo: AFP)
Thais have known no other monarch and he has been portrayed as a guiding light through decades of political turmoil, coups and violent unrest. Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit posing with their first child Princess Ubol Ratana. (Photo: AFP)
This file picture released in September 1949 shows Sirikit Kitiyakara, then the fiancee of Bhumibol Adulyadej. He married her in 1950, also the year when he was crowned the King. (Photo: AFP)
Officially known as King Rama IX, he descended from the Chakri dynasty which came to power in Thailand in the late eighteenth century. (Photo: AP)
Officially known as King Rama IX, he descended from the Chakri dynasty which came to power in Thailand in the late eighteenth century.

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