Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej has died aged 88, ending seven decades on the throne, the palace has said in a statement, Guardian reported.
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.
But the constitutional monarch has been absent from public life for years and his death throws an already politically turbulent Thailand into a haze of uncertainty that is unprecedented in its modern history.
Most Thais have only known King Bhumibol on the throne and his influence has superseded that of bickering politicians since the closing days of the second world war.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.