Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej dies aged 88
Thailand's King Bhumibol was seen as a unifying force amid the country's political chaos and viewed as god-like by many Thais.
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Sky News
Thailand has started a year of mourning after the death of the world's longest-reigning monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, aged 88.

The palace did not give a reason for his death, but said in a statement: "Although the team of doctors treated him to the best of their ability, his condition deteriorated.

"His Majesty has passed away at Siriraj Hospital (in Bangkok) peacefully."

Bhumibol came to the throne in 1946 as an 18-year-old, after the death of his brother King Ananda Mahidol from a gunshot wound in a palace bedroom.

The circumstances of that death remain unexplained.

He was crowned in 1950, a week after he married his wife, and together they went on to visit nearly 30 countries.

During a 70-year reign, the US-born king became his nation's one constant, as a long line of governments rose and fell.

He was remembered as a gentle leader, a frail-looking and softly spoken man who used his influence to unite the nation and rally troops through the Cold War as Thailand's neighbours fell to communism.

But he was also down to earth - hiking to remote rice paddies and poor villages to examine the state of the country beyond the palace steps and to resolve various disputes.

King Bhumibol became the world's richest monarch and lived the life of a modern king, racing yachts and wearing ornate clothing.

But he spent most of his final years in hospital, rarely seen in public and remaining silent on the upheaval and protests that have shaken Thailand in recent years.

The king's son and heir apparent, 64-year-old Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, is expected to succeed him. However many commentators say he does not have the influence of his father.

Thailand's prime minister, Prayut Chan-o-Cha, said: "The government will proceed with the succession.

"The government will inform the National Legislative Assembly that His Majesty the King appointed his heir on 28 December, 1972."

That is the date his son was made crown prince.

The prime minister also urged Thais to love one another and to preserve "the father's land".

Sky's correspondent in Southeast Asia, Tom Rayner, said that "several thousand" people were outside the hospital where the king had been receiving treatment "for the best part of 10 years".

"There are people wailing, crying ... this is a country that will now be in shell-shock."

He added: "The king was loved by many in this country ... a leader who led their country through turbulent political times, a unifying figure."

The king's death will be the first major test for the generals who seized power in 2014, promising to restore stability after a decade of political chaos.

King Bhumibol's wife, Queen Sirikit, has also been ill in recent years and rarely seen.

The death of the king means Queen Elizabeth II, crowned in 1952, becomes the world's longest-reigning monarch.