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10 Facts About the Late Thailand King Bhumibol Adulyadej That You Probably Didn’t Know

2016-10-14 , 11:15 am

On 13 Oct 2016, the whole of Thailand mourned when their beloved king, Bhumibol Adulyadej passed away at 3:52pm “peacefully”.

He was hospitalised at Siriraj hospital on 3 October to undergo medical procedures over the weekend.

While waiting for news, thousands of Thai people crowded outside the hospital in pink (which symbolises recovery) or yellow (the colour of the King who was born on a Monday).

When news of his passing broke, the crowd broke down crying or simply stared into space.

We lost our father today. He is a father that wanted to do everything, the best for his kids. – CNN

A well-loved monarch by his people, here are 10 facts about the late king Bhumibol Adulyadej you probably didn’t know.

1. The World’s Longest Head-of-state

He reigned over Thailand for 70 years, placing him as the world’s longest head-of-state and Thailand’s longest reigning monarch.

He ascended the throne in 1946 and held the reins until 2016. He brought his country through various military coups, the Vietnam war and the war on drugs.

2. He was the only Monarch most Thai people knew

There were concerns that with the loss of the king, the people would lose a unifying point and the prestige and influence of the Thailand monarchy will be lost. His heir, Maha Vajiralongkorn was not as revered as his father.

3. He was also known as Rama IX (9)

His lineage and family history is impressive. The ninth monarch of the Chakri family, Rama I was believed to have created the Chakri dynasty.

4. He was the only monarch to be born overseas

He was born on US soil and his birth certificate listed him as Baby Songkla. His father, HRH Prince Mahidol Adulyadej was studying at Harvard. He only went back to Thailand when his father has completed and obtained his certificate.

5. He was pivotal in turning Thailand into a democracy

In 1992, a coup saw military dictatorship back in power. A general election was held and the leader of the coup, General Suchinda Kraprayoon was given the role of Prime Minister.

This was met with dissatisfaction and civil war threatened to erupt. The king summoned both the leaders of the pro-democracy movement and General Suchinda before him and urged them to come to a peaceful resolution.

General Suchinda resigned soon after and Thailand returned to a civilian government.

6. He’s listed as the world’s richest monarch from 2008-2013

His net worth was listed at $30 billion as of 2014. His personal wealth is separated from the total financial wealth of Thailand.

7. He waged a war against drugs during his reign

He did not want to see the proliferation of illegal narcotics within his country and urge his government to do something about the worsening drug situation.

Thaksin Shinawatra launched a war against drugs by giving quotas to government officials, awarding them when they’re reached and threatening punishment when they’re not.

It was reported by the Human Rights Watch that 2,275 people were killed in the war on drugs. The king criticised those who are upset for only thinking of dead drug dealers instead of the lives of innocent people who were saved.

8. He was the Father of Technology of Thailand

He was the only monarch to hold patents. He had several patents on rainmaking: the “sandwich” rainmaking patent in 1999 and the “supersandwich” patent in 2003. He was known as the “development” king and the Office of National Identity Promotion honoured him as the Father of Technology of Thailand in 2000.

He was known as the “development” king and the Office of National Identity Promotion honoured him as the Father of Technology of Thailand in 2000.

9. He loved Jazz music

He was an accomplished Jazz musician and has written 49 compositions and started a jazz band when he returned to Thailand in 1950. They performed on a radio station which he started from the palace.

He was an honorary member of Vienna’s University of Music and Performing Arts, awarded an honorary doctorate in music from University of North Texas College of Music and awarded the Sanford Medal for his contribution in music from Yale School of Music.

10. He loved Sailing

He won the gold medal in the Southeast Asia Peninsular Games in 1967 and was an avid sailboat designer and builder.

Featured Image: cnn.com

This article was first published on goodyfeed.com