Thai King will prove an irreplaceable loss
The year-long period of mourning for the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej is a befitting tribute (“Year-long mourning in Thailand as King dies”, Oct 14”). Images of the Thai people sobbing upon the news of his death show how much he is loved by the country.
A woman holding up a portrait of King Bhumibol while his body was moved to the Grand Palace in Bangkok yesterday. Photo: Reuters
The year-long period of mourning for the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej is a befitting tribute (“Year-long mourning in Thailand as King dies”, Oct 14”). Images of the Thai people sobbing upon the news of his death show how much he is loved by the country.
Although many knew he was ill, the news of his death still came as a shock.
I was intrigued by a comment the King once made during an interview with the BBC: “I don’t know what can be defined as ‘king’; that is the trouble, because, in my position, I am called a king.
“But my duty is, you have noticed, not the duty of a king. It is something that is quite different or difficult to define. I do things I think will be useful and that is all.”
These words show his humility, and I believe it is this quality that made the Thai people love him so much.
His portrait is seen almost everywhere in Thailand, and he will be an irreplaceable loss to the Thais and the world.
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