In King Bhumibol’s death, Thailand loses only constant

Will go down in history as the day Thailand lost the keystone of its cultural identity and the one true symbol of unity in a deeply polarized nation.

The death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, one of the longest-reigning monarchs in history, has plunged the troubled nation into a new era of uncertainty.

For most Thais, the 88-year-old is the only king they have ever known, having ascended to the throne 70 years ago in 1946.

He is revered as a demi-God in the kingdom, the one unifying factor for a country in perpetual state of fear and tumult, and the only constant throughout decades of endless changes in government rule.

His death was not unexpected; teary-eyed Thais were keeping vigil outside the Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok days before his death, after hearing his condition had worsened. But when he breathed his last at 3.52pm Thursday, it was many hours later that the Royal Household Bureau confirmed it, signaling the kingdom’s unpreparedness in dealing with the aftermath of losing Thailand’s most-loved monarch.