Thailand’s succession: rolling coverage

What we know so far: 

• The world’s longest serving monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, died yesterday afternoon at the age of 88.
• Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has declared a one-year period of mourning, with the public urged to wear mourning clothes over that time, and flags will be flown at half-mast for 30 days.
• The King had nominated his only son, Vajiralongkorn as his heir-apparent. The Crown Prince has confirmed he will perform his duty as heir to the throne, however no successor has been officially announced.
• The Prime Minister says the crown prince has asked for delay in proclaiming him king so he can mourn with rest of the nation.
• Whoever becomes Thailand’s next monarch will inherit a fortune estimated to be worth between $30 and $40 billion, and regarded as the wealthiest royal budget in the world.

If only there was some kind of advice for tourists…

3.40 pm
All-star talent
All this talk of the King’s saxophone prowess got us thinking about other world leaders with musical talent. Could you put an all-stars band together from them? We can think of Richard Nixon on piano, Bill Clinton also on saxophone, former British Prime Minister Edward Heath could conduct (although we’re not sure that strictly counts as playing an instrument), and Boris Johnson might be available to play guitar (although complex songs might have to wait until he learns how a capo works). Any New Mandala readers have any other suggestions?3.20 pm
Candlelight Blues
We mentioned earlier that King Bhumibol was an accomplished musician and composer. Here is his very first composition, Candlelight Blues, with lyrics by Associate Professor Sodsai Pantoomkomol.

And here’s him absolutely shredding it (is that the technical term for jazz saxophone mastery?) in 1988.
3:07 pm

2:55 pm

End of a postcard tradition?
If you wanted any more evidence of King Bhumibol’s affection for dogs, look no further than the series of New Year post-cards he sent to his subjects each December from 2005 onwards. Blogger and resident of Thailand, Richard Barrow, has maintained a collection on his site. I wonder what the 2016 postcard from the Royal family will be?

2:40 pm

Half-mast, half a world away
Thailand is not the only country to fly its flags at half-mast in the wake of King Bhumibol’s death. The United Kingdom has declared all government buildings will fly the Union flag at half-mast, and it appears New Zealand has followed suit. I wonder how long it will be until we see the King’s face projected on the Sydney Opera House and Facebook offering a Thai flag filter?

2:30 pm

A weak and characterless monarch?
Earlier in the day we published an article on King Bhumibol’s legacy.

Here’s another interesting, albeit more scathing perspective from Giles Ji Ungpakorn: https://uglytruththailand.wordpress.com/2016/10/13/king-pumipon-of-thailand/

“King Pumipon of Thailand was a weak and characterless monarch who spent his useless and privileged life in a bubble, surrounded by fawning, grovelling, toadies who claimed that he was a “god””

2:15 pm 

A life in tune
Bloomberg has put up a great photo gallery of images from the King’s life. Pick among them has to be a superb shot from 1961 of the King tooting on a saxophone while wearing a very sharp suit. He was, by accounts, a pretty good musician and in his younger days played with jazz legends like Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Stan Getz and Lion Hampton. He also composed his own music. Today Online has a great piece looking at the King’s musical talent that’s well worth a read:
“After ascending the throne, he formed a band to play with him at the palace and even set up a new public radio station which aired the live performances of his 14-member band each Friday. As recent as 10 years ago (2006), it was reported that the King still jammed with his band – although the location moved from Bangkok to the summer palace in Hua Hin.”
Read more: http://www.todayonline.com/world/asia/thailands-bhumibol-adulyadej-king-sax-snapshots-and-sailing

2:06 pm 

The day ‘Phumiphon Aduldet’ became King
70 years ago, AP newsman Alec MacDonald was in Bangkok the day after 20-year old King Ananda Mahidol died, making his younger brother ‘Phumiphon Aduldet’ King of Thailand. AP has reproduced the story Alex MacDonald filed from that day as originally published.

2 pm

Blaxland on what’s next for Thailand
Remember that ABC666 interview with Dr John Blaxland we mentioned? They’ve put it online and it’s well worth a listen. In it, Blaxland chats to Breakfast Show presenter Philip Clark about what comes next for Thailand, and what it will be like for Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn. Once again, the British monarchy make an appearance (not literally, sadly, although that would make for great radio):

There are parallels there with Prince Charles, living in the shadow of a long-reigning monarch is very difficult at the best of times. And it’s difficult for anybody to follow a great monarch.

Listen to the interview here: http://www.abc.net.au/radio/canberra/programs/breakfast/thai-king-dies-overnight/7931806

1.50 pm

More on the game of thrones
While Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn has been lined up as successor to the throne since 1972, there are many who would much prefer his older sister Princess Maha Sirindhorn to take the reins.

The International Business Times reports that Thailand’s ‘Princess Angel has closer ties with the current leader of the military junta than Vajiralongkorn does, however replacing him on the throne would be fraught with risk.’

As Senior Asia Analyst Ryan Aherin explains: “The King has already named Prince Vijralongkorn as his heir – meaning that any attempt to replace him with his sister could be interpreted as a violation of the King’s will.”

1.44 pm

We’ve always been a fan of Andrew MacGregor Marshall and his work, but this is peak AMM, with more ‘BREAKING!’s than a bull in a China shop. Asian Correspondent credit him with being the first journalist to tell the world the news of King Bhumibol’s death. Surely it doesn’t get any better than this.

1.35 pm

Sagely sartorial advice
The BBC reports that British tourists in Thailand have been advised to dress in “sombre” clothing while the country mourns. The advice from the Foreign Office  says:

“If possible, wear sombre and respectful clothing when in public. Check local media regularly and follow the advice of the local authorities.”

1.32 pm

The Shinawatras and the King
Both Thaksin and Yingluck have updated their social media to mourn the passing of King Bhumibol.

The sibling ex-Prime Ministers of Thailand were both ousted from power by the military, under accusations of abusing their power. Thaksin, the self-proclaimed “longest serving democratically elected Prime Minister of Thailand” is in self-imposed exile and who faces a two-year prison sentence if he returns.

Thaksin is said to be on friendly terms with Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn. The succession of Vajiralongkorn no doubt poses substantial concern to the military for this very reason, among others.

1.25 pm

A booze ban, and appropriate undergarments
Thailand is considering implementing a booze ban out of respect for the King’s passing, placing the party plans of Australian tourists in jeopardy, The New Daily reports. Though perhaps that’s not such a bad thing, considering the recent uproar over the Budgie Nine in Malaysia? Meanwhile Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has urged Australians in the country to “dress and behave appropriately” at this time. So probably best to avoid this kind of undergarment.

1.20 pm

Watch out for Les
ANU academic and occasional New Mandala contributor John Blaxland is out and about doing interviews today, and earlier spoke on Canberra’s ABC 666 radio. Afterwards, he got some excellent advice from ABC journo Linda Mottram.

1.10pm

Google goes dark
The Google Thailand homepage has gone black and white out of respect for King Bhumipol. In hover-text, the internet giant says: “Our deepest condolences for the loss of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.”

Of course in recent times Thais are used to the Internet going dark — just in different ways and for different reasons.

Here’s a must read 2016 article from Patrick Jory on Thailand and Internet censorship — something we know a bit about here at New Mandala.

1 pm

Headline act
The New York Post are running this piece on Vajiralongkorn that surely is a contender for headline of the year.

And as Lee Jones notes in this New Mandala article hot off the press, when it comes to reporting on Bhumibol’s regin the “media are long on cliché and short on analysis.” It will be interesting to see how the media portray and report on his son and successor.

12.40 pm

Singing for their sick King
Andrew MacGregor Marshall posted this video of staff at Bamrungrad Hospital singing the royal anthem yesterday. It’s a rousing rendition.

12.35 pm

Thais in mourning
Last night crowds gathered outside Siriraj Hospital to pay their respects to the King, and roads have been closed around the Grand Palace. Around the world, Thai communities are also gathering to mourn their beloved King together. Here are some photos and video from Twitter.

https://twitter.com/FrankCintamani/status/786658366613585920

https://twitter.com/Liam_Cochrane/status/786587850250735618

https://twitter.com/lsirikul/status/786712222663835648

https://twitter.com/PhusithOfficer/status/786704082866147328

 https://twitter.com/RosMathieson/status/786726578612867072

https://twitter.com/AmyBoston/status/786706057569632256

12.30 pm

Bang goes the Game of Thrones conspiracy theory
Given poor public opinion on Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, there have been many rumours circulating that Princess Maha Sirindhorn is the preferred figure for succession. However, analysis from expert Giles Ji Ungpakorn suggests that interfering with the succession would be self-defeating for the Thai elite. As the author writes:

They are united in seeing Wachiralongkorn as the next king and if they deviated from this path, for example by placing Princess Sirintorn on the throne instead, they would immediately destroy all the “reinvented tradition” about the sacred monarchy. If an unsuitable member of the royal family can be discarded, why not just have an elected president?

Read the full article here.

12.25 pm

What’s in a name?
Starts at 60 take a look at the life of the King with some interesting snippets about his earliest days. They report that King Bhumibol Adulyajeh’s name was chosen by his uncle King Rama VII and means ‘strength of the land, incomparable power’.  The King was born in Massachusetts in the United States and his US birth certificate simply reads ‘Baby Songkla’.

Bhumibol (centre) with his mother and siblings Ananda Mahidol (left) and Galyani Vadhana (right). Photo: Wikimedia commons

12.20 pm

Who is in charge?
According to royalcentral.co.uk, Thailand’s constitution states that “In the case where the King does not appoint the Regent under Section 16… the President of the Privy Council shall be Regent pro tempore.” This makes current head of the Privy Council, 96-year old General Prem Tinsulanonda, regent of Thailand, at least for the time being.

How long that remains the case is the million dollar question. See our update at 10.22 am for more on this.

12.15 pm

Speaking of quotes here’s some words about Vajiranlongkorn from former PM Thaksin Shinawatra in 2009:

He’s not the King yet. He may not be shining [now]…But after he becomes the King I’m confident he can be shining … it’s not his time yet. But when the time comes I think he will be able to perform.

Read more at this New Mandala post from 2009.

12.05 pm

Pakistan pays tribute
Pakistan Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has paid tribute to the King and fondly remembered an important Royal visit:

The state visit of His Majesty King Bhumibol and Her Majesty Queen Sirikit to Pakistan in 1962 is still cherished as most important milestone in Pakistan-Thailand relations.

He also paid tribute to Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn:

The people and the Government of Pakistan remain indebted to His Majesty’s generous support to the affected people of 2005 devastating earthquake in Azad Jammu & Kashmir. The relief goods were personally brought to Pakistan, as a very special gesture, by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn.

Read more on this at Business Recorder. 

12 pm

A new longest-serving monarch
More on that ‘battle royale’ over the longest-serving Monarchs. As we mentioned earlier, King Bhumibol’s death means that Queen Elizabeth II is now the world’s longest-serving monarch, with 64 years on the throne. In comparison, Bhumibol served as King for 70 years. The BBC rounds up the world’s longest reigning living monarchs, but we wanted to know have many people in history beaten Bhumibol’s record? According to the New York Times, the top verifiable spot goes to King Sobhuza II of Swaziland, who reigned from the age of just 1 until his death at age 82.

11.55 am

Putin’s delivery
Do people still send telegrams? Has any reader ever received one? According to seattlepi.com Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his condolences in a telegram that said the King won “sincere love of his people and high respect abroad.” What next? Pigeons? Although in the next paragraph they describe it as a ‘letter’, so who knows?

11.48 am

Hold the front page
Some beautiful work by the Thai media today with coverage of the King’s death on the newspaper front pages. As AFP reports, many of them have ditched colour for monochrome and grey. This lovely front page from the Bangkok Post is arguably the pick of the bunch, but you can see them all here: http://www.thepaperboy.com/thailand/front-pages.cfm

11. 35 am

The King and his dog
King Bhumibol was known for his compassion to stray dogs and cats, and adopted many during his time, including his beloved pet-dog Thongdaeng. Thongdaeng became an Internet sensation after King Bhumibol wrote a heartfelt book about her in 2002. She came back in the spotlight last year when a man was arrested for insulting her a few days after her death.

Essential New Mandala read: ‘Dog v dog: Theatrics of the Thai interregnum‘.

11.25 am

Where to now for Lese Majeste?
Article 112 of Thailand’s criminal code says that anyone who “defames, insults or threatens the king, the queen, the heir-apparent or the regent” will be punished with up to 15 years in prison. But under the controversy-prone Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, these draconian laws will only look more absurd, The Economist writes.

Read more about article 112 and lese majeste in our archives. Read an account by a Thai charged with lese majeste and why she speaks out against the monarchy.

11.20 am

At least you have the Internet
Hope that show you were watching didn’t end this week’s episode on a huge cliffhanger, because for the next month Thai TV networks will be showing only “a pre-prepared rolling state media program” AFP reports on Yahoo News. It isn’t just domestic channels that are affected, international news networks like the BBC, CNN and Al Jazeera were also replaced with the same programming.

11.15 am

Thai markets slump
Marketwatch.com reports that markets have suffered a downswing after reports of King Bhumibol’s death, with the Thai baht sliding more than 2 per cent against the dollar. More losses are expected throughout the day.

11.10 am

A Playboy Prince

Who is Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn? From his multiple divorces, to a leaked video of a raunchy birthday party, to that time he promoted his poodle Foo Foo to the rank of Air Chief Marshal, The Guardian brings you up to speed on the controversies surrounding Thailand’s heir-apparent.

And readers may be interested in David Camroux’s excellent New Mandala article on the comparison’s between the Crown Prince and the second and final president of North Vietnam, Ton Duc Thang.

11.05 am

K Rudd has his say
Not to be left out of the trickle of global tributes, former Australia PM and wanna be UN head Kevin Rudd has joined in:

Australia’s former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has expressed his condolences on twitter, describing King Bhumibol as a “great and wise” ruler

My condolences to the people of Thailand on the death of their much loved King Bhumibol. A great and wise ruler. https://t.co/8iRn6ODdDH pic.twitter.com/KWm35cdfFB

— Kevin Rudd (@MrKRudd) October 13, 2016

11 am

Australian government expresses condolences
Australia’s Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has released a statement on the death of King Bhumibol, expressing his condolences and warmly recalling the deep friendship between the King and Australia.

Prime Minister’s statement on the Death of Thai King Bhumibol@9NewsAUS pic.twitter.com/4TEl3NydhS

— Charles Croucher (@ccroucher9) October 13, 2016

10. 55 am

Boris and Thailand
We have just wasted far too much time trying to ascertain whether British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson – who paid his own tribute to the King overnight – has ever said anything that may have insulted Thailand. If not, it would be a surprise, as there are few places around the globe which haven’t had been on the receiving end of some of his colourful language. Here’s a CNN map on ‘how Boris Johnson insulted your country’. Looks like Southeast Asia has been largely untouched. Any readers know any different?

But getting back to the task at hand, here’s what Boris had to say about the passing of the King:

“I am greatly saddened to hear of the death of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej. He was greatly respected at home and around the globe for his wisdom and dedication. I offer the people of Thailand and the Royal family my profound sympathy at this sad time.”

10. 50 am

British Royal succession

The Herald Scotland takes an unusual angle, highlighting that following the death of the King, Queen Elizabeth now takes the mantle of the world’s longest-reigning living monarch. But it also notes that the Queen is “unlikely to acknowledge such a record, particularly as the Thai people are grieving for their revered head of state.”

Read Matthew Phillips excellent New Mandala article on the British and Thai monarchies, and the challenges they face in the digital age.

10. 45 am

Lost in translation

The Straits Times reports that the Royal Thai Embassy in Singapore has announced that there would be events dedicated to the remembrance of the King. You’re going to need to read Thai for this one though, as Facebook’s ‘translate this post’ isn’t going to help you out, unless the event really does involve ‘miserable pizza’.

10. 40 am

We are just gonna leave this here:

Srirasmi: divorced and humiliated.
Foo Foo: dead.
Vajiralongkorn: Thailand’s next king? pic.twitter.com/XMTyCi5igG

— Andrew MacG Marshall (@zenjournalist) February 4, 2015

10.35 am

Air Chief Marshal Foo Foo for dinner
The Guardian writes that Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn once promoted his pet poodle Foo foo to the rank of Air Chief Marshal of the Royal Thai Airforce? According to a confidential cable exposed by Wikileaks, US ambassador Ralph Boyce once hosted a gala dinner at which the Crown Prince was guest of honour.

Boyce wrote that “Foo Foo was present at the event, dressed in formal evening attire complete with paw mitts”.

Of course, you can read more about that in our archives.

10.30 am

Singapore hits Facebook
The Straits Times reports that key figures from Singapore have paid tribute to the King via posts on Facebook. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong  took to the social media site overnight to praise a man who “dedicated himself wholly to his country and to improving his people’s lives.” He also shared a photo from his meeting with the King in 2009 during the ASEAN summit in Hua Hin.

Meanwhile acting Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean wrote on Facebook that the King was a “wise and much loved monarch who did much for the people of Thailand” and “contributed to strengthening the good relations between Thailand and Singapore.” Senior Minister for State Josephine Teo – also on Facebook – said the King would be remembered for “his great contributions to the Thai Kingdom, and his enduring friendship between Thailand and Singapore.”

10.25 am

India’s tribute
India Today reports that Indian Congress President Sonia Gandhi has said that India has lost a good friend with the passing of the King and described him as a “unifying figure” who had faced many challenges, but served his people with great commitment and honesty.

10.22 am

The speculation begins…
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has indicated that Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn has decided not to be crowned King until a period of appropriate mourning with the public has passed.

Perhaps this is to improve Vajiralongkorn’s image as someone with appropriate decorum and stature to be at the apex of the Thai political system.  Is this Vajiralongkorn’s own doing, or is it something that he has been advised to do?

For the time being, the Regent and chair of the Privy Council Prem Tinsulanonda, aged 96, assumes the responsibilities of the monarch, and is protected under Thailand’s draconian lese majeste laws.

It has been suggested that an appropriate period of mourning may be a month. This means Prem would wield considerable power for that long over the monarchy, and the Crown Property Bureau.

Prem Tinsulanonda reportedly has had a difficult relationship with Vajiralongkorn. For an elderly conservative Thai noble, Vajiralongkorn must present quite a challenge to one’s identity.

Prime Minister Prayuth has worked hard to insure a smooth transition, and Prem is not an adversary. But what influence he really has over these refined elites who have long clasped at power, as a relatively rough around the edges military man, remains to be seen.

Indeed, it is difficult to know what is happening behind the scenes. But their power plays and our speculation have surely only just begun! What do New Mandala readers think? Leave us your thoughts in the comments.

10.20 am

What next for lese-majeste?
What does the King’s death mean for Thailand’s harsh lese-majeste law? A Reuters piece on the Australian Financial Review highlights that “King Bhumibol himself said in a 2005 speech that he was open to criticism and those jailed for offending him should be released…” but also points out that Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha is “a staunch royalist and under his government there has been a surge in prosecutions and tougher sentences for lese-majeste.”

10.15 am

The life of the people’s king
From the controversial death of his brother King Ananda Mahidol in 1946, to meeting Elvis, and his love of jazz. Straits Times Indochina Bureau Chief Nirmal Ghosh has penned this piece on the life of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Well worth a read to bring you up to speed on why the King is so revered in the country.

10.05 am

Europe pays tribute
Tributes to the King continue to pour in from around the world. From the European Union Donald Tusk, President of the European Council and Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission have put out a statement about a “well-loved and revered King” and praised his “rural development projects [which] improved the lives of millions in Thailand.”

They added he will be fondly remembered in Europe for “his outstanding commitment to the promotion of sustainable development.”

9.52 am

On Thursday 13 October Thailand’s long-ruling King Bhumibol Adulyadej passed away. He was 88 and had ruled the Southeast Asian nation for 70 years — the world’s elongest reign for a modern monarch.

As many Thais gathered mourn his loss the world watches on — wondering what it all means. In this rolling coverage New Mandala scours the globe for news and views on the succession and what might come next, as well as offering its unique voice and insight into Thai royal politics.

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