Info on King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX)

Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand under the Chakri Dynasty era. Publicly acclaimed "the Great" (Thai: มหาราช, Maharaja), he is also known as Rama IX. Having reigned since 9th June 1946, he is the world's longest-serving current head of state and the longest-serving monarch in Thai history, having reigned for more than 60 years.

He was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts on 5th December 1927, the younger son and youngest child of H.R.H. Prince Mahidol, who died when Bhumibol was barely two years old. The family moved to Switzerland following Prince Mahidol’s early death, and had been cut off from their homeland by the second World War. Bhumibol had a relatively normal youth, displaying notable talents in both music and engineering, and becoming fluent in three European languages, as well as feeling at ease in a variety of cultures. He succeeded his elder brother Ananda following his untimely death on 9th June 1946, and then went back to Switzerland to complete his studies, switching from science to political science and law in recognition of his new role.

While finishing his degree in Switzerland, Bhumibol visited Paris frequently. It was in Paris that he first met a distant relative, Mom Rajawongse Sirikit Kitiyakara, daughter of the Thai ambassador to France. Bhumibol became a regular visitor to the ambassador's residence. A quiet engagement in Lausanne followed on 19th July 1949, and the couple were married on 28th April 1950, just a week before his coronation. They have four children: Princess Ubol Ratana, Crown Prince Maha Vajirlongkorn, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and Princess Chulabhorn.

A billionare, Bhumibol has used part of his great wealth to fund over 3,000 development projects, particularly in rural areas. He is immensely popular in Thailand, and is revered as a semi-divine figure by a number of Thais.

Bhumibol attended public ceremonies, toured the provinces and patronised development projects. Although Bhumibol is a constitutional monarch, he has several times made decisive interventions in Thai politics, including the 2005-2006 Thai political crisis. He was credited with facilitating Thailand's transition to democracy in the 1990s, although in earlier periods of his reign he supported some military regimes. He endorsed the military junta which had overthrown the elected government of Thaksin Shinawatra during the September 19 2006 coup.

On June 1996, Thailand celebrated the Golden Jubilee, marking 50 years of King Bhumibol's reign. Ten years later in 2006, Thailand conducted the 60th Anniversary Celebrations of His Majesty the King's Accession to the Throne, a series of events marking King Bhumibol's reign. On 16th January 2007, the junta officially declared the end of the 60th anniversary celebrations and commenced year-long celebrations of King Bhumibol's 80th birthday.

For info, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/60th_anniversary_of_the_accession_of_Bhumibol_Adulyadej