Ailing Thailand king marks 70 years on the throne

There was a time when Bhumibol (pronounced “Poo-me-pon”) would lead his aides on treks through swamps and over mountains to learn what was on the minds of his subjects in the most far-flung areas of his realm. But the 88-year-old guest of honor is unlikely to make a public appearance this week.

For most of the past decade the king has lived in a hospital — in a new wing built for him— for treatment of various problems, according to regular palace statements on his health. The ailments have sapped his strength and taken him gradually out of the public eye. On Tuesday, he underwent an operation to clear an artery; doctors said the results were satisfactory.

“I really can’t think about the country without the king ... it’s just impossible to do so,” said Nonthawit Kanlapanayut, a 23-year-old trader at Thailand’s biggest food processing conglomerate. “The monarchy is at the core for Thai people.”

Ten years ago, the ceremonies for his 60th diamond jubilee were splendid. Golden royal barges glinted in a twilight procession, gliding down the Chao Phraya River, for an audience that included representatives of 25 of the world’s royal families, who also attended an opulent banquet the next day.

 Hundreds of thousands of ordinary Thais jammed Bangkok’s Royal Plaza to hear their king — wearing a gold brocade robe and flanked on a palace balcony by his family — deliver a short speech calling for national unity.

This year’s 70th anniversary will not go unmarked. On Thursday morning, 770 monks were ordained during religious ceremonies at a newly built throne hall in the palace temple complex, and fireworks will accompany a candlelight gathering near the ceremonial Grand Palace. 

Long lines formed outside banks to buy for 100 baht a special commemorative 70-baht banknote, worth about $2 -- encased in a yellow paper frame, the color of the royalty. Commuter trains were packed with people wearing yellow shirts.