King Bhumibol Adulyadej has passed away, Thailand is in mourning

On Thursday, October 13, 2016, the land of smiles turned into a land of tears, after years of battling illness, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej passed away.

"He died peacefully at Siriraj Hospital ," a statement from the royal palace said.

This Friday, Thais dressed in black and white (two colors of mourning in Asia) to mourn their king.

A mixture of sadness and fear for the future

The king was suffering, and if he was kept alive for so long and with such determination, it was because in these times of crisis and division, he was a reassuring symbol of the country's unity.

Today the king is finished with his suffering, he has joined his elder brother, King Ananda and his elder sister whom he loved so much, Princess Galyani Vadhana (who died on January 2, 2008).

The king's mother, King Ananda and the king's elder sister Princess Galyani Vadhana are in the middle.

For Thai Buddhists , death is not an end in itself; deceased people are reincarnated or exit the cycle of reincarnation if they have achieved enlightenment like the Buddha .

A love that is sometimes difficult to understand in the West

In the West we don't have many images of righteousness, of real people who represent good qualities. There are fans of variety artists, reality TV or football players, and our politicians are often as ridiculous and dishonest as each other.

In Thailand, the king represented an ideal, a man of heart, intelligent, upright, just, honest and who loved his people.

For many, he was an example to follow, a model.

The love that many Thais have for the king is very real and sometimes so strong that when I talked about it, I saw friends cry!

So you can imagine the immense sadness that currently reigns in the country.

But this love and respect for the king is not only Thai, many foreigners, including myself, have admiration for this great figure, in fact all those who sincerely love Thailand cannot but love the king who has done a lot to keep the country stable, powerful and independent.

A beautiful song by Bird Tongchai that illustrates this love well: the photo in all the houses:

A country in danger?

It is important to remember that the main criticisms of the king have been levelled by those who want to take economic and political control of the country.

To achieve this, they had to start by destroying the image of the nation's cement, the king, who was considered too protectionist. They therefore started numerous rumors against the royal family, which forced the country to toughen up the laws against lèse-majesté.

Forbes magazine, a weapon of Atlanticist propaganda, was used to make Cubans believe that Fidel Castro was at the head of an immense fortune, they did the same for Saddam Hussein and then for the King of Thailand, counting the value of the numerous royal properties as part of his personal fortune.

Of course, you can make the figure say whatever you want, and only the most naive have been taken in, but for informed observers, the message sent by this Forbes magazine article to Thailand was clear...

The future of Thailand is now uncertain and will depend on the unity shown by the Thai people.

Traveler in Thailand, respect mourning

If you want to party, let loose, and get drunk, it's best to go to neighboring countries until the country recovers.
Embassies of many countries have already warned their citizens:

“You must respect the sensitivity of the Thai people during this time; access to entertainment, bars, and other party venues may be restricted, and proper behavior in public places is required.”

See also: National mourning: advice for travelers currently in Thailand