It's good to be king

Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej marks the 60th anniversary of his reign.

For the Thai people, the world’s longest-reigning monarch remains the most revered figure in their lives, save for Lord Buddha himself.

Thailand’s strict laws forbidding criticism of the King are hardly necessary. An accomplished jazz musician, yachtsman, artist and author, the 79-year-old monarch also devotes great energy to helping his country’s poor and has repeatedly used his immense moral authority to save his country from turmoil.

King Bhumibol, the great-grandson of King Mongkut, of The King and I fame, was born in Massachusetts in 1927. He was thrust upon the throne in 1946 after his brother, Ananda, was murdered in the palace in Bangkok with his own pearl-handled revolver.

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