His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand is praised by TIME Magazine in its current issue as an Asian Hero who has inspired the Thai people during his 60 years on the throne.
“His stewardship has been so masterful that in times of crisis Thais invariably turn to one man: King Bhumibol. Indeed, on two occasions–October 1973 and May 1992–with Thailand descending into chaos, the King, armed only with his moral authority, intervened to end bloodshed,” the magazine said.
In October 14, 1973 a student-led uprising helped topple the military regime of Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn.
May 1992 was later called ”Bloody May” after the military opened fire on unarmed demonstrators calling for the resignation of a general who had taken power in a bloodless coup.
The military led by then army chief Gen. Suchinda Kraprayoon toppled the government of late prime minister Chatichai Choonhavan in a coup.
Thousands of people walked to the streets of Bangkok to protest the military’s seizure of the power after Gen. Suchinda took the premiership.
A subsequent bloody army crackdown saw scores of protestors killed. Many others are still missing.
On September 19 this year, a group of generals again seized power, pledging to give Thailand a fairer and more stable democratic system. The Thai people believes the generals will keep their promise as they had vowed to King Bhumibol to return power to the people in one year.
TIME added that His Majesty the King initiated over 3,000 royal projects to help the poor, saying that even as a communist insurgency raged, he personally delivered relief to remote villages.
He is the world’s longest-reigning monarch and this year Thailand celebrates the 60th anniversary of His Majesty the King’s accession to the throne.
