Thailand woke up on Friday to the first day in 70 years without King Bhumibol Adulyadej, a king worshipped as a father-figure who guided the nation through decades of change and turmoil.
The king, the world's longest-reigning monarch, died in a Bangkok hospital yesterday. He was 88.
He had been in poor health for several years but his death has shocked the Southeast Asian nation of 67 million people and plunged it into mourning — a period that would last for a year. Government offices were directed to fly their flags at half-mast for 30 days, while civil servants were told to wear mourning clothes for a year to mourn the passing of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
In the wake of his passing last night, governments around Southeast Asia have joined in the grieving, including Singapore.