By Bob Walsh
Bhumibol Adulyadej was the King of Thailand. He was an interesting man. He was born in Cambridge, MA in 1927 and became king in 1932. He was at the time of his death the only reigning king in the world born on American soil.
He was a revered figure in his country, a near-deity. Some people in this largely Bhuddist county believed he was a demi-god who chose to hang around and do good works on earth. He survived the coup of 1932 which took away much of his actual power and turned Thailand into a constitutional monarchy. He survived many coups and is believed to have largely supported at least one of them.
He was a jazz fan and played eight instruments. He was also one of the wealthiest man in the world, being worth about $30 billion. He jammed at least once with Benny Goodman and also wrote songs.
He was personally a very humble man, though Thailand has the most stringent "lese majeste" law in the world. You can get 15 years in prison as a guest of his majesty for being disrespectful of the king.
His sole son, a career military officer, is likely to take over for him.
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