See Also: Bhumibol Adulyadej(encyclopedia)

Bhumibol Adulyadej (sh)




or Phumiphon Adunlayadet or Rama IX

born Dec. 5, 1927, Cambridge, Mass., U.S.

Ninth king of the Chakri dynasty and Thailand's longest-ruling monarch.

A grandson of King Chulalongkorn, he succeeded to the throne in 1946 after the death of his older brother, King Ananda Mahidol (r. 1935-46). His role as head of state is largely ceremonial, but he moderates between extreme parties in Thai politics and serves as a focus of national unity.