Thailand's King marks 70 years of reign

Thailand marks 70 years since King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning living monarch, ascended to the throne

9 June 2016, 8:53am

1 min read

Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej has been on the throne for 70 years

The celebrations began with a religious ceremony in Bangkok, led by 770 Buddhist monks.

The 88-year-old king is revered by Thais, for whom he has been a figure of stability through the country's decades of political upheaval, the BBC reports.

Several hundred people gathered outside the palace on Thursday morning to wish the king well.

However, according to the BBC, the king is in poor health and has not been seen in public for months.

On Tuesday, he underwent balloon surgery to widen the arteries in his heart after tests showed he had insufficient blood in the heart muscles, a statement from the palace said.

He is not expected to make a public appearance.