Spotlight: International community mourns passing of Thai king

The international community has expressed condolences over the death of Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died Thursday after years of grave illnesses.

The Bureau of the Thai Royal Household announced that the 88-year-old monarch died in a quiet manner at 3:52 p.m. (0852 GMT) at Siriraj hospital where he had been diagnosed with critical ailments over the last several years.

"He was revered by the people of Thailand and highly respected internationally," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement. "In recognition of his work, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the United Nations Development Program in 2006."

"The secretary-general expresses his hope that Thailand will continue to honor King Bhumibol's legacy of commitment to universal values and respect for human rights," the statement said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday sent a message of condolences to Queen Sirikit of Thailand over the passing of King Bhumibol.

Xi said that His Majesty King Bhumibol was a guide in the national development of Thailand and a promoter of China-Thailand friendship.

Such a good relationship between the two countries today was directly linked with the great importance and personal efforts made by King Bhumibol himself, said Xi.

Xi added that with the king's personal care and promotion, as well as the common efforts by the two countries, the Sino-Thai friendship has been fruitful.

Xi said the passing of the king is a great loss for the peoples of Thailand and China and that he will live in the hearts of the two peoples forever.

U.S. President Barack Obama called the late King a "tireless champion" of his country's development and hailed his "unflagging devotion" to improving the standard of living of the Thai people.

"His Majesty the King was a close friend of the United States and a valued partner of many U.S. Presidents," Obama said in a statement Thursday. "I had the honor of calling on His Majesty the King during my visit to Thailand in 2012, and recall his grace and warmth, as well as his deep affection and compassion for the Thai people."

Obama added that the late Thai king leaves a legacy of care for the Thai people that will be cherished by future generations.

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key on Friday extended his condolences to the people of Thailand on the death of their king.

"King Bhumibol was the world's longest serving monarch and presided over a period of transformative growth and development that saw Thailand emerge as a regional leader and one of Southeast Asia's major economies," Key said in a statement.

"His decease is a great loss not only for Thailand and the Thai people, but also for all friends around the world," Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen wrote in a condolence message sent Thursday to Thai Prime Minister Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha.

He said King Bhumibol had dedicated his entire life to the nation's unity and the prosperity and happiness of the Thai people.

"His wise kingship and tireless devotion to his nation, with great personality, will be always remembered by all Thai people," the Cambodian leader said.

The governments of Singapore and the Philippines also expressed their condolences to the Thais and the family of the king.

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha called on the Thai people to mourn the king's death for one full year, and Thai flags will fly at half-mast for one month beginning on Friday.

King Bhumibol, or King Rama IX of the Chakri dynasty, who assumed the throne in 1946, was son of Prince Mahidol Adulyadej and Princess Srinagarindra. He was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the United States in 1927.

The then-Prince Bhumibol grew up in Lausanne, Switzerland before he accompanied his elder brother, King Ananda Mahidol or King Rama VIII, to Thailand in 1928.

He was pronounced monarch to succeed his brother in 1946, who died at the age of 21 that year.

The late monarch was dubbed King of Agriculture as he was widely known for his initiatives on the agricultural and irrigational sectors, which were formulated into some 4,000 development projects throughout the country during the last several decades.

He was as well noted for initiating the so-called sufficiency economy, which was not only promoted in Thailand but also in other developing countries.

Many projects implemented by successive Thai governments, as well as by the private sector, had been implemented under guidelines and initiatives of the late king, particularly those involving agriculture and irrigation and rainmaking technology for drought-affected areas in the country. Endi