Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej, one of the most important historical figures in Thailand, known as Rama IX, was Thailand's ninth king from the Chakri dynasty and was given the title King Bhumibol the Great in 1987 (formally bestowed by King Vajiralongkorn in 2019). He began his reign on June 9, 1946, and from the passing of Emperor Hirohito of Japan in 1989 until his death in 2016, he held the title of longest-reigning head of state in history. King Louis XIV and Queen Elizabeth II hold the first two positions. He ruled for 70 years and 126 days. He had a total of 30 prime ministers during his rule, starting with Pridi Banomyong and ending with Prayut Chan-o-cha.
In 2010, Forbes pegged Bhumibol's net worth at $30 billion, which included assets handled by the Crown Property Bureau, an organization that is neither privately nor publicly held. From 2008 through 2013, he topped the publication's list of the "world's richest royals." Bhumibol's net worth was once more estimated to be $30 billion in May 2014.
People in Thailand held him in the highest regard; some even saw him as being on par with the divine. Famous political activists and Thai people who opposed the king or the monarchical system were frequently exiled or subjected to recurrent jail. However, a lot of cases were dismissed before being tried or subsequently granted a royal pardon. On October 26, 2017, he was cremated at the royal crematorium in Sanam Luang. Maha Vajiralongkorn, his son, became the new monarch.
