With the passing of revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej and the naming of his son to the throne, the question of when and to whom power would be transferred in Thailand has finally been answered. The real question, however, remains: how to empower the Thai people. While little can be said about how Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn might rule -- not least because of Draconian laws against insulting the monarch that have been applied liberally of late -- two things seem clear. He will struggle to achieve anything like the near-universal popularity of his father, the only monarch most Thais have ever known. And since the 2014 coup, he appears to have reached an understanding with the military.