King Bhumibol, politically influential and highly revered, was a unifying figure in a deeply polarized country, and his death casts a pall of uncertainty across Thailand.
The military junta, which seized power in a coup two years ago, derives its authority from the king. The king’s heir apparent, Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, is seen by many as a jet-setting playboy and not held in the same regard as his father. And the king’s death raises questions about the future of the monarchy itself.