The current king of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej, is the longest-reigning monarch in the world today, as well as Thailand's longest-reigning king ever. The beloved king's common name is pronounced "POO-mee-pohn uh-DOON-ja-deht"; his throne name is Rama IX.
Early Life:
Born a second son, and with his birth taking place outside of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej was never meant to rule. His reign came about through a mysterious act of violence.
Since then, the King has been a calm presence at the center of Thailand's stormy political life.
On December 5, 1927, a Thai princess gave birth to a son named Bhumibol Adulyadej ("Strength of the Land, Incomparable Power") in a Cambridge, Massachusetts hospital. The family was in the United States because the child's father, Prince Mahidol, was studying for a Public Health certificate at Harvard University. His mother studied nursing at Simmons College. The boy was the second son for Prince Mahidol and Princess Srinagarindra.
When Bhumibol was a year old, his family returned to Thailand, where his father took up an intership in a hospital in Chiang Mai.