Over the years, the King intervened periodically in political crises, using his influence to try to defuse situations that threatened to destabilize the country. Legally, he had little power, but he carried great sway through his unique position in Thai society.
In 1973, the King helped steer the country out of violent clashes between student demonstrators and military rulers.
His most noteworthy appearance on the political stage came in May 1992, amid violence between pro-democracy campaigners and the army. The King summoned the two leaders of the rival camps; televised images showed both men submissively kneeling before their monarch and helped calm tensions and stop the violence.
The intervention is also considered to have further bolstered the King's moral authority.
Also known as Rama IX -- a reference to his lineage stretching from Rama I, the founder of the Chakri dynasty -- Bhumibol commanded great love and respect within Thailand. An energetic public relations machine promoted his popularity, which led to his portrait being adorned with marigolds from the marble halls of Bangkok office lobbies to the poorest of rural homes.