He may be the only reigning monarch born in the United States, but to Thailand he is the symbol of all that is honorably, nobly, mystically Siamese.
And so, for the last week, from Bangkok to small villages, the country has been ablaze with lights and festooned with flags to salute King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Rama IX of the Chakri Dynasty, on his 60th birthday.
To traditional Buddhist Thailand, where even the highest officials approach the throne on their knees, the completion of a fifth 12-year cycle is a most auspicious moment, particularly for this universally respected monarch, who has ruled since 1946.
Next July, King Bhumibol, an enigmatic, reserved man who has rejected the glamorous jet-set style of some other contemporary kings and princes, is due to become the longest-reigning monarch in Siamese history. Until now, that distinction has been held by King Chulalongkorn, an enlightened 19th-century ruler known to the outside world as the Crown Prince of ''The King and I.'' Elephant Parades, Too