Mysterious Succession:
On June 9, 1946, King Ananda Mahidol died in his palace bedroom of a single gunshot wound to the head. It was never conclusively proven whether his death was murder, accident or suicide, although two royal pages and the king's personal secretary were convicted and executed for assassinating him.
18-year-old Prince Bhumibol had gone in to his brother's room about 20 minutes before the gun went off, so conspiracy theorists have long implicated him in Ananda Mahidol's death. Bhumibol's uncle was appointed his Prince Regent, and the new king returned to the University of Lausanne to finish his degree. In deference to his new role, he changed his major from science to political science and law.
Accident and Marriage:
Just as his father had done in Massachusetts, Bhumibol met his wife-to-be while studying overseas. The young king often went to Paris, where he met the daughter of Thailand's ambassador to France, a student named Mom Rajawongse Sirikit Kiriyakara. Bhumibol and Sirikit began a demure courtship based on taking in Paris' tourist sights.
In October of 1948, Bhumibol rear-ended a truck and was seriously injured. He lost his right eye and suffered a painful back injury. Sirikit spent a lot of time nursing and entertaining the injured king; his mother urged the young woman to transfer to a school in Lausanne so that she could continue her studies while getting to know Bhumibol better.
On April 28, 1950, King Bhumibol and Sirikit got married in Bangkok. She was 17 years old; he was 22. The King was officially coronated one week later.
Military Coups and Dictatorships:
The newly crowned king had very little actual power. Thailand was ruled by military dictator Plaek Pibulsonggram until 1957, when the first of a long series of coups removed him from office. Bhumibol declared martial law during the crisis, which ended with a new dictatorship forming under the king's close ally Sarit Dhanarajata.
Over the next six years, Bhumibol would revive many abandoned Chakri traditions. He also made many public appearances around Thailand, significantly reviving the prestige of the throne.
Sarit died in 1963, and was succeeded by Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn. Ten years later, Thanom sent out the troops against huge public protests, killing hundreds of protestors. Bhumibol opened Chitralada Palace's gates to offer refuge to the demonstrators as they fled the soldiers.
The king then removed Thanom from power and appointed a the first of a series of civilian leaders. In 1976, however, Thanom returned from overseas exile, sparking another round of demonstrations that ended in the October 6 Massacre, in which 46 students were killed and 167 injured at Thammasat University.
In the aftermath of the massacre, Admiral Sangad Chaloryu staged yet another coup and took power. Further coups took place in 1977, 1980, 1981, 1985 and 1991. Although King Bhumibol tried to stay above the fray, he refused to support the 1981 and 1985 coups. His prestige was damaged by the constant unrest, however.
Transition to Democracy:
When a military coup leader was selected as Prime Minister in 1992, huge protests broke out in Thailand's cities. The demonstrations turned into riots, and the police and military were rumored to be dividing into factions. Fearing a civil war, King Bhumibol called the coup leader and the opposition leader to an audience at the palace.
Bhumibol was able to pressure the coup leader into resigning; new elections were called, and a civilian government was elected. This intervention by the king was the beginning of an era of civilian-led democracy that has continued with just one interruption to this day. Bhumibol's image as an advocate for the people, reluctantly intervening in the political fray to protect his subjects, was cemented by this success.
Lese Majeste and Royal Prerogatives:
Although Thailand is a constitutional monarchy, Bhumibol retains more powers than other heads of state such as Great Britain's Queen Elizabeth II. He can veto laws passed by parliament, pardon convicted criminals, and approve or disapprove cabinet members. Bhumibol also has significant leeway in allocating money to his own pet development projects within the country.
From outside of Thailand, King Bhumibol looks very much like other modern kings - quiet, dignified, with plenty of hobbies to fill his free time. However, to the Thai people he is quasi-divine, the Buddhist "Dharmaraja" and an avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. As such, he is protected by strict laws of lese majeste.
Most Thai citizens genuinely love and revere their king. However, anyone who feels otherwise, and criticizes Bhumibol or any other member of the royal family (living or dead), faces as much as fifteen years in prison. Bhumibol himself has invited criticism in a 2005 speech, but nobody can publicly support his position and advocate repeal of the lese majeste laws without breaking them!
2006 Coup:
In April of 2006, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his party were accused of lese majeste, including plans to depose King Bhumibol. The accusers produced no evidence at all, but this incident helped fuel an on-going political crisis.
On September 19, 2006, the military overthrew Thaksin's government and declared martial law. King Bhumibol endorsed this coup, and Thaksin was forced into exile. As of this writing, Thaksin's younger sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, is the Prime Minister.
King Bhumibol's 60th Anniversary:
In June of 2006, King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit celebrated the 60th Anniversary of their rule, also known as the Diamond Jubilee. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan presented the king with a Human Development Lifetime Achievement Award as part of the festivities. In addition, there were banquets, fireworks, royal barge processions, concerts and official royal pardons for 25,000 convicts.