Thailand's King Bhumibol - a life in pictures

At the age of 88, King Bhumibol died at the Siriraj hospital in Thailand's capital Bangkok, the royal palace said in a statement. No other Thai monarch had reigned as long. This June, Thais had celebrated his 70th jubilee. Bhumibol spent much of his time over the past few years in hospital with various health problems.

Until the very end, the Thai people hoped that the doctors would once again be able to save and extend the life of the world's longest-reigning living monarch. But the aged king had suffered from acute pneumonia, in addition to a string of major health issues such as renal failure.

Born on December 5, 1927, in the US, Bhumibol spent much of his childhood and youth in Switzerland. Even after his coronation, he and his wife Sirikit remained frequent travelers and toured the world. The couple had four children: three daughters and one son.

The king was widely revered in the country until his death. Bhumibol ascended to the Thai throne in 1946, when he was just 18-years old. The royal portrait is seen not only on the country's bank notes and stamps, but also in people's houses, even if it's not mandated by the state.

Supported by his popularity among the people and protected by a rigid "lèse majesté" law - which makes criticism of the monarchy punishable by up to 15 years in prison - Bhumibol repeatedly pursued his interests, while contributing much to the cohesion of Thailand's divided society. To that end, he relied on a well-entrenched royalist network within the political, business and military classes.

In his private life, Bhumibol's hobbies included music and photography. The camera was one of the monarch's loyal companions. He also worked as a jazz musician and composed his own tunes. He once even played with jazz legend Benny Goodman.

Although Thailand is officially a constitutional monarchy, Bhumibol was more than a symbolic figure. He shaped the political, economic and social destinies of the country for decades.

Despite the political turmoil that shook Thailand during his reign, with a total of 17 coups taking place, Bhumibol was seen as a unifying figure in the Southeast Asian country. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha (center of photo) is seen commemorating the 70th anniversary of the king's reign in June this year.

The royal succession is an extremely sensitive topic in Thailand. Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, the king's 64-year-old son, is the heir apparent, but he has not achieved the same level of devotion that his father enjoyed. That's why it's rumored that some in Thailand favor the crown prince's more popular sister, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindorn (left), to take the throne.