Bhumibol Adulyadej, conferred with the title King Bhumibol the Great in 1987, was the ninth monarch of Thailand from the Chakri Dynasty as Rama IX.

There were concerns that with the loss of the king, the people would lose a unifying point and the prestige and influence of the Thailand monarchy will be lost. His heir, Maha Vajiralongkorn was not as revered as his father.