Oct. 15 (EIRNS)—King Bhumibol of Thailand, the longest-reigning and richest monarch in the world, is widely rumored to be in his last days, despite assurances from the Palace that he is recovering. Stock prices fell drastically today as reports circulated that the King's condition has worsened, after a month in the hospital.
The nation has been in a state of chaos since September 2006, when the military, with overt support from the monarchy, overthrew Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Thaksin was extremely popular, especially with the poor, but was hated by the British for his modernization and general welfare approach to politics, which threatened the monarchy's "self-subsistence" policy, much beloved by the British royals.
Sources in Bangkok have told EIR that the British are frantically attempting to convince the dying King to announce that the succession will not go to Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, who is reported to be working with the self-exiled Thaksin and his allies in Thailand. It is reported, although blacked out in the world's English-language press, that Britain's Prince Andrew visited the King in the hospital to encourage him to switch the succession to a younger princess, who is considered close to the British, and to British-born and -educated Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who was placed in office by the military and the monarchy after Thaksin and two subsequent prime ministers who were Thaksin supporters were removed from office through corrupt means.
The sources told EIR that if the Crown Prince is allowed to succeed his father, he may declare a general amnesty of political figures, including Thaksin, who has been convicted of petty corruption by the wildly corrupt courts. This would explain the hushed-up trip of Prince Andrew, carrying word from Mr. Genocide himself, Prince Philip, that the British royals demand a change in the succession, even if it means hounding the King on his death bed.
