WASHINGTON (AP) – Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej (poo-mee-pon ah-dun-yaa-det), who died Thursday after a 70-year reign, was historically an important bridge in his nation’s close, but recently strained, relations with the United States.
Bhumibol was born in the U.S. and was an important ally for Washington in combating the spread of communism in Southeast Asia during the Cold War. He met with six sitting U.S. presidents, starting with Dwight Eisenhower in 1960 and ending with President Barack Obama in 2012.
Bhumibol’s passing at age 88 won’t set back those ties. The U.S.-Thai relationship dates back over 180 years, and Washington wants Bangkok to remain a bridgehead for its outreach to the region. But his death comes amid uncertainty about the direction of the relationship following a 2014 military coup.