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The King Never Smiles
A Biography of Thailand's Bhumibol Adulyadej
Paul M. Handley

Thailand's Bhumibol Adulyadej, the only king ever born in the United States, came to the throne of his country in 1946 and is now the world's longest-serving monarch. This book tells the unexpected story of his life and 60-year rule: how a Western-raised boy came to be seen by his people as a living Buddha; and how a king widely seen as beneficent and apolitical could in fact be so deeply political, autocratic, and even brutal. Paul Handley provides an extensively researched, factual account of the king's youth and personal development, ascent to the throne, skilful political maneuverings, and attempt to shape Thailand as a Buddhist kingdom. Blasting apart the widely accepted image of the king as egalitarian and virtuous, Handley convincingly portrays an anti-democratic monarch who, together with allies in big business and the corrupt Thai military, has protected a centuries-old, barely-modified feudal dynasty. When at nineteen Bhumibol assumed the throne after the still-unsolved shooting of his brother, the Thai monarchy had been stripped of power and prestige. Over the ensuing decades, Bhumibol became the paramount political actor in the kingdom, crushing critics while attaining high status among his people. The book details this process and depicts Thailand's unique constitutional monarch in the full light of the facts.

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This is a superb book for anyone with an interest in Thai politics or modern history. For me it managed to make sense of nearly everything that has happened in Thailand at the government level over the last 20 years.

Be warned, the King does not come out of the book very well. I used to think he was a benign influence, but his role in supporting extereme right wing and very violent groups and his strong links to the military, plus his clear disdain for any elected government, have really changed my view.

The book also happens to be quite well written, although it helps if you have some idea of who the key players are.

This is a fantastic book. Although the author's conclusions are very challenging for most Thais, the book is very balanced, contains lots of great information, and is invaluable for those wanting a deeper understanding of key players in recent Thai history.
I inherited a deep respect for the king from my wife, and have had my eyes opened by this book.

This book is a must read for anyone interested in Thai history and politics past, present and future. It has particular relevance to the current political upheavals Thailand is experiencing and I would go as far as saying that any comments and opinions made on this forum(and elsewhere), re the political situation in Thailand, without reference to Pul Handley's well researched book,is ,at best, ill-informed.

Many thanks to Oan for lending me his copy (although I have now seen extracts appearing on the internet)

It is just a pity that my Thai partner is unable to read it in it's entirety and has had to make do with my mangled attempts to translate it into Thai