Thai regime must prepare for return to democracy in crucial year ahead

THE passing of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej a week ago has left a huge vacuum in political and moral authority in the country that will be hard to fill. However, it also provides an opportunity for political regeneration that has for so long proved elusive.

Although King Bhumibol was technically a constitutional monarch, in practice, he wielded enormous clout - politically, economically and morally. He could make or break governments or military coups - which he did, on several occasions during his 70 years on the throne. He could reconcile warring political factions. He could dispense business patronage on a vast scale, partly via his control of the Crown Property Bureau, the biggest property owner and investor in the country. His moral authority was near-absolute. It was to him that Thais turned during times of national turmoil and distress, of which there have been plenty during his long reign.

While a successor, most likely his son Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, can inherit the throne, it's not clear that the powers wielded by King Bhumibol can be inherited. They were, to a large extent, earned over several decades, through judicious decisions, the gradual building of a groundswell of goodwill among generations of rich and poor alike, and the force of benign personality. The Crown Prince, a little-known figure, is still a long way from earning the respect and affection that his father commanded. He has also indicated, wisely, that he is not in a hurry to ascend the throne.