Thailand wakes to uncertainty, grief without King Bhumibol

People mourn for the death of Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej outside Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok, capital of Thailand, on Oct. 13, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

BANGKOK- Thailand's people woke up on Friday to the first day in 70 years without King Bhumibol Adulyadej, a king worshipped as a father-figure who guided the nation through decades of change and turmoil.

The king, the world's longest-reigning monarch, died in a Bangkok hospital on Thursday. He was 88.

He had been in poor health for several years but his death has shocked the Southeast Asian nation of 67 million people and plunged it into mourning.

Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn is expected to be the new king but he does not command the same adoration that his father earned over a lifetime on the throne.

Thailand has endured bomb attacks and economic worries recently while rivalry simmers between the military-led establishment and populist political forces after a decade of turmoil including two coups and deadly protests.