Crown Prince Wants Thais Not To Be "Concerned" With Succession Plan - PM

BANGKOK, Oct 17 (Bernama) -- Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn wants the Thai people not to be "confused or concerned" with the succession plan following the death of his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, said Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha. In a television address near midnight Saturday night, Prayut said he and Gen Prem Tinsulanonda were granted an audience with the 64-year-old Crown Prince at Amphorn Satharn Villa, Dusit Palace at 7pm Saturday. Prem, the president of the powerful Privy Council and a former prime minister of Thailand, was named as the temporary regent Saturdday until the new King is proclaimed. "The Crown Prince asked the people not to be confused or concerned about government affairs as well as the royal succession because this has already been imposed by the Constitution, the Palace Law of Succession and the royal traditions," he told the Thai people in the television address. On when the succession plan to the throne will begin, the Prime Minister said it will be done after the funeral rites for the late King Bhumibol were completed. He said that for now, everyone including Vajiralongkorn were still grieving over the death of King Bhumibol. "The Crown Prince said at this moment, everyone, every side, even His Royal Highness himself are still stricken by grief and sorrow, therefore every side should help each other to get through or ease the grief first," he said. The Crown Prince who has been designated as the heir to the throne since 1972 when he was 20 years old had requested for more time to mourn his father's death before ascending to the throne, Prayut had told the media Thursday night. On Friday evening, the Crown Prince led other members of the Thai royalty in the procession bringing his late father's body from Siriraj Hospital to the Grand Palace, which was watched by tens of thousands of Thais who lined up the usually congested but deserted street. King Bhumibol, 89, the world's longest-serving monarch, died on Thursday at 3.52pm at Siriraj Hospital while receiving medical treatment, bringing an end to his 70 years of reign on the throne. The beloved King Bhumibol ascended to the throne in 1946. -- BERNAMA