'Thai PM cancelled India trip for BRICS due to King's illness'

Thailand Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha cancelled an official trip to India to attend the BRICS Summit, apparently due to King Bhumibol Adulyadej's health condition.
The prime minister was scheduled to attend the BIMSTEC Outreach at BRICS Summit 2016 in Goa on Sunday, a Government House source said.
Prayuth, however, cancelled the trip and assigned Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusriithak to attend the summit on his behalf, the source added.
His inability to attend the BRICS Summit is seen by many as apparently due to concerns over the health condition of King Bhumibol, who passed away today at the age of 88.

The revered king was the world's longest ruling monarch and seen as a unifying force in the deeply polarised country.
Apart from the heads of governments of Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa to attend the BRICS Summit on October 16, India had earlier received consent of Prime Ministers of Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Myanmar (State Counsellor) for the outreach meet of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).