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Thai junta firmly in command after year of mourning for king

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AP Bangkok
Thailand's military government has emerged from the year of mourning for King Bhumibol Adulyadej (POO-mee-pon AH-dun-yaa-det) with a firm grip on power and in no apparent rush to hold elections it has repeatedly delayed during the four years since its coup.

After a reign of seven decades, Bhumibol's death in October last year was anticipated with trepidation by many Thais who feared greater instability without a traditional unifying figure.

In reality, his power to sway events was more mythic than actual.

Even so, says Kevin Hewison, an emeritus professor of Asian studies at the University of North Carolina, the junta and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha have burnished their image and stocked up on public goodwill by presiding calmly over an anxious period.

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First Published: Nov 01 2017 | 3:48 PM IST

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