President Tony Tan pays respects to late Thai King
PUBLISHED ONOctober 25, 2016 12:51 AMByTan Hui Yee
SINGAPORE - President Tony Tan Keng Yam paid his respects to Thailand's late King Bhumibol Adulyadej yesterday in the Grand Palace in Bangkok.
Dr Tan, who was accompanied by his wife Mary, as well as officials from Singapore's Foreign Affairs Ministry, laid a wreath by the late monarch's royal urn and signed a condolence book.
His visit came three days after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong travelled to Bangkok to do the same.
King Bhumibol died on Oct 13 at the age of 88 in Bangkok's Siriraj Hospital after a long illness. The revered monarch, who reigned for 70 years, is a unifying figure in a country of 68 million.
In a Facebook post yesterday, Dr Tan said the late monarch was "well-loved by the Thai people because of his compassion and concern for his people".
"King Bhumibol was also a close friend of many countries, including Singapore. Under his long reign, the bilateral relations between Singapore and Thailand strengthened significantly," he wrote.
tanhy@sph.com.sg
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