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Thailand is preparing for the Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn to be named as the country’s new king on 1 December.
There are concerns among Thais that the late king’s only son – a colourful character who has been criticised for indulging in a “playboy” lifestyle – will not have the same authority as his father and will jeopardise the country’s fragile political stability.
The death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej , who was the longest serving monarch in the world, has led to a deep sense of uncertainty in the country that was intensified when the prince requested to delay taking the throne so he could mourn his father's death.
News that the prince will be named as king in December follows the prince's departure for Germany at the weekend, where he has spent much of his time, a senior military source told Reuters . The source added that the prince would return in November.
"We are making preparations. Everything is being prepared for 1 December," another senior military source said. "But this timeframe also depends on His Royal Highness."
The masses mourn for Thai KingShow all 40 1 /40The masses mourn for Thai King The masses mourn for Thai King Robot arms perform during a synchronisation show to pay tribute to Thailand's late King Bhumibol Adulyadej at an exhibition hall in Bangkok, Thailand
Reuters
The masses mourn for Thai King Robot arms perform during a synchronisation show to pay tribute to Thailand's late King Bhumibol Adulyadej at an exhibition hall in Bangkok, Thailand
Reuters
The masses mourn for Thai King Thai government officials gather to pay respects and pledge an oath of allegiance to the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej during a ceremony at the Government House in Bangkok
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The masses mourn for Thai King Thai mahouts riding on elephants participate during a parade to honor the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej outside the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand
EPA
The masses mourn for Thai King Thai mahouts riding on elephants and law enforcement officials pay respects during a parade to honor the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej outside the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand
EPA
The masses mourn for Thai King Thai mahouts on elephants outside the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand
EPA
The masses mourn for Thai King Mourners line up to get into the throne hall at the Grand Palace for the first time to pay their respects in front of the golden urn of Thailand's late King Bhumibol Adulyadej in Bangkok, Thailand
Reuters
The masses mourn for Thai King Thai mourners hold portraits of late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej as they queue up
EPA
The masses mourn for Thai King Thai mourners hold pictures of late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej over their heads as a sign of respect
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The masses mourn for Thai King Thai mourners wearing black clothing line up to pay respects to the Royal Urn of late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej
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The masses mourn for Thai King Thai mourners pay their respects
Bureau of the Royal Household via AP
The masses mourn for Thai King In this photo released by the Bureau of the Royal Household, Thai mourners pay their respects in front of royal urn containing the body of the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej, at Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand
Bureau of the Royal Household via AP
The masses mourn for Thai King Thailand's Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn arrives at the Grand Palace before he takes part in a ceremony honouring Thailand's late King Bhumibol Adulyadej in Bangkok, Thailand
Reuters
The masses mourn for Thai King A large black and white portrait of the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej is displayed on the facade of a building in Bangkok, Thailand
EPA
The masses mourn for Thai King Mourners offer food to monks at Siriraj Hospital for one week anniversary the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej in Bangkok, Thailand
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The masses mourn for Thai King Thai Princess Soamsawali Mahidol arriving to a royal religious merit making ceremony for the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej at the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand
EPA
The masses mourn for Thai King Thai Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn (front, R) accompanied by royal family members, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn (front, L), Princess Chulabhorn (back, L), Princess Soamsawali Mahidol (back, 2-L), Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya (back, C) and Princess Adityadhornkitikhun (back, R) during a royal religious merit making ceremony for the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej at Dusit Maha Prasart Throne Hall, Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand
EPA
The masses mourn for Thai King People hold pictures of the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej during a gathering at Narathiwat City Hall in the southern province of Narathiwat
Getty
The masses mourn for Thai King People gather in the shape of a heart in honour of the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej at Narathiwat City Hall in the southern province of Narathiwat
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The masses mourn for Thai King A Thai man holds an image of Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej as people pray for the late monarch in a park beneath Bhumibol Bridge in Bangkok
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The masses mourn for Thai King Supreeda Sorapakdee shows his tattoo which is the Thai number 9 and a silhouette of the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who is also known as King Rama IX, in Bangkok, Thailand
AP
The masses mourn for Thai King A tattoo artist works on a woman's back with the words "I pledge to be your loyal subject in every lifetime," under the Thai number 9, which is short for King Rama IX, the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej in Bangkok, Thailand
AP
The masses mourn for Thai King Thai police officers march next to a replica of a London Bus which is used as a shuttle bus service for mourners to pay their respects to late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej outside the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand
EPA
The masses mourn for Thai King A worker works on scaffolding to install a portrait of Thailand's late King Bhumibol Adulyadej near the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand
Reuters
The masses mourn for Thai King A Thai Buddhist monk takes a picture of drawing portraits of the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej in Bangkok, Thailand
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The masses mourn for Thai King The Thai national flag flutters at half mast at the Ministry of Defence following the passing of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, in Bangkok, Thailand
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The masses mourn for Thai King People stand in line to offer condolences for Thailand's late King Bhumibol Adulyadej at the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand
Reuters
The masses mourn for Thai King A woman holds an image of Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej as she waits in a queue to pay her respects at the Grand Palace in Bangkok
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The masses mourn for Thai King Thai well-wishers stand in queue to pay their respects to late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej ahead of a procession to transport the king's body at the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand
EPA
The masses mourn for Thai King Thai buddhist monks and well-wishers stand in a line as they mourn during the royal funeral bathing ceremony for Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej outside the Sahathai Samakom Pavilion, inside the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand
EPA
The masses mourn for Thai King Thai Prime Minister, General Prayuth Chan-o-cha attends royal bathing ceremony at The Grand Palace
The masses mourn for Thai King A woman signs a condolences book for Thailand's late King Bhumibol Adulyadej at the Thai Embasssy in Tokyo, Japan
Reuters
The masses mourn for Thai King Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows after he signs a condolences book for Thailand's late King Bhumibol Adulyadej in front of a portrait of the king at Thailand's Embassy in Tokyo, Japan
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The masses mourn for Thai King Thai women read the newspaper before attending royal bathing ceremony at The Grand Palace
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The masses mourn for Thai King Mourners sit in a coffee shop in front of the Grand Palace decorated with paintings of Thailand's late King Bhumibol Adulyadej in Bangkok, Thailand
Reuters
The masses mourn for Thai King Thai people attend royal bathing ceremony at The Grand Palace. Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, died at the age of 88 in Bangkok's Siriraj Hospital on Thursday after his 70-year reign.
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The masses mourn for Thai King Thai Royal guards march as mourners line up to enter the Grand Palace to pay respect to Thailand's late King Bhumibol Adulyadej in Bangkok, Thailand
Reuters
The masses mourn for Thai King People mourn as they offer condolences for Thailand's late King Bhumibol Adulyadej at the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand
Reuters
The masses mourn for Thai King Buddhist Monks pray in front to a portrait of Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej at Wat Thai Temple in the North Hollywood section of Los Angeles
AP
The masses mourn for Thai King A Thai national offer prayers at a Phra Phrom shrine in the 'Little Thailand' area of Singapore
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The late monarch was a stabilising force in Thailand and experts credit his intermittent interventions in public life with keeping peace in the country.
Since 2001 Thailand has been rocked by clashes between royalist-military establishments and populist political parties that have led to several fatal demonstrations and two coups.
Although Thailand has strict laws that protect the royal family from insult or threat, the 64-year-old prince has occasionally been surrounded by scandal.
He is renowned for his dedication to his pet poodle, Foo Foo, which was awarded the rank of Air Chief Marshal in the Royal Thai Air Force and given its own Wikipedia page.
The is also famed for having an eclectic dress sense — earlier in 2016 he was photographed at a Munich airport wearing a small white crop top and a fake tattoo sleave.
Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn (left) photographed at Munich airport in July 2016 (Bild) Although he is due to be named as king in December, his formal coronation cannot take place until after the king's cremation in a year's time.
Thailand's baht has dropped by 0.9 per cent during October amid uncertainty about the future of the country.
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