Thais toast King Bhumibol’s 60th year on the throne

He has had to live up to the name on many occasions. From bloody civil unrest to political deadlock, the King has had to steer his 63 million people through many trials.

‘‘The King is someone the people of Thailand trust implicitly to act for the good of Thailand and not for himself. And that has been backed up by what he has done,’’ said Supavud Saicheua, head of research at Phatra Securities.

Luminaries from 25 nations will attend festivities including a royal barge procession performed only 14 times during the King’s reign.

Thais are marking the occasion by wearing yellow — the colour of the king’s birthday, Monday — and sparking a run on sunny-hued shirts.

The reason for the furore? A bespectacled, jazz-loving monarch whom Thais say has campaigned tirelessly to help his subjects by championing initiatives such as flood control.

That has helped feed an aura of moral authority leading many to consider him the father of the largely Buddhist country, inspiring a rash of activities from haircuts for charity to a broadcast of the King’s celebrations in China.

When King Bhumibol (pronounced pumipon) ascended to the throne at the age of 18 after the sudden death of his older brother, the world was shaking off the ravages of World War II.

Now, Thailand faces a political impasse sparked by street protests to oust PM Thaksin Shinawatra and an April 2 election later declared unlawful by the courts.

The crisis has left the country with a caretaker government and no functioning Parliament. The King summoned top judges to his palace and told them to sort out the mess and the demonstrations against Thaksin have been suspended until his anniversary celebrations are over.