--- ---  # When LIFE Photographed Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej in 1960 by [Lily Rothman](https://time.com/author/lily-rothman/) and [Liz Ronk](https://time.com/author/liz-ronk/) Oct 13, 2016 1:26 PM UTC  Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 1960. Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 1960.John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images by [Lily Rothman](https://time.com/author/lily-rothman/) and [Liz Ronk](https://time.com/author/liz-ronk/) Oct 13, 2016 1:26 PM UTC Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej has [died at 88](http://time.com/4043989/thailand-king-dead-obituary-bhumibol-adulyadej/), the palace announced Oct. 13, bringing an end to the rule of the [world’s longest-reigning monarch](http://time.com/4137670/thailand-celebrates-worlds-longest-living-monarch-on-his-88th-birthday/). The incredible longevity of his reign, which began in 1946, meant that he came to represent a number of different roles in the lives of his subjects. More recently, he had been the steadying force in a nation that seemed sometimes to teeter on a political edge. But in 1960, as he and Queen Sirikit of Thailand prepared for an official state visit to the United States, he was an image of vitality and new hope for the future in a country that had only been called Thailand for about a decade. When the royal couple [gave LIFE Magazine’s John Dominis an invitation](https://books.google.com/books?id=5k4EAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PP1&pg=PA54#v=twopage&q&f=false) to photograph them at home, those images offered American readers a glimpse at the royal couple in the prime of life. Dominis spent time with them at their daughter’s birthday party, followed the Queen on official business and also saw the King—who had a passion for music, specifically jazz—playing the clarinet. Soon after, TIME [reported](http://time.com/vault/issue/1960-07-11/page/48/) on how the U.S. visit progressed: --- > “” --- He was, TIME explained in a 1966[ cover story](http://content.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19660527,00.html) about the King, a prime example of a leader who was not only revered by his people but also a true political asset for his nation: “\[The\] men who run Thailand are well aware that their youthful King is their—and the nation’s—greatest living asset.”  Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 1960. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Formal portrait of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej (aka Phumiphon Aduldet) and Queen Sirikit at the Palace in 1960\. The nine-tiered parasol in background is a symbol of the Chakri Dynasty. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej and family at a birthday party, 1960. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej (second left) and Queen Sirikit (left) taking pictures of their children Ubolratana (center), Chulabkorn (in sister's arms) and Vajiralongkorn on palace grounds, 1960. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej with his children, 1960. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej and family at a birthday party, 1960. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej (left) and Queen Sirikit (third from right) giving alms with their children (left to right) Vajiralongkorn, Sirindhorn, Chulabkorn and Ubolratana on the morning of Ubolratana's birthday, 1960. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 1960. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej (aka Phumiphon Aduldet) with wife Queen Sirikit at the Palace, 1960. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images Thailand's Late King Bhumibol: Vivid Color Photos From 1960 ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4526648/thailand-king-bhumibol-1960/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4526648/thailand-king-bhumibol-1960/"},"headline":"When LIFE Photographed Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej in 1960","datePublished":"2016-10-13T13:26:52.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:50:25.332Z","description":"The King has died at 88, the palace announced Oct. 13","url":"https://time.com/4526648/thailand-king-bhumibol-1960/","keywords":["remembrance","photography","royals","People"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbe9b076a9555e01c/6988a98b0a4a22ba3a9cb988/161011-thai-king-07.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Lily Rothman","jobTitle":"Rothman is managing editor at TIME.","url":"https://time.com/author/lily-rothman/"},{"@type":"Person","name":"Liz Ronk","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/liz-ronk/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbe9b076a9555e01c/6988a98b0a4a22ba3a9cb988/161011-thai-king-07.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Thailand's King Bhumibol","caption":"Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 1960.","creditText":"John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/remembrance/","name":"remembrance"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4526648/thailand-king-bhumibol-1960/","name":"When LIFE Photographed Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej in 1960"}}]}] ```