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takyon writes:

You might have to wait days or even a week to get sex service in Bangkok, Thailand, following the death of the monarch:

On an ordinary Saturday night, the Soi Cowboy red-light district in Bangkok is ablaze with neon lights as skimpily clad women in go-go boots chat up tourists and twirl seductively around poles.

But the decadent flesh parade came to an abrupt halt Thursday when soldiers marched in and shut the dance bars down. It was a gesture of respect for the country's long-ruling monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died Thursday afternoon after a long illness and 70 years on the throne. Soon, word came down from the country's prime minister and head of its military: Thailand would be in mourning for a year, flags would be at half-staff and "joyful events" should be avoided for 30 days.

Although the government made clear that visitors should continue their travel plans as normal — as long as they tried to dress and act respectfully — bars and restaurants have since been closed, loud music avoided and alcohol sometimes difficult to come by. All of this has put a damper on one of the world's most popular party spots. About 30 million visitors came to Thailand last year, a number that is expected to reach a record high this year because of an influx from China. Tourism contributed $81 billion to the country's gross domestic product in 2015, nearly 21 percent, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council.

Thailand's military government named 96-year-old Prem Tinsulanonda as king regent:

He came up through the ranks of the powerful military and became prime minister in 1980, staying at the helm for eight years, while guiding the country through economic problems and a series of military challenges, including two coup attempts. But Prem had been accused by supporters of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra of instigating the coup that removed the populist leader in 2006.

On Thursday, the government unexpectedly announced that Bhumibol's heir apparent, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, did not want to be immediately named king to give the nation time to mourn his father's death. Al Jazeera's Harry Fawcett, reporting from Bangkok, said there is no deadline set for the succession to take place.

[Continues...]

The heir apparent's lifestyle and multiple divorces have soured his public image:

The lavish European lifestyle of the son, Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, and his tastes for airplanes, fast cars, women and the high life have caused great anxiety in the kingdom for decades. Now he is on the cusp of ascending the throne. The death of the beloved King Bhumibol Adulyadej on Thursday has set in motion a succession that many Thais say they wish they could avoid. King Bhumibol had been a unifying figure in a country that is torn by deep divisions of class and politics and is currently ruled by a military junta. The issue is whether the prince, seen by many Thais as lacking the deep public devotion that his father enjoyed, can hold the country together.

The prince's ascension also raises questions about the future of the monarchy, as a less-beloved king could give strength to a republican movement that has gained a foothold in recent years. Among the issues at stake is control over one of the world's great royal fortunes, an estimated $31 billion in real estate holdings alone. Succession may force the consideration of an unresolved and rarely discussed question of whether those assets and others are the property of the royal family or of the Thai public.

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