'Thai Town' Los Angeles mourns His Majesty

'Thai Town' Los Angeles mourns His Majesty

People memorialize the death of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej at the Wat Thai of Los Angeles temple in Los Angeles, California, U.S., October 13, 2016. (Reuters photo)
People memorialize the death of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej at the Wat Thai of Los Angeles temple in Los Angeles, California, U.S., October 13, 2016. (Reuters photo)

LOS ANGELES - Many residents of Los Angeles' bustling Thai community on Thursday mourned the death of Thailand's long-standing and widely adored leader, King Bhumibol.

In Southern California's Thai Town and other Thai-majority areas, Stella Boonyawan grieved over the news outside the Wat Thai Temple in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley after praying for the late king.

"I just know that I loved my king, he is the king that helped everybody, helping the poor, everything, you know?" Boonyawan, a Thai expatriate, said. "You'll never find a king like our Thai king, in the whole world. Our king (was) the best."

Nikki Hwonsuwan, a waiter at the Thai Patio on Hollywood Blvd., the main thoroughfare through Thai Town, said she and her family were in mourning.

"My king passed away, so I was... so depressed," she said. "I think it was the time that he needed to rest."

Do you like the content of this article?