Japanese Emperor Akihito has arrived in Bangkok to pay his respects to the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej, following a weeklong trip to Vietnam aimed at winning support against Chinese expansionism.
The monarchies two of a handful remaining in Asia have maintained close ties. Bhumibol first visited Japan in 1963, touching off a decades-long friendship with numerous visits back and forth, most recently a visit by Akihito to Thailand in 2006.
Akihito, accompanied by his wife, Empress Michiko, was to lay wreathes and sign a condolence book at the Grand Palace in Bangkok on Sunday before meeting with King Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun, who ascended the throne after the death of his widely revered father in October.
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