Thailand marks king's 60 years on throne

The festivities have attracted some of the world's highest-profile royals, including Emperor Akihito of Japan, Prince Albert II of Monaco, King Abdullah II of Jordan, as well as leaders of several Gulf states.

But while some of his fellow rulers have suffered scorn and rough treatment in the press, the 78-year-old monarch is revered with intense devotion here -- a reverence accompanied by a ban on books considered critical of him.

His picture hangs in every taxi, office and shop, and his anniversary will be coloured in hues both patriotic and religious, with a two-day holiday in Bangkok to mark the occasion.

"Every time in the past 60 years when our country faces a crisis, he comes out to solve the problem for his people," Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said Friday. "Thais are very lucky to have the king."