His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday attended a grand celebration to mark the 60th anniversary of Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej's accession to the throne, the world's longest-reigning monarch.

The King, who was accompanied by Their Royal Highnesses Prince Hashem, Princess Aisha and Princess Raya, joined kings, princes and sheikhs representing 27 countries at the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall, where King Bhumibol hosted a welcoming ceremony.

The host monarch expressed his delight to be among "the most important kings and personalities in the world".

Later, the visitors watched a 40-minute procession of 52 royal barges along the Chao Phraya River to the Temple of Dawn.

Thousands of Thai citizens and tourists gathered on the banks of the river to witness this festival, which dates back to the country's 1350-1767 Ayutthaya period.

King Abdullah and royal guests then attended an exhibition at the Royal Thai Navy Convention Hall in honour of the Thai monarch's efforts over the past six decades to further his country's development process.

The trade volume between Jordan and Thailand stood at JD66 million last year, with Jordan exporting JD4.5 million-worth goods to this Asian country of 60 million people, which enjoys a strong economy with low inflation and an unemployment rate as low as 1.4 per cent.

King Bhumibol, who was born in Massachusetts, US, in 1927, is the ninth king in the Chakri dynasty. He assumed the throne in 1946, 14 years after the country, which has never experienced foreign occupation, transformed from an absolute to a constitutional monarchy.

The Jordan Times