 The Palace Law of Succession, the Constitutions of Thailand, and the appointment of Prince Vajiralongkorn as successor in 1972 left nothing uncertain about the succession - upon the death of King Rama IX, the Cabinet was legally bound to inform the president of the National Assembly, which was in turn legally bound to invite Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn to become king.On the evening of 13 October 2016, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha announced "Dear Thai people, His Majesty the King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the Ninth of His Dynasty, has passed away.Long live His Majesty the King of the New Reign."