Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha (middle L) and Privy Council President General Prem Tinsulanonda (C,) prostrating themselves in front of newly appointed Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn as he accepts the position as monarch after the death of his late father King Bhumibol Adulyadej in Bangkok. Vajiralongkorn has filled a powerful advisory body with top army brass linked to the ruling junta, according to a statement. The move illustrates the close military-royal alliance that has defined Thai politics for the last five decades, an era that has seen brief flirtations with democracy punctuated by multiple palace-endorsed coups.