And when he made that characteristic slight wave of the hand, time stopped, and the tears started to flow.

It was almost a spiritual exchange. The world's longest-reigning monarch embraced the nation he has reigned over for 60 years with a fatherly, compassionate look. In return, his people overwhelmed him with an immeasurable outpouring of love. Shouts of "Long Live the King!" thundered and echoed around the Royal Plaza and far beyond, although many were too emotionally stricken to utter the blessing. Yet if only we could have heard all the Thai hearts elsewhere speaking at that particular instant.

The term "constitutional monarchy" gained new meaning and new implications. What happened at that moment was all but holy, not political. Politically exhausted Thais were not turning to him for help. They did not show up in their hundreds of thousands at the Royal Plaza and pray for his long life because of Thaksin Shinawatra or the People's Alliance for Democracy. The Thai hearts became one simply because Thais love their King.

In fact, the ocean of yellow at the Royal Plaza and the spontaneous display of love and reverence all across the Kingdom caused recent political events to pale into near absurdity. The gathering was four or five times larger than the recent biggest anti-government protests in the same area. It mocked the pro-government demonstrations with the fact that all who were there last Friday came on their own volition. And looking back, one can be bemused and wonder where all the talk about His Majesty's clout being compromised came from.

An effective and powerful political network may be capable of organising that sort of massive assembly. But you can't force such tears of delight and gratitude or the simultaneous and voluntary shutting of a hundred thousand umbrellas when a politician's motorcade moves past the crowds. You can't make petrol-station boys, food vendors and office workers wear yellow on the same day. You can't make just about everyone wear yellow on the same day.

Last Friday morning, we were all witness to and part of some very impregnable clout. Hard-earned and well deserved where Thais are concerned but a somewhat sceptical mystique in the eyes of some Western media. Time magazine was very cautious and not full of praise when analysing the Thai phenomenon, while The Economist went even further in expressing implicit doubts. In a recent commentary on Thailand's political turmoil, the latter magazine said, "Once you start allowing demonstrators who number in the thousands to throw out politicians who have been elected by millions, the fabric of any democracy is bound to fray, let alone one that has existed for only 14 years and still lies under the shadow of crown and gun."

To the Thais, the country's fledging democracy owes its survival and flexibility to their monarch. Without his timely intervention when it mattered and his detachment when all was working well, Thai politics may have taken a far more unpredictable and dangerous course. Last Friday, Thais told the world you can have your kind of democracy, but this is ours, and if there are risks in relying too much on a beloved monarch, then so be it.

And again, what level of politics can produce teary eyes and lumps in the throats on a national scale? Most of those who converged on the Royal Plaza last Friday and others who cried their tears of joy in front of their television sets were not direct benefactors of His Majesty's lifetime work. They were simply glad to have a monarch who has worked for the most underprivileged, with a really noble purpose and in a really meaningful way. They love him knowing he's been doing what he doesn't have to. They love him for the likes of heartfelt royal statements like the one we heard on Monday, that his work and contribution were just his part of being Thai.

People gave various accounts to rationalise their tears last Friday morning. "He looked happy and that filled my heart with delight." "His look on the balcony was so kind." "Thinking of all he has had to go through, my heart went out for him." "I'm just glad we have him as our King." "I was overwhelmed and just cried, like all of the people around me."

An untouchable King? He manages to touch millions of hearts.

 Tulsathit Taptim