Thai King Funeral: Mourners jam streets to say goodbye to FATHER of the country

Thousands of people from all over Thailand lined the streets of Bangkok to accompany beloved Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej to his cremation pyre.

One year after his death, the king’s body was moved from the Grand Palace in a golden chariot pulled by more than 200 men to a nearby square for the funeral ceremony.

A mourning woman clutching a picture of the king told the BBC: “It is very difficult to express in words. It mean he is really going away.

“We have been preparing for a year already and now today is the day. It’s very hard to accept.”

People from all over the country travelled to Bangkok for a lavish and elaborate ceremony, with black-clad mourners lining the streets of the capital ahead of a celebration lasting several days.

Hundreds of thousands have come to pay their respects to the world’s longest-reigning monarch, who was revered as a demigod and ruled for 70 years.

Thailand has been in mourning for a year for the man many Thais called “father”, with radio and television stations playing songs dedicated to the monarch almost non-stop. 

Mourners slept overnight on thin plastic mats on pavements near the Grand Palace in the Thai capital so they could get a good view of the procession.

Yesterday there were sombre scenes from the Buddhist merit-making ceremony in the impressive golden throne hall of Dusit Palace. 

King Bhumibol inherited the crown in 1946 after his brother, King Rama VII, died in a shooting accident.

He devoted several years to projects aimed at helping improve the lives of Thailand‘s poorest citizens, establishing schemes that continue to help citizens throughout the country.

While public reverence for the departed king appears to be genuine, the Thai royal palace’s public relations play a big part in boosting the positive perception of the monarch.

The harsh “lese-majeste” laws mean any criticism of the monarchy can be punished with prison sentences of up to 15 years.