Why was the Thai king so popular? Huge crowds at King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s funeral

A year after his death, King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s body was moved on Wednesday night from the Grand Palace in an elaborate gold chariot pulled by more than 200 men to the 165-feet cremation pyre in a nearby square before his cremation on Thursday.

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.

Fighting back the tears was Pimsupak Suthin, 42, who traveled to Bangkok from the northern province of Nan.

THAI KING FUNERAL LIVE UPDATES

She said: “This is the last goodbye. I really love and miss him. It is very difficult to describe.”

Piyamat Potsopho, 38, said she had been waiting for the king’s funeral procession in Bangkok since Wednesday night.

She said: ”I was very fortunate to have been born under the reign of King Rama IX.”

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. 

King Bhumibol acceded to the throne in 1946 after his brother died in a shooting accident and his popularity has continued to grow during his record-breaking reign.

He spent years working on projects to help improve the lives of Thailand’s poorest citizens, establishing projects that continue to help people across the country.

Among the projects are Royal Project Foundation in Chiang Mai, which aims to help those affected by deforestation, poverty and opium production.

He also helped develop technology to modify the amount of rain produced by clouds, for which he was awarded a patent for ‘weather modification by royal rainmaking technology’.

King Bhumibol also promoted projects offering medical care to areas in Thailand that lack decent access to medicine. 

Many Thais have praised his willingness to engage with the people too, with the King enjoying hobbies including photography, jazz music, and sailing.

While the public reverence for King Bhumibol appears 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.