The King’s remains were returned to the Grand Palace after an elaborate five-day cremation ceremony in the Thai capital.
The new King Maha Vajiralongkorn oversaw the burning of his remains in a golden crematorium late on Thursday night.
The ashes and bones were then blessed by Thailand’s Supreme Patriarch, the head of the order of Buddhist monks.
King Maha then led a religious ceremony which took the bones back to the palace. He sprinkled the bones with holy water as musicians played traditional Thai songs.
Many mourners lined the streets of Bangkok to watch the ceremony, weeping as they watched the smoke rise from the crematorium.
The ceremony, which is believed to have cost $90million (£69million), brought Thailand to a standstill.
Businesses including the country’s banks closed their doors to honour the late king, who was immensely popular in the south-east Asian nation.
There was an outpouring of public grief as mourners cried for King Bhumibol, while those who could not attend the cremation ceremony flooded social media with tributes.
There is no concrete measure of approval of the Royal Family in Thailand due to laws protecting the monarch from insult. However King Bhumibol built up a loyal personal following during his reign and is often fondly referred to as “father”.
His long rule spanned some tumultuous moment in Thai history including several coups, natural disasters, crackdowns on student protesters and a regional financial crisis.
King Bhumibol had lain in state in the palace since his death last October, aged 88. He was the longest-reigning monarch ever with a seventy-year rule in Thailand.
On Saturday there will be a further religious ceremony for the late king’s remains inside the palace.
On Sunday the bones will be transferred to the palace hall where past kings’ remains are kept while a procession will transport his ashes to the temples of Wat Rajabopidh and Wat Bovoranives.