Safety command centre set up for royal urn viewing
‘I am sure that everything is being well managed during the ceremony’
A SAFETY command centre was set up to provide the public with security and facilitate their visit to the Grand Palace when paying respects before the royal urn of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej from next Friday.
Colonel Winthai Suvaree, spokesman for the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), said yesterday that Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha wanted to facilitate people’s farewell to His Majesty the King.
Winthai said the safety-monitoring centre was set up as the central organising body for cooperation between different agencies.
The Royal Household Bureau will allow people to enter the Throne Hall in the Grand Palace to bid farewell to the King after the 15-day royal merit-making ceremony concludes.
“The prime minister is concerned about the visitors coming for the royal funeral ceremony, hence he has ordered us to assist the people with transportation to the Grand Palace, queuing to enter the venue, distribution of food and liquids, medical assistance, providing the necessary facilities, and allocating |accommodation for those who need to stay in Bangkok,” Winthai said.
“In order to better integrate the work with other related agencies, there will be a meeting at 11am every day. Right now, we have already prepared in advance to make sure that everything will be in place by the time of this big event.”
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration estimates that up to 100,000 people would travel to the Grand Palace next Friday and since Saturday between 50,000 to 70,000 people had visited the royal funeral daily. Winthai said it was estimated that between 10,000 to 20,000 people would enter the Throne Hall daily to pay their respects to the King.
Providing assistance
“We are trying to facilitate visits by the people and manage the whole event in an orderly way as much as possible,” he said. “There will be a long queue to enter the Grand Palace. But for those who need special assistance such as physically challenged and elderly persons, there will be members of staff to look after them during their visit.”
Government Spokesman Lt-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd stated that the members of the command centre met yesterday to discuss overall security surveillance and management during the royal merit-making ceremony period.
“We are focusing on security for the people in the area around Sanam Luang, the Grand Palace, and the prominent landmarks of Bangkok to make sure that people will be safe,” Sansern said.
Winthai said he was happy with the performance of every officer to date, as they were working hard to make sure the event was safe and people had convenient access to it.
He was confident that the officers would continue to do their best until the ceremony is concluded.
“From what I’ve been informed, there are no worrying issues regarding the royal event and I am sure that everything is being well managed during the ceremony,” he said.
