Millions sign notes of condolence and join prayers: ministry
NEARLY 8 million people have signed messages of condolence over the passing of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, while around 9 million attended Abhidhamma prayer rituals at temples around the country to pay homage to the late King from October 14 until November 7, the Interior Ministry reported yesterday.
The number of mourners paying respects to the King was close to 7.3 million, while the number who attended Abhidhamma prayers was nearly 9.4 million during the period.
On November 7 alone, there were 210,891 mourners paying respects at the Grand Palace while 323,563 attended separate prayers for the monarch.
In addition, 31,214 participated in alms-giving rituals for the late monarch on November 7, bringing the cumulative number to 2,795,272, the ministry said.
Meanwhile, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) officials and relevant agencies will set up a special committee to handle the large number of people and traffic expected for the graduation ceremony at Thammasat University’s Tha Phrachan campus this weekend.
The graduation ceremony will take place as throngs of mourners pay respects to King Bhumibol at the nearby Grand Palace, Deputy Governor Pol Lt-General Amnuay Nimmano said.
