Huge queues on penultimate day for viewing Royal Urn
An estimated 40,000 people queued from early today (Wednesday) morning to pay their last respects to His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej at the Grand Palace in Bangkok.
Tomorrow (Thursday) is the final day the public will be allowed inside the Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall to view the Royal Urn.
The late monarch’s funeral will be held from October 25-29, with the cremation taking place on October 26.
Police, soldiers and civilian volunteers provided aid as needed for people in two lengthy queues.
One stretched from the Democracy Monument to a screening point by the Rattanakosin Hotel, the other from Mon Bridge to the Ror Dor roundabout, where screening also took place.
Some mourners had been in the queue the previous night but not made it inside the palace, so they were back to try again.
The Royal Household Bureau on Wednesday reported that 12,532,492 mourners had viewed the Royal Urn in the past 335 days.
Donations received as a form of making merit for the late King now total Bt876,090,282.76, it said.
On Tuesday, 88,602 mourners visited the throne hall and donated Bt5,712,411.25, with the final visitors admitted at 3.50am on Wednesday.
The highest records for visitations were set on October 1 (90,300 mourners), Tuesday (88,602), Monday (78,948) and September 26 (73,889).