Emotional crowds throng crematorium replicas

Tens of thousands of people were reported at sites such as the King Rama I Monument, the Siriraj Hospital and Bitec Bang Na.

Nine replicas and hundreds of flower pavilions were erected around greater Bangkok as alternatives to Sanam Luang so people could lay flowers in two time periods yesterday – from 9am to 4.30pm and then from 6.30pm until 10pm, when the actual cremation began.

The replica at CentralWorld Shopping Complex yesterday was overwhelmed with an estimated turnout of 30,000 mourners. People formed two long queues waiting to enter the screening points. One line reached the front of Wat Prathum and the other reached the Big C mall. 
Nearby Wat Pathum’s flower pavilion was also crowded, with a long queue reaching Siam Paragon mall and the Pathumwan intersection.
A long line of mourners also formed as people came to pay their final tributes at the replica of the Royal Crematorium at the King Rama I Monument at Memorial Bridge.

People began arriving early and, by noon, the line was three kilometres long and ended at Wat Liab. 
Ketmanee Khareram, 40, and his girlfriend went to Sanam Luang at 5am to pay tribute to the late monarch, but it was overcrowded so they shifted to the monument.
“The feeling when placing the flowers was overwhelming. I couldn’t hold back my tears. I just sobbed and so did the officials who stood by,” he said.
There was space for more than 20,000 mourners at a time to place flowers at the Royal Crematorium replica at Bitec Bang Na. People started arriving at 5am, and by 7am the designated space had been occupied. 
Expecting more than 100,000 people to turn out throughout the day, the site prepared 300,000 funeral flowers and 8,000 waiting seats. 
A queue of mourners stretched more than one kilometre to Bang Na Soi 4. The inbound Bang Na-Trat Road became congested with a line of vehicles queuing in front of Central Bang Na shopping mall. At one point in the afternoon, there were 30,000 mourners in the centre.
Siriraj Hospital also held a rite for mourners to lay funeral flowers. Mourners registered at Siriraj Medical School’s auditorium at 6am, with some arriving as early as 4am in a queue that stretched to Wang Lang pier. The hospital prepared 109,200 funeral flowers for the ceremony.
At Buddhamonthon Buddhist Park in Nakhon Pathom province, which was expected to attract more than 200,000 mourners, about 50,000 people had placed flowers at the park’s Royal Crematorium replica between 9am and 11am. The park prepared 373,200 flowers and there were 1,200 volunteers to help with tasks, including handing out 15,000 books about the late King’s life and 100,000 postage stamps.
Among the volunteers was actor Sarawuth Matthong who said he was proud to do good things for the late monarch. Mourner Sakda Suksom, 36, praised the organisers and participants for being respectful and orderly, giving a sense of unity and kindness to honour the late King.
The crematorium replica at the Thupatemi Sports Stadium in Pathum Thani attracted long queues of mourners who placed funeral flowers despite the hot sun. The line of mourners reached as far as Zeer Rangsit Shopping Mall.