A ceremony in an ornate throne hall on Thursday morning began the transfer of the remains of Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej to his spectacular golden crematorium in the royal quarter of Bangkok after a year of mourning for the monarch Thais hailed as “Father.”
Three separate and intensely solemn processions involving thousands of troops, a golden palanquin, a chariot and a royal gun carriage will move the royal urn representing Bhumibol’s remains from the Dusit Maha Prasad Throne Hall to the crematorium.
The journey along a 2-kilometer route will take at least three hours and is being watched by tens of thousands of mourners dressed all in black and broadcast across the country.
Thais have braved tropical heat and torrential downpours to secure street-side vantage points to witness the funeral.