Thailand kicks off five-day funeral for King Bhumibol

Bangkok : Thailand has observed a year of mourning for King Bhumibol, who was regarded as a pillar of stability during a reign of seven decades.

Thailand yesterday marked the start of a lavish, five-day funeral for King Bhumibol Adulyadej with a Buddhist religious ceremony attended by senior members of its royal family.

King Bhumibol, who died last year aged 88, will be cremated on Thursday on a royal pyre within a cremation complex of gold pavilions in front of Bangkok’s Grand Palace, in a ceremony that is expected to draw about 250,000 mourners.

Thailand has observed a year of mourning for King Bhumibol, who was regarded as a pillar of stability during a reign of seven decades that witnessed political upheaval and rapid development in the Southeast Asian nation.