Kings, queens, presidents, prime ministers and ministers of different countries joined the funeral cremation ceremony that took place in Bangkok on Thursday, with hundreds of thousands of people lining the streets to pay their last respects. King Bhumibol was the world’s longest-reigning monarch when he died in October 2016 aged 88. BBC reports a symbolic funeral urn was taken by chariot to the cremation site, in a procession marked by drums, flute music and an artillery salute. The state minister also met the new King Maha Vajiralongkorn during the ceremony. He told bdnews24.com that in a “rare gesture”, Commerce Minister Krasuang Phanit, a senior minister, welcomed him at the airport and later saw him off.

Source: bd News24 October 27, 2017 19:07 UTC