The five-day Buddhist ceremony, which begins on Wednesday, has taken nearly a year to prepare and 3 billion baht ($90 million) has been set aside to pay for the funeral. Although he was a constitutional monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej has been credited with reviving the prestige of the monarchy. The king’s cremation site, which features gold-tipped pavilions built for the occasion, is a stone’s throw from the Grand Palace, popular with foreign tourists. Even though the funeral had yet to begin, many of the people gathering had tears in their eyes and were visibly emotional. New King Maha Vajiralongkorn, the late king’s only son, will lead the cremation ceremony.

Source: Sunday Times October 24, 2017 06:22 UTC