Thousands of Thais attend King Bhumibol Adulyadej's final trip

Thousands of Thais in Sanam Luang and surrounding areas were seen weeping as smoke rose from the royal crematorium on Thursday night, signifying King Bhumibol Adulyadej's final ascent to the heavens.

White smoke began pouring from the crematorium at 11:20 p.m. in a melancholic scene not broadcast on public television.

Smoke coming out of the crematorium

The cremation of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej was originally scheduled for 10 p.m.

Thai people had placed groundsheets in Sanam Luang to camp as close to the crematorium as possible.

Many of them were still visibly mourning, even though the spectacle of the royal cremation ceremony , which included an orchestra and traditional khon dance and masked puppet performances, continued to be performed.

However, some confusion arose when performances at Sanam Luang abruptly stopped and then resumed several times from 10 p.m.

Many people on the ground felt that the silence meant that the cremation of the late king had just begun.

Roongthip Phlaengrith, 43, looked at the royal crematorium – also known as Phra Meru – to see if his claims were true.

"I started getting anxious when everything went quiet ," she said.

“The officers started telling us not to take pictures around 10 p.m.”

Having travelled from Phitsanulok , Ms Roongthip had left her week's work at the provincial education ministry office to attend the completion of the royal cremation .

She remained sitting on a floor mat, hands clasped in tears for an hour after the royal cremation , a gesture adopted by several other people at Sanam Luang that night.

"Throughout this year since his death, there hasn't been a single day that I haven't thought of him," Ms. Roongthip said.

“But when I think about his teachings, I know that we all have to move forward and take responsibility.”

Samruam Rattana, a 62-year-old retiree from Pattani, was visibly surprised by what he saw at that hour.

As smoke surrounded the royal crematorium, the music from the Sanam Luang scenes continued to play, with all three scenes playing simultaneously.

"My heart sank when I saw the smoke ," Mr. Samruam said.

"It was time to realize that he is really no longer with us."

He said he had heard rumors from his friends that the royal cremation had been postponed because citizens outside Sanam Luang were still placing ceremonial flowers, or dok mai, at several royal crematoriums across the country.

While he was shaken when the cremation began, Mr Samruam said he had "completed his mission" , going to the ceremonial grounds to pay his respects to the late king.

"No matter how things turned out, we were all determined to come here ," he said.

"The main objective was to send the late king to heaven."

The next morning, the royal ceremonial grounds were noticeably emptier, as many people left during the night once the cremation was complete.

The late King Bhumibol Adulyade,j Rama IX

Following the end of the king's cremation , life around Sanam Luang slowly resumed, with thinner crowds being seen around the Samsen and Ratchadamnoen area yesterday afternoon.

Meanwhile, the royal processions continued as planned in Sanam Luang.

Crowds were seen kneeling in prostration as the royal relics and relics of the deceased king were carried atop the 'Rajendravan Noi' , a palanquin specially created for the royal cremation ceremony .

Wanthani Wongpanyaphorn, 52, said it was an honor to see the royal cremation ceremony begin.

"The opportunity to send the father of our nation is a great privilege ," she said.

"The late king suffered for so long, it is time for him to finally rest ," added Ms. Wanthani.

See also:
How to watch the royal cremation ceremony
Royal cremation in Thailand, what you need to know

Source: bangkokpost.com