While the lying-in-state for government officials and retired military and police personnel last from either 2 weeks to 5–7 months, the lying-in-state for senior members of the Buddhist clergy can last from 6–8 months to two years, with Buddhist services led by monks with prayers made … After one more salute is rendered to the urn, the pallanquin and the 60 Royal Thai Army personnel handling it move out of the Deva Phirom gate of the Palace from the west wall into Maharaj Road. AFP/Getty Images. Thai Funeral. Your chances of avoiding a funeral ceremony if you leave behind a Thai spouse or family are therefore pretty low. A royal procession contingent of battalion size awaits the party, including members of the Royal Family, the Prakhom band under the Bureau of the Royal Household and bearers of the royal regalia, flags, banners and golden umbrellas, led by two cavalry troopers of the Royal Thai Police. But he was also genuinely respected for his development projects, personal modesty and as a symbol of stability in a nation frequently rocked by political turmoil, though his influence waned in his final years. But Bhumibol, who spent much of his early life in the West, opted to be put in a coffin, with the royal urn placed next to it for devotional purposes. In recent funerals, a coffin was used instead of the kot to hold the royal remains, but a kot was still displayed near the coffin in keeping with tradition. The ceremonies and processions are steeped in Buddhism, tradition and history and defined by modern and personal touch, Thousands of mourners dressed in black have lined the streets of Bangkok and assembled at viewing areas across Thailand for the elaborate funeral ceremonies of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Bhumibol's remains will be cremated on Thursday evening within the golden-spired crematorium, which was built over a year and represents mystical Mount Meru, where Buddhist and Hindu gods are believed to dwell, Bhumibol's death at age 88 on October 13, 2016, after a reign of seven decades sparked a national outpouring of grief. The altar will typically hold a Buddha symbol and a picture of the deceased. The funeral urn is taken up to the crematorium Thailand's royal defamation law shields the monarchy from criticism and scrutiny, carrying 15-year jail sentences for each charge. The Royal Family proceeds at the rear of the funeral carriage, which moves along Sanam Chai Street, then forward across Ratchadamnoen Avenue and towards the Sanam Luang Royal Square and the crematorium area in either the southern or northern portion of the field (where the funeral urn is stationed). The first three processions of the royal funeral will take place on Saturday, November 15 when the royal urn (Kosa in Thai) which has been crafted from three aromatic sandalwood trees, aged 142, 118, and 111 years, will be escorted from the Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall by 662 soldiers to the Phra Maha Phichai Ratcharot at Wat Phra Chetuphon (Wat Pho). The funeral is by design an intensely somber event, but also rich in history and cultural and spiritual tradition. There is little of the public affection and gratitude on display here that has been so visible in Britain. The funeral for Bhumibol will take place over five days and began on Wednesday with his son, King Maha Vajiralongkorn, performing Buddhist merit-making rites before chanting monks and officials in immaculate white uniforms. New King Maha Vajiralongkorn then climbed the red-carpeted steps to light candles and incense in honour of his father. Select from premium Thailand Royal Cremation of the highest quality. The royal cremation ceremony is the final and most major event during Thai royal funerals. Depending on how close your relationship was to the deceased, you probably won’t be expected to attend every part of the funeral. Royal funerals usually last seven days in Thailand, and are held months or even years after the death so the state can prepare a lavish farewell. Decorated with red long stem. With a clapper sounded and the bugler playing a bugle call, the slow royal funeral march starts with the Traditional Band playing traditional songs and the massed bands playing the slow funeral march Phayasok, composed by His late Royal Highness Prince Nagor Svarga. Thais wear black and stay quiet during the funeral period. Both processions are lined by cadets of the military academies and enlisted personnel and NCOs of the armed forces. Millions of Thais visited the throne hall at Bangkok's Grand Palace to pay respects. There are no limitations to which flowers are on the casket. As the urn is enthroned at the monastic pavilion, a breakfast service is held and the Royal Family thanks all the monks who led and assisted in the memorial services. 'Our love won't die until we too pass and follow him.'. After the morning service and breakfast served for the monks, a squad from 1st Infantry Regiment King's Own Bodyguard's 1st Battalion escort the urn out of the hall and into the gold Triple-Poled Royal Funeral Palanquin Carriage (Phra Yannamat Sam Lam Khan) outside the throne hall while honors are paid by the 3rd Btn, 1st Infantry Regiment (King's Own Bodyguard). The cremation proper is preceded by a procession of the Buddha statues and icons and services before the relic urns of past monarchs and deceased members of the Royal Family. The main funeral is taking place in Bangkok's historic royal quarter, where tens of thousands of people have gathered to watch the elaborate ceremonies outside the specially built crematorium, A royal guard bows as the Royal Urn of late King Bhumibol Adulyadej is taken on the Great Victory Chariot during a royal cremation procession, Procession: Guards dressed in traditional uniforms march along the streets in front of hundreds of thousands of mourners, 'I want to be here together with a group of people who dearly love their king,' he said. Phra Meru Mas (the royal crematorium) for the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej The structure is designed specifically for the funeral rites for a king, based on ancient royal traditions. The funeral can be held in advance of the burial or cremation, or after the cremation has taken place. A further memorial service is held in the late afternoon and in the early evening the ceremonial and symbolic first lighting of the funeral pyre is held. In Thai tradition, the family and guests decorate the casket in an array of funeral flowers and blooming wreaths. The ceremony was watched in person by tens of thousands of tearful mourners dressed in black and millions more around the kingdom in broadcasts aired live on most Thai TV stations and shown at designated viewing areas across the country. Honour guards stand by a portrait of the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej's portrait, placed in a replica of the royal crematorium, The procession included the ornate Royal Chariot (left) and Rajarot Noi (right), carrying the country's Supreme Patriarch, Drummers march in the royal cremation procession today. Find the perfect Thailand Royal Cremation stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. Small oblong marble cremation urn set atop of a hole ready to be buried in the ground. The funeral urn of the late Thai king Bhumibol Adulyadej is transported up a ramp into the crematorium. The adulation Bhumibol inspired was fostered by palace courtiers who worked to rebuild the prestige of a monarchy that lost its mystique and power when a 1932 coup ended centuries of absolute rule by Thai kings. A first gun salute follows the procession. Millions of Thais visited the throne hall at Bangkok's Grand Palace to pay respects. Solemn: Tens of thousands of black-clad mourners have taken over the streets of Thailand 's capital Bangkok for the lavish five-day funeral of the late King, The funeral for Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej is an elaborate, intricately planned event lasting five days. Royal Chariot of Great Victory (มหาพิชัยราชรถ), Kroen bandai nak (เกรินบันไดนาค, "hoist of serpents"), Phra Yannamat Sam Lam Khan (พระยานมาศสามลำคาน), a three-poled palanquin, The royal gun carriage for the funeral of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Ratcharot not (ราชรถน้อย), a minor chariot, 1st Infantry Regiment King's Own Bodyguard, march counter-clockwise encircling the crematorium, "สารคดีบันทึก : พฤศจิกายน ๒๕๕๑ ส่งเสด็จสมเด็จพระเจ้าพี่นางเธอฯ สู่สวรรคาลัย", "Royal Cremation to feature gun-carriage procession for first time in 67 years", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thai_royal_cremation_ceremony&oldid=1017563629, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 13 April 2021, at 13:46. The services are held in Bangkok at the Grand Palace and its Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall, where the royal remains have been lying in state for a specific period of mourning in a kot (from Sanskrit kośa, meaning "container") displayed on a decorated pedestal known as bencha inside the hall. This is followed by the transfer of the sacred urn to the Chakri Maha Prasat Throne Hall where it will be enthroned, ending the cremation services. Thais bid farewell to beloved king Bhumibol Adulyadej An elaborate five-day royal funeral ceremony will culminate on Thursday evening with the royal cremation ceremony. Either the casket or cremains are positioned at the head of the room with an alter placed nearby. As the Royal Family pay their last respects and place sandalwood flowers on the pyre, preceded by the buglers playing the Last Post, the 1st and 3rd Battalions, 1st Infantry Regiment "King's Own Bodyguards", and the 5th Battalion, 11th Infantry Regiment, King's Guard all mount one last Royal Salute, followed by a three-volley rifle salute and the gun salute as the band plays Phayasok one final time. The Funeral Ceremony. Tens of thousands of mourners dressed in black swell the... Thailand says farewell to its 'father': Thousands of... Maimed Elephant rescued by two diggers after being trapped... 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