More bus trips serve people paying respects to the late King

Bangkok, Sept 24 – The Land Transport Department has ordered bus operators with routes passing the Grand Palace and Sanam Luang to well serve people paying respects to King Rama IX before the activity is concluded on Sept 30. Sanit Promwong, director-general of the department, said that as huge crowds were arriving at the areas to pay the respects, he ordered subordinates in provinces to facilitate people’s transport and deploy buses to serve the travel demand to Bangkok. Transport officials are deployed at Bangkok’s bus terminals, the Hua Lamphong railway terminus, electric train interchanges and the Victory Monument to advise visitors on public transport to Sanam Luang. The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) operates more bus trips passing the Grand Palace and Sanam Luang and runs shuttle buses on 36 routes to Sanam Luang between 6am and midnight. The Bureau of the Royal Household has opened the Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall for people to pay respects to the late King since Oct 29 last year. Transport authorities reported that in the first 100 days of the King Rama IX’s passing on Oct 14 last year, 19.66 million people boarded BMTA buses to Sanam Luang. During the period 187,000 people took buses to Sanam Luang each day. After the 100-day period or since Jan 27, 26 million people used public transport to Sanam Luang, or about 112,000 people a day. (TNA)