First 14 tamarind trees to be moved from Sanam Luang

BANGKOK, March 25 (TNA) - A team of arborists have removed the first 14 tamarind trees located in the south of Sanam Luang ground to Saraburi province, in order to make room for the construction of the royal crematorium for His Majesty late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The arborist team from Nong Nooch Garden, together with officials from the Bangkok Environment Department worked hand-in-hand to trim the branches of the 14 tamarind trees, before placing them on two 10-wheeler trucks for transportation to a tree nursery in Saraburi. Another 30 tamarind trees are scheduled to be moved out from Sanam Luang on April 25, where the operation is expected to be completed with a couple of days then. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has previously marked all 44 tamarind trees, as well as noted their trunks' circumferences and photographed them so that after the cremation ceremony is completed, they could be planted back into the same place they were before. Currently, around Sanam Luang ceremonial ground, there are more than 700 tamarind trees. many of which are more than a century old. (TNA)