Thais Throng Grand Palace Saturday To Pay Last Respects To Late King

By Mohd Haikal Mohd Isa BANGKOK, Oct 31 (Bernama) -- Tens of thousands of Thais started queing at the entrance to the Grand Palace since early Friday night as the palace opened its doors beginning Saturday for mourners to pay their last respects to the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died on Oct 13. Black-clad Thais started congregating at Sanam Luang, near the palace early to stand a chance to be the lucky few allowed to enter the palace's Dusit Maha Prasad Throne Hall daily to pay their final respects. The government has set a daily quota of 10,000 mourners to enter the throne hall where the late King's body lies in state. "I know it will very packed today (Saturday), that is why I started to queue at Sanam Luang since 3am (local time) today (Saturday) to pay my final respects to my late 'father' (King Bhumibol)," Ladda Pungprayoon told Bernama when met Saturday. The 52-year-old businesswoman from Samut Prakan said the death of the late King left a deep mark to her as she felt "empty" nowadays and still cried whenever she saw the portraits of the late King. Born during the late King's reign, she witnessed he work tirelessly to develop the country. Meanwhile, another mourner, Petcharin Choopla, 43, a kindergarten teacher from Surin in northeastern Thailand near the Thai-Cambodia border, traveled nearly 400km hoping to be the lucky one to enter the Grand Palace Saturday. "I arrived here (Sanam Luang) at 4am and started to queue in the hope of seeing the King for the very last time," she said, admitting having difficulty sleeping ever since the passing of the King. A lot of fellow Thais including his father and relatives could not comprehend Thailand without the late King and questioned whether the country could move forward without the beloved monarch, she said. The Thai government has closed several roads leading to Sanam Luang where the Grand Palace is situated to ensure smooth traffic and provides free transport to ferry the public to the palace. The government also implemented quota cards to better manage the number of mourners allowed into the throne hall. -- BERNAMA