Thais Bid Final Farewell to King

[DonViejo]

Source: Voice of America




October 26, 2017 3:20 PM
Luke Hunt

BANGKOK, THAILAND —
Hundreds of thousands of people surrounded the Thai royal palace and millions more gathered at shrines around the country Thursday to bid their final farewells to their revered King Bhumibol Adulyedaj, after a year of official mourning.

Dressed in black and amid tight security, 7,500 guests at the Grand Palace, including royals from as far afield as Britain, Bhutan and Lesotho, looked on as smoke began billowing from a spectacular 50.28-meter-tall pyre representing Mount Meru — the center of the universe in Thai-Hindu cosmology.

The procession and cremation, televised live on all Thai networks, began Wednesday with the transportation of the royal urn to the Royal Crematorium. Mourners prostrated themselves before a 200-year-old, 42-ton chariot carrying King Bhumibol's remains, as the ever-loyal military marched with all the spit and polish demanded of the occasion.

They lit candles and incense sticks, in scenes repeated at shrines and an additional 85 replicas of the cremation site erected across 70 provinces in ceremonies barely changed over six centuries.

Read more: https://www.voanews.com/a/thais-bid-final-farewell-to-king/4087712.html

[Jake Stern]

1. To think what the money spent on that bullshit could have done for the people

Don't understand why any person would support a monarchy with its redundant pageantry, needless opulence, and eye-popping price tag.

[grantcart]

5. Yes what the Thais need are Americans telling them how they should conduct themselves

after all we have done such a great job selecting our leadership everyone else should just shut up and take notes while American instruct them on the correct way to run a country.

The construction of the Royal Crematorium for the Royal Funeral is done without much cost as the art related work is done by the Ministry of Culture and students at Silpakorn University who is the repository University and post graduate Fine Arts institute for the country. The large numbers of guards who accompany the remains on the Royal Barges are active duty military who are free. Over 6000 citizens have volunteered to assist free in various ways.

Over 12 million people have waited up to 12 hours to pass by the remains of the King over the last 100 days. while they passed the King many left donations to the King's charity (like Red Cross) and they have raised over $ 40 million.

In the 70 years that the King reigned the United States has had 16 Inaugurals with the last one at a budget of over $ 100 million. While there are some out of pocket expenses there is also significant tourism from neighboring countries as the King's funeral is likely to be the largest in history. It is quite possible that the taxes from increased tourism will offset out of pocket expenses, but if you add the donations to charity then the event certainly has raised more money for charity than its net cost.

[Fritz Walter]

2. Thank you!

I have several Thai friends -- mostly former exchange students and their parents.
When I saw their tributes to their beloved King on Facebook, I didn't want to show my ignorance and ask what happened. Your post enlightened me to what was happening and how it impacted their culture.
Without being judgemental.
ขอขอบคุณ!

[DonViejo]

3. I lived there for five years...

I know first hand the love and admiration the people hold him in. I was there when he forced the military dictatorship of PM Thanom Kittikachorn out of power. It had been a brutal and bloody week; mass demonstrations, brutality by security forces, some of the demonstrators (3 I think) were shot and killed.

Thailand is a beautiful country, the people incredibly the same and heart full

[Grins]

4. Trump isn't going to call and offer condolences, it he?

Enough nations hate us already, and I'm not sure I could take another one.