Mourners gather at Thai royal palace to await princess’ body

BANGKOK: Hundreds of black-clad Thai mourners gathered at the royal palace in Bangkok on Saturday, awaiting the arrival of the body of the king’s eldest daughter a day after her death was announced.

Princess Bajrakitiyabha, known as Princess Bha, died aged 47 on Thursday after spending more than three years in a coma due to a cardiac condition.

“I will wait here all day for her body to arrive,” Donnapha Kladbupha, a 54-year-old English teacher and self-described royalist, told AFP.

“When it comes to saying goodbye, it’s not easy for us,” she said, adding that the monarchy represented “unity” for Thai people during times of distress.

Donnapha joined around 20 fellow members of an online royalist group in what she called an effort “to give support to my king”.

Nearby, mourners queued for their turn to perform a Buddhist ritual of pouring holy water into a ceremonial bowl placed before a portrait of the princess.

“I’m sad that she passed away, especially when I saw her pictures as a child,” another mourner, Nitikan Tephakham, 79, from the northeastern province of Roi Et, told AFP.

“When she was sick, I prayed for sacred beings to protect her and hoped for a miracle,” she added.

Strict protocol

The princess’ body is due to be transferred from Chulalongkorn Hospital, where she was treated, to the Grand Palace on Saturday afternoon – a customary procedure for deceased members of the royal family.

Thai police and public transport operators warned people to expect heavy traffic along the procession route and advised motorists to avoid affected areas where possible.

When King Bhumibol Adulyadej passed away in October 2016, his body was also taken to the Grand Palace, where it lay in state before an elaborate royal cremation ceremony the following year.

The Thai government has yet to announce details of the princess’ funeral, but it has instructed state officials to wear black and ordered that flags be flown at half-mast for 15 days.

The proceedings were carried out under tight security and strict protocol, where attendants wore formal attire, media access was restricted and dozens of police officers stood guard.

Tourists at the palace grounds, one of Bangkok’s most popular attractions, also had to find workarounds.

“It’s something quite unique that someone can be this much loved,” said Maria Marcais, a 22-year-old visitor from Canada.

“It’s profound,” she said.