Thailand prepares for $91 million funeral

The Kingdom of Thailand will begin the five-day royal cremation ceremony next month for King Bhumibol Adulyadej, whose reign lasted seven decades.

The country’s military government has budgeted 3 billion-baht ($91 million) for the funeral.

Huge crowds are expected near a vast crematorium being constructed at Sanam Luang, a park in the heart of Bangkok close to the Grand Palace. The cremation itself is scheduled for October 26. Thais believe the deceased monarch will ascend to heaven.

An ornate palanquin is being prepared for the royal funeral. Bhumibol died on October 13, 2016 at age 88. The monarch, who took the throne in 1946, had come to symbolise continuity. During his reign, the country had more than two dozen prime ministers and 10 military coups.

1. A statue of the king at the Fine Arts Department. Bhumibol was born December 5, 1927, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where his father, Prince Mahidol, was studying medicine at Harvard University. Bhumibol was survived by his wife, Queen Sirikit. His only son, Maha Vajiralongkorn, succeeded to the throne. His coronation will be held after the cremation.

2. A view of the ceremonial ground at Sanam Luang, a park in the heart of Bangkok near the Grand Palace.

3. The Bangkok National Museum has been turned into a site of funeral preparations. Bhumibol was the world's longest-reigning monarch at the time of his death. He was the ninth king in the two-century-old Chakri Dynasty, one of the world's wealthiest monarchies.

4. Artists work on decorative items for the king's cremation. On October 29, the final day of the cremation process, Bhumibol's ashes will be enshrined at two temples in the Thai capital: Wat Ratchabophit and Wat Bovoranives.

5. A small shrine to the king sits on a table at the Fine Arts Department in Bangkok. A ceremonial royal urn will be moved to the crematorium at 7 am on October 26, the second day. The cremation will take place at 10 pm.

6. The restored golden chariot will carry the royal run to the 40-storey high crematorium built at Sanam Luang. The royal family and foreign dignitaries will watch proceedings from a pavilion built next to the crematorium. The ornate pavilion can house 2,400 people.