Crowds brave heat for first procession by new Thai king

Crowds of Thais eager to witness history filled roads around the grand palace Sunday waiting under a scorching sun for newly-crowned King Rama X to emerge on a golden palanquin for a procession through Bangkok's historic heart.

Wearing yellow shirts -- the royal colour -- and carrying hats and umbrellas to protect against temperatures reaching 36 degrees Celsius, they inched through security checkpoints, many clutching portraits of the king.

"It may be my first and last chance to see this," 57-year-old street Nattriya Siripattana told AFP of the first ceremony of its kind in 69 years. "I'm afraid of the heat but it won't stop me."
"When the event (coronation) is finished we will have to focus on politics," said Titipol Phakdeewanich, a lecturer at Ubon Ratchathani University. "The Election Commission has failed to provide sufficient information about the election results."