Thais gather to sing royal anthem in honor of late king

By Arun Saronchai

BANGKOK (AA) – Tens of thousands of Thais gathered Saturday to sing the royal anthem to mourn the passing of highly revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej earlier this month.

Organizers estimated that at least 200,000 people gathered in the Royal Square in Bangkok's old town to share their sorrow.

Ananya Saiphan, a 36-year-old nurse, told Anadolu Agency, “I've traveled from Chiang Mai so I can be here and show his majesty that we love him” -- referring to a city around 700 kilometers (435 miles) north of the capital.

After a 70-year reign, Bhumibol passed away Oct. 13 at age 88, plunging the Southeast Asian nation into mourning.

Thais clad in black surrounded the Royal Palace on Saturday, carrying images of the late king, who represented a unifying figure among the country's tenuous, military-controlled politics.

Funeral ceremonies for Bhumibol are ongoing at the palace, with the country observing a one-year mourning period.

Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn has asked for time before ascending the throne -- with Gen. Prem Tinsulanonda, the chairman of Thailand's Privy Council, temporarily heading the regency according to the constitution.

Junta leader-cum-prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has said that Vajiralongkorn's official coronation would take place after Bhumibol's cremation, which is expected to follow a year of mourning.

The prince, however, can become king before the coronation.