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| Thailand Grieves After Death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej | Thailand Grieves After Death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej |
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| BANGKOK — Tens of thousands of grieving Thais lined the streets of the capital on Friday to view the coffin of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, a day after the beloved monarch’s 70-year reign ended with his death. | BANGKOK — Tens of thousands of grieving Thais lined the streets of the capital on Friday to view the coffin of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, a day after the beloved monarch’s 70-year reign ended with his death. |
| Some people said they had arrived as early as 3 a.m. to claim a spot along the route of a procession from Siriraj Hospital, where the king, 88, died on Thursday after years of illness, to the Grand Palace, where Buddhist rites were to be held. By midafternoon, as the start of the procession neared, spectators were crowded 50 deep in some places, with many sitting in the street. | Some people said they had arrived as early as 3 a.m. to claim a spot along the route of a procession from Siriraj Hospital, where the king, 88, died on Thursday after years of illness, to the Grand Palace, where Buddhist rites were to be held. By midafternoon, as the start of the procession neared, spectators were crowded 50 deep in some places, with many sitting in the street. |
| Most people wore black, and many sat under umbrellas in the 90-degree heat. Many also displayed framed photographs of the king; some, lacking photos, held up Thai bank notes with his picture on them. | |
| “I just want to send him to heaven,” said Supasit Chinwinitkul, a university student who said he had come to the palace at 6 a.m. “He did so much for us. Just waiting for a short time is a small sacrifice for me. He did thousands of times more for us.” | “I just want to send him to heaven,” said Supasit Chinwinitkul, a university student who said he had come to the palace at 6 a.m. “He did so much for us. Just waiting for a short time is a small sacrifice for me. He did thousands of times more for us.” |
| The king’s motorcade left the hospital late in the afternoon, moving slowly, escorted by police officers on motorcycles. Spectators bowed as it passed, and members of the military along the route dropped to one knee. Many in the crowd sobbed, and some wailed. | The king’s motorcade left the hospital late in the afternoon, moving slowly, escorted by police officers on motorcycles. Spectators bowed as it passed, and members of the military along the route dropped to one knee. Many in the crowd sobbed, and some wailed. |
| The government declared Friday a holiday, but malls, shops and street stalls were open, as were banks and the Thai stock market. Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, head of the military junta that seized power in 2014, had urged Thais to continue with business as usual even as they mourned the king. | The government declared Friday a holiday, but malls, shops and street stalls were open, as were banks and the Thai stock market. Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, head of the military junta that seized power in 2014, had urged Thais to continue with business as usual even as they mourned the king. |
| But signs of Thailand’s loss were inescapable in Bangkok. People everywhere wore black, and some newspapers and websites went to a black-and-white format. | |
| Television channels, both domestic and foreign, broadcast documentary footage about the king at the government’s request. They were told they could resume showing their own content starting at midnight, but without showing entertainment programs. | |
| King Bhumibol, the world’s longest-reigning monarch when he died, was revered by Thais, even as faith in the monarchy had ebbed in recent years. His son, Maha Vajiralongkorn, the crown prince, who is expected to take the throne, is less popular. Anxiety over the succession was underscored Thursday night when General Prayuth announced that the crown prince was not ready to become king and had asked for more time to grieve. | King Bhumibol, the world’s longest-reigning monarch when he died, was revered by Thais, even as faith in the monarchy had ebbed in recent years. His son, Maha Vajiralongkorn, the crown prince, who is expected to take the throne, is less popular. Anxiety over the succession was underscored Thursday night when General Prayuth announced that the crown prince was not ready to become king and had asked for more time to grieve. |
| Local news outlets reported that the head of the privy council, Prem Tinsulanonda, 96, a retired general and former prime minister, had been named regent, but at least two news organizations took down their articles Friday afternoon. Rules require that a regent be named if the throne is vacant for 24 hours. | Local news outlets reported that the head of the privy council, Prem Tinsulanonda, 96, a retired general and former prime minister, had been named regent, but at least two news organizations took down their articles Friday afternoon. Rules require that a regent be named if the throne is vacant for 24 hours. |
| King Bhumibol was a stabilizing figure in an increasingly polarized country that has had many military coups, and Thais viewed him as a selfless monarch devoted to his people’s welfare. | King Bhumibol was a stabilizing figure in an increasingly polarized country that has had many military coups, and Thais viewed him as a selfless monarch devoted to his people’s welfare. |
| Narongnut Phungsuta, a teacher, who lives 150 miles north of Bangkok in Nakhon Sawan Province, came to the capital for the procession. He arrived outside the palace at 3 a.m., he said, and waited for more than 12 hours, in a coat and tie, for a chance to say goodbye. | Narongnut Phungsuta, a teacher, who lives 150 miles north of Bangkok in Nakhon Sawan Province, came to the capital for the procession. He arrived outside the palace at 3 a.m., he said, and waited for more than 12 hours, in a coat and tie, for a chance to say goodbye. |
| “The king is my life,” he said. “He is like my father. He is my everything. All through his life he did everything for us.” | “The king is my life,” he said. “He is like my father. He is my everything. All through his life he did everything for us.” |