Reader question: Does anyone have information about the rituals at the cremation of King Bhumibol

Here you will find a lot of information. The king lies in a coffin under the urn that will later be used for cremation.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/life/art_culture/30298053

What you often see is the rolling out of a wide band throughout the Throne Room and the crown prince (now king) pouring water into a bowl. Both are symbols for transferring 'merit' to and from the deceased. The visitors to the Throne Room share in that merit. The rough white cotton threads you see in temples and houses serve the same purpose. The whole has Buddhist but also many Hindu elements.

My wife and I paid a final salute to the late King Bhumibol on December 30. It was my wife's express wish to be able to say a dignified farewell to her dearly beloved king.

The security services had asked me for my passport and let me in when my wife told them that I am her husband. In the tents I understood why. This honor would only be due to the Thai people. Still I wonder why I didn't see any other farang there and why I was there. Surely there are more who are married to Thais.

Everyone was in black and neatly dressed (including me). Almost everyone had put on their best and nicest black clothes, as if they were going to a very important party. I did have a black T-shirt with the Thai numeral 9 (Bhumibol was the 9th king of the Chakri dynasty) printed on it and long dark gray, almost black trousers. My brown hiking boots were a bit out of place.

After waiting in the tents for about the whole morning – because there was a Buddhist ceremony with guests and monks in the palace – everyone could say hello.

The movement from the tents to the palace, where the deceased king is located, was very disciplined and with the necessary patience. It was carefully checked whether everyone adhered to the dress code. I was requested to wear my T-shirt under my pants instead of loose.

The people were allowed in groups in the room where the deceased king is located. There they sit together and simultaneously on the ground and salute the king. That takes less than a minute at most. Then everyone stands up and then leaves the room. Everyone is given a commemoration in the form of a card and a souvenir.

If the editors of Thailandblog wish, I can send a more detailed report of this experience with homemade photos to the editors of Thailandblog.

EVERY Thai bookshop - including the more English ones like Kinokuniya and ASIAboks - many shops here in BKK - all have a huge table full of commemorative books, both in Thai and English. The more expensive ones are usually artfully decorated and mainly intended as a gift. The choice is therefore enormous and you will find something. Moreover, new ones are added all the time, including reports (especially older newspapers) of the mourning ceremonies.
Every day, especially weekends, Ratchdamnern road is lined every half hour with dozens of Thai tour buses coming from all over the country, all bringing home the newly dressed visitors - the city buses are completely reorganized here and largely free. The mourners also usually come with arms full of free gifts - even for the farang there is still plenty of free water and food.