Story highlights
The King's body arrives at the Grand Palace
Mourners line the route of the procession
King Bhumibol Adulyadej ascended the throne 70 years ago
(CNN) —
Thais were bidding a final farewell to their revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej as his funeral procession made its way through Bangkok on Friday.
His body was transported from Bangkok’s Siriraj Hospital to the Grand Palace, where his funeral rites will be carried out.
Here’s the latest:
• The King’s body and his family traveled by motorcade to the Grand Palace, where mourners had claimed spaces to watch the historic event. Many had been camped out since midnight.
• Grieving Thais and Thai military personnel put their hands together in a sign of respect as the vehicle carrying the procession passed them.
• Media broadcasts ceased while the King’s body underwent a bathing ceremony.
• 100 monks are due to chant special prayers during a religious ceremony, taking place at Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall inside the Grand Palace.
The procession left the hospital at 5:34 p.m local time with Somdej Phrawannarat, a much-revered monk, in the first vehicle. Phrawannarat is a leader at a Buddhist temple that is important to the King’s Chakri Dynasty. A line of nurses pressed their hands together and bid the King a final farewell as his body was transported to the Grand Palace.
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MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/Getty Images
A motorcade carries the body of Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej's to his palace in Bangkok on October 14, 2016.
Thousands of Thais dressed in black thronged the streets as the funeral procession – consisting of several vehicles flanked by security personnel – made its way to the Grand Palace. A police spokesman told CNN that he estimated over a hundred thousand people had showed up at the Grand Palace to witness the King’s funeral ceremony. The vehicle transporting the King arrived at the Grand Palace at 5:59 p.m local time.
At the palace, the King’s body was due to undergo a funeral bathing ceremony – a traditional rite in Buddhist culture – attended only by members of the Thai royal family.
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MANAN VATSYAYANA/AFP/Getty Images
Thai army personel line up a street ahead of a procession for Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej from Siriraj Hospital to the royal palace in Bangkok on October 14, 2016.
Earlier in the day, Thais had also lined up for the opportunity to pour water on a portrait of the King inside the palace grounds – a way for the masses to simulate the symbolic royal bathing of the King’s body.
“This is an important moment in my country’s history,” said 36-year-old Anon Pairot, who was one of those that attended the public gathering.
“I wanted to be a part of it and join other Thais as we mourn our King.”
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Borja Sanchez Trillo/Getty Images
Thai people attend royal bathing ceremony at The Grand Palace.
Others had camped out even earlier to witness the historic procession.
“I couldn’t sleep and I didn’t want to sit around at home, I had to do something as I was feeling so sad,” says Patarapong Chankaw, 28, who had been at the Grand Palace since 5 a.m local time. “So I came to the grand palace to be with other mourners.”
As dawn broke Friday, the streets were awash with grief as the reality of the Thursday evening passing of the King began to set in.
The tide of pink and yellow of the past few days, worn as a show of support for his majesty, has now made way for a sea of black.
Friday has been declared a public holiday for government offices by the Thai cabinet, according to an announcement on state television.
Photos: Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej dies at 88
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ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
A Thai cyclist prays in front of the Grand Palace in Bangkok on October 16, 2016. Thousands of Thai men and women gather daily in the vicinity of the palace to pray for the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej after his death Thursday.
Photos: Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej dies at 88
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Wason Wanichakorn/AP
A Buddhist monk stands next to line of mourners waiting to pay their respects to the body of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej at the Grand Palace in Bangkok, October 15, 2016.
Photos: Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej dies at 88
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STRINGER/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Devotees light candles for the late Thai King at Mahabodhi temple in Bodhgaya on October 14.
Photos: Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej dies at 88
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ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
A Thai man carries high an image of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej as a large crowd floods the streets leading to the Royal Palace on October 14, 2016.
Photos: Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej dies at 88
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MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
A van carries the body of Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej's to his palace in Bangkok on October 14.
Photos: Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej dies at 88
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Aaron Joel Santos/Getty Images
Thais gathering outside of Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok hold up baht notes with a portrait of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej on Friday, October 14, in Bangkok, Thailand, following news of his death the previous day.
Photos: Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej dies at 88
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Taylor Weidman/Getty Images
A flag flies at half-staff outside a government hospital on October 14 in Chiang Mai, Thailand. According to a palace statement, all government buildings will fly the Thai flag at half-staff for 30 days starting on Friday.
Photos: Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej dies at 88
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Borja Sanchez Trillo/Getty Images
Thai Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-o-cha attends a traditional funeral bathing ceremony for the King at the Grand Palace in Bangkok on Friday.
Photos: Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej dies at 88
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LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA/AFP/Getty Images
The Prime Minister arrives to pay respects to the late King at the Grand Palace on October 14.
Photos: Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej dies at 88
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Taylor Weidman/Getty Images
Dignitaries participate in a ceremony commemorating the King at Wat Phra Singh on Friday in Chiang Mai.
Photos: Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej dies at 88
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Wason Wanichakorn/AP
Buddhist monks line up to offer condolences at the Grand Palace in Bangkok on Friday.
Photos: Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej dies at 88
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LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA/AFP/Getty Images
People dressed mostly in black wait outside the Grand Palace to pay respects to the King on October 14.
Photos: Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej dies at 88
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LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA/AFP/Getty Images
The Thai Royal Guard marches in honor of Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej on Friday.
Photos: Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej dies at 88
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MANAN VATSYAYANA/AFP/Getty Images
Amid a procession of vehicles, a van carries the body of the King to his palace in Bangkok on Friday.
Photos: Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej dies at 88
PHOTO:
MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/Getty Images
Mourners shade themselves under umbrellas while they await the procession of the King's body to the palace in Bangkok on October 14.
Photos: Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej dies at 88
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Borja Sanchez Trillo/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images
A woman passes out after an official statement announces the death of the king.
Photos: Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej dies at 88
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LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA/AFP/Getty Images
People react to news of the King's death outside Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok on Thursday.
Photos: Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej dies at 88
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Borja Sanchez Trillo/Getty Images
A women cries after learning of the King's death on October 13 in Bangkok.
Some of the normally bustling streets of Bangkok were quiet as somber Thais set out on their morning commutes.
Hundreds of people had for days gathered at Bangkok’s Siriraj Hospital where the king was being treated, and as the sun began to set, the crowd swelled into the thousands.
READ MORE: Tributes pour in for Thai King
Nearby Charoen Krung Road, one of the city’s oldest thoroughfares, was packed with mourners.
Janet Osbourne, who was visiting Bangkok from the UK, told CNN she thought the scene was “remarkable to witness.”
“It’s quite sad to see, clearly the people of Thailand had so much respect for their king,” she said. “As as tourist, I think it’s important to respect the nation as it grieves.”
On Bangkok’s Skytrains, digital screens which normally show loud advertisements were turned off.
But Bangkok is carrying on with its regular routines as much as possible.
READ MORE: King was peacemaker at times of crisis in Thailand
Many businesses are operating as normal – the public holiday is discretionary for private companies. Open restaurants have their televisions tuned to royal documentaries, which are airing on all channels.
Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn was appointed the King’s successor in 1972, but exactly when the Crown Prince will ascend to the throne is yet to be announced.
Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said “he needs time to jointly mourn with Thai people.”
Photos: Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej: A life in pictures
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John Dominis/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Thailand's Bhumibol Adulyadej was crowned king on May 5, 1950. News of the 88-year-old's death was announced Thursday, October 13, via a statement from the Royal Palace read on state TV. He was the world's longest-reigning living monarch.
Photos: Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej: A life in pictures
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AP
Bhumibol, left, is pictured in 1935 with his older brother, the former King Ananda Mahidol, in Lausanne, Switzerland, where the boys attended school. King Ananda was 20 when he died of a gunshot wound under mysterious circumstances. His 18-year-old brother, known then as Prince Phumiphon Aduldet, later assumed the throne to become King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
Photos: Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej: A life in pictures
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AP
Bhumibol and his future wife, Princess Sirikit Kityakara, are pictured in Lausanne in 1949. The couple married a year later at Srapathum Palace in Bangkok, Thailand.
Photos: Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej: A life in pictures
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AP
The King and Queen pose with their children, Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn and Princess Ubol Ratana, on the steps of Bangkok's Chitralada Palace in 1955. Two more daughters, Princesses Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and Chulabhorn Walailak, were born in 1955 and 1957.
Photos: Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej: A life in pictures
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AP
The royal couple ride with U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower during a five-day state visit to the United States in 1960.
Photos: Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej: A life in pictures
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AP
The King, far right, plays the saxophone during a 1960 jam session with legendary jazz clarinetist Benny Goodman and his band in New York.
Photos: Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej: A life in pictures
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Harris/AP
The King walks with his wife and their 13-year-old son, Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, during a visit to Britain in 1966.
Photos: Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej: A life in pictures
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Mangkorn/AP
The King convenes the first meeting of his country's National Reform Assembly during a ceremony held in Bangkok in 1976. The King put the monarchy at the center of Thai society, acting as a force for community and tradition even as the country flipped between political crises and military coups.
Photos: Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej: A life in pictures
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Patrick AVENTURIER/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images
The King raises a camera to take a photo in 1995. He was given his first camera in 1934, which ignited a lifelong enthusiasm for photography. He has often been seen with a camera around his neck during public appearances.
Photos: Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej: A life in pictures
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CHARLES DHARAPAK/AP
The King and Queen survey a rice crop made possible by a Royal Irrigation Project in 1996. The project formed part of the Royal Development Projects, which focused on developing remote rural areas. The King has taken an interest in environmental projects throughout his long reign.
Photos: Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej: A life in pictures
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SAKCHAI LALIT/AP
The King reviews an honor guard with Queen Sirikit and Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn during the annual military parade to celebrate his birthday in 2006.
Photos: Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej: A life in pictures
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STR/AFP/Getty Images
The King lights candles at a ceremony to mark Coronation Day in Bangkok in 2007.
Photos: Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej: A life in pictures
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AP
The King is wheeled towards his yacht in 2010, during a rare public appearance to open a new flood gate and two bridges in Bangkok.
Photos: Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej: A life in pictures
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Wason Wanichakorn/AP
The King is pictured with family members in 2012. He addressed a crowd from a balcony on his 85th birthday.
Photos: Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej: A life in pictures
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CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT/AFP/Getty Images
The King is seen through a car window as he leaves the Siriraj hospital in Bangkok in 2015.
Photos: Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej: A life in pictures
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CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT/AFP/Getty Images
A portrait of the King is held on the eve of his 88th birthday as people gather outside the Siriraj hospital in 2015. The King of Thailand is regarded as a demi-god by many Thais, and his popularity has been viewed as a unifying force during times of political unrest.
