Thais honour late King
Sanam Luang
From dawn to dusk
was filled with a sea of yellow.
The colour came from shirts people
wore to express their
love
respect for King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
They came to participate in an all-day round of ceremonial events to mark the second year of King Bhumibol's passing
Sanam Luang
on Saturday morning.
A wreath-laying ceremony
in honour of the late King Bhumibol
From afternoon,
a sea of people walked to Sanam Luang
waiting to participate in candle vigils scheduled for 6pm.
Heavy rain during the afternoon
did not deter them from showing their love for the late king.
They wanted to make sure they could participate.
People interviewed by the Bangkok Post
admitted
the ground has a special meaning in their hearts.
Last year
the royal cremation
took place at the Sanam Luang ground
and people came to evoke their fond memories about King Bhumibol.
Prakong Srisurat
57-year-old
an office employee from Prawet district
said "King Bhumibol has always been in my heart. Yet I felt the need to come here in person to pay him respect ... to feel the vibe,
who came to Sanam Luang in the early afternoon.
Boonyanuch Boonpok
a civil servant from the Ministry of Industry
55-year-old
teary-eyed
joined by her
27-year-old daughter Chayanid
Ms Chayanid said.
I just had to come because I want to be around other like-minded Thais
said "It's heartwarming to see that even after two years, a sea of people still gather here to honour him,"
At Siriraj Hospital
where King Bhumibol stayed for medical treatment before he passed away
people joined nurses, doctors and health personnel to give alms to 89 Buddhist monks at the country's oldest hospital in Bangkok and observed an 89-second silence in front of the portrait of the late King.
Eighty-nine
has become the number people adopt to honour the former King
who passed away about seven weeks before his 89th birthday on Dec 5.
Many said
King Bhumibol is still alive in their hearts while others regard him as a model for making contributions to the country.