Thailand is preparing to hold a lavish five-day funeral for its beloved monarch who died last year aged 88.
Crowds have already started camping out on the streets of Bangkok in order to secure a prime viewing spot for the funeral of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, which is expected to draw a quarter of a million people to the capital.
The ceremony, estimated to cost $90million (£69million) will feature thousands of performers, royal chariots drawn by hundreds of men, and an artificial palace which will be burned with his remains inside it.
A quarter of a million Thais are expected to gather on the streets of Bangkok ahead of the cremation of King Bhumibol Adulyadej on Thursday, a year after he died following a long battle with illness
Crowds have already started camping on the streets of the capital in order to say their last farewell to the longest-ruling monarch in their history, and a man many revered as semi-divine
Since his death, King Bhumibol’s body has lain in state at the royal palace in Bangkok while the country observed a year of mourning. There is no set period, and it varies depending on the stature of the deceased
King Bhumibol’s subjects have been allowed to view his remains and pay their respects at the palace while Buddhist monks performed daily rites. A day of national holiday has also been declared for Thursday, when he will be burned
At the time of his death, Bhumibol was the longest-serving head of state anywhere in the world, Thailand’s longest-serving monarch, and the world’s richest royal with an estimated fortune of $30billion
Bhumibol was known as the development king, overseeing ambitious public works during his lifetime in order to bring Thailand into the 21st century, while steering clear of communism. He also cultivated a reputation of being down-to-earth, making him immensely popular among his subjects
Two women holding fans handed out specially to mark the funeral sleep in the doorway of a shop in Bangkok as a tropical storm passes over the capital. Thousands have already saved their spot for the ceremony
The crowds are gathering around a giant artificial crematorium where the King’s body will be placed on Thursday before it is burned and then placed in an urn
Mourners of the Thai king sit under their umbrellas in Bangkok as they await the funeral of their beloved monarch, which will take place after sunset on Thursday
Those who had already traveled to the capital were undeterred by a tropical storm which struck on Tuesday night, choosing to keep their place in the rain rather than risk losing it
Forecasters have warned that the cremation ceremony may be overshadowed by rain, though that would be fitting for a king who was known for his connection to water – featuring it prominently in the 4,000 public constructions he oversaw
Mourners set up a shrine to King Bhumibol near the Grand Palace in Bangkok on Tuesday they await the start of the funeral ceremonies, which will begin on Thursday
The crematorium has taken a year to build and features multiple water fountains and 500 sculptures of animals, including two of the King’s dogs, named Jo Cho and Tong Daen
Since King Bhumibol passed away in October 2016 from a long illness, his body has lain in state in the royal palace in Bangkok while a year-long period of national mourning was observed.
According to the country’s traditions the embalmed remains have been constantly attended by Buddhist monks performing funeral rites, with ceremonial music played every three hours.
Until the early 20th century these rites were performed in private, which also allowed time for the body to slowly decompose away from the eyes of the monarch’s subjects. Strong incense was burned to cover the smell.
But since the death of King Chulalongkorn in 1910 the palace has been kept open this period of mourning, allowing subjects to come and pay their last respects.
King Bhumibol was the longest ruling monarch in the kingdom’s history, reigning for seven decades. During that time he reversed the fortunes of the unpopular monarchy, restoring it to revered status.
King Bhumibol was dearly loved before he died, and the country shut down for days after his death – with many people, including prostitutes, wearing black after business started up again. The same loyalty was on display on the streets of Bangkok as people sat in the rain to save spaces for his funeral
A Buddhist monk shelters from the downpour as he prepares for the funeral. Monks have attended the body of the king every day since his death, chanting funeral rites
The funeral will feature huge royal chariots pulled by hundreds of men which will carry the king’s body. Once it reaches the crematorium, smaller version will be used in a stage performance, which is being rehearsed here
Thousands of performers, including musicians, acrobats and dancers will take part in the ceremony honouring their monarch, who passed away in October last year
Thai artists perform the Khon dance, the traditional Thai masked performance drama based on the Hindu epic Ramayana for their final farewell to the late King Bhumibol
By the time of his death he was viewed as semi-divine by his subjects – a man who saved Thailand from communism and dragged it into the 21st century, while remaining in touch with the people.
Despite his down-to-earth reputation, his funeral will be anything but. Preparations began almost as soon as he died, and are only just being completed.
The crematorium in Bangkok has been painstakingly sculpted by master craftsmen, and incorporates dozens of water features to honor King Bhumibol’s connection to it – of 4,000 government projects he oversaw, roughly 3,000 featured water.
Sculptors have crafted 500 animals to sit around it, including cows to represent plenty and lions to represent the country’s religious code, according to the BBC. The structure will be topped by replicas of the King’s two dogs, Jo Cho and Tong Daen.
Replicas of the crematorium have also been constructed around the country for those unable to make it to the capital on Thursday, when it will be burned.
For those unable to make it to the capital for the start of the ceremony on Thursday, smaller versions of the crematorium have been built around the country for people to pay their respects
The Great Victory Royal Chariot is pulled through Bangkok by officers of the Thai army and royal officials as the practice ahead of the funeral
Thai royal guards march next to a mourning portrait of the late King, who will be mourned by millions of subjects this week
Thai army officials participate in a training exercise to pull a royal funeral chariot vehicle, which will be used in the procession
The ceremony will also feature the firing of cannons, as members of the Thai royal guard practice firing them
Raised in Switzerland, Bhumibol ascended the throne aged 18 in 1946 after his elder brother Ananda Mahidol was shot dead in mysterious circumstances at the Grand Palace in Bangkok.
He was crowned four years later, inheriting a monarchy whose power was in steady decline.
By time of his death, all of that had changed.
Bhumibol left behind one of the world’s richest monarchies, with the palace the pivot point of Thailand’s power networks including the influential military.
‘Thailand needed a king as rallying and unifying symbol and a young king found a people to rebuild a kingdom around,’ explained Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a politics professor at Chulalongkorn University.
A revival of antiquated palace rituals — including prostration in his presence — and spiritual duties gilded the throne, elevating Bhumibol to a semi-divine status.
That deification made scenes of his engagement with ordinary Thais even more remarkable to a nation awed by his work ethic.
Over years spent criss-crossing Thailand, Bhumibol seeded thousands of well-publicised royal projects in a poor, agrarian country that won him the moniker the ‘Development King’.