A man pays his respects to a portrait of the late Princess Galyani Vadhana yesterday.
Royal Guards line up to face the royal urn.
People gather to witness the procession for the royal cremation.
REVERENCE: An elderly woman lays flowers during the royal cremation.HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana 1923 - 2008
Sunday November 16, 2008
Surasak Glahan and Lamphai Intathep
Bangkok Post
It was not only a chance to pay their last respects to Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana, but also the opportunity of a lifetime - many Thais clad in black said - as they attended the royal funeral yesterday.
In the morning, thousands of people of all ages from around the country dressed in the mourning colours of black and white joined the royal cremation ceremony at Sanam Luang.
Before all three royal processions were ready to start moving the royal urn to the crematorium, thousands lined the route from the Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall to Sanam Luang to witness the historical event.
Some mourners arrived before dawn to find the best place to watch the procession.
Most came from the countryside in rented buses or paid 100-500 baht to tour operators to participate in the six-day event.
The atmosphere was one of deep sadness mixed with a little chaos when the royal procession by officials in traditional uniforms slowly passed the crowds.
Many stood to get a better view, crushing those in front of them. Some pressed their hands together in a wai and bowed their heads to show respect.
"I don't want to miss this last chance to pay my respects to her. I am overwhelmed to see so many people coming here for the same purpose as well," said 60-year-old Suree Jitapiradeekul.
Princess Galyani passed away on Jan 2 this year at the age of 84 after a long battle with cancer.
Mrs Suree said she missed the princess, who had worked tirelessly for the Thai people. Like many elderly people who made up the majority of mourners at the royal event yesterday, she said she came with about 30 women friends of the same generation in a group from Chai Nat to Bangkok. They arrived at the funeral site at 5am to get a good spot.
Another woman, 73-year-old Pin Thongnoo-iad, said she was glad to have the chance to see the beauty of the royal pyre.
Mrs Pin, who travelled with 50 of her friends of a similar age from Phatthalung, said she wanted to see the event with her own eyes.
"The princess will remain in my memory as the savior of disabled children and disadvantaged villagers," she said.
They were among thousands of Thais who arrived at the event early yesterday morning, competing for the best vantage spots. Many travelled a long way from distant provinces.
They waited eagerly and patiently to get a glimpse of the procession to transfer the royal urn to the royal crematorium.As the morning went by and the weather started warming up, many mourners still maintained their bases, while some moved into shaded areas within the site.
Sa-aad Somtapmor, 70, said while sitting in the shade that he regarded his presence as merit-making for the late princess. He said he would remember her for her dedication in working for underprivileged Thais, the same as he remembered HRH the Princess Mother.
"I am so glad to see so many thousands of people gathering here to witness the event," he added.
Nineteen-year-old student Kamolthip Santhi said she knew the princess for her charity work and her TV documentaries on royal trips abroad.
"This event is the opportunity of a lifetime for me, and I am glad to have a chance to be part of it," she said.
Kanyanat Teykamol, 18, who was dressed in a student's uniform, said she had gone out alone to watch because her family in Udon Thani wanted her to be their representative and to bid a last farewell to the princess.
"My father told me that only once in my life can I be part of such a traditional rite, and it was a good opportunity to pay my respects to a royal," said the secondary student.
Another mourner, Boonkom Charirak, had ridden a bicycle more than 600 kilometres from his hometown of Kalasin to attend the ceremony. It was the second time he had ridden his bicycle to Bangkok - the first was last year when he came to celebrate His Majesty the King's 80th birthday.
It took him two and a half days to get to Bangkok. The 48-year-old said he had come to show his loyalty to the princess. But it was not only Thai people who joined yesterday's ceremony. Peter De Bruin from Holland said he was on holiday in Thailand and staying at the Royal Hotel, close to Sanam Luang. He was surprised when he saw a big crowd of people in black gathering at Sanam Luang.
"I knew that a princess had passed away, but I did not know that her cremation was yesterday until a reporter asked me for an interview," he said.
At 1pm, mourners were allowed to present sandalwood flowers to the late princess at eight designated sites near the Sanam Luang ceremonial site.
More than 250,000 sandalwood flowers, which were prepared by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration for the public, were given out.
Many temples in Bangkok, excluding the temples near Sanam Luang, were each given 10,000 sandalwood flowers for people to take part in the royal cremation.
People throughout the country also laid sandalwood flowers at recently built crematoriums at temples throughout the country in honour of the princess.
In the morning, thousands of people of all ages from around the country dressed in the mourning colours of black and white joined the royal cremation ceremony at Sanam Luang.
Before all three royal processions were ready to start moving the royal urn to the crematorium, thousands lined the route from the Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall to Sanam Luang to witness the historical event.
Some mourners arrived before dawn to find the best place to watch the procession.
Most came from the countryside in rented buses or paid 100-500 baht to tour operators to participate in the six-day event.
The atmosphere was one of deep sadness mixed with a little chaos when the royal procession by officials in traditional uniforms slowly passed the crowds.
Many stood to get a better view, crushing those in front of them. Some pressed their hands together in a wai and bowed their heads to show respect.
"I don't want to miss this last chance to pay my respects to her. I am overwhelmed to see so many people coming here for the same purpose as well," said 60-year-old Suree Jitapiradeekul.
Princess Galyani passed away on Jan 2 this year at the age of 84 after a long battle with cancer.
Mrs Suree said she missed the princess, who had worked tirelessly for the Thai people. Like many elderly people who made up the majority of mourners at the royal event yesterday, she said she came with about 30 women friends of the same generation in a group from Chai Nat to Bangkok. They arrived at the funeral site at 5am to get a good spot.
Another woman, 73-year-old Pin Thongnoo-iad, said she was glad to have the chance to see the beauty of the royal pyre.
Mrs Pin, who travelled with 50 of her friends of a similar age from Phatthalung, said she wanted to see the event with her own eyes.
"The princess will remain in my memory as the savior of disabled children and disadvantaged villagers," she said.
They were among thousands of Thais who arrived at the event early yesterday morning, competing for the best vantage spots. Many travelled a long way from distant provinces.
They waited eagerly and patiently to get a glimpse of the procession to transfer the royal urn to the royal crematorium.As the morning went by and the weather started warming up, many mourners still maintained their bases, while some moved into shaded areas within the site.
Sa-aad Somtapmor, 70, said while sitting in the shade that he regarded his presence as merit-making for the late princess. He said he would remember her for her dedication in working for underprivileged Thais, the same as he remembered HRH the Princess Mother.
"I am so glad to see so many thousands of people gathering here to witness the event," he added.
Nineteen-year-old student Kamolthip Santhi said she knew the princess for her charity work and her TV documentaries on royal trips abroad.
"This event is the opportunity of a lifetime for me, and I am glad to have a chance to be part of it," she said.
Kanyanat Teykamol, 18, who was dressed in a student's uniform, said she had gone out alone to watch because her family in Udon Thani wanted her to be their representative and to bid a last farewell to the princess.
"My father told me that only once in my life can I be part of such a traditional rite, and it was a good opportunity to pay my respects to a royal," said the secondary student.
Another mourner, Boonkom Charirak, had ridden a bicycle more than 600 kilometres from his hometown of Kalasin to attend the ceremony. It was the second time he had ridden his bicycle to Bangkok - the first was last year when he came to celebrate His Majesty the King's 80th birthday.
It took him two and a half days to get to Bangkok. The 48-year-old said he had come to show his loyalty to the princess. But it was not only Thai people who joined yesterday's ceremony. Peter De Bruin from Holland said he was on holiday in Thailand and staying at the Royal Hotel, close to Sanam Luang. He was surprised when he saw a big crowd of people in black gathering at Sanam Luang.
"I knew that a princess had passed away, but I did not know that her cremation was yesterday until a reporter asked me for an interview," he said.
At 1pm, mourners were allowed to present sandalwood flowers to the late princess at eight designated sites near the Sanam Luang ceremonial site.
More than 250,000 sandalwood flowers, which were prepared by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration for the public, were given out.
Many temples in Bangkok, excluding the temples near Sanam Luang, were each given 10,000 sandalwood flowers for people to take part in the royal cremation.
People throughout the country also laid sandalwood flowers at recently built crematoriums at temples throughout the country in honour of the princess.
33 comments:
When are you going to take khmer's king and princess wit you? They only know how to eat and destroy the country( trasak paem blood).
Sorry to say but a truth feeling.
I wait and see whether the khmer people will pay respect to the khmer rouge accomplice SIHANOUK when he's died.
Communist Sihanouk,HO,MAO ,they have no any religion,I was with them since 1970 until 1980.But ,they have created DALAi LAMA and TEP VONG!
your commment putting the Da Lai Ma and Tep Vong on the same line show you're an ignorant person. As a complete imbecile you have no right to post anything because it does not add any value but waste space here.
3:34am! just comment please.No name calling or disrespectful.
His Majesty King Father Norodom Sihanouk is still alive and well while his country has not been freed from the Vietnamese invasion since Vietnam and Siam shared their power in Cambodia.
The good thing is His Majesty has China as his best friend, otherwise, Cambodia may have already deleted from the map.
The Navy Ship from China visited Cambodia and Thailand, and Hok Lundy was killed on the very same day 9/11 China Navy ship left to Thailand. Hok Lundy was the most powerful man in Cambodia whose job was to keep Hun Sen in one place.
Just imagine if Hok Lundy continues to kill more people in Cambodia what will happen to Cambodia if he and his wife made visa to Vietnamese to enter Cambodia only 30 dollars?
Cambodia cannot trust the US so she needs China to lean on, and more Chinese spies are in Cambodia.
It is not to late to free herself from Vietnam.
Cambodian monarchy is not an absolute monarchy like in Thailand. In Thailand, Thai people cannot even dare to speak anything but to bow down to the Royal family members' feet.
Thais viewed Cambodians are newcomers from Vietnam, that is the reason Thais want to protect and preserve all the Temples from Khmer Empire. As we have seen the Cambodian troops are Vietnamese.
I am feeling so pity for Cambodian monarchy, but hope Thais will win and unite Cambodia with Thailand. In that case the Vietnamese will not destroy the culture that Khmers and Siams share.
Some Khmer radical oversea are dumb, they don't see what others see about King Sihanouk's politics against his historic enemy Vietnamese. They didn't even know that King Sihanouk created two spies one is Lon Nol and two is Khiev Samphan to infiltrate in both sides. These dumb Khmers think they are so smart while the Viet Minh were already inside Cambodia long times ago.
Don't worry about it, these radical Khmers will taste another war like the rest, and this new war will be WWIII from 2009-2012.
May Buddha Sreiy Aar Metreiy save all
Buddhist Khmer,Buddhist Thai,Buddhist Laos,Buddhist Burma.
Communism has no religion!
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=axCSr7U3tBE&NR=1
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=KHb_K_tOS6k&feature=related
http://fr.youtube.com/user/maitreyaproject
"Delight in heedfulness.keep strict watch over your thoughts.Lift your selves out of the slough of evil like an elephant sunk in the mire"
Also Budddhist Vietnam!
Please respect and Justice.
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=O5j42mqvK1Q
What's the purpose behind this post Thai Princess funeral in here? To degrade King Sihanouk? That is so stupid. This woman is old when she died not the look on this picture.
Read this book translated from Nostradamus by Dr. ?? I forgot his name. The book called WWIII predicted by Nostradamus since in 1500's. Obama's been fated to lead the most powerful country America, but he is evil, Christian uses the word anti_Christ, and Obama will show his true evil color. He was elected by money and fraud. His promise to change is under a powerful group who spent money to put him in the white house and want him to do exactly what they want, if he does not he will be assassinated. One of his supporters is Russia, and Russia will become more aggressive and will lead WWIII. the war is starting by Russia from invasion in Georgia. Not to scare anyone, but in the USA today is not safe either because the anti_Americans are going crazy. It won't be surprised if KGB are all over the US.
..My condolence for the Thai royal family. I hope the Thai King will tell the Thai goverment to respect the 1907 border agreemnet signed by king Mongkut (Rama V ?) and France and stop encroaching on Khmer land.
3:59AM.
Un groupe radical comme le khmer d'ame ? les membres dans le khmer d'ame sont sourds-muets et ils les feignent savent le meilleur. ils sont la plupart du temps les personnes qui sont jalouses avec leurs propres personnes et qui n'auront pas peur du massacre n'importe qui qui est meilleur qu'eux. la femme de couleur stupide dans le khmer d'ame s'est appelée bopha ? bopha putréfié. LOL
elle est noire et laide avec de mauvaises dents. Hahahah.. LOL LOL
your commment putting the Da Lai Ma and Tep Vong on the same line show you're an ignorant person. As a complete imbecile you have no right to post anything because it does not add any value but waste space here.
3:34 AM
You understand,I said that Communisms who( have created Dalai Lama and Tepvong).Perhap you don`t know yet(the real and the fault Dalai lama)Please call to this link
they will tell you the truth.
http://fr.youtube.com/user/maitreyaproject
Khmer kings are not the same as Thai kings. The dead of the Thai princess has nothing to do with Samdach Ta. He has done good and bad things because he is a human whose decision sometimes leads to unexpected results. However, as usual, good things are never remembered. He is too old, and please let him rest with peaceful mind.
While declaring a neutral nation, his permission to allow VN used Cambodian land to attack on America and S. VN was a big mistake under his leadership. I think he had hoped for something.
As far as I could see, many Khmer leaders are not willing to sit and discuss with their inferios face-to-face, and that a big mistake. If things are discussed seriously before making any decisions, such things would not happen or have happened. I urge those who plan to be a politicians, please listen to your inferios as much as you can and use your smartness to make a best judge on their suggestions/comments. Treat their comments in a positive way.
BSk
Oh, la la, a fucking stupid pretender, 4:27 AM. Monsieur, jack-ass!
4:27 AM, hey mec! ne pas la juger sans savoir!
Au moins elle a donné quelque choses dans la danse Cambodgienne.
On s'en fiche de sa vie personnelle. Chacun fait comme il veut!
Surement je ne suis pas parti de son clan, juste mon avis personnel.
3:45am! you said;" the good thing is his majesty has CHINA as his best friend ".The question is when khmer rouge put him in house arrest for more than three years and killed 4 of his children including 21 grandchildren then why China who supported khmer rouge and best friend of Sihanouk from the get go did not bother to intervene until vietnamese's invasion ?.Don't you think that it's reasonable to think that CHINA only used your king Sihanouk to help the khmer rouge and in the meantime advance their causes which are to spread communism ?
Thailand is a screw up country.
Thai speaking came from China, but Thai royal family using Khmer name, using Khmer alphabets, using Khmer vowels, using Khmer numerals and practicing Khmer death ceremony and Thailand refused to give credit to Khmer people for using Khmer creation. What a shame for Thailand!!!
Goodbye bitch Galyani.
4:46AM.
Je pense que vous avez confondu Bopha qui a possédé un website appelé le khmer d'ame avec notre Princess Bopha Dhevi.
Le propriétaire du khmer d'ame sont mari et épouse et l'épouse appelée Bopha. Ils habitent à Strasbourg, France.
Ce Bopha est stupide et laid avec de mauvaises dents.
4:43AM.
King Sihanouk allowed Ho Chi Minh to bomb Americans, but he also gave a green light to Americans to bomb Vietnamese troops in Cambodia.
If the Vietnamese Communist didn't have spies in Cambodia among Cambodians, those Vietnamese Communist troops may be all dead by King Sihanouk. Those Viet spies were now in power in Cambodia.
King Sihanouk tried all possibilities against his enemy the powerful Vietnam who already had troops and brainwashed million Cambodians in country sides to just kill their own Khmers.
Americans didn't care about Cambodia, and if Sihanouk went along with the Americans, still Americans would lost the war and left Cambodia. What will happen to Cambodia for making enemy with powerful Communist back then? China would abandon Cambodia then do you all think many of you could have survived to live in another countries?
Cambodia and Thailand are different problems. Thailand and US had treaties since 1833. Do you know the assassination of Thai King, the older brother of this current King, the younger brother of this dead Thai Princess means something? Yes it did. Some suspects he was killed by the CIA or by his own brother, this new King who was born in America. It had revolution in Thailand by other groups. To save Thailand thi snew King uses an absolute monarchy as we have seen today.
The US foreign policy is nothing for others but for themselves Americans.
Cambodia problems cannot be avoided, King Sihanouk done great but some idiots don't understand.
I don't doubt that King Sihanouk's haters are around with Vietnamese called themselves Cambodians. That is what the Vietnamese want is to divide Khmers and make them hate each others just like they did in Khmer Rouge.
King Sihanouk is cleaver enough not to let his own people who are braiwashed by the Vietnamese will kill him, he has N. Korean men to protect him. N Korean men cannot escape or take bribes from others because their loved ones are inside N Korea and if they make the stupid move their whole families or the whole villages will be all executed.
When I heard Hok Lundy did so many evil things and then China Navy ship came, I knew it was a warning from China to Vietnam, then Hok Lundy was killed. I agree that a lot of Chinese spies in Cambodia.
I just think the assassination of Hok Lundy was well planned either by Hun Sen/CPP or by China.
4:49AM. You are Cambodian, aren't you? There were no internet or fast phone to contact China. China is far and Vietnam is next door.
True every country cares for its own interest but Cambodia's been weak since the fall of the empire.
At least Vietnam is always China's enemy. From all the losing war to Communists the US came back and supported Vietnam closed their eyes about Vietnamese are doing crimes in Cambodia. Why? It is good that King Sihanouk reached out to China. It is good for Cambodia that US v. China. Both are evils but Cambodia can choose one against the oppsite one. The US supported Vietnam, then Cambodia should go with China.
It is also good to eliminate Hok Lundy, the faithful servant of Hanoi. The Navy Ship of China visited Cambodia was the revealation of real 9/11 and to tell Vietnam that China is the big brother in South Asia not the US. Now that Obama won, Vietnam may reach out to Russia. But how can Russia abandon China its best friend for Vietnam if Russia is about to spread WWIII against the US? The WWIII is about to start and it will start on the day the new eak US president takes the office.
It is going to be a great disaster on this earth. Russia will expand its power and war will abrupt. No place will be safe not even in the USA.
Obama may be a good guy but he's been fated to take the lead, the lead that will bring a great destruction upon human kinds. Not millions but billions will die this WWIII.
4:49AM. You are Cambodian, aren't you? There were no internet or fast phone to contact China. China is far and Vietnam is next door.
True every country cares for its own interest but Cambodia's been weak since the fall of the empire.
At least Vietnam is always China's enemy. From all the losing war to Communists the US came back and supported Vietnam closed their eyes about Vietnamese are doing crimes in Cambodia. Why? It is good that King Sihanouk reached out to China. It is good for Cambodia that US v. China. Both are evils but Cambodia can choose one against the oppsite one. The US supported Vietnam, then Cambodia should go with China.
It is also good to eliminate Hok Lundy, the faithful servant of Hanoi. The Navy Ship of China visited Cambodia was the revealation of real 9/11 and to tell Vietnam that China is the big brother in South Asia not the US. Now that Obama won, Vietnam may reach out to Russia. But how can Russia abandon China its best friend for Vietnam if Russia is about to spread WWIII against the US? The WWIII is about to start and it will start on the day the new weak US president takes the office.
It is going to be a great disaster on this earth. Russia will expand its power and war will abrupt. No place will be safe not even in the USA.
Obama may be a good guy but he's been fated or put to take the lead, the lead that will bring a great destruction upon human kinds. Not millions but billions will die this WWIII.
4.49am & 10.08am, don't what are you two going on about. This forum is about the late Thai princess Ghalyani.
She's probably the real Khmer princess who had been out casted by the Sweet cucuumber family.
She is the older sister of the late King, King Mahidol, and also she is the old sister of this current King Aduljadeh. Thai Royal family and Cambodian Royal family are all from sweet cucuumber family. We all knew that.
Wow...it's good to read all of your debated in here...it's seem like you all are scholars...but the questions it: Are you the real scholar of International Relations or International History or National History?
កូនខ្មែរម្នាក់ដែរ
Thais selected a pretty picture of her but how about the ugly pictures of her?
So who care? and hope that she will go to heaven. Hope that the rest of the Kings & Queens will open up the Siem people s'mouth so that they can speak out of their feeling about the monarchy.
Thank brothers 4:49AM and 10:08Am for sharing.
4:49AM'
Are you sure that King Sihanouk was in house arrest? Don't you think that cause was a political outplays that no one witnessed but heard from Sihanouk.
I think politic is hard to draw a conclusion if not involved. For me I forget the past and now concentrate on how to protect Cambodian territory and politic from outsider to invade and influence.
The Legends
Princess, you be a princess again. Please forgive alls these fools posting comments that is not related to your funeral.
who care about the fucken princess death..if the whole thailand died that be good....no more encroachments!
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