Appointment of regent buys Thailand time to mourn late king before deciding succession plan
Military government has appointed a temporary replacement for Bhumibol Adulyadej as crown prince asks to delay accession to throne
The outpouring of national emotion and international interest gripping Thailand following the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej has forced authorities to block tourist access to Bangkok’s Grand Palace where the body of the world’s longest reigning monarch now rests.
Days after the much revered king died, huge numbers of people – many of them still in tears and wailing – continue to throng the palace near the banks of the famous Chao Phraya River in the Thai capital.
The Royal Household Bureau said the palace – one of Bangkok’s major attractions – would be closed to tourists for seven days. However, it has opened the Sala Sahathai Samakhom Pavilion inside the compound, where people can sign books of condolence.
Mourners will be allowed to pay their respects to the royal urn containing the remains of the king in 15 days, the bureau added on Saturday.
Curtailed access to the Grand Palace came as the military government of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha made further moves to damp down potential uncertainty over the accession to the throne by the heir apparent and son of the late king, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn.