A photo of Juthaporn Oun-on police used in their search for her. Photo: Matichon
UBON RATCHATHANI — After three months and a series of false leads, a family’s search for their missing daughter could be over after an army officer was implicated in her disappearance and the latest of three bodies were discovered in a forest.
Police identified Capt. Supphachai “Nheng” Phaso of the 6th Infantry Regiment as the main suspect in the disappearance of Juthaporn “Oil” Oun-on, a Sisaket official missing since July. Her remains were believed discovered Monday in Ubon Ratchathani province near a military base. On Tuesday, Supphachai was suspended from duty.
Police believe debt owed to the victim may have been a motivation for her disappearance. Uraiwan Thamkun told police that Juthaporn, his friend, had been attempting to recover money loaned to Capt. Supphachai for some time.
Supphachai, 30, has denied any involvement in Juthaporn’s disappearance.
For months, Juthaporn’s family had desperately looked for Juthaporn, a 37-year-old local education official in Sisaket’s Kantharalak district.
The family, who consulted spirit mediums and staged a protest against police – had their hopes she was alive inflated in August when a post appeared on Juthaporn’s Facebook account asking her niece to send 20,000 baht.
Juthaporn Oun-on’s loved ones camp Monday in the Ubon Ratchathani forest with military officials after bones believed to belong to the missing woman were found there. Juthaporn’s mother, Laem Oun-on, is seated at center in red.
But on Monday, they seemed to accept that they finally had an answer after the discovery of the bones and articles of clothing.
“I’m a 100 percent sure this is my daughter’s body,” Laem Oun-on, 60, Juthaporn’s mother, said Monday. “If the tests say it’s not, then I don’t know where else to look. I’m completely exhausted. I poured 1 million baht into finding her. I just want justice for the Oun-on family because we had to lose our beloved daughter forever.”
A forensic examination of the remains is being conducted.
A skull, bones, underwear, hair, brown government uniform skirt and black watch identified as Juthaporn’s were found in the same area her husband had looked for her in July, a forest area in Ubon Ratchathani’s Nam Yuen district. It’s also near a base for paramilitary rangers.
Desperate Search
Juthaporn disappeared July 3 after dropping off her 8-year-old daughter at school.
Her worried family filed a missing persons report. The search would turn up two dead bodies before the most recent discovery.
After months of searching by the local military and Juthaporn’s husband, Witthaya Ketkaew, officials found a burned body Aug. 17 in the same district where the remains were recently found – but it was not Juthaporn’s.
The family grew frustrated by false leads. Witthaya trekked into a different Ubon forest where he found yet another body that wasn’t Juthaporn’s on Aug. 19. Family members – believing soldiers were involved and that the case would be forgotten – filed complaints with the police Aug. 21.
In desperation, a family member turned to a spirit medium in late August to channel the victim’s spirit. The medium allegedly cried and said that Juthaporn was “so cold and wanted to go back home,” adding she was in a place with running water to the east.
Frustration grew Sept. 1 when Juthaporn’s family gathered to protest at the Kantharalak Provincial Police Station in Sisaket to demand a meeting Supphachai, who had become a suspect.
“He hid our daughter,” they yelled. Supphachai was brought in for questioning. More than 50 police were deployed to keep the peace since a large number of Juthaporn’s loved ones had gathered.
Juthaporn’s father, Boonlert Oun-on, told the media Aug. 18 that he believed a factor in his daughter’s disappearance was a dispute in collecting on one of the loans she had given out.
On Sept. 8, Juthaporn’s family set a 1 million baht reward for her safe return, and 300,000 baht for recovering her body.
Relatives of Juthaporn Oun-on protest Oct. 16. in front of the Kantharalak Provincial Police Station.’Murderer,’ reads a sign held by a relative of Juthaporn Oun-on at an Oct. 16 protest in front of the Kantharalak Provincial Police Station.
BANGKOK — After a long, wet night camping on the road, thousands of mourners were allowed into the Sanam Luang ceremony area early Wednesday morning.
Heavy rain and strong winds could not stop more mourners from queueing on nearby sidewalks in hope of getting a good vantage point to Thursday’s ceremony. At about 5am, they streamed in through nine checkpoints placed around the royal field. Those who were allowed inside will have to spend another full day and night before the first procession gets underway at 7am tomorrow.
Some doors have already been shut as they reached their capacity, leaving thousands of people waiting outside, such as a checkpoint under the Phra Pin-klao Bridge which closed at 7am. A checkpoint near the Royal Ratanakosin Hotel near Ratchadamnoen Avenue was also sealed at 8am after 5,000 entered. As of 1pm, 110,000 people have already been allowed inside. All nine checkpoints were closed for authorities manage the crowds before they reopen at 8pm.
Attendees clutched portraits of King Bhumibol as they and their bags were searched. ID cards were required to register for access.
The main viewing area around the crematorium and adjacent streets was designed to accommodate 40,000 people, but the authorities Tuesday were looking to free up space for 70,000 spectators after King Vajiralongkorn asked them to facilitate more spectators.
Some people had traveled from afar and camped out on the sidewalk since Monday nightto make sure they could secure the place to watch and pay final respect to King Bhumibol before cremation.
Army Commander Chalermchai Sittisart said Tuesday evening the king was concerned that the cement ground where mourners would have to sit all day would be hot, so he ordered to have it covered with heat-resistant mats.
The first procession starting at 7am tomorrow will transport the royal urn from the Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall to the crematorium. It will also be streamed in English on the official website and Facebook.
BANGKOK — See several days of rehearsals, preparation and ceremonies for Thursday’s cremation ceremony in a five-minute drone video released by officials.
The clip is among few drone shots likely to be available as the the Civil Aviation Authority banned private drone flightswithin 19 kilometers of the Sanam Luang. That covers much of the capital city.
BANGKOK — Flames to be used at imitation royal funeral pyres were delivered Tuesday to all 878 districts nationwide.
The fire, considered sacred because it was personally lit by HM King Vajiralongkorn last week, is part of the cremation rites for King Bhumibol, who died last October at 88. The country has spent much of the past year preparing for the ritual, which would symbolize an end of his reign for many Thais.
While the cremation itself will take place in Bangkok, other provinces will participate by using the flame to burn sandalwood flowers in their districts’ various funeral pyres and memorial events, which are replicas of the actual structure in the capital city.
The fire transported by convoy and hand-delivered after first being lit and placed in 77 lamps by King Vajiralongkorn on Thursday at the Grand Palace.
One of these lamps was kept at the palace, to be used at the Sanam Luang cremation grounds for Thursday’s cremation ceremony. The rest were distributed to provincial governors.
Pichit deputy governor Pitsanu Senawin said guards were set in a 24-hour shift to make sure the flames don’t go out.
“We have spare candles ready at all time,” Pitsanu said.
Rama X passes the ‘royal fire’ to Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha on Oct. 19 at the Grand Palace. The fire will spread to all provinces and missions abroad for royal funerary ceremonies.
By Monday and Tuesday, the flame at each provincial town hall was extended to more lamps corresponding the number of each district in the province. These lamps were in turn given to district chiefs in a ceremony.
One of those officials is Samkan Orathai from Nakhon Si Thammarat’s Lan Saka district. The flame was given to him Tuesday, but he said the lamps are being kept at Nakhon Si Thammarat town hall. Samkan and other district chiefs will pick them up soon for the use on Thursday.
Chatchawan Panya from Chiang Mai’s Mae Fang district said he received the flame Monday and it’s being kept at the district office, where guards are on standby to replace candles whenever they burned too short.
“We brought it to the district office with a convoy,” Chatchawan said. “The lamp is now placed at an altar, with flowers and candles, in front of the portrait of His Majesty the King.”
For non-Bangkokians like Samkan and Chatchawan, the flame helps connect them to the historic cremation ceremony that will be take place in the capital.
“No any other country in the world is so engaged in funeral of their monarchs,” Samkan said. “Everyone [in my district] are giving their best.”
The fire was reportedly being taken overseas for events in other countries.
Lazio fans display banners from the stands reading "Auschwitz is Your Homeland. The Ovens are Your Homes" during a Serie A match between Lazio and AS Roma, in 1998 at Rome's Olympic stadium. Photo: Plinio Lepri / Associated Press
ROME — Anne Frank’s diary will be read aloud at all soccer matches in Italy this week, the Italian soccer federation announced Tuesday after shocking displays of anti-Semitism by fans of the Rome club Lazio.
Lazio supporters on Sunday littered the Stadio Olimpico in Rome with images of Anne Frank – the young diarist who died in the Holocaust – wearing a jersey of city rival Roma. The ultra right-wing fans of Lazio associate their Roma counterparts with being left-wing and Jewish, and had hoped to incite Roma fans, since the teams share the same stadium.
Stadium cleaners found the anti-Semitic stickers on Monday and Italian police have opened a criminal inquiry into the case.
The Anne Frank diary passage reading will be combined with a minute of silence observed before Serie A, B and C matches in Italy this week, plus amateur and youth games over the weekend, to promote Holocaust remembrance, the soccer federation said.
Racism has been widespread for years in many Italian and European stadiums – targeting both players and fans – and measures such as banning fans and forcing teams to play behind closed doors have not solved the problem.
Outrage over the stickers came from a wide variety of officials and rights groups across Europe, from both inside and outside the world of sports.
“Anne Frank doesn’t represent a people or an ethnic group. We are all Anne Frank when faced with the unthinkable,” Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano said. “What has happened is inconceivable.”
Italian Premier Paolo Gentiloni called the stickers “unbelievable, unacceptable and not to be minimized.”
Antonio Tajani, the head of the European Parliament who is Italian, also denounced those responsible, saying in Brussels that anti-Semitism has no place in Europe, which must remain a place of religious tolerance.
“Using the image of Anne Frank as an insult against others is a very grave matter,” Tajani said.
The Italian soccer federation will also likely open an investigation, which could result in a complete stadium ban for Lazio – matches played behind closed doors without fans – or force the team to play on neutral ground.
“There are no justifications. These incidents must be met with disapproval, without any ifs, ands or buts,” Sports Minister Luca Lotti said. “I’m sure that the responsible authorities will shed light on what happened and that those responsible will quickly be identified and punished.”
Lazio’s ultra group expressed surprise at the widespread outrage.
“There are other cases that we feel should lead the newscasts and fill newspaper pages,” the group said in a statement on Facebook.
The chosen Anne Frank diary passage reads: “I see the world being slowly transformed into a wilderness, I hear the approaching thunder that, one day, will destroy us too, I feel the suffering of millions. And yet, when I look up at the sky, I somehow feel that everything will change for the better, that this cruelty too shall end, that peace and tranquility will return once more.”
Lazio President Claudio Lotito sought Tuesday to disassociate the club from its hard-core “ultra” fans by visiting Rome’s main synagogue. He said the club would intensify its efforts to combat racism and anti-Semitism and organize an annual trip to the Auschwitz concentration camp with some 200 young Lazio fans to “educate them not to forget.”
Still, the club’s relations with Rome’s Jewish community remained strained.
“We are outraged by what happened in the stadium a few days ago. But we are also outraged by what happens every week in the stadiums,” Ruth Dureghello, the president of Rome’s Jewish community, told The Associated Press.
“Stadiums cannot be places that are beyond the law and places where anti-Semitist, racist and homophobic people can find a place to show themselves,” Dureghello said. “We need to sit down around a table and talk to the institutions, the soccer teams and the soccer federation, to enforce actions and establish a common line for the future.”
The northern end of the stadium where Lazio’s “ultra” fans usually sit was already closed Sunday for the match against Cagliari, due to racist chanting during a match against Sassuolo earlier this month.
As a result, Lazio decided to open the southern end and let the ultras sit where Roma’s hard-core fans usually sit for their home matches.
Lazio fans have a long history of racism and anti-Semitism.
The latest partial stadium ban for the team stemmed from derogatory chants directed at Sassuolo players Claud Adjapong and Alfred Duncan. Adjapong was born in Italy to Ghanaian parents and has represented Italy Under-19s. Duncan is from Ghana.
Lazio will also be without fans in the northern end when Udinese visits on Nov. 5 for racist chanting during the Rome derby in April.
Also this season, Lazio beat Belgian team Zulte Waregem in a Europa League match behind closed doors due to punishment from UEFA for racist chants aimed at a Sparta Prague player two seasons ago.
In the past, a Lazio banner nearly 20 years ago aimed at Roma supporters read: “Auschwitz Is Your Homeland; The Ovens Are Your Homes.” Another message honored the slain Serbian paramilitary leader, Arkan, who was notorious for alleged war crimes in the 1990s Balkans wars.
But racism and anti-Semitism have also been seen at other European soccer clubs, highlighting the ineffectiveness of campaigns by soccer bodies all the way up to UEFA and FIFA, the European and world organizations.
Last season, Ghana’s Sulley Muntari was initially banned for protesting against racism in Italy. Muntari said he was treated like a “criminal” after being shown two yellow cards when he walked off the field during a Serie A game in response to racial abuse while with Pescara.
Four years ago, six fans of Italian lower-division club Pro Patria were issued jail sentences for inciting racial hatred during a friendly against AC Milan.
In the English Premier League, chants of “Yid” have often been hurled at Tottenham fans by rival supporters. Tottenham fans, many of whom come from the Jewish communities of north London, sometimes chant “Yiddo” themselves to deflect abuse.
Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud seen here in 2016 during the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, China. Photo: President of Russia
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has defended his bold reform plans, including the kingdom’s decision to lift the ban on women driving, saying that “we were not like this in the past.”
The prince says that “we want to go back to what we were: moderate Islam,” speaking during a rare public appearance at a major investment conference in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
The heir to the throne says the kingdom will work to defeat extremist ideas and ensure that young Saudis live in harmony with the rest of the world.
He says: “We will eradicate the remnants of extremism very soon… We represent the moderate teachings and principles of Islam.”
He addressed a panel that included business titans Stephen Schwarzman of U.S. private equity firm Blackstone and Masayoshi Son of Japan’s technology conglomerate SoftBank.
The panelists later lavished praise on the 32-year-old prince for his “passion”, “vision” and “enthusiasm” but he interjected, saying he is only “one of 20 million people. I am nothing without them.”
Astronaut Paul J. Weitz, Skylab 2 pilot, mans the control and display console of the Apollo Telescope Mount in 1973. Photo: Associated Press
PHOENIX — Paul Weitz, a retired NASA astronaut who commanded the first flight of the space shuttle Challenger and also piloted the Skylab in the early 1970s, has died. He was 85.
Weitz died at his retirement home in Flagstaff, Arizona, on Monday, said Laura Cutchens of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. No cause of death was given.
A NASA biography says Weitz was among the class of 19 astronauts who were chosen in April 1966. He served as command module pilot on the first crew of the orbiting space laboratory known as Skylab during a 28-day mission in 1973.
Weitz also commanded the first launch of the shuttle Challenger in April 1983. The five-day mission took off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The Challenger was destroyed and seven crew members killed during its 10th launch on January 28, 1986.
In all, he logged 793 hours in space and retired as deputy director of the Johnson Space Center in May 1994.
Weitz was born in Erie, Pennsylvania, on July 25, 1932, and graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a degree in aeronautical engineering in 1954, according to NASA.
He then joined the Navy, serving on a destroyer before being chosen for flight training and earning his wings as a Naval Aviator in September 1956. He served in various naval squadrons, including service in Vietnam, before joining the Astronaut Corps.
According to the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, Weitz returned to the Navy after his mission on Skylab and retired as a captain in July 1976 after serving 22 years. He then came out of retirement at age 51 to re-join NASA.
“Paul Weitz’s name will always be synonymous with the space shuttle Challenger. But he also will be remembered for defying the laws of gravity – and age,” said Curtis Brown, board chairman of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation and an astronaut and veteran of six space flights. “Before it became commonplace to come out of retirement, Paul was a pioneer. He proved 51 was just a number.”
The foundation is supported by astronauts from the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, Space Shuttle and Space Station programs and annually provides scholarships for 45 students.
Weitz is survived by his two children, Matthew and Cynthia.
U.S. State Secretary Rex Tillerson arrives for a courtesy call on Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in August at Malacanang Palace in Manila, Philippines. Photo: Bullit Marquez / Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration moved toward a condemnation of “ethnic cleansing” against Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslims, as officials were preparing a recommendation for Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to unequivocally use the term for the first time. Angry lawmakers on Tuesday demanded an immediate denunciation as they explored a new, tougher U.S. policy.
“My bosses have said it appears to be ethnic cleansing. I’m of that view as well,” said Patrick Murphy, a senior U.S. diplomat for Southeast Asia, while adding that the final call wasn’t his to make.
Tillerson could receive the recommendation to adopt such terminology as a matter of policy as early as this week, officials familiar with the process told The Associated Press. He would then decide whether to follow the advice of his agency’s policy experts and lawyers, which would raise pressure on the U.S. government to consider new sanctions on a country that had been lauded for its democratic transition.
At a Senate hearing Tuesday, lawmakers pressed Murphy and other administration officials to hastily clarify their view of the brutal crackdown on Muslims in Rakhine State that has caused more than 600,000 refugees to flee to Bangladesh. But U.S. officials have been weighing several factors for their policy toward the country also known as Burma, including concerns about undermining the civilian government led by Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi for the last 18 months.
Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine was among those calling for a clear determination “with dispatch.” Republican Sen. Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, emphasized it “may be time for a policy readjustment.” Other lawmakers in both houses of Congress have proposed new U.S. penalties on the military, which retains significant power in Myanmar and is blamed for the violence.
The U.S. officials, who weren’t authorized to speak publicly on the internal process and requested anonymity, told the AP the State Department won’t make a call yet on whether crimes against humanity have occurred in Myanmar. Such a determination would be even more detrimental to Myanmar’s military, as it could force the U.S. to push harder for legal accountability.
According to the United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention, “ethnic cleansing” isn’t recognized as an independent crime under international law, unlike crimes against humanity and genocide. It surfaced in the context of the 1990s conflict in the former Yugoslavia, when a U.N. commission defined it as “rendering an area ethnically homogeneous by using force or intimidation to remove persons of given groups from the area.”
Nevertheless, Murphy stressed that “a determination of ethnic cleansing will not change our pursuit of full accountability.” The issue also is sensitive because President Donald Trump will make his first official trip to Asia next month and hasn’t spoken about the crisis.
Human rights groups accuse security forces of launching a scorched-earth campaign in late August as they responded to Rohingya insurgent attacks. Amnesty International alleges that hundreds of Rohingya men, women and children have been systematically killed.
Senators of both parties expressed outrage over the atrocities – and frustration at Washington’s inability to stop them. They questioned whether former President Barack Obama prematurely lifted sanctions against the armed forces as a reward for an end to decades of direct military rule.
“The military control Burma today,” Sen. Ben Cardin, the panel’s top Democrat, said. “That’s unacceptable, that’s why we imposed sanctions, because of military control. Sanction relief was given for what? So people can be ethnically cleansed?”
Murphy said the U.S. has limited leverage with Myanmar’s military. He described broad sanctions and more targeted measures as under consideration, but worried about hurting Myanmar’s vulnerable citizens. Administration officials also fret that punishing Myanmar too forcefully could undermine Suu Kyi’s government and push her country away from the United States and toward China.
Before the latest refugee exodus, roughly 1 million Rohingya lived in Myanmar. The Buddhist majority believes they migrated illegally from Bangladesh, although many Rohingya families have lived in Myanmar for generations. They were stripped of their citizenship in 1982.
Calls for a U.S. determination of “ethnic cleansing” have intensified, as the United Nations and leading Western governments have used the term. Six weeks ago, U.N. human rights chief Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein said it “seems a textbook example of ethnic cleansing.” French President Emmanuel Macron echoed that opinion, as have leaders of many in the Muslim world.
U.S. officials have been more reticent. Tillerson, who last week said that perpetrators will be held to account for atrocities, has referred to the violence as “characterized by many as ethnic cleansing.” U.N. envoy Nikki Haley told the Security Council last month it was “a brutal, sustained campaign to cleanse the country of an ethnic minority.”
“We are not shying from the use of any appropriate terminology,” Murphy told reporters later Tuesday, without revealing what the formal review would conclude.
The recent violence already has prompted Washington to curtail already restricted ties with Myanmar’s military. Two months ago, the U.S. stopped waiving visa restrictions to allow members of Myanmar’s military to visit – a policy that Murphy said would also apply to commander in chief Gen. Min Aung Hlaing. The State Department announced Monday that units and officers involved in Rakhine operations are ineligible for U.S. assistance, and rescinded invitations for senior security forces to attend U.S.-sponsored events.
Some Democratic and Republican lawmakers want tougher action, such as financial sanctions against military officials complicit in rights abuses. Restrictions on military-owned businesses that hold large stakes in Myanmar’s economy are also a possibility.
“Here we have this horrific instance, and we have virtually no voice, no pressure,” said Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley, who is set to travel to Myanmar soon.
BANGKOK — A year of sorrow, planning and preparation will culminate Thursday with an event not seen in seven decades – the funeral of a king.
From delicate Thai craftsmanship expressing complex beliefs and rich historical tradition informing five days of ceremony, Thursday’s cremation will prove one of the most significant events in modern Thai history.
As well-known royalist and palace expert Tongthong Chandransu said:
“There can be no other event to unite Thais and make us feel we are in the same big family as this one.”
With the complex rites come a lot of questions. To help readers, wherever they are, witness and understand this event, Khaosod English has put together some practical answers.
A satellite image from late September shows a bird’s-eye view of Sanam Luang area where the Royal Crematorium is temporarily constructed. Photo: Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency
How Can People Witness the Ceremony?
The area where the cremation will take place in and around the Sanam Luang offers 150,000sqm to accommodate 200,000 people. The main viewing area around the crematorium and adjacent streets was to accommodate 40,000 people, but the authorities Tuesday were looking to free up space for 70,000 spectators.
Although people have already begun camping outside the area, they won’t be allowed inside until 5am on Wednesday. They are not allowed to bring chairs or mats and will have to be present to physically secure their spots.
That said, the government expects more than 250,000 spectators, so expect surrounding roads such as Ratchadamnoen Avenue to be occupied as well.
A full-dress rehearsal for the cremation procession was held Saturday.
How to Watch from Home?
The national TV pool will broadcast all the parades and merit-making rituals of the five-day ceremony. Thursday it will broadcast all day on all channels.
Tune in an hour before a royal merit-making ceremony will be held in the Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall at the Grand Palace in preparation for moving the royal urn to the crematorium. The ceremony begins at 5:30pm.
Starting at 7am, the royal urn will be transported in a procession from the Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall to the crematorium. After midday, the live broadcast will continue via the second link above.
Hours before the 10pm cremation, His Majesty King Vajiralongkorn will perform a symbolic version at 5:30pm during which time people will be able to approach the urn to leave offerings.
Sandalwood fragrance is believed to lead the souls of the deceased to heaven.
Outside of Bangkok?
To allow people a chance to personally pay homage to the late king for the last time, the military government made Thursday a public holiday and the Labour Ministry encouraged employers to let people take the day off. Many businesses, including all 7-Eleven stores, have announced they will close for part or all of the day.
Those not going to the Sanam Luang can visit one of 85 crematorium replicas nationwide – eight in Bangkok – to make funerary offerings of sandalwood flowers. The flowers will be burned with fire that was lit seven days earlier by King Rama X and distributed throughout the realm. Sandalwood is burned because its fragrant aroma is believed to help lead souls of the deceased to heaven.
Those who want to go must wear formal black clothes and shoes.
Overseas?
Ceremonies will be held at Thai diplomatic missions and temples worldwide. In some countries, special venues were booked for people to offer sandalwood flowers such as the Kursalon Hubner music hall in Vienna, Austria; the Namba Midosuji Hall in Osaka, Japan; and Mumbai’s Coomaraswamy Hall in India.
By tradition, Thai kings are divine beings. After his death, the cremation of King Bhumibol is the last step to return him to heaven.
Tongthong Chandransu, a royalist academic known for his expert palace knowledge, explains the idea comes from Thailand’s two major spiritual currents.
In Buddhism, it takes many reincarnations to achieve enlightenment. As the current Buddha many revere was neither the first nor last, it means a new Bodhisatva or enlightened figure could come at any time.
“If you look at the royal manner of King Rama IX, you will see he was very much a Bodhisattva,” Tongthong said at a recent discussion of the funeral. “He was born to accumulate merit and barami so that one day he can be reborn as a Buddha.”
What is the Royal Crematorium?
Statue of the king’s beloved dogs Cao Cao, at left, and Tongdaeng are installed atop his funeral pyre.
The royal cremation tradition can be traced back to around 600 years ago. When the king died, merit-making rites were followed by a cremation ceremony in an elaborate, temporary crematorium.
The 50-meter high Royal Crematorium, where the urn will be burned atop the pyre, is modeled after the mythical Mt. Meru which sits at the center of Buddhist and Hindu cosmology. The version built over eight months in the Sanam Luang is, like the original, surrounded by water and magical creatures.
“Farangs asked me what were we doing,” Tongthong said. “I simply told them we are building heaven.”
How Much was Spent?
Tongthong said this is the most popular question asked by foreign media. His answer is simple: he does not know. But he personally thinks it is priceless.
Cabinet resolutions show approval of 3 billion baht for the funeral.
Performers rehearse Friday for Manohra Ballet, a Thai-style ballet co-composed by King Bhumibol, at the National Theatre.
Why Are Performances Set for Thursday Night?
As per tradition, public performances will mark the end of public mourning. They are meant to pay final tribute to the late king by manifesting his greatness. The shows will run 12 hours from 6pm on Oct. 26 to 6am the next morning.
Before the crematorium, more than 300 masked performers will stage classical Khon drama.
The public can watch shadow plays, puppet shows, ballets and orchestral performances performed by thousands of artisans on three open-air stages in the Sanam Luang.
Those at home can see the Khon and shadow play performances on Channel 9 MCOT, Channel 5, TNN24, Spring News, Voice TV, Nation TV, Amarin TV, PPTV and TGN.
Dramas and puppet shows will show on Channel 3, Thai PBS, Thairath TV, New TV, Workpoint, Now26, True4u and Parliament TV.
NBT, Channel 7, Channel 8, Mono TV, One Channel, GMM25 and Bright TV will show ballet and orchestras playing music composed by King Bhumibol.
What Will Happen to the Crematorium?
As per tradition, the crematorium is temporary. It will be open for the public to visit Nov. 2-30 before being dismantled.
“Somebody asked can we keep it for a year or at least three months? My answer is absolutely no,” Tongthong said. “Since ancient times, it is considered a bad omen to leave a crematorium in the center of the city for long.”
In the past, some parts of the crematorium have gone to be used at temples and hospitals.
The Royal Crematorium at Sanam Luang as seen on Sept. 30.
What Will Happen to the King’s Remains?
The collection of royal relics and ashes (the king’s bones and ashes) will take place at 8am on Friday and can be watched online.
The Royal Reliquary Urn containing his bones will go to the Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall at the Grand Palace, while the royal ashes are transferred in a cone-shaped container to the Phra Sri Rattana Chedi in Wat Phra Kaew, or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.
A royal merit-making ceremony for the royal relics is scheduled for 5:30pm on Saturday. Thai PBS will have that too. At 10:30am on Sunday, they’ll be taken to be enshrined in the Heavenly Abode of the Chakri Maha Prasat Throne Hall within the Grand Palace.
CHIANG MAI — Thousands of tourists at Doi Inthanon National Park were let down Tuesday after its highest waterfall was declared off limits due to a sudden surge of runoff and flash flooding.
Fearing visitors may be swept away by the torrent, authorities this morning announced the park’s Maeya Waterfall would be closed after water levels reached 175 millimeters – the highest of the year – according to park chief Rung Hiranwong.
Motorists were advised to be cautious of heavy rains and slippery roads.
The country’s highest mountain and popular tourist attraction Monday saw more than 5,000 visitors as temperatures fell to between 10C and 16C.
