All provinces nationwide have prepared various places for local people to offer traditional sandalwood flowers to pay a final tribute to His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej in the Royal Cremation Ceremony.

 

Deputy Permanent Secretary for Interior Chayapol Thitisak said that the Ministry of Interior had assigned provinces and districts to select appropriate places where sandalwood flowers are to be offered.

 

The ministry received reports stating that 878 places had been selected for the purpose. Out of this number, 703 are temples, 18 are provincial town halls, 82 are district offices, 14 are schools, and 61 are other significant places.

 

The reports also state that more than 19.4 million sandalwood flowers have been made by volunteers, under the concept of "public participation,” to show loyalty to the late King. A target has been set for the production of 36.8 million sandalwood flowers in the regional areas of the country by 20 September 2017.

 

The ceremony for the offering of sandalwood flowers will be held twice. The first one will take place before the royal cremation day, 26 October. The governor of each province will preside over the ceremony at an appropriate time, when a bouquet of the flowers, representing each respective province, is collected and sent to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) by 15 September. The second ceremony will take place on the royal cremation day, starting from 9:00 a.m. onwards.

 

In foreign countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has asked the Royal Thai Embassies and Consulates and Thai temples in various countries to arrange places for the offering of sandalwood flowers. The ceremony overseas will also be held twice.

 

In the first one, to be held before the royal cremation day and presided over by the Thai ambassador or the consul-general, a bouquet of the flowers, representing each country, will be collected and sent to the BMA by 15 September. The second ceremony will take place on the royal cremation day.

 

The BMA will take the bouquets of sandalwood flowers from all provinces and various countries to the Urn Resting Room, or Ho Plueang, at the Sanam Luang ceremonial ground. They will be burnt on the royal cremation day to pay a final tribute and bid farewell to His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.