BANGKOK: The body of the Thai king&#39;s eldest daughter was brought to the royal palace in Bangkok on Saturday, as thousands of black-clad mourners lined the procession route. Princess Bajrakitiyabha, known as Princess Bha, died aged 47 on Thursday following an abdominal infection. She had already spent more than three years in a coma due to a cardiac condition. &quot;When it comes to saying goodbye, it&#39;s not easy for us,&quot; mourner Donnapha Kladbupha, a 54-year-old English teacher and self-described royalist, told AFP. The monarchy represented &quot;unity&quot; for Thai people during times of distress, she said. Others queued nearby for their turn to perform a Buddhist ritual of pouring holy water into a ceremonial bowl placed before a portrait of the princess. &quot;I&#39;m sad that she passed away, especially when I saw her pictures as a child,&quot; another mourner, Nitikan Tephakham, 79, from the northeastern province of Roi Et, told AFP. &quot;When she was sick, I prayed for sacred beings to protect her and hoped for a miracle,&quot; she said. Strict protocol Thousands of mostly older mourners sat in sweltering temperatures along the 10-kilometer route to the Grand Palace from Chulalongkorn Hospital, where the princess had been treated. Her body arrived at the palace at around 5:00 pm local time in a solemn and orderly procession. Police closed roads and traffic ground to a halt in parts of Bangkok&#39;s commercial center as the royal motorcade passed, led by King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida. Thailand&#39;s public broadcaster Thai PBS reported that the princess&#39;s body was carried in the same vehicle that had transported the body of her grandfather, King Bhumibol, who died in October 2016. &quot;I feel sad, very sad, because Her Royal Highness was so beloved by the Thai people, well-known for what she had done and contributed,&quot; Pongsanguan Paranan, 63, told AFP. Buddhist rites were chanted behind closed doors in the palace after the procession. Live footage broadcast by a public television station showed monks chanting before the king and queen, who were seated on gilded chairs with a portrait of the princess behind them. The Thai government has yet to announce details of the funeral, but it has instructed state officials to wear black and ordered that flags be flown at half-mast for 15 days. The proceedings were carried out under tight security and strict protocol, with attendants wearing formal attire, media access restricted and dozens of police officers standing guard. Tourists at the palace grounds, one of Bangkok&#39;s most popular attractions, had to find workarounds. &quot;It&#39;s something quite unique that someone can be this much loved,&quot; Maria Marcais, a 22-year-old visitor from Canada, told AFP. &quot;It&#39;s profound,&quot; she said. Second death in months It is the second bereavement for the royal family in months, after Queen Sirikit, the king&#39;s mother, died in October at the age of 93. Bajrakitiyabha was the only child of Vajiralongkorn&#39;s marriage to Princess Soamsawali. A trained prosecutor and diplomat, she was educated in Britain, Thailand and the United States, and served for a time as ambassador to Austria. The 73-year-old king, who has seven children from four marriages, has not announced his chosen heir, although succession rules favor men. Strict rules govern what can and cannot be said about the Thai royal family, who are protected from criticism by lese-majeste laws that carry prison sentences of up to 15 years per charge.

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Thousands of mourners lined Bangkok's streets as the body of Thailand's Princess Bajrakitiyabha was taken to the Grand Palace, following her death at 47 after years in a coma.

Articles tagged with "King Maha Vajiralongkorn"

Thousands gather in Thai capital to mourn late princess

Thousands gather in Thai capital to mourn late princess