11 elephants pay respects to late King at Grand Palace

BANGKOK, Nov 8 (TNA) – Eleven elephants and 200 mahouts, travelling from Ayutthaya paid respects to HM late King Bhumibol Adulyadej at the Grand Palace. All elephants of the Prakochabaan Foundation were transported by the 12-wheeled trucks, leaving Ayutthaya at 4 am today. The pachyderms were dressed in black embroidered cloths at the nearby Territorial Defense Command, before they paraded to the Grand Palace. Plai Wang, a male elephant, leading the procession carried the portrait of late King Bhumibol with the royal white elephant Phra Sawet Adulyadej Phahon. They performed, accompanied by drum rhythms, raising their legs nine times before they stopped at the Manee Nopparat Gate. Musicians played the royal anthem and all elephants raised their trunks above their heads. They prostrated themselves humbly and roared at the end of the song to pay tribute to the late monarch before they walked to the three-headed monument and stood still in mourning and returned to the Territorial Defense Command. (TNA)