Chinese embassy offers free food, more transport facilitations provided for mourners of late Thai King

BANGKOK, October 28 (TNA) - The Chinese Embassy in Bangkok distributes free food and drinking water to mourners travelling to pay their respects to late His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej at the Grand Palace, while more transport facilitations are also provided for them. The Chinese Embassy’s tent has been set up at Sanam Luang ceremonial ground, near the Grand Palace, where the free food are offered. Chinese Ambassador to Thailand H.E. Ning Fukui himself joined his embassy's staff to distribute 5,000 sets of food and beverage to mourners, free of charges, on Friday morning. The Chinese top envoy said Chinese people were saddened by the passing of the late and revered Thai monarch the same as Thai people, as the Chinese nationals are grateful to late His Majesty the King’s kindness and contributions to strengthen relations between China and Thailand. According to the Chinese ambassador, donated stuffs given away to the public represent Chinese people’s goodwill to support Thai people to get through this period of hard time and show Chinese people’s gratitude to the late and beloved Thai King’s kindness to Chinese people. Meanwhile, Police General Amnart Anard-ngam, a Board member and Acting President of Transport Co., Ltd., under the Thai Ministry of Transport, told reporters that his company has increased inter-provincial bus trips by 25 per cent to meet rising demand of people nationwide travelling to pay their respects to the royal urn of late His Majesty the King at the Grand Palace from October 29 onwards, as allowed by the Bureau of the Royal Household. Anticipating rising boat passengers from all piers to the Grand Palace and vice versa during this mourning period of late His Majesty the King, Sorasak Saensombat, Director-General of the Marine Department, instructed, in the meantime, his department's Safety and Environment Bureau officials to work together with boat operators to take best care of passengers' safety and to deploy more officials on duty, while also conducting regular patrols in the waterways. (TNA)