Royal bathing rite for the late monarch to be held Friday

BANGKOK, Oct 14 (TNA) – Mourners donning black and white have packed along the roads to pay respect to the late King as his remains will be transported from Siriraj Hospital to the Grand Palace for the royal bathing rite this afternoon. The motorcade of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s body is scheduled to leave Siriraj Hospital at 3 pm, followed by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn and members of the royal family. The royal bathing rite will be performed by at the Grand Palace at 5 pm. Meanwhile, the public are allowed to attend the symbolic royal bathing rite at Sala Sahathai Samakhom pavilion in the Grand Palace until 2 pm. The government announced Friday as the public holiday to allow the public to attend mourning activities, held across the country and asked for cooperation from the pubic to suspend entertainment activities for one month. Government offices and state-run enterprises were shut out of respect but otherwise businesses and financial markets opened as normal. The stock exchange, which has been pressured all week as the king's health worsened, opened higher.(TNA)