One unmissable aspect of being in Thailand has been the collective grief for the former monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Public and private buildings have been festooned with black and white bunting, small sanctuaries devoted to the man have been set up in shopping centres, train stations, photographs are everywhere.

Ann wanted to pay her respects to the late King whilst we were there, and we had planned to join the throng at the Grand Palace waiting for admission to the pre-funeral chamber. I bought a black shirt for the occasion and, late one afternoon, we made our way to the adjoining park, through security checkpoints and into the queue. By great good luck, the line was only a couple of hundred people (only weeks before it had stretched for hundreds of metres) and it was a mere 20 minutes before we were ushered into the small room that contained the closed sarcophagus of Rama IX. A prostration later and we were leaving. It was very efficiently and respectfully handled. I am glad that I went.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej was clearly a much-loved King. There is one photo of him that captures the kind of tenderness that he felt for his people and they for him. It is reproduced below.



In preparation for the solemn event.