Yesterday was a public holiday in Thailand to mark Coronation Day. King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit presided over a Buddhist ceremony at the Grand Palace in Bangkok and also paid homage to their ancestors. It was a rare public appearance for Thailand’s monarch who was admitted to hospital last September. Thousands of well-wishers wearing pink or yellow shirts lined the route between the Grand Palace and the Siriraj Hospital where the Thai king has been staying during his convalescence.
Festivities will continue in Bangkok until the weekend with Ratchdamnoen Avenue the scene of numerous activities including a light and sound show and cultural exhibitions and displays. The area from Phan Fah Bridge to the Royal Plaza is now the scene of celebration as opposed to the violence and bloodshed that occurred nearby last month. Phan Fah Bridge had been the location of the original red shirt anti-government protest before it moved to the new location in Bangkok’s Siam area. Some opponents of the red shirts have accused them of being anti-monarchist, but at the protest site yesterday various religious ceremonies took place to commemorate Coronation Day.
