Tens of thousands of mourners, fans and relatives bid a final farewell to popular actor and role model Tridsadee “Por” Sahawong at a royal cremation in Buri Ram on Sunday.
Wat Klang in Muang district was packed with masses of black-clad mourners from all walks of life and many provinces, including actors and actresses, waiting to place dok mai chan (paper flowers) at two designated areas outside the ceremonial zone at a crematorium, where Por’s body lay in its coffin.
A brief ceremony to deliver a royal ignition flame bestowed as a special case by His Majesty the King for use in the cremation began at 3.30pm. Her Royal Highness Princess Soamsawali also graciously granted pa trai (monk’s robes to be given for merit making) and dok mai chan to the dead actor.
After the royal procedures, tens of thousands formed a line which was several kilometres long at the temple to lay floral tributes and bid farewell to the much-loved actor who was 37 when he died.
Mourners were asked by an announcer to leave the temple ground after they laid the dok mai chan. Only Por’s family members, relatives, photographers hired by the host, and some authorised people were allowed to stay on at the crematorium when the actual cremation took place at 6pm. A curtain was put up around the actor’s casket to ensure privacy when family members took turns to bid an emotional farewell to Por.
The Thai public took to the social media on Tuesday to reprimand disrespectful and unprofessional behaviour by TV cameramen, reporters and fans seen harassing family members as they pressed to get a view of the actor's body leaving Ramathibodi Hospital for his hometown in Buri Ram.
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Mourners place floral tributes to bid final farewell to Por. (Photo by Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)
Por, whose sincere personality and social charity works were praised by the public, besides his screen work, died on Monday after a 70-day battle at Ramathibodi hospital with dengue fever.
Por’s wife, Vanda, told Channel 3's Ruang Lao Chao Nee on Sunday morning that she believed her husband tried to fight the disease with difficulty for 70 days in order to buy time for her and their two year-old daughter Mali so that they could prepare for his loss.
“On the day I told Por that I was ready to face it, after that he deteriorated and went peacefully,” Ms Vanda said. “He told me he loved me and wanted me to be able to move on.”
Twenty alms houses were set up by Buddhists and admirers to feed the mourners, while 800 police and security volunteers were present to maintain order, direct traffic and provide chartered vans between the designated parking areas and the temple.
Sukon Meechareon, 67, a Surin Native, said she and her husband Sakhon Meeyam, 78, travellled by bus from their home to attend the chanting rite on Saturday and Sunday’s service.
“I admired him and followed his acting since the early days of his career. I feel sad. It is a pity that he has left us at such a young age”.
Por’s wife, Vanda, and their two-year-old daughter in a procession to move the popular actor’s body from a pavilion to a crematorium. (Post Today photo)
Photo by Pattarapong Chatpattarasill