A long line of Buddhists formed at Chulalongkorn Hospital on Friday morning waiting to pay final respects to His Holiness the late Supreme Patriarch of Thailand, Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara Suvaddhana Mahathera, who died at the hospital on Thursday evening.
A long line of Buddhists is seen at Chulalongkorn Hospital as they wait to pay their final respects to His Holiness the late Supreme Patriarch of Thailand, who died there on Thursday evening, Oct 24, 2013. (Post Today photo)
The Supreme Patriarch's body was laid out on a bed at the sixth floor of Vachirayan Samakkiphayaban in the hospital between 8am and 11am. He was due to be moved in a procession from the hospital to the Manusayanak Witthayatharn Building at Wat Bowon Niwet at noon.
People wanting to pay their final respects began arriving as early as 6am.
The public can attend the bathing rites before a picture of the Supreme Patriarch at the Manusayanak Witthayatharn Building in the compound of Wat Bowon Niwet from 1pm daily.
Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara was appointed by His Majesty the King as the head of the Buddhist clergy in 1989, the 19th Supreme Patriarch since the beginning of the Chakri Dynasty. With 24 years in the role, His Holiness was the longest-serving Supreme Patriarch.
He died of a blood infection at the age of 100 years.