About 110,000 people paid respects to the late King Rama IX's royal urn on the last day, Thursday, raising the total to 12.7 million over 337 days of the activity, the Bureau of the Royal Household said on Friday.
According to the bureau, the number of people paying respects at the Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall in the compound of the Grand Palace from 12.01am on Thursday to 2.18am on Friday reached 110,889. They donated about 7 million baht as a tribute to the late king.
Over the past 337 days from Oct 29 last year, 12,739,531 people were at the Grand Palace for the purpose. They donated altogether 889 million baht.
On Thursday, the queues stretched more than 3km in total, from the old site of the Government Lottery Office on Ratchadamnoen Klang Avenue to Saranrom Park on the other.
Earlier, His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun extended the end of the period from Sept 30 to Oct 5.
On Friday, the Bureau of the Royal Household started preparing areas within the compound of the Grand Palace for royal cremation ceremonies.
Officials and volunteers cleaned the vicinity of Sanam Luang and the crematorium location to facilitate the rehearsals of royal processions related to the royal cremation.
Eighteen roads in the area would be closed from 10pm Friday to Saturday for the rehearsals.
Besides, the government planned an event to mark the first anniversary of the passing of King Bhumibol Adulyadej in the morning of Oct 13.
On that day at Government House, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha would lead cabinet ministers and their spouses, as well as government officials, to give alms to 89 Buddhist monks.
The Interior Ministry also asked the operators of entertainment venues to tone down or cancel festive activities throughout this month in keeping with the sombre mood.
The royal cremation will be held at Sanam Luang on Oct 26. The official ceremony will take place over the course of five days from Oct 25-29, with merit-making ceremonies and others done in private within the throne hall.
