The First Army Area held workshops Tuesday to teach participants in late King Bhumibol Adulyadej's royal cremation ceremony how to correctly wear their ceremonial uniforms during the royal procession from Oct 26-29.
Maj Gen Krishdanai Ittimonton, First Army Area chief of staff, stressed that wearing the ceremonial uniforms in the right way is "crucial to preserving the honour of the late King."
Inspection units will be deployed to ensure the dress codes will be properly followed.
The late King's royal procession will involve transporting his royal urn from the royal crematorium at Sanam Luang on Oct 26 to Chakri Maha Prasat Throne Hall on Oct 29, where the cremains of all Thai kings are kept.
Ten groups of participants are set to wear traditional uniforms as they perform their duties in the royal procession.
They come from the First Division King's Guard, the Department of Army Transportation and Vajiravudh college, among others. There are 16 types of uniforms, each serving different purposes, such as uniforms for those assigned to lead the procession and those who will carry the royal palanquin, used to transport the late King's royal urn.
"Those wearing the uniforms will also have to observe various time constraints during the ceremony," he said. "They will have to learn quickly how to wear the uniforms, so we will not incur any delays,"said Maj Gen Krishdana.
Selected as one of the royal urn's carriers, SM1 Somchai Poonsaard, of the Department of Army Transportation, said he is proud and considered the task "an honour of the highest degree."
The Department of Army Transportation was assigned to pick a total of 58 representatives to carry the palanquin, after undergoing military fitness drills, such as running distances in a certain amount of time.
"I am sure that on the day of the ceremony, there will be an air of sadness surrounding the whole area," he said. "But on a personal level, I am proud to have been chosen for the task and will have to perform my duty to the best of my ability."
