English language live stream of the Royal Cremation of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej

[Peterw42]

1 minute ago, LannaGuy said:

Yes but the outer earn is 'gold' and removed (as so heavy one would guess) whilst the silver one is processional but it does say that the urn is 'occupied'.  Fascinating if more info can be found. 

I was just discussing this with Thai friends and the conclusion was "you think to much". During the whole ceremony if its actual remains or symbolic, not important.  

[LannaGuy]

8 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

I was just discussing this with Thai friends and the conclusion was "you think to much". During the whole ceremony if its actual remains or symbolic, not important.  

 

Methinks your Thai friends have no idea and rather than say "I don't know' they say YOU  'think too much'.  You don't go to a wedding and there's no bride and everyone say's 'you think too much' it's symbolic   lol.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

17 minutes ago, LannaGuy said:

Fascinating.  If anyone has links that would be cool.  I know NONE of my Thais friends have any idea that he wasn't following the traditional ritual and the question has to be asked... why? 

 

Because it's common to follow wishes about funeral proceedings made by people before their death. 

 

Anyway I could not quickly find a link about his majesty's comments/wishes about it, but there is plenty about the old urn tradition being modified and the urn used symbolically only.   (Which shows that it should not be a surprise to anyone who has followed things closely.) 

 

For example, this article from a year ago: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-14/thai-kings-body-taken-to-palace-as-mourners-pay-last-respects/7935152  

 

Relevant part: 

 

"According to tradition, the bodies of Thai royals are placed in a golden urn.

But palace officials said the tradition was no longer upheld and the king's body would be placed in a coffin with a symbolic royal urn near it."

[LannaGuy]

2 minutes ago, WinnieTheKhwai said:

 

Because it's common to follow wishes about funeral proceedings made by people before their death. 

 

Anyway I could not quickly find a link about his majesty's comments/wishes about it, but there is plenty about the old urn tradition being modified and the urn used symbolically only.   (Which shows that it should not be a surprise to anyone who has followed things closely.) 

 

For example, this article from a year ago: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-14/thai-kings-body-taken-to-palace-as-mourners-pay-last-respects/7935152  

 

Relevant part: 

 

"According to tradition, the bodies of Thai royals are placed in a golden urn.

But palace officials said the tradition was no longer upheld and the king's body would be placed in a coffin with a symbolic royal urn near it."

 

Interesting but I can find no online definitive reference that HM asked for this and Thais I know just don't believe it.

 

The Australian article you quote, quotes 'palace officials' but no names nor links etc.  You say "no surprise to anyone who follows things closely" but I know many who do and they don't know about this and you cannot produce links so I dont think it's fair to say 'we would know' because we don't.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, poohy said:

Yep I dont profess to have any  deep interest and certainly no Buddhist knowledge but  that's what i thought... very disappointed i only switched on a 10pm purely to see that

On a serous note if they are not going to burn what are doing with it 

 

 

It's all explained on The Nation site about it. I was wondering if the whole thing was going to burn, till I realised that would make it impossible to keep only his ashes, and I looked it up. Quite interesting.

Far as I can ascertain, the structure will remain a month and then be dismantled. Since at least Rama 1 the structure is temporary and built specially for the ceremony.

Certainly, a few headlines were implying the entire structure was going to burn, but I guess they didn't bother to research.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, LannaGuy said:

Peter it was promised is the point. Millions who could not make it wanted to say farewell but it looks like that was reserved for the 'special' few. Disappointing and if the family wanted it all 'private' then organise it that way not this spectacular event with the government boasting about events all around the world etc.

Hardly private with apparently thousands viewing in person at Sanam Luang. It's on U Tube.

Only those of us gathered expectantly in front of a tv to see the final moment of significance, and share in a special moment, nationwide, were denied. They didn't even make an announcement that I could see, and just carried on with the traditional dancing, which apparently was not live.

I can't be the only one left feeling disappointed.

[LannaGuy]

2 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Hardly private with apparently thousands viewing in person at Sanam Luang. It's on U Tube.

Only those of us gathered expectantly in front of a tv to see the final moment of significance, and share in a special moment, nationwide, were denied. They didn't even make an announcement that I could see, and just carried on with the traditional dancing, which apparently was not live.

I can't be the only one left feeling disappointed.

It was a late change by 'someone' and not planned that way.  It now appears that the whole procession was just a show and HM was in a coffin and at the site Wed night.

[Siamesecarper]

LannaGuy you might find this Khaosod article informative http://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2017/10/26/mourners-witness-royal-body-theft-ritual/

 

According to the Khaosod live blog from last night the actual cremation took place inside an electric cremation oven which produced little or no smoke.  The smoke seen later (in a day full of symbolism) was in fact likely to have been the burning of the sandalwood flowers in a ritual seen across Thailand last night including in my home town.

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

48 minutes ago, scorecard said:

 

"....it was promised..."

 

Where did you see it was promised?

 

You've made your point, please move on.

"Promised" on every web site and information source I looked at, and frankly expected.

It was like attending the church service at a western funeral and then not being allowed to see the coffin either being moved into the crematorium or placed in the ground.

[ChouDoufu]

5 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

"Promised" on every web site and information source I looked at, and frankly expected.

It was like attending the church service at a western funeral and then not being allowed to see the coffin either being moved into the crematorium or placed in the ground.

not quite.

 

more like a family being denied the opportunity to

say goodbye to the much-loved grandmother in

the cancer ward during visiting hours.

[champers]

It does beg the question: if a fifth of the population made a personal homage, over the last year, to what they thought was the King's body encased in an urn, will they feel they have been grandly decieved knowing it has lain in a coffin at another place all along?

[LannaGuy]

50 minutes ago, Siamesecarper said:

LannaGuy you might find this Khaosod article informative http://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2017/10/26/mourners-witness-royal-body-theft-ritual/

 

According to the Khaosod live blog from last night the actual cremation took place inside an electric cremation oven which produced little or no smoke.  The smoke seen later (in a day full of symbolism) was in fact likely to have been the burning of the sandalwood flowers in a ritual seen across Thailand last night including in my home town.

 

 

Thank you so much - very informative 

[Jai Dee]

In order to cease speculation over a very sensitive Royal topic, this thread is now closed.