Thomas Maresca

Special for USA TODAY

BANGKOK — Thailand held lavish funeral ceremonies Thursday for King Bhumibol Adulyadej, as hundreds of thousands of people capped a year of mourning for their revered monarch with a final farewell.

Bhumibol, who was 88 when he died a year ago, was the world's longest-reigning monarch. His elaborate funeral comes as his untested son, King Maha Vajiralongkorn, 65, prepares to make his mark on the Thai throne after spending much of his adult life in Germany.

The elaborate farewell ceremonies took place over five days at a cost of $90 million.



Enormous crowds of mourners dressed in black thronged a public square outside the Grand Palace to catch a glimpse of the ceremonial urn for Bhumibol's cremated remains. Buildings around the capital were draped in yellow, the royal color.

Thousands watched live on video screens set up throughout the city. Schools, offices and many shops and restaurants were shuttered for the official holiday.



Bhumibol was central to Thai identity and a beloved father-figure in the Southeast Asia country of 65 million that ended its absolute monarchy decades ago. The government has generally been ruled by elected leaders since, although the nation has been plagued by numerous military coups and political turmoil.

About 250,000 mourners attended Thursday's events. Many traveled from around Thailand to be there.

Kraisi Lortharapasert, 52, closed the restaurant he owns in northeastern Thailand to pay his respects and brought his teenage son. "All Thai people love the king," the father said. "We’re very sad. But his spirit will always stay with us."



In the heart of bustling Bangkok, a frenetic city of more than 8 million, the pace slowed down. At one temple lon a commercial stretch of high-end shopping malls, many waited hours in line to offer prayers for the king.

"We came to pray for the king," said engineer Tanin Dankul, 49. "Today is the last day of King Rama IX (another name for Bhumibol). Tomorrow, Thailand will be different."



Thursday’s ceremony began early in the morning with a royal procession from the palace to the crematorium, a 174-foot-tall structure that took a year to construct. It has nine gold-colored spires and is meant to represent Mount Meru, the mythical center of the universe where Buddhist and Hindu gods are said to reside.

According to traditional beliefs, Mount Meru is where Bhumibol’s spirit will return. Buddhism is the dominant religion practiced in Thailand.

Thousands of troops accompanied a golden palanquin and royal chariot along the 1.2-mile route to the crematorium in Bangkok’s Sanam Luang field. Pavilions, decorations and more than 500 sculptures by the country’s top craftsmen decorate the site. There is a life-size replica of Thong Daeng, the king’s favorite pet dog.



More than 800 sites across the country were designated as places for people to present flowers carved from sandalwood, the traditional Thai tribute to a deceased monarch.



Bhumibol was king for over 70 years. He was seen as a near-divine figure who embodied the unity and continuity of the nation as the ninth king in the Chakri Dynasty, which dates back to 1782. His presence was ubiquitous around the country, seen everywhere from large billboards to framed pictures in homes and offices.



But he was much more than a figurehead.

Bhumibol played a large role in his country’s development and is credited with helping it navigate geopolitical upheavals in Southeast Asia during the Cold War.



"Thailand at that time was alone and had to weather the tide of Communism and to promote economic development," said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, an associate professor of political science at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.

"Thai people saw and appreciated his efforts," he added.

"From this, an enduring bond developed and became deeply embedded and that's why the Thai people are so much in grief when he departed."



When he died, Bhumibol was thought to be the richest monarch in the world, with a fortune estimated at $30 billion by Forbes magazine in 2014.

He was also closely aligned with the country’s ruling business and military elite and was shielded by strict laws that criminalized public defamation of the monarchy.

Human rights groups such as Amnesty International have claimed that Thailand's ruling military junta have increasingly used the legislation to "silence peaceful dissent and jail prisoners of conscience."

Since a May 2014 coup, Thai authorities have used the law to charge over 100 people, in some cases for offenses such as liking or sharing social media posts.



