ABOUT 100 Thais living in the US city of Seattle held a morning merit-making rite for His Majesty the King at a monastery yesterday before gathering at a park in the evening to demonstrate their undying love for the late monarch.
The rite was held at Atammayatarama Buddhist Monastery near Woodinville, Washington state, in remembrance of the King, with the night session taking place at the city’s Gas Works Park around 9pm.
Braving heavy rain, Thai people sang the national anthem and signed a condolence book in remembrance of the King. Rather than lighting candles, they used the flashlights from their phones to show their reverence for the King.
Chatchawit Disarao, the 31-year-old owner of a Thai restaurant, said he decided to close his business for one day to attend both functions. He was joined by his wife, three-year-old daughter and workers from the restaurant.
“When I learned about the gathering, I was determined to go, so I closed the restaurant and went with my family and staff to show my respect and loyalty to the King,” he said.
His daughter, Lanta, asked Chatchawit who the King was after she saw him watching news about the King’s passing. “I told her that he is a deity and the best man. Because of her age, of course, she did not understand. I told her the man she asked about is now gone to the sky and heaven.”
Chatchawit, a native of Songkhla province, said he grew up at a time when the King was not able to visit the regions as frequently as before. However, he loved to watch His Majesty’s activities on television and learned about the King’s hard work in school. “It is beyond words and very difficult to explain my sadness. When I see the footage of the King, tears are always in my eyes,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh hosted a ceremony in remembrance of the King. Thais were invited to sign in a condolence book and pay their respects to a portrait of the King.
Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen and some of his ministers also attended the function to pay tribute to the King and sign a condolence book.
The Thai Ambassador to Cambodia, Nuttavudh Photisaro, also posted on his Facebook page that Cambodia’s Princess Norodom Arunrasmy also showed up to express her condolences. The princess is the youngest daughter of Norodom Sihanouk, late King of Cambodia. She is also a former ambassador to Malaysia.
The Thai Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday held a ceremony to pay a tribute to His Majesty the King. Consul General Ureerat Ratanaprukse said about 800 people, including Thais and Vietnamese, joined the event.
“I am in tears when a Vietnamese guest said that His Majesty’s passing is not only a loss to Thais but also the Vietnamese,” said Ureerat. The notes in the condolence book written by Vietnamese people clearly showed that the King’s mercy had gone beyond Thailand’s borders.