First Army Area’s deputy commander Maj General Pongsawat Pannajit said yesterday, in his capacity as the deputy head of the joint safety operation centre: “We have received complaints that some volunteers have lost their temper and acted inappropriately.”

He said his centre had heard that some volunteers had abused their authority and tried to force people out of the lines waiting to enter the Grand Palace, because of their clothing.
“We have already made clear that people must not be forced out of the lines,” he said. Thousands of mourners have queued up for hours every day for an opportunity to lay prostrate before the much-revered HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s body, which rests inside the Grand Palace’s Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall.
His Majesty passed away on October 13, plunging the entire nation into deep grief.
While there is a dress code for mourners who can go inside, Royal Household Bureau officials have been lenient where possible as not all Thais can afford new black clothes. In addition, many good Samaritans have made suitable black clothes that mourners can borrow and wear into the throne hall.
Pongsawat said that the volunteers who had been removed from the queue-management operation had already been assigned tasks that did not require direct contact with mourners.
“We have recruited 50 more volunteers from the Interior Ministry to help with queue management,” he said.
Pongsawat apologised to anyone who had been offended by some volunteers. He urged people to complain to his centre at Tel No 1899 if they found any volunteer acting inappropriately.

‘Trying to ensure all get in’
Pongsawat said some mourners reached the Grand Palace at around 3am to ensure they would get the opportunity to pay their respects to the much-beloved King’s body.
“We are trying to ensure that all mourners in the lines can get in, except when circumstances really don’t permit us to do that,” Pongsawat said.
This weekend, all 27 roads around Sanam Luang, which sits next to the Grand Palace, will be closed to traffic between 7am and 8pm.
Crowds in the area look set to be bigger than usual because the nearby Thammasat University’s Tha Prachan campus will also host graduation ceremonies.
Meanwhile, Public Health Ministry deputy permanent secretary Dr Kiattibhoom Vongrachit said medical units around Sanam Luang would be relocated to pave the way for the upcoming |construction of the royal crematorium.
“Only some units will be affected. Relevant officials are discussing the matter with the Fine Arts Department [which is responsible for the construction],” Bangkok’s deputy city clerk Wantanee Wattana said.