People can park their cars, rest, have meals or use restrooms at the temples, he added.
Nineteen temples in Bangkok’s Bang Na, Phra Khanong, Bang Khen, Don Muang, Lak Si, Chatuchak, Phra Nakhon and Dusit districts are also providing parking spaces to mourners, such as Wat Sri Eium, Wat Wachirathamsathit, Wat That Thong, Wat Tritossathep, Wat Pak Nam and Wat Lat Phrao.

The move aims to help traffic, notably emergency transport of medical patients to hospital, Pol Lt-General Sanit Mahathaworn said.
When work is complete, police will tell the public to observe traffic signs and they hoped to receive cooperation from motorists, he added.

Despite difficulty, some people have been willing to undertake long treks because they feel strongly connected and grateful to His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej for his royal initiatives.
Chui Kaewjanta, 65, from Chiang Rai, the northernmost province, said: “I could not stay in my house any longer. My heart has flown to Bangkok already since I learnt of this tragic loss. I have no money and had to borrow from my neighbours because I wanted to come here. I miss my King.”
Chui, joined by her husband, spoke while having a meal in the sun on the open field of Sanam Luang in front of the Grand Palace. The couple arrived in Bangkok at 4am – dawn yesterday – after a 10-hour bus journey.
Chui said she intends to go to the Grand Palace to pay respect to His Majesty, who died last Thursday, despite not being able to afford the cost of travelling here.
The couple asked their daughter, who lives in Bangkok, to buy them bus tickets. Chui also borrowed pocket money from her neighbour, as she plans to stay for five days. They will sleep at her daughter’s rented apartment and come to Sanam Luang from 8am to 9pm every day.
Chui recalled the King’s royal projects in Chiang Rai, including a tea plantation which helped her family and thousands of households in the province to stand on their own feet economically.
“I have planted tea to make a living. The King has taken care of us. And in the winter, Chiang Rai was very cold, he also provided blankets to us,” she replied with tearful eyes.
Chui said she did not want to eat anything and could not sleep well following the King’s passing.
“If it was not him, who else could do everything for Thai people like him?” she said before asking to stop because of her overwhelming emotion.
Thousands gathered around Sanam Luang, all dressed in black and mourning the King. Most live in Bangkok. But some were from areas far off, people who brought a backpack and luggage and lay on the royal lawn, like Kraiwut Krajornpob from Khon Kaen, in the Northeast.
Kraiwut, 42, who is a mechanic, sat alone in a tent set up on a footpath by Sanam Luang with a portrait of the King in one hand. His other hand held a handkerchief to wipe tears from his eyes as he looked toward the Grand Palace, where the King’s body now rests.
“It’s the great loss. Our father did lots of things for our well-being. Regardless of race, religion, and social status, he loved his children [Thai people] equally,” he said.
“The drought crisis in Isaan [the Northeast] has been alleviated because of his initiatives to build dams and reservoirs. Our region can farm because of his intelligence.”
He travelled to Bangkok with a friend, who came to have his old car repaired. After the seven-hour drive, he separated with his friend and just came to the Grand Palace to pay tribute to the King.
Kraiwut has slept at Sanam Luang since he arrived on Sunday night. He bought black shirts and necessities from nearby shops, as he had not prepared clothes for a trip made at short notice.
He said he would stay at Sanam Luang for another three to four days and return with his wife and children.
“This time I did not bring my family here as it was urgent and I did not want them to face difficulties. I don’t know where to sleep and where to take a bath. Perhaps, we will rent a room for a week to stay in Bangkok next time in order to pay respect to our King here.”
He said he was shocked when he heard the King had passed away.
“The King died on Thursday and I learnt about it on Friday evening. I had not watched TV as I had been working in a rice field to fix a tractor. When I finished my work and came to a market, I wondered why people were all dressed in black. I asked my friends and their answer shocked me,” he said.
Chalong Padpien, a 50-year-old employee from Ubon Ratchathani, said the King’s goodness and benevolence were such that he felt compelled to come – to help send him to Heaven.
“I took a free train which took 14 hours to reach Bangkok. We are willing to come despite it being a long distance to come. Our father [the King] never complained and he went everywhere across our country including the rural areas,” said Chalong, who arrived in the morning yesterday. He and his wife said they would sleep over at Sanam Luang, as they could not afford a room at a hotel and wanted to stay close to the King.
“I have signed the condolence book in the Grand Palace’s Sala Sahathai Samakhom Pavilion. The moment I saw his portrait was indescribable.
“I feel I have to do my best every day for my society, by following his teaching.”

PRIME MINISTER Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday urged the public to be mindful about spreading information or pictures that might be deemed to violate lese majeste laws, which could break the law, hurt people’s feelings and deepen divisions.
The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), meanwhile, expressed concerns over the situation, instructing officials, especially the police, to pursue related cases with caution, and try to help to tone down heated incidents by preventing angry mobs from attacking people who have allegedly committed lese majeste.
“I ask you to not spread or share such content or photos,” Prayut said after the Cabinet meeting yesterday. “Because that will not only hurt Thai people’s feelings but also break laws.”
While such actions damaged national security and triggered social disharmony, Prayut said, the government did not want to strictly enforce laws at this period of time. Different opinions should be subject to compromise, he added.
“But once the law is broken, it is another story,” he said, apparently referring to lese majeste.
Justice Minister Paiboon Khumchaya said “social sanctions” might be better than strict legal enforcement when dealing with comments critical of the monarchy, apparently as an alternative to strict enforcement. The government earlier instructed governors and senior authorities nationwide to try to settle related cases through discussions.
NCPO spokesman Colonel Piyapong Klinphan said the junta, which previously had instructed officials to strictly enforce related laws, now was concerned about the situation and did not want to see people fight or use violence against each other.
Officers must work carefully, he said, suggesting that they should not bring suspects to apologise before portraits of the late King because that might expose them to attacks.
The move follows a diverse range of comments shared online after the King’s death, with many people showing great respect for the late King but some arousing anger over comments about the monarchy that have been perceived as critical or provocative.
The government has received reports of online lese majeste violations in southern provinces, including Phuket and Surat Thani, and asked provincial governors to “fix misunderstandings” among people with different views. The suspects were reported to have aroused the anger of residents who had gathered and threatened violence.
Actions deemed to constitute lese majeste were also being detected abroad, Paiboon said.
He added that he would submit letters to embassies in Bangkok again regarding anti-monarchy activists settled in other countries.
Paiboon said he hoped countries would understand the situation, but he acknowledged the chance was slim that governments would extradite anti-monarchy fugitives. Thai authorities would do their best to bring them to justice, he added.
Paiboon said the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) would follow up on cases against people posting defamatory comments on social network websites.
The current accused suspects, categorised into seven undisclosed groups, were the same people authorities had already issued arrest warrants for, he added.
Director-general of the DSI Pol Colonel Paisit Wongmuang said the department was gathering evidence on cases involving lese majeste and would forward cases to embassies of countries that were harbouring fugitives. The DSI was also monitoring websites, checking for defamatory comments and would work with relevant agencies to shut down or block offending webpages.
The National Security Council (NSC) was also following allegedly false information posted regarding the monarchy on social media websites.
NSC secretary-general General Taweep Netniyom said people insulting the revered institution were the same groups of people living overseas who remained hostile towards the country, but he believed most Thai people would not listen to them.
He encouraged people to report inappropriate comments to authorities and obtain information only from government agencies, the “most reliable sources”, he said.
Government Spokesman Lt-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd said officials were working to block websites containing defamatory content about the late King, but admitted it was difficult to block foreign websites.
He urged the domestic media to produce “constructive” stories in the meantime.

National Office of Buddhism spokesman Pradab Photikan-chanawat said.
The park has also arranged a place for the mourners to sign farewell messages at the building on the left of the main Buddha statue, he said. There is also parking space for up to 5,000 cars along Buddha Monthon 4 Road and Buddha Uthayan Road before people board city buses to Sanam Luang, he said.
Today, temples worldwide will perform a merit-making ritual for the seventh day since the King’s passing as per the Sangha Council’s announcement, Pradap said.

Surachai Eamvachirasakul, the BMTA director, said the agency had also set four drop-off points – opposite the old Government Lottery Office, under Phra Pinklao Bridge, outside the Rattanakosin Hotel and at the Territorial Defence Command. The 700 buses on these routes should be sufficient to transport people from 5am until midnight, he said, but more would be added if needed.

Deputy army spokesperson Col Sirichan Ngathong said that Army Chief General Chalermchai Sittisat, in his capacity as secretary-general of the National Council for Peace and Order, had instructed security officials after the NCPO meeting yesterday.
They were told to swiftly convey correct information via every available mode of communication to counter false information and rumours spread on social media over recent days.
He also told them to strictly enforce laws against wrongdoers and bring them to justice.
The Royal Police also vowed to take similar action to suppress the spread of social media rumours and false information.
“We insist that inappropriate online commentators are prosecuted if found,” said acting deputy police chief Pol General Dechnarong Sutthicharnbancha. “Everyone must know their roles during this moment.”
Overseas commentators are also being monitored. Minister in the PM’s Office Suwaphan Tanyuvardhana said the government had noted six social media users who live abroad making inappropriate comments online. The government would use intelligence and security agencies to deal with them, said Suwaphan, who is also a secretary to the command centre monitoring the situation.
The move follows a diverse range of comments shared online after the King’s death. While many posts by Thai people paid great respect to the King, some aroused public anger over critical or provocative comments about the monarchy.
Suwaphan said he had received reports of online lese majeste violations in three southern provinces, including Phuket and Surat Thani, and asked provincial governors to “fix misunderstandings” among people with different views. The violators were reported to have stirred up anger among other residents who had gathered and were about to become violent.
“We don’t know what the violators’ intention really is. But their acts are deemed wrong and inappropriate,” the minister said. “We would like everything to pass smoothly during this period of time.”
Deputy PM Wissanu Krea-ngam on Friday also asked people to listen to news and updates from the government and to stop spreading rumours.

Chatchai Payuhanaveechai, president of Government Savings Bank, said the GSB has some 90,000 sets of the commemorative banknotes on the occasion His Majesty’s 84^th birthday to sell.

The normal sets sell for Bt200 each and special sets for Bt500.

He said the GSB received overwhelming inquiries from members of the public for His Majesty’s commemorative banknotes following the passing of the King so it organised the sale.