After a whole year of mourning, it is finally time for Thai citizens to bid farewell to the revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The late king is regarded as an important father figure to a nation of over 68 million people. Thais of different ages have gathered near the Grand Palace in prayers as they wait faithfully by their king for the gates of heaven to open.“He was not only the father of the nation, he was a literal father to us individually.

A sea of black-clad mourners massed across Bangkok's historic heart early Thursday as funeral rituals began for King Bhumibol Adulyadej, a revered monarch whose passing after a seven-decade reign has left Thailand bereft of its only unifying figure.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej – the man who held the world title of the longest-ruling monarch – helmed the crown for seven decades. He was venerated as a morally righteous and strong figurehead to the Thai people during tumultuous times and stood as a beacon of hope and sign of stability to his loyal subjects.

Gilded chariots, horses and columns of military men in bright costumes swept through Bangkok's old quarter on Saturday in a final dress rehearsal for late King Bhumibol Adulyadej's funeral – a meticulously-planned spectacle of devotion to a man known as the "soul of the nation".Steered by the Buddhist ritual, palace protocol and social hierarchy that underpin Thailand's powerful monarchy, the elaborate cremation ceremony will befit a king who commanded a cult-like fol