Help on hand

Editorial: Thai compassion on display among volunteers at Sanam Luang.

Whenever their fellow Thais endure grief or difficult times, people from all walks of life in Thailand always show they have plenty of compassion and often offer unconditional help in whatever form they can. It is no exception today as the nation mourns and says goodbye to the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Tens of thousands of mourners have made their way from different parts of the country to reserve space around Sanam Luang in Bangkok to observe in person the royal cremation for the late King.

Yesterday, tens of thousands passed security checkpoints to secure a prime spot to view the ceremony. The government expects more than 100,000 mourners will gather around the ceremony site.

As high as the number of mourners is, many others have registered as volunteers to help the event pass smoothly.

The five-day royal cremation rites will run until Sunday with the royal cremation taking place tonight.

Providing information on etiquette during the ceremony is an essential task of a group of volunteers.

Others are assigned to help out with providing transportation to and from the royal cremation venue.

A large number of volunteers will also ensure there are sufficient food and beverages provided to mourners. First aid and medical services are also in place, thanks to a variety of medical volunteer teams from both state and private hospitals and medical centres.

At least 20,000 security volunteers have also been trained to ensure calm and order are kept at the maximum.

These volunteers have shown they are doing their work from the heart. Compared to what the late King had done for his people in the seven decades under his reign through his many royal development projects, his numerous visits to rural communities, and his words of wisdom that have become the guiding light for the nation, they may feel that their acts of compassion are incomparable.

In addition to contributions from individuals, private sector entities are also engaged to take part in such acts of giving. Transport and telecom companies have provided free services for mouners, for example.

As the country’s unifying force, the late King helped Thais survive times of crisis. This time, and particularly this week, Thais have unified again in their volunteering efforts.

Their remarkable compassion reminds many of what happened in 2011 when floods ravaged homes and farmlands, turning 65 provinces into disaster zones.

As flood victims ran out of food, were stuck in their homes or endured grief, volunteers went out to offer food and drinking water, to get them out of their flooded homes and assist with anything they could during their stay at temporary shelters.

The volunteering spirit of many Thais demonstrates the kind and giving nature of people who lived under the late King’s reign.

For today’s ceremony, thousands of mourners have been camped out on pavements since Monday to bid a final farewell to the revered monarch, whose 70-year reign touched the heart and soul of every Thai.

Many of them said that thoughts of the late monarch helped them battle heavy rains and heat. Some said the physical hardship they endured over the past week is little when they thought of the late King’s work in his lifetime.

In other provinces, people also attended ceremonial activities in their home towns.

After this final farewell, Thais should continue doing good deeds by volunteering to help those in need.

We should never forget that such an act of compassion is a meaningful way of paying tribute to the beloved late King, Rama IX.