Sweden says farewell to its honorary knight
Thousands of Thais attend ceremony in capital, funeral events elsewhere, writes Chaiyot Yongcharoenchai in Stockholm
Aceremony was held in Stockholm, Sweden yesterday to honour the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who received the Knight of the Swedish Royal Order of the Seraphim on April 5, 1950. The order is the highest honour in Sweden. Thousands of black-clad Thais attended the ceremony.
The ceremony, traditionally held when a Knight of the Order dies, took place yesterday in Stockholm while the royal cremation ceremony was being held in Bangkok. The event saw Royal Honour Guard troops take King Bhumibol’s coat of arms from Stockholm Palace to the nearby Riddarholmen Church, the burial church of Swedish monarchs, at 11.55am local time.
During the special ceremony, called Serafimerringningen, which ended at 1pm, the church’s bells rang constantly. After the ceremony, the late King’s coat of arms was kept in the church.
Thousands of Thais living in Sweden attended the event. Some held pictures of the late King, others held banknotes, while many held Thai flags in their hands.
At 11.55am, VIPs including Kiattikhun Chartprasert, the Thai ambassador to Sweden, walked out of the royal palace following the Swedish soldiers carrying King Bhumibol’s coat of arms. Mr Kiattikhun led the thousands of Thais in a long procession to Riddarholmen Church, approximately 300 metres from the palace.
In the procession was Piengpen Kanab, 64, originally from Khon Kaen, who came with four other friends from the Swedish city of Motala to attend the ceremony.
“It was the saddest day of my life to learn that my beloved king was no longer here with us,” Ms Piengpen said while holding a picture of the late King in her hands and wiping tears from her face.
“I’m an old lady and didn’t think I wouldn’t live to see the day when the king passed away.”
“I’ve been through many sad events in my life but this one is the saddest. I still haven’t recovered from the sadness I felt when he died on Oct 13 last year. Wherever he is, I will always remember him.”
At the church, VIP guests and 400 Thais witnessed the Serafimerringningen ceremony. The late King’s coat of arms with the image of a garuda and his full name emblazoned on it was placed in front of the guests while members of Sweden’s Royal Court performed a traditional ritual before King Bhumibol’s coat of arms was hung on a wall alongside those of other knights of the past.
After the ceremony was over, Thais waiting outside were allowed in to view the coat of harms hanging on the wall. Everyone there was overwhelmed by the occasion especially when realising the late King was being honoured by Sweden’s monarch.
Hathairat Prasartketkan, 23, a Thai student originally from Nakhon Sawan who has lived in Stockholm for 17 years, told the Bangkok Post that she was taught that the late King did a lot of things to improve the lives of his people.
She said that even though she hasn’t lived in Thailand for years she is aware of what the late King did for his people.
“I was in Thailand last year when the king passed away. I couldn’t believe it... Sadly it was true. I stayed another month to be with my family to help get them through this difficult time,” Ms Hathairat said.
“I attended this ceremony since it is a big deal to all Thais living here ... we are all here today to honour him,” she added.
A THAI RESIDING IN SWEDEN
In Bhutan, special prayers were yesterday said at Buddha Dordenma at Kuenselphodrang in Thimphu to coincide with the royal cremation in Bangkok.
His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk of Bhutan had ordered the special prayers to be said. His Holiness the Je Khenpo presided over the special prayers.
In Taiwan, hundreds of black-clad Thais yesterday went to the Thailand Trade and Economic Office in Taipei to lay dok mai chan flowers in front of a portrait of the late King. Many had tears in their eyes.
They came to bid farewell to the late monarch, said Suchitra Lin, 47, who serves as a volunteer at the office.
She said about 800 Thai mourners had come to the office by 6pm (Thai time) yesterday and that more were expected.
Vipa Saowanapreecha, 81, who went to the office, said she cried as she watched the live broadcast of the royal cremation at Sanam Laung.
“I wish I was in Bangkok. There has been a void in my heart since the King passed away,” she said.
Thousands of Thais in other countries yesterday were also saying their farewells by prostrating themselves before portraits of the late King.
I’ve been through many sad events in my life but this one is the saddest. PIENGPEN KANAB