PM leads royal bathing rite for late Princess Bajrakitiyabha

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul led cabinet members and senior officials in a royal bathing rite on Saturday morning, before the portrait of the late Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati in the Grand Palace’s Sahathai Samakhom Pavilion.

Anutin, who also serves as the Interior Minister, arrived at the venue at 8.00am, accompanied by his wife, Thananon Charnvirakul, chairwoman of the Cabinet spouses’ committee.

The ceremony follows Friday's official announcement by the Royal Household Bureau that HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha had passed away on Thursday evening at the age of 47. Thailand has since entered a period of national mourning.

A large number of high-ranking officials attended the rite, including Deputy Prime Minister Songsak Thongsri, Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun, Deputy Interior Ministers Polpi Suwanchawee, Jeseth Thaiseth and Worasit Liangprasit, as well as senior officials from the Ministry of Interior.

Following the official ceremony, the Bureau of the Royal Household opened the Sahathai Samakhom Pavilion from 8.30am until noon, allowing members of the public to participate in the bathing rite before the Princess’ portrait.

The late Princess will be transferred from King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital to the Piman Rattaya Throne Hall inside the Grand Palace at 3.30pm today.

Since early morning, crowds of mourners dressed in black have been lining the pavements near the City Pillar Shrine and along the procession route, waiting to pay their final respects to the late Princess.