The King and Queen of Bhutan arrived in Thailand on Saturday evening in order to pay their personal respects to His Majesty King Bhumibol at 10 am on Sunday.
The royal couple and their son, eight-month-old Crown Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck, were welcomed at Suvarnabhumi Airport by Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak.
Earlier, when news of the Thai king's deteriorating health spread, the Bhutanese monarch on Wednesday ordered special prayers to be conducted at all temples across the Himalayan kingdom and told the people to pray for his well-beig.
When the His Majesty passed away on Thursday, King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck declared the next day a national holiday in Bhutan.
The 36-year-old monarch and the royal family also led a group of clergy, senior government officials and the Thai community in his country in offering a thousand butter lamps and prayers in memory of the Thai king at the Kuenra of the Tashichhodzong.
The relationship between the royal families of the two countries has been warm, especially since the Bhutanese king, then the crown prince, joined the celebrations in Bangkok marking the 60th anniversary of King Bhumibol's accession to the throne in mid-June 2006, along with royal visitors from 25 countries.
Eight-month-old Crown Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck rests in the arms of his mother, Her Majesty The Druk Gyaltsuen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck, on their arrival at Suvarnabhumi Airport. (Photo by Phrakrit Juntawong)
