Siriraj Hospital intends to turn the room where the late His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej stayed while receiving medical care over the past several years into a museum.
Dr Prasit Watthanapha, dean of Mahidol University's Faculty of Medicine at Siriraj Hospital, disclosed the plan Wednesday, adding the hospital will have to first secure permission from the Bureau of the Royal Household.
In addition to the museum plan, the hospital intends building a statue of the late King at the hospital. This will also need to be approved by the bureau, he said. Siriraj Hospital, the oldest hospital in the country, had provided medical care for the late King over the past two decades, he said.
The 16th floor of Chalerm Phrakiat Building at Siriraj was more or less the residence of the King when he was admitted for treatment for a respiratory condition from September 2009 to August 2013. After being released, the King stayed at Klai Kangwon Palace in Hua Hin of Prachuap Khiri Khan province but returned to Siriraj Hospital again on Oct 3, 2014.
The King remained there to receive care, with only a short break when he made another trip to Klai Kangwon Palace in May 2015, until his death on Oct 13. On Friday, the procession of the King's body left Siriraj Hospital about 4.30pm, with mourners lining the route where the motorcade passed.
