A disabled man from Phuket has started his 842 kilometer journey to Bangkok in honor of the country's late King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
The Phuket News reported that the man, identified as "Sompong," is based in the famous Southern island, and used a makeshift wheelchair to push himself with one leg to the capital city.
The report also said that has joined last year's Bike for Dad, an event that celebrated King Bhumibol's 88th birthday--it is called so because the King is recognized in the country as the "Father of the Thai Nation."
King Bhumibol, the ninth monarch of Thailand from the country's Chakri Dynasty, passed away last Ocober 13, 2016, ending a 70-year reign. A statement from the royal household said that he passed away peacefully in Bangkok's Sriraj hospital.
As soon as the announcement was made, the country started mourning--TV stations were replaced by royal broadcasts, people camping out of the hospital wept, flags were at half-mast, and events were cancelled. Wonderfruit, an annual music festival, for instance, was postponed. A message posted onthe website read: "Given the current and ongoing situation here in Thailand, as we face the passing of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, we announce the postponement of Wonderfruit."
"Taking into account the sentiment of the country and the guidelines set by the government of Thailand, we will observe a 100-day grieving period, so we are able to pay our proper respects, in unity with the Thai people," it added. The festival has been moved to February next year.
People outside of the hospital chanted "long live the King!" One of the people who camped out of the hospital told reporters: "I want the king to hear us in case he will come back to life. I'm waiting for a miracle to bring the king back to life because he said he wanted to live until 120 years old."
The BBC reported that the King had been ill in the past years, only making a few appearances due to poor health.
Prayuth Chan-ocha, Thailand's Prime Minister, announced that the nation will have a year-long mourning, and that 64-year-old Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn would be ascending the throne. There would, however, be a delay in this appointment, as the Prince asked the country to mourn his father's death.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
