Thais from across the nation flock to Bangkok
Over a million of Thais across the country from the northernmost to southernmost provinces are arriving in Bangkok by buses, trains, planes, private cars, and trucks for the attendance of their last and historic Royal Funeral Procession tomorrow.
All freeride trains to Bangkok from the provinces were reported to be full with mourners while domestic flights to Bangkok are also fully seated. Highway police reported unusually high traffic on highways from the North, Northeast, East, and South since yesterday with all vehicles heading for Bangkok. All highways and motorways from the North, Northeast, East, and South to Bangkok are reported to have heavy traffic as toll fees were exempted to facilitate smooth traffic flow at tollgates. The Transport Company, meanwhile, prepared 5,000 sets of travel and royal ceremony brochures to distribute to all bus passengers arriving at its bus depots in Bangkok.
The company’s president Jirasak Yaovajarasakul said arriving passengers yesterday to Bangkok by buses rose to 120,000 or 30,000 higher than the previous day. He expected the highest number arriving in Bangkok late this afternoon to reach 150,000. It is capable of accommodating 180,000 passengers a day. The Transport Company has arranged 9,000 trips per day in all routes to Bangkok to accommodate a large number of passengers coming this week. At the same time, commuter van operators have also arranged 300 vans to provide free rides for mourners to travel into Bangkok today and tomorrow on the route from Kanchanaburi and Nakhon Sawan. Source: Thai PBS
