In Bangkok, police were on hand earlier today to control crowds heading towards Sanam Luang Park, the main venue for public festivities and rites. Bangkok Mass Transit Authority has laid on free bus services to the park from four city locations including the Southern Bus Terminal and Hua Lamphong Railway Station.
Over in Kanchanaburi, people put on yellow shirts and donated alms to Buddhist monks just after dawn this morning. Yellow is the king’s colour and denotes that he was born on a Monday. As well as performing other merit making ceremonies, people wrote their congratulatory notes in guest books.
In Yasothon, provincial governor Prawat Theethakaew headed up another merit-making ceremony at a remand centre. Provincial staff provided inmates with a meal and also blankets for the forthcoming cold season. Thousands of people donated blood in the far southern province of Yala in a drive coordinated by the Red Cross and local authorities.
Bars and restaurants in Thailand are usually prohibited from selling alcohol on Father's Day. Whether this is actually enforced tends to depend on local constabularies and government officers.
Thailand hosts celebrations for king’s birthday
News in Asia
People all over Thailand are in the process of staging celebrations in honour of King Bhumibol’s birthday today. It is the 87th birthday of the revered monarch and 5 December has long been a public holiday, Father's Day, in homage to him.