Minister of Economic Development Mohamed Saeed on Thursday departed to Thailand, as Special Envoy of the President, to pay respect to the late King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej who passed away on 13th October 2016.
Minister Mohamed Saeed is accompanied by former Minister at the President’s Office Mohamed Hussain Shareef, and Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Hussain Niyaz.
Mourners were at the Grand Palace from early morning on Thursday to pay their respects to King Bhumibol Adulyadej who died a week ago.
Tens of thousands of people have been coming every day to queue in the sun and rain to show their respect for the monarch who reigned for 70 years.
Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, the heir, had said he wanted to mourn with the people before succession was discussed and the government has appointed a regent for the interim.
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said last week that the coronation would take place after the cremation of his father after the official mourning period. But on Tuesday Prayuth told reporters the succession could take place after 15 days of mourning, indicating that the prince can become king before his official coronation. Prayuth's comments appeared to be aimed at cooling speculation that the throne might be empty for a protracted period.