Thailand Crowns New King

Thailand\’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn, Queen Suthida, Princess Bajrakitiyabha, Prince Dipangkorn and Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana are seen at the balcony of Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall at the Grand Palace in Bangkok, May 6, 2019.
Thousands of well-wishers wearing uniform yellow shirts lined the streets of Bangkok\’s old quarter Sunday afternoon to catch a glimpse of King Maha Vajiralongkorn on his 7 km loop from the Grand Palace to a trio of Buddhist temples where he paid his respects. A royal retinue of hundreds in colorful dress marched in lock step down the route as the king rode a gilded palanquin to the tunes of a marching band.
The main coronation events, estimated to cost upwards of $30 million, began Saturday when the king was showered and purified with waters gathered from across the country before donning the full royal regalia, replete with sword, scepter and diamond-capped crown. A mix of Buddhist and Hindu Brahmin rituals, the rights of passage are meant to transform the king into a divine embodiment of the gods.
The coronation is the first for Thailand in 69 years and consecrates the reign of the new king — also known as Rama X, the tenth king of the Chakri dynasty — who ascended the throne in late 2016 after the death of his widely revered father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej.