The high demand for photos taken during the recent celebrations prompted Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to submit a request for royal permission to print the photos for distribution to the public, government offices and schools via provincial governors, Surapong said.

"There are 15 million households in Thailand , so the government will print 15 million copies," he said, adding the project will cost around Bt10 per photo, or a total cost of Bt150 million.

Meanwhile, the Kasikornthai Research Centre yesterday predicted that at least 4.36 million tourists from 25 countries whose royal families and representatives attended the celebrations earlier this month, will visit Thailand this year, generating an income of around Bt155 billion.

The centre suggested the Thai Tourism Authority take the opportunity of the impressive celebrations and footage of worldwide monarchs' visiting various places around the Kingdom, to expand

its exclusive end of the tourist trade as well as boost the mainstream market.