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Published on February 2, 2008

The Princess was the elder sister of HM the King Bhumibol Adulyadej. She passed away at the age of 84 on January 2.

Paiboon Phonmark, who heads the Fine Arts Department's Architecture Office, led his team to inspect Sanam Luang yesterday where the team had already pinpointed the centre of the planned royal crematorium. Workmen are now expected to erect a green fence to mark the construction area within 10 days.

Speaking about the large number of pigeons around Sanam Luang, Paiboon said, "It should not pose any problem because noise from the construction and workers will scare many pigeons away".

Fine Arts Department deputy director-general Prarop Laowanich said his department would ask relevant authorities to provide fire trucks and police officers at the construction site. "This is for safety reasons," Prarop said.

Meanwhile, black-clad mourners yesterday crowded the Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall, where the Princess's body is lying in state, to pay their respects.

Among the mourners were the winners of the 2007 Prince Mahidol Awards: Professor Axel Ullrich, Dr Sanduk Ruit and Professor Basil Stuart Hetzel.

Meanwhile, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is now handing out a VCD about the Princess to visitors at an exhibition in her honour. The exhibition is being held in front of BMA headquarters.

Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin said the VCD would be given in place of commemorative books, which had already run out.

"All 100,000 copies of the books we have published were already given away because there are between 5,000 and 6,000 visitors each day," the governor said.

The Nation