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BANGKOK, Oct. 27-- Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej's relics and ashes were collected by his only son, King Maha Vajiralongkorn, on Friday. King Maha Vajiralongkorn, the current monarch, participated in a religious ceremony with the royal family on Friday morning. He showered sacred water on his father's remains before the relics were moved into golden urns. In a televised ceremony, parades escorted the royal remains back to the palace. As part of the five-day royal funeral starting from Oct. 25, the collection of royal remains drew thousands of black-clad mourners to the royal cremation site in central Bangkok. The royal cremation ceremony organizing committee announced that 157,778 mourners had entered the cremation area. The late king's body was cremated around 11 p.m. on Thursday night. Tearful mourners who camped around the area overnight bid farewell to their beloved king. Earlier, King Bhumibol's symbolic royal urn was carried by a gilded chariot to a gleaming funeral complex that has been erected outside Bangkok's Grand Palace. Thursday's ceremony marked the culmination of months of preparations that began after King Bhumibol passed away a year ago at the age of 89. The revered king has reigned the country for more than seven decades. | 
