The government insisted Monday there are no signs that any groups are planning to disrupt the royal cremation ceremony, citing recent intelligence reports.
Speaking after chairing the meeting of the joint administration centre of the royal cremation ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon assured those assembled that everything is under control.
Earlier this month, he had said the authorities had learned of threats from both inside and outside the country, especially from anti-monarchy groups who oppose "the [royal] institution".
Those reports prompted the military and police to step up counter-intelligence efforts to thwart any attempt to cause disorder during the ceremony on Oct 26 at Sanam Luang, which will be attended by the royal family and is expected to attract up to 250,000 people.
According to the latest intelligence update, there have been no warnings of any particular threats in terms of security, Gen Prawit said.
Security at Sanam Luang has been ramped up ever since last year when large numbers of mourners began flocking to pay respects to the late King Rama IX at the nearby Grand Palace.
As the replicas of the royal crematorium being built in the provinces are expected to be completed by Friday, no major changes are now expected to be made to the royal funeral procession which has also now been fully rehearsed, said Gen Prawit.
The volume of the sounds of drums and the music used for the royal ceremony will be turned up as suggested by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, who took part in a rehearsal of the procession on Sunday, Gen Prawit added.
The TV Pool will televise the royal funeral ceremonies on Oct 25-29, utilising a total of 136 TV cameras, 19 outside broadcasting (OB) trucks, 11 Thai-speaking narrators and two English-speaking ones.
Starting at 4.30pm on Oct 25, a live broadcast will cover the royal merit-making ceremony taking place at Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall in the Grand Palace, and the moving of the royal urn to the royal crematorium at Sanam Luang ceremonial ground.
On Oct 26, the day of the royal cremation, events will broadcast from 6am onwards, covering the moving of the royal urn from Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall to the royal crematorium and the royal cremation itself.
The broadcast will also cover various final public tribute performances at Sanam Luang, including the khon masked drama, puppet shows and orchestras from 6:00pm until 6:00am the following day.
From 7.00am on Oct 27, the collection of royal ashes and royal relics at the royal crematorium will be broadcast.
On Oct 28, the merit-making ceremony for the royal relics at Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall will be broadcast from 4.30pm.
On Oct 29, starting from 9.30am, programmes will feature the moving of the royal relics from Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall to be enshrined in the Heavenly Abode in Chakri Maha Prasat Throne Hall, and at 4.30pm the royal ashes will be enshrined at Wat Ratchabophit and Wat Bovoranives.
Scaffolding around the royal crematorium is to be removed today, and His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun will preside over the lifting of the royal nine-tier umbrella to the top of royal crematorium tomorrow.
Meanwhile, a media centre at Thammasat University opened Monday for the royal funeral procession. With huge bandwidth to accommodate 1,500 users, the centre will serve as the workplace for the 1,687 registered reporters who are covering the royal cremation.
Among these reporters, 1,372 are local reporters, the rest foreign media.
