Thais bid final goodbye to beloved King Bhumibol

As dawn broke an estimated 200,000 Thais had gathered around the Grand Palace to bid an emotional farewell to Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej also known as "father of the nation".

A sea of black-clad mourners massed across Bangkok's historic heart as funeral rituals began for King Bhumibol Adulyadej, a revered monarch whose passing after a seven-decade reign left Thailand bereft of its only unifying figure.

Many mourners express their grief as they hold portraits of their beloved late king.

Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha (front L) takes part in the funeral procession for the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The ceremony will be attended by a "Who's Who" of Thai power royals, generals and establishment figures as well as scores of foreign dignitaries.

Performers walk from the Grand Palace as they prepare to take part in the funeral procession for the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Bearers in bright coloured traditional garb, flanked by pipers and drummers, carried a symbolic Royal Urn on a palanquin to a temple, an artillery-salute setting the tempo.

As the urn passed by many mourners fully prostrated on the ground, a once abolished practice brought back during Bhumibol's reign, while others burst into tears.

"He was perfect. He helped the country and Thai people so much. Seventy million Thai people are united in their love for him," said 65-year-old Wacharadej Tangboonlabku.

The lavish event gives the public a chance to say a final goodbye to a king who was crowned in 1950 and towered over decades of Thai history.