In Thailand, big crowds are gathering for a five-day funeral ceremony for the revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died last October aged 88. Later today, a merit-making ceremony inside the Grand Palace will mark the start of the funeral. <br/><br/>The elaborate Buddhist funeral ceremony is expected to draw as many as 250,000 people from across Thailand. <br/><br/>The monarch will be cremated in Bangkok tomorrow, in a royal pyre representing heaven. Preparations – including the building of a vast cremation complex near the Grand Palace – took almost a year. Members of royal families and dignitaries from more than 40 countries will attend the cremation, while huge crowds are expected to line the nearby streets.