Hundreds of thousands of black-clad mourners crowded Bangkok's historic quarter yesterday as the cremation of the revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej officially began with Buddhist religious rites and ceremonial candle-lighting by saffron-robed monks. <br/><br/>King Bhumibol, also known as King Rama IX, died in October last year aged 88 after ruling for seven decades. He played a pivotal role in maintaining stability during years of political upheaval and rapid development.<br/>'<br/>The king's body was moved to the cremation area on Wednesday night from the palace, where it had been lying in state since his death. New King Maha Vajiralongkorn presided over religious chanting in the afternoon prior to the cremation at the royal crematorium.<br/>'<br/>Royals from Bhutan, Britain, Japan, Lesotho, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Sweden, among others, attended the funeral ceremony. Officials in charge of the ceremony said about over 1 lakh people had gathered near the cremation area, with 2 lakh more nearby.