60,000 WAIT IN BRISBANE

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29916, 1 September 1962, Page 11

60,000 WAIT IN BRISBANE

Thai Royalty’s

Visit

(NZ. Press Assn —Copyright) BRISBANE, August 31

Queensland. Australia’s ••sunshine State” turned on a glittering spring day for the arrival of King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit. of Thailand, today. A cloudless sky and temperatures over 80 degrees Fahrenheit—lo degrees above normal—greeted the Royal visitors as they stepped off their plane after a three-day visit to New South Wales.

Sixty thousand Queenslanders lined the five-mile route from the airport to Brisbane. Queensland’s capital, to welcome the couple. The King, in the full dress uniform of Marshal of the Royal Thai Air Force, drove in an open car with Queen Sirikit who was radiant The mayoral reception was in front of the £1.000,003 City Hall, on a thick, redcarpeted dais surrounded by 1000 pots of flowering spring plants. At the City Hall, King Bhumibol inspected a guard of honour of 100 soldiers and his mounted police escort of 100 lancers. Crowds 10 deep packed the city square, some waiting up to four hours to see the Royal couple. Just as the King started his reply to the Lord Mayor's (Aiderman Clem Jones' address of welcome, one of the soldier guards collapsed from the heat. A group of 20 Thai students carrying a 9ft home-made flag banner in red, white and blue, lined the wire fence of the main enclosure The remainder of the Royal couple’s itinerary today was taken up with a garden party at Parliament House this afternoon and a dinner party at Government House, to be given by the Governor • Sir Henry Abel Smith) and Lady Abel Smith this evening.