Well-wishers across the country celebrated the birthday of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, who turned 60 on Thursday.
Many people wearing purple, the colour representing Saturday, the day the princess was born in 1955, flocked to Sala Sahathai Samakhom at the Grand Palace in Bangkok and to select places in other provinces arranged for Thais to write birthday messages to Her Royal Highness.
People from all walks of life were looking forward to today and it was even more special this year, as it also marks her fifth cycle of the Thai calendar, with morning activities starting with alms offerings to monks in every province, including the insurgency-battered southern border provinces.