Millions of Thais bid King Bhumibol Adulyadej a final farewell

Bangkok, Thailand (CNN)Draped in plastic sheets to keep off the rain, Thais slept in the streets of Bangkok Wednesday to reserve a place to witness the funeral parade for the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who ruled the country for 70 years.

The five-day ceremony for the world's longest-reigning monarch begins late Wednesday, but crowds are expected to peak Thursday as the king's body is moved to the Royal Crematorium, a three-tier, 50-meter (165-foot) high golden funeral pyre.

Bhumibol died aged 88 on October 13, 2016. Also known as Rama IX -- a reference to his lineage stretching from Rama I, the founder of the Chakri dynasty -- the King commanded great love and respect within Thailand.

People sleep on the streets overnight on October 24 to attend Thailand's late King Bhumibol Adulyadej's cremation and funeral ceremony.

His funeral will be attended by dignitaries and royal families from 42 countries including US Defense Secretary James Mattis, Britain's Duke of York Prince Andrew, Japan's Prince Akishino and royalty from Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Sweden.

A budget of three billion Thai baht ($90 million) has been allocated for the funeral, and Thursday has been declared a public holiday to allow Thais the opportunity to pay their final respects. The nation's police force -- some 230,000 officers -- will on duty to contain the crowds.

The former king was immensely popular during his reign, with his portrait being hung, adorned with marigolds, everywhere from Bangkok office lobbies to the poorest of rural homes.

Photos: Thai artists prepare for King's funeral

Tasked with crafting more than 500 sculptures for the extravagant five-day ceremony, some of the sculptors have been working daily for almost a year.

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Photos: Thai artists prepare for King's funeral

"Each individual artist has his or her own style (but) they must lose their style and stick to the approved sketch," said 56-year-old artist Sanan Rattana.

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Photos: Thai artists prepare for King's funeral

Some artists commute up to four hours every day to reach workshops across Bangkok.

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Photos: Thai artists prepare for King's funeral

On October 26, King Bhumibol's body will be transported to the crematorium, where many of the artworks are now located.

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Photos: Thai artists prepare for King's funeral

The extensive collection of artworks is just one part of a fastidiously organized ceremony expected to bring hundreds of thousands to the streets of the Thai capital this week.

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Photos: Thai artists prepare for King's funeral

"The king liked sweet and bright colors, so we decided to use pink, orange and yellow," said painter Kiattisak Suwannaphong.

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Photos: Thai artists prepare for King's funeral

The largest and most elaborate sculptures can take up to five months to complete.

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Photos: Thai artists prepare for King's funeral

In addition to religious references, the artworks depict a variety of real-life figures and scenes from King Bhumibol's 70-year reign.

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Photos: Thai artists prepare for King's funeral

While many of the artists are professionals, some have volunteered their services for free. Those volunteers who are unable to produce art themselves can be found cleaning up paint and assisting with equipment.

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Photos: Thai artists prepare for King's funeral

Now complete, all of the artworks will be transported to the royal funeral pyre in central Bangkok, next to the Grand Palace.

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Photos: Thai artists prepare for King's funeral

"I feel this is the highest honor in an artisan's life," said sculptor Chatmongkol Insawang.

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Photos: Thai artists prepare for King's funeral

"We have a chance to serve (the late king)."

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Photos: Thai artists prepare for King's funeral

For the last year, hundreds of artists have been preparing sculptures and artworks for the funeral of Thailand's late king, Bhumibol Adulyadej.