People line up to order pictures of His Majesty the King celebrating 60 years on the throne at a Kodak photo lab in the Temple of the Emerald Buddha compound yesterday. Most sought-after were images of HM the King and the Royal Family during their rare pu

The Royal Household Bureau is accepting orders from the public for photos taken during the magnificent celebrations of the 60th anniversary of His Majesty the King's accession to the throne.

Demand for pictures of the jubilee celebrations has been huge, and vendors have been charging high prices. For this reason, the bureau yesterday opened a Kodak photo lab in the office compound within the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, where members of the public can place orders for photos of the celebrations.

People lined up yesterday morning to place their orders for the royal photos, which come in seven versions and six sizes; 4x6 inches (10x15cm) for Bt6; 6x8 inches for Bt25; 8x12 for Bt50; 12x16 for Bt150; 12x18 for Bt200; and 12x36 for Bt300.

An official at the lab said people could place orders every day from 8.30am to 4pm. There was no need to rush because everyone would receive the pictures they order in three to four days.

The pictures have appeared in newspapers, but these would be actual prints, he said.

Bangkok resident Sunee Asawaphurikorn said she had not bought the royal pictures from any other source because she preferred buying them from a government office, which she believed would sell good-quality photos at a fair price. Sunee planned to frame some of the 15 photos she ordered and give the rest to relatives.

Sunee also planned to collect a variety of the memorabilia associated with the jubilee celebration, such as stamps, Bt60 banknotes and a brooch of the Royal Emblem.

The Metropolitan Police Bureau, meanwhile, has vowed to monitor unauthorised sales of photos of the celebrations, and overpricing.

"We have to ensure the sales are conducted appropriately. For example, we have to ensure that the photos are put in the right places," bureau spokesman Pol Colonel Pinit Maneerat said yesterday.

Normally, regulations require that sellers of photos of the royal family must get permission from the Royal Household Bureau. However, Pinit said the bureau would be lenient for the now as it understood people's strong feelings about the celebrations and

their wish to obtain souvenir pictures. But the bureau would take action if there were complaints of overpricing.