The December the Fifth Foundation yesterday arranged a mass ordination of 80 monks at Wat Sa Ket to mark the royal birthday. The 80 candidates for the Buddhist priesthood include soldiers, police officers and civil servants.

The National Council of Women invited 109 monks from across the country to pray and meditate to bless His Majesty.

Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and the

military have invited people aged 80 to sign well-wishing books for the King at Sanam Suapa and Chitrada Palace tomorrow.

In the provinces, over 10,000 Si Sa Ket people took part in a marathon walk to mark the royal anniversary, while 6,000 Nong Khai residents set off on a mini-marathon held by the local administration.

In Chiang Mai, provincial deputy governor Kritsadaporn Siemphakdee launched a cycling marathon in which riders were racing 700 kilometres to Bangkok. They included British cyclist Alan Bate, 40, who aimed to make the ride in 26 hours and arrive at Sanam Luang by 8am today for a ceremony in honour of His Majesty.

In Uttaradit, about 500 women were ordained as nuns in honour of the King.

Agence France-Presse reported that His Majesty was the world's longest-reigning monarch and that millions of Thais honoured him every Monday by wearing shirts of yellow, the colour Thais associate with Monday - the day the King was born.

Time magazine last month described His Majesty as "an inspiration" in naming him one of their Asian heroes.