People shop for black or white clothing to mourn Thailand's late King Bhumibol Adulyadej at a mall in Bangkok, Thailand, October 15, 2016. REUTERS/Edgar Su 
 
 BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai authorities have warned traders not to take advantage of shoppers flocking to buy black shirts to mourn King Bhumibol Adulyadej and have sent out teams of inspectors to scour markets for price gougers. 
 
 The 88-year-old king died on Thursday after 70 years on the throne, plunging the country into grief. 
 
 The government has declared a year of mourning and asked everyone to wear black or white, and to cancel any outdoor festivities, for the first 30 days. 
 
 “Regarding black shirts which have become more expensive, the commerce ministry has sent teams to inspect white and black clothing vendors to make sure the shirts are not being sold at prices that are too expensive,” Major General Sansern Kaewkamnerd, a spokesman for the prime minister’s office, told reporters on Saturday. 
 
 Black is the color of mourning in Thailand but white, a color that symbolizes purity, is also sometimes worn. White is also worn by ethnic Chinese people at funerals. 
 
 Most people in Bangkok have been wearing black since the king died and shoppers have been flooding to markets to get new clothes. 
 
 Mannequins are dressed in black and white as retailers pay their respects to the passing of Thailand's late King Bhumibol Adulyadej at a mall in Bangkok, Thailand, October 15, 2016. REUTERS/Edgar Su 
 
 Traders said business was brisk and they denied pushing up prices. 
 
 “Most people are buying black shirts,” said Songkhan Tansonan, running a street stall next to a fetid canal outside Bangkok’s Bobae Market. 
 
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 She said she had sold 200 black shirts by midday on Saturday and 400 the previous day. 
 
 “I buy them for 90 baht ($2.60) from the wholesaler and sell them for 120 or 130 baht ($3.40 to $3.70),” she said. 
 
 Nongrak Bantaotuk, a nurse, said she was buying black shirts for herself and her family. She said prices had risen a bit, but that did not worry her. 
 
 “If you compare, the price is higher than before, but this isn’t about prices,” she said. 
 
 “We’re going to wear them for a year.” ||||| Black-clad mourners form lines outside the Grand Palace to await their turn to sign condolence books inside the Sala Sahathai Samakhom Pavilion on Saturday. (Photo by Thanarak Khunton) 
 
 Authorities have warned traders not to take advantage of surging demand for black mourning attire by raising prices unfairly. 
 
 The Commerce Ministry has instructed its provincial offices to survey the prices and supplies of black clothing in the market to ensure the public will not be taken advantage during the royal mourning period. 
 
 Commerce Minister Apiradi Tantraporn said demand for black garments had soared since the one-year mourning period began for His Majesty King Bhumibol, who passed away on Thursday. As a result, her officials are closely monitoring the prices of mourning clothes as well as black and white fabric used for building decorations. 
 
 All traders have been asked to clearly label their prices and not to raise prices unreasonably or hoard goods. Violators can face jail terms of up to seven years and/or fines of up to 140,000 baht. 
 
 She said the ministry would coordinate with distributors to ensure sufficient supplies of mourning garments across the country. 
 
 In Bangkok, traders have been flocking to wholesale garment markets, especially in Bo Bae and Pratunam, leading to traffic jams in surrounding areas on Saturday. 
 
 Traders told Reuters that business was brisk and they denied pushing up prices. 
 
 "Most people are buying black shirts," said Songkhan Tansonan, who has a stall outside Bo Bae Market. 
 
 She said she had sold 200 black shirts by midday on Saturday and 400 the previous day. 
 
 "I buy them for 90 baht from the wholesaler and sell them for 120 or 130 baht," she said. 
 
 Nongrak Bantaotuk, a nurse, said she was buying black shirts for herself and her family. She said prices had risen a bit, but that did not worry her. 
 
 "If you compare, the price is higher than before, but this isn't about prices," she said. "We're going to wear them for a year." ||||| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption King Bhumibol: A monarch who remained an enigma 
 
 Thousands of Thai mourners are lining the streets of Bangkok, hoping to see the body of King Bhumibol Adulyadej as it it moved from a hospital to a temple in the Grand Palace. 
 
 The world's longest-reigning monarch died on Thursday aged 88, sparking a national outpouring of grief. 
 
 The government has declared a year-long official mourning period. 
 
 Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn has been named as successor, but has asked for a delay in the process. 
 
 The cabinet has declared Friday a government holiday, and flags are to fly at half-mast for the next 30 days. 
 
 People have been asked to wear black, and avoid "joyful events" during this period. Cinema screenings, concerts and sports events have been cancelled or postponed. 
 
 Image caption Thousands have lined the streets of Bangkok for the funeral procession 
 
 Image copyright AP Image caption Thais who have known the king as a stable point amid years of upheaval have been left shocked by his death 
 
 News websites have turned their pages black and white, and all television channels in Thailand are airing programmes about the king's life. 
 
 "This is the worst loss in my life," said one of those lining the streets. 
 
 "I am confident that what he did for us improved our lives," said another. 
 
 "What we are doing now [waiting on the streets], is nothing compared to what he did for us." 
 
 Preparing to mourn - Jonah Fisher, BBC News, Bangkok 
 
 Image copyright Jonah Fisher Image caption Soldiers in ceremonial outfits and hats have gathered outside the palace to receive the king's procession 
 
 From early in the morning there were long queues leading to Bangkok's Grand Palace. 
 
 Dressed in black, tens of thousands of Thais have been standing in the baking sun to participate in the first rituals of the mourning period. 
 
 Banners are being put up along the route that the king's cortege will follow. 
 
 Soldiers dressed in ceremonial outfits have been gathering outside the palace, where the grass appears to have been freshly laid overnight. 
 
 The king's body will be moved from Siriraj Hospital to the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in the Grand Palace. 
 
 Later in the evening on Friday, the Crown Prince will conduct the bathing ceremony of the king's body, a traditional Thai Buddhist funeral rite. 
 
 Image copyright Reuters Image caption The king is highly beloved by Thais, many of whom regard him as semi-divine 
 
 Image caption Street vendors in Bangkok are selling black T-shirts to mourners 
 
 The king had been ill for a long time. When news of his death was announced on Thursday evening, many in the large crowds outside the hospital where he died broke down. 
 
 King Bhumibol was widely respected across Thailand, and thought of by many as semi-divine. 
 
 He earned the devotion of Thais for his efforts to help the rural poor, such as agricultural development projects, and works of charity. 
 
 The monarch was also seen as a stabilising figure in a country often wracked by political turmoil. 
 
 Image copyright EPA Image caption There were scenes of intense grief outside the hospital as news broke that he had died 
 
 Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Large crowds of mourners attended a funeral rite on Friday morning 
 
 Thailand remains under military rule following a coup in 2014. 
 
 The country has suffered from political violence and upheaval over the past decade, as well as a long-running Muslim separatist insurgency in the southern provinces which sees regular small-scale bomb attacks. 
 
 Though a constitutional monarch with limited official powers, many Thais looked to King Bhumibol to intervene in times of high tension. He was seen as a unifying and calming influence through numerous coups and 20 constitutions. 
 
 However, his critics argued he had endorsed military takeovers and at times had failed to speak out against human rights abuses. 
 
 Heir's challenge 
 
 The crown prince, who is 64, is much less well known to Thais and has not attained his father's widespread popularity. He spends much of his time overseas, especially in Germany. 
 
 While the Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has said the crown prince will ascend the throne next, there is uncertainty over when that will happen after the prince asked for a delay in succession. 
 
 Profile: Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn 
 
 Image copyright AFP Image caption Most ordinary Thais know only a few details about Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn 
 
 Strict lese-majeste laws protect the most senior members of Thailand's royal family from insult or threat. Public discussion of the succession can be punishable by lengthy jail terms. 
 
 Given the pivotal role the king has played in maintaining the balance of power in Thailand's volatile political environment, the succession will be a formidable challenge for the government, says the BBC's Jonathan Head in Bangkok.
– A lot of people in Thailand have apparently discovered that they don't have enough black clothing in their wardrobes for a full year of mourning. Vendors across the country are struggling to cope with a surge in demand for black clothes after the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, and government officials have told inspectors to watch out for traders trying to profit from the beloved monarch's death with price-gouging, reports the Bangkok Post, which, like other Thai newspapers and TV stations, is eschewing color images during the mourning period. White is also a traditional color of mourning in the Buddhist country. "Regarding black shirts which have become more expensive, the commerce ministry has sent teams to inspect white and black clothing vendors to make sure the shirts are not being sold at prices that are too expensive," a government spokesman says. A nurse shopping for black clothes in Bangkok tells Reuters that prices have gone up, but that isn't a major concern right now. "If you compare, the price is higher than before, but this isn't about prices," she says. "We're going to wear them for a year."