Queen Elizabeth of Britain is on a State visit to Thailand.

She arrived in Bangkok yesterday (Thursday) aboard a royal barge together with her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, and their daughter, Princess Anne.

As they stepped ashore, they were greeted by King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit of Thailand who will be their hosts for the next six days.

The hot, humid weather was in contrast to the near freezing temperatures in London which the visiting royal party had left two days earlier.

After the formal greeting, King Bhumibol and Queen Elizabeth boarded an elderly yellow Rolls-Royce for a ceremonial drive through the city. They stopped to receive gifts from a Thai couple.

Hundreds of people, including many British residents, lined the streets. Police had difficulty controlling the crowds as the motorcade with a police escort drove past.

The formal welcome to the city of Bangkok was held at an open area where the former Kings of Thailand were cremated. Queen Elizabeth was presented with a golden key to the city and then the royal party sat down to watch a dancing display by 250 Thai girls.

After her visit to Thailand, Queen Elizabeth will go on to Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei.