chiaki ishikawa, nhk world. >>> thailand's top buddhist leader has died at the age of 100. flags flew at half mast around the country on friday. over 90% of the population follows buddhism. thai supreme patriarch leader died on thursday after a blood infection following intestinal surgery. people dressed in black lined up near the hospital in bangkok. later on the monk's body was transferred to a temple. as the head of buddhism in thailand, he was an influential figure. >> translator: i was shocked to hear that his holiness died, because he was an important person in thai buddhism. i came all the way from the countryside to pay my respects to his image. >> translator: i'm heart broken. i was following the news about his health, and when he was not doing any better, we were really sad. we prayed for him to get well. >> the buddhist leader was born in 1913. he started his studies to become a monk at 14. in late 1980s, he was appointed as supreme patriarch. the leader's passing made headline news. they've asked the state to mourn for 30 days and to fly flags on all public buil