CityNews – The actual royal funeral ceremony for His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej will be held on October 26th at Sanam Luang, Bangkok which will also be a national holiday.
Here are the important dates in October:
October 5th – A national holiday to celebrate the end of the Buddhist Lent
October 13th – A national holiday to honour the anniversary of the HM King Rama IX’s death
October 25th – The commencement of the Royal Funeral
October 26th – The Royal Funeral
October 27th to 29th – The continuation of various religious ceremonies.
Daffodils for the King
There will be The Daffodils for the late HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej Ceremony held across the nation. This event is aligned with the royal cremation in Bangkok, allowing citizens all over the nation to mourn together. Chiang Mai will hold the event at the International Convention and Exhibition Centre where a replica of the funeral pyre has been built.
The Mourning Dress Code
The government has suggested all citizens wear polite black or white based clothing, preferably plain with no patterns throughout the month of October until the 27th. If unable to comply, then a black mourning bow pinned to the chest will suffice. Polite clothing is suggested wear until the 29th when official ceremonies end.
Entertainment
Bars and entertainment venues have been asked to use discretion in showing respect to the mourning period. You will still be able to buy a drink and go out for a meal, but loud music will be muted and it is best, especially on the 13th and 26th, to take your cue from the surrounding Thais around you. You will not be expected to dress in mourning, though it would be appreciated if you dress in black or white on the 13th and 26th. Thais have great love and respect for our king, so please keep that in mind as you go about enjoying your holiday in the country he helped build. Have a great time and appreciate that you are here at a historic moment in our history. It could make for a memorable experience.
We the Media
Between October 21st to 24th, all entertainment activities in the media will cease. There will only be documentaries of the late king broadcasted on television and the radio between October 25th until 29th, with the live broadcast of the King’s funeral on the 26th.
October 30th is the end of the mourning and all programmes will be back as normal.
Throughout the month of October all media have also been asked to use more subdued colours than normal, hence the cover of Citylife this month.
We will keep you updated as more information comes in.