“Nation in Mourning”, Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, The Queen Mother, Passes Away Peacefully at 93

On October 24, 2025,
at 9.21 p.m., Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, The Queen Mother, passed away peacefully at Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, at the age of 93. In an official statement broadcast at 7.00 a.m. on October 25, the Bureau of the Royal Household announced that Her Majesty had been receiving treatment for septicemia (blood infection) since October 17. His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua has graciously ordered that the late Queen Mother be accorded the highest royal honors in accordance with royal tradition. Her Royal Body will be enshrined at Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall within the Grand Palace. The King has also decreed that members of the Royal Family and officials of the Royal Household observe a one-year mourning period, starting from the date of her passing.

Following the announcement, the Cabinet convened a special meeting on October 25, 2025, and approved key measures to express national mourning. All government offices, state enterprises, and educational institutions are instructed to fly flags at half-mast for 30 days beginning October 25, and all civil servants and state employees are to wear black attire for one year. The public is requested to observe a 90-day mourning period, dress in subdued or black-and-white clothing, and refrain from decorating with royal monograms or celebratory symbols.

Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul, called the Queen Mother’s passing “an irreplaceable national loss.” He clarified that the government did not issue a ban on public entertainment or concerts, but appealed for cooperation from event organizers and entertainment venues to suspend or scale down entertainment activities for 30 days in respect for the period of mourning. Anutin also canceled his planned attendance at the ASEAN Summit and requested Malaysia to postpone the signing of a bilateral agreement with Cambodia so that he could return to preside over the royal funeral procession on October 26.

Despite the mourning atmosphere, many major concerts proceeded with respectful adjustments. The BlackPink concert (October 25-26) asked attendees to wear black and white attire, began with a one-minute silence, and canceled fireworks while toning down lighting and sound effects, in line with guidance from Tourism and Sports Minister Atthakorn Sirilatthayakorn.
Similarly, Youngjae of GOT7 expressed his condolences to Thai fans, changed into white attire with a black ribbon, and observed a moment of silence. Meanwhile, Thai singer Kong Huayrai continued his scheduled performance on October 26 but refrained from selling alcohol and from lighting fireworks.

October 26 marked the first day of major royal and public mourning ceremonies. The Royal Water-Pouring Ceremony was held before the Queen Mother’s portrait at Sahatthai Samakom Pavilion, Grand Palace, open to the public from 8.00 a.m. to 12.00 p.m. The Ministry of Interior instructed all 76 provinces and 878 districts to hold similar ceremonies between 8.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m. In the afternoon, the Royal Funeral Procession departed from Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital at 4.00 p.m., traveling along Henri Dunant Road, Rama IV, Phaya Thai, Sri Ayutthaya, and Ratchadamnoen Avenue toward the Grand Palace.

The Ministry of Culture, through the Fine Arts Department, has been tasked with organizing the royal funeral and constructing the Royal Crematorium (Phra Merumas) following ancient royal traditions. Replica crematoriums and sandalwood flower pavilions will be established nationwide for the public to pay their respects. The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) instructed all television networks to adopt black-and-white visual themes for one year.
Any pre-recorded programs produced before October 25 must display the notice: “Recorded before October 25, 2025.”

Following the initial ceremonies, the public can continue paying their respects by:

1.) Worshipping before the Queen Mother’s portrait starting October 27.

2.) Signing condolence books at government offices and educational institutions.
3.) Attending daily royal prayer sessions at Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall, from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., with civil servants scheduled to participate for 100 days. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and Ministry of Interior are also organizing volunteer and merit-making events in remembrance of the Queen Mother.

King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan and Prime Minister Hun Manet of Cambodia sent official condolence messages to Prime Minister Anutin.
Embassies of the United Kingdom, South Korea, Japan, and China also posted tributes on social media. The Department of Religious Affairs announced that 93 monks will conduct religious rites during the royal cremation, while the Ministry of Culture has launched volunteer programs such as black ribbon-making campaigns to honor the late Queen Mother.

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Source of material: official media /online news