The esteemed & beloved King of Thailand passed on Oct 13th 2016 – and the nation was devastated. We expats were in a tail-spin above and beyond the sadness, because what was the etiquette, the protocol? The problem was no one really knew because the King was the longest reigning monarch, and the majority of Thais have not experienced this event in their lifetime.
King Bhumibol Adulyadej came to the throne aged 18 and was much revered and loved by his people. He was their champion, spearheading projects to support the poor whilst at the same time bringing the nation into the 21st century. As a result Thailand has become one of the more successful Asian nations whilst still maintaining it’s cultural heritage and spirit. He has navigated political and social crises with grace and diplomacy. He once said, ‘My place in this world is being among my people, the Thai people.’
While he was ill, it was not acceptable to talk of his death, as the Thais believe even mentioning the d-word is un-auspicious and to do so may prompt the awful reality, Besides the King merely passes on: he is beyond death.
When finally the official announcement went out it was literally met with wails of despair and an unprecedented outpouring of grief. Almost immediately TV stations closed or began back to back Royal documentaries, websites turned black, grey and white and institutions, businesses, schools, hospitals, hotels erected great edifices and floral tributes to the King. One Thai friend of mine said she felt like an orphan when she heard the news. Feelings ran very deep indeed, partly because of the question the situation raised – what now?
Well, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn has not only requested time to mourn his father’s death but also to delay the proclamation of his title. His sister, who epitomizes much that her father believed in could it seems be the people’s preferred choice, as the Crown Prince not only lives abroad but has a fairly hectic private life. So, after a long reign of certainty, the only thing that is certain on the King’s death, appears to be uncertainty.
However these are the bigger questions. As expats and with a definite desire to respect this country and support our local friends, we were keen to understand what was expected of us. What’s app messages and line group threads bounced back and forth. It was apparent that as culture and beliefs dictated no discussion regarding the king’s passing there had indeed been no planning for the event and everyone was floundering.
Finally decisions were made. The schools were closed. We were to dress in black for a month, though the Thais would officially mourn for a year. We dressed in dark sombre clothes, encouraging slightly more minecraft play than entirely ‘good’ for the kids and, taking the lead from local kids playing nearby, allowed ours out to knock a ball around, no screaming, yelling or raucous laughter and I am proud to say they delivered with bells on.
I took almost an hour to decide on appropriate attire to walk the dog round the Moobaan, eventually deciding on dark. There was a noticeably sombre mood and it was exactly as I had expected.
All entertainment was cancelled for the next month: concerts, competitions and so on, but when we ventured to a local mall over the weekend, the masses, dressed in a sea of black and white, were clearly shopping through their grief. We had all expected everything to quite literally grind to a halt, but life went on, just shrouded in monochrome.
Eventually the Grand Palace has reopened for tourists and mourners alike. The attire is still strictly mainly monochrome and if not, black ribbons are sported, including by school children.
As our Queen takes over the position as the longest ruling monarch, there are some parallels between the two situations. The role of Queen of England was not her initial destiny, neither was it King Bhumibol’s – he only became King after his brother was murdered. Also Queen Elizabeth has worked tirelessly for her people; her presence will be sadly missed by the nation, there might be uncertainty – this time over the role of her successor’s wife. I so hope we British, of all faiths all political flavours, follow suit bearing ourselves with the same respect, dignity and decorum I’ve witnessed here.
There are certainly interesting times ahead here in Thailand. In less than 24 hours the landscape shifted enormously and there are more seismic shifts to come. My only hope is that the good sense the king always demonstrated prevails in his absence.
My deepest and most sincere condolences to the Thai nation during this sad and uncertain time.
