On the tragic day of October 13th, 2016, King Rama IX, also known as King Bhumibol Adulyadej, passed away. He lived to be 89 years old and was admired by all Thai citizens. When an important figure passes away in Thailand, it is a cultural tradition to mourn. This shows respect to the person who is now deceased. The Thai government has declared a mourning period for the citizens of Thailand that would last for one year.
Now that it has been almost one year, the city of Bangkok will be holding a public funeral ceremony. The official funeral ceremony and cremation of King Rama IX will take place on October 26th, 2017. We have provided the cremation schedule with a list of events and more info on the month long exhibition that will be taking place after.
Please be sure to note that if you plan on traveling to Thailand at this time to be respectful of the ceremonial activities. All foreigners and travelers are welcome to attend the public ceremony but with the expectation that they will be considerate. Most Thais wear all black to show their respect, so if you don’t want to stand out in the crowd, it is advised to also wear black or dark-colored clothing (however, it is not mandatory).
Cremation Ceremony Schedule
The cremation ceremony and events will take place on October 25th-29th of 2017. The Thai government has declared October 26th as a public holiday since that is the day the former king will be cremated. On the first day of the ceremony, October 25th, officials will prepare for the transferring the ashes to be cremated. The ashes of the King will be moved to the Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall. All of the events will take place at the Throne Hall and will begin that day at 17:30 (or 5:30pm).
On the second day of the cremation ceremonies, October 26th (the national public mourning day), King Rama IX will officially be cremated. His royal urn will be taken from Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall and moved to the Royal Crematorium. The ceremony starts again at 17:30 and the official cremation begins at 22:00 (or 10pm).
The next day, October 27th, will be the day that all the royal relics are collected. This event starts early in the morning at 8:00am. This will also take place at the Royal Crematorium. On the fourth day, October 28th, a celebration of the relics in the form of merit-making will take place at Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall at 17:30. Merit-making is a significant Buddhist practice. The more good deeds, actions, morals, and thoughts occur, the more merit is accumulated. This is one of the determinations for how one will do in their next life, which is why it’s important to have these ceremonies after someone passes, especially someone as influential as the King Rama IX was.
The fifth and final day of the ceremony, October 29th, will be an all day event. Starting at 10:30am, the royal relics will be transferred from the Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall to the Heavenly Abode in Chakri Maha Prasat Throne Hall. The reason why they are being moved to the Chakri Maha Prasat Throne Hall is because this is where enshrined and preserved for future generations to see.
Another important event on this day is the enshrining of the King’s ashes at two different temples. Starting at 17:30, the King’s ashes will be preserved at Wat Ratchabophit and Wat Bovoranives. This concludes the events of the royal cremation ceremony, however, there will be a ceremonial exhibition for visitors to see.
For the next 30 days (November 1-30), a ceremonial exhibition will be held at the Sanam Luang, the public square in central Bangkok. The exhibition will highlight the successes and achievements of the King and personal insights into his life. Visitors can also learn more about the construction of the crematorium and the significance of the funeral ceremonies. For more information about the exhibition, read more here.
If you plan on visiting Bangkok during this time, please keep traffic in mind as you explore the Golden City. It would be an extraordinary experience for you to attend these ceremonies so we encourage you to take a list of the events. We hope you enjoy your travels in Bangkok.
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