Thailand declares December 16 public holiday for Queen Sirikit’s royal cremation
BANGKOK, Nov 11 — Thailand has declared December 16 a special public holiday to allow people to pay their final re...
Thailand has designated December 16 as a special public holiday to enable citizens to attend the royal cremation of Queen Sirikit, also known as the Queen Mother, at the conclusion of a five-day series of ceremonies starting December 15. The government approved the decision, which will see a procession carrying the royal urn from the Grand Palace to the crematorium at 7am on the day of the ceremony.
The Queen Mother, the widow of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej and mother of the current monarch, passed away on October 24, 2025, at the age of 93 after a lengthy illness. Her funeral will be televised live by the government's Public Relations Department and the Television Pool of Thailand, allowing the public across Thailand to witness the event.
Queen Sirikit was renowned for her charitable work, dedication to rural development, and preservation of Thai arts and crafts, with her birthday, August 12, also celebrated as Mother's Day in the country.
Written by urgent.news from Malay Mail's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
