BANGKOK  — Thailand’s government declared a year of official mourning for civil servants following the passing of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother, as Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul led the nation in expressing grief and gratitude for her decades of service to the kingdom.

Anutin, who also serves as interior minister, spoke to reporters Saturday after chairing a special Cabinet meeting convened in response to the Bureau of the Royal Household’s announcement of the Queen Mother’s death on October 24.

“Today we held a Cabinet meeting to prepare everything for the Royal Funeral Ceremony of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother,” Anutin said. “The Cabinet has received all necessary instructions to ensure the ceremony proceeds with the highest honors befitting Her Majesty.”

The government said it received the news of the Queen Mother’s passing “with profound sorrow” and issued a series of national mourning directives.

Flags and Mourning Period

All government offices, state enterprises, and educational institutions are to lower the national flag to half-staff for 30 days beginning Saturday.

Civil servants, state enterprise employees, and government officials are required to observe a one-year mourning period starting October 25.

Members of the public are encouraged to mourn “as they deem appropriate.” The prime minister urged citizens to wear black clothing for at least 90 days or, if not possible, to avoid bright or flashy colors.

“In our capacity as Her Majesty’s subjects, I ask for cooperation,” Anutin said. “We should reciprocate her immense benevolence.”

Meanwhile, entertainment venues and service establishments have been asked to suspend or scale down entertainment activities for 30 days as a mark of respect during the initial mourning period.

Royal Funeral Arrangements

The Cabinet approved plans for the Royal Funeral Ceremony, which will be held with full honors in accordance with royal traditions.

The public will be allowed to pay respects before Her Majesty’s portrait at the Sahathai Samakhom Pavilion in the Grand Palace from 8 a.m. to noon on Sunday, October 26.

A Royal Funeral Committee, chaired by the prime minister, will oversee the arrangements. Members of the Royal Family will be respectfully invited to serve as advisors. Subcommittees will handle areas including:

Daily recitations of Buddhist scriptures (Abhidhamma) will be held for 100 days, with civil servants assigned to attend.

Ministry Roles

• The Ministry of Culture’s Fine Arts Department will supervise ceremony protocols and crematorium construction.
• The Cabinet Secretariat will coordinate attendance rotations for Cabinet members during the recitations.
• The Ministry of Interior and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration will organize merit-making and public tribute activities.
• The Public Relations Department will highlight the Queen Mother’s royal works, with the Foreign Ministry preparing English-language materials.

Nation in Mourning

Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother, was revered for her tireless dedication to public welfare, cultural preservation, and royal development projects that improved lives across Thailand for more than seven decades.

“Her Majesty bestowed great royal grace upon our country and all of us throughout the 70 years she held the title of Queen Consort,” Anutin said. “We should honor her legacy with the deepest gratitude.”