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Anyone planning on travelling to Thailand within the next couple of months will need to pay attention to new travel and tourism rules following the death of the country's Queen Mother, Sirikit. The former queen of Thailand passed away on Friday, October 24, at the age of 93, nine years after her husband and Thailand's longest-reigning monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej , died in 2016. Sirikit was the mother of Thailand's current monarch , King Vajiralongkorn. The country has entered a state of national mourning following her death. This mourning period will last a full year for the Thai government, while the public is also expected to observe a 90-day mourning period, which will impact anyone travelling to the country between now and January 2026. A travel expert based in Thailand shared a video on TikTok in which she said you may need to reconsider the attractions you want to visit and the clothes you pack in your suitcase ahead of your trip. The woman, named Tia, explained attractions related to Thailand's royal family, such as the Grand Palace and some temples, may be closed to the public during the mourning period, especially for funeral rites. Tia also shared that during this period Thai people will predominantly be wearing black and white clothing. This means that if you're planning on visiting the country soon, you should plan your wardrobe accordingly, as wearing bright clothing could be seen as a sign of disrespect. She said: "As a tourist, it is not expected for you to wear black and white for your entire trip. But it is expected for you to tone down your dress and wear muted colours." However, if you are travelling to Thailand on a business venture rather than a leisure one, Tia said she would "strongly advise" following the black and white dress code as a "show of respect". Furthermore, any large-scale entertainment events such as festivals and concerts planned in Thailand between now and January may be postponed or cancelled. If they do go ahead, they may be "generally toned down" to create a more muted atmosphere that might not be what you were expecting. Tia added: "Please remember that you are visiting a country that has experienced a great loss, and that everybody will be in mourning. Please be kind and respectful to all the Thai people during your interactions." Commenters on the post thanked Tia for the information. Many said they had no idea that the country would be observing a mourning period that would coincide with their visit. One person said: "Thank you for the information. I will be visiting in November, so it's good to know about this." Another added: "I'll be heading to Bangkok tomorrow. It's going to be quite an experience. That aside, wearing black or muted, earth tones is normal for me, and yeah, I heard that toned down dressing is strongly advised." A third wrote: "Flying to Thailand on Tuesday, thank you for this information." A statement from the Thai Royal Household Bureau confirmed Queen Sirikit died "peacefully", and that she had "suffered several illnesses" since being admitted to hospital in 2019, including a blood infection this month. The statement also confirmed that King Vajiralongkorn has ordered a royal funeral for his mother, and that her body will lie in state at the Grand Palace's Dusit Thorne Hall in Bangkok.
