Thai tourism business as usual as country prepares for royal funeral from Oct. 25-29

250,000 Thai citizens are expected to attend the royal cremation ceremony.

Yeo Kaiqi | October 03, 2017, 04:26 PM

Thailand, the Land of Smiles that is just a two-hour flight away, is one of Singaporeans' favourite holiday destination.

For those who plan to visit Thailand this month, it will be good to know that the country will be holding a five-day royal cremation ceremony from Oct. 25-29 for the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who had passed away nearly a year ago on Oct. 13, 2016, at the age of 88.

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Business as usual for tourism industry

As the country prepares for the grand ceremony, it will be business as usual for its lucrative tourism industry, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

In a travel advisory last month, the tourism agency asked tourists to behave appropriately and respect Thai sensitivities during what will be an emotional period for many:

“We would like to request that the solemnity of the royal cremation is observed, and visitors should refrain from any inappropriate or disrespectful behavior.”

"While not required to wear black, tourists should stick to “respectful clothing”

The Royal Funeral

  • Oct. 25-29: The grand cremation ceremony will be held in Bangkok, at Sanam Luang, a large oval field in front of the Grand Palace for five days. The spectacular event will be "infused with Buddhist ceremonies, cultural performances and mysterious palace rituals".
  • Oct. 26:  This has been set as the royal cremation day. It has also been declared a public holiday by the Thai Cabinet to allow the citizens to take part in paying a final tribute to the late King.

Close to 250,000 Thai citizens are expected to attend the royal cremation ceremony.

About 70,000 state officials and public servants will be providing security at the event, while some registered volunteers would also be there to help.

Useful travel information

Tourism accounts for about 10 percent of Thailand’s GDP. Here's some additional travel information as given by the Royal Thai Government that you may wish to take note:

  1. Bangkok's Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha will be closed from Oct. 1-29, as they will be the venues of the Royal Cremation.
  2. All transport, banks, shopping areas, hospitals and other public services will be operating as usual.
  3. In some areas, transportation could be affected. There may be delays and some routes may be closed to traffic.
  4. While Thai people will be wearing black clothes as a sign of mourning, visitors are not required to.
  5. The solemnity of the Royal Cremation should be observed, and visitors should refrain from conducting any inappropriate or disrespectful behaviour.
  6. Any visitors with travel or tourism plans should reconfirm with their agents and respective representatives regularly, as well as look out for any announcements and updates.

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King Bhumibol was the world's longest-reigning monarch before his death, ruling Thailand for seven decades.

He was regarded as a deeply-revered and unifying figure to the Thais, and a beacon of stability among political shifts in Thailand's administrative government.

After his death, Thailand had observed a year-long period of mourning.

You can read more about the royal funeral below:

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Top image from Getty Image