Queen Sirikit, Thailand’s Queen Mother, died aged 93 on 24 October 2025, ushering in a one-year mourning period for the Thai royal family and household. It’s also a significant time for Thailand, where the royal family is regarded with reverence, with tourists urged to be respectful.
Thailand also has strictly enforced lèse-majesté laws, which mean potential prison time for insulting royals, even those who are dead.
The Royal Thai Government has declared a national mourning period to honour Sirikit’s passing with overseas visitors encouraged to wear black or subdued colours and be respectful when visiting temples, royal sites and government offices.
Some popular landmarks, such as the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram (Wat Phra Kaeo) are temporarily closed until 8 November 2025 to accommodate the royal funeral.
Thailand is open
For Australians travelling to Thailand, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) advises that the country is open for business with all flights, hotels, attractions, restaurants, shops, events, ground transportation and hospitality services operating as normal.
Some public activities, entertainment events and celebrations may be adjusted to reflect the national mourning period and sentiment; however, these will not impact or disrupt any travel plans in Thailand.
TAT has the format of its events with any celebratory or festive elements suspended until further notice.
Sirikit had been out of the public eye for more than a decade after a stroke in 2012 and is remembered for her charity work alongside her husband, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who was Thailand’s longest-reigning monarch until he died in 2016.
Her only son, King Maha Vajiralongkorn, also known as Rama X, is the current monarch.
For more info, visit tourismthailand.org
