A Nation in Mourning

by Dan ConerdOct 18, 2016Asia, Thailand4 comments

The above photo was sourced from abc.net

I haven’t lived in Thailand for long, (October is our 8-month mark,) but if there is one thing that I have learned, it’s the love that Thai people have for their King. During our first impressions of our new home, we quickly noticed pictures of the King posted on every street corner and pictures of either the King or the Royal Family in every restaurant and every place of business. No matter where you were, there would be a picture of the King nearby.

This wasn’t something that the Thai people were forced to do, they posted these pictures as a symbol for their love and level of respect that they have for this man. Most people say that sometimes it can come across as worship of someone that is semi-divine. It’s no doubt the Thai people loved their king, but why? It was during the Cold War that King Bhumibol helped Thailand combat the growing pressures of communism. King Bhumibol helped create state institutions and organization for a country that was in the middle of chaos and disorder. He would travel around Thailand helping to promote education, health care, and other public welfare programs. His talks with rural tribes to convince them to grow fruits and vegetables instead of opium is what he became to be known for. He helped set up the infrastructure to modernize Thai farming and while he could have just ordered others to go around to the different districts and rural farming villages, he took it upon himself to personally talk to the people of Thailand face-to-face. Up until King Bhumibol, no other monarch had ever done that before and by doing this, he helped create the thriving nation that Thailand is today.

Years - World's longest reigning monarch

He was born in the United States in Cambridge, Massachusetts, making him the only monarch to ever have been born on US soil.

Years old when he was crowned King of Thailand

Last Thursday, October 13^th at the age of 88, King Bhumibol passed away and sent the entire country into a state of mourning and sadness. He was viewed as the father figure of Thailand and King Bhumibol’s death is being compared to that of John F. Kennedy’s, in that it will truly mark the end of an era for the Thai people and the beginning of great change, much like what happened in America. Many people are asking us what it’s been like here in Thailand. It is humbling to see so many people care for their King, and I can’t help to think that in America, no one has ever shown that much love or level of respect for any one leader before. Since the announcement of the King’s passing, all Thais are wearing all black clothes and it’s said that they are going to wear all black for at least 30 days. Thai officials, government employees, and civil servants are instructed to wear all black for an entire year of mourning. Even all department store mannequins have been clad in all black indefinitely.

“Both Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and The UK Foreign Office has issued statements to tourists in Thailand to please behave accordingly and to be respectful of the Thai people.”

In addition to wearing all black for this period of mourning, all forms of entertainment have been canceled for the next 30 days. This includes concerts, the Color Run, full moon parties and more. There is to be no live music in bars and most bars are either closed or operating low key. The red light districts have also all been closed during this period. On Friday the 14^th there was a ban on all alcohol sales at grocery stores and convenience stores until Monday, October 17^th, with many more choosing to stop selling alcohol indefinitely. More closings and cancellations are being announced as the days go on. Both Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and The UK Foreign Office has issued statements to tourists in Thailand to please behave accordingly and to be respectful of the Thai people. If you planned on going to Thailand to party, you may want to reconsider visiting at this time. Several airlines have waived flight change fees for people wishing to come Thailand at a later time when there is less heaviness in the air.

My thoughts and prayers are with the Thai people as they search for solace in this time of mourning.

Global Giraffe is a travel blog that is focused on keeping it real. This isn't a fluffy rainbow magical travel blog, here you'll find real life situations, tips, and advice for the everyday person that wants to know more about places they've never been to. After leaving Denver, Colorado, we decided to try to take on the world, one odd job at a time. For more updates follow Global Giraffe on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

4 Comments

Tanner on October 24, 2016 at 4:25 am

Hey Daniel, Tanner from class here. This is really well written, and wow! I had no clue that the people of Thailand would mourn the loss of their king so heavily.. His passing is very sad indeed, and It seems as though it’s affected the people immensely. It’s interesting to see how these kinds of things affect different nations, and I thought your post was really interesting. Blog looks good, keep it up!
- Author on October 26, 2016 at 4:32 am
  
  Tanner, Thank you. I’ve been working pretty hard at the blog for awhile now and this is my 3rd blog that I’ve started.
  Yeah, it’s always interesting to see how different cultures deal with death and the ceremonies they do. For Thailand with the death of the person, they viewed so highly of, it has been even more interesting to see how an entire country comes to mourn this one person. It’s something that just doesn’t happen in the states or at least not to this kind of level.
Caroline Hyde on October 27, 2016 at 3:03 am

Daniel! this is so well written and I just have such a new appreciation for the people of Thailand and how they show honor, love, and respect for their leader. The blog is beautiful and gives hope that its achievable for a nation to come together. To show compassion even if its in mourning.
-Caroline
Cassidy Lechner on October 29, 2016 at 1:24 am

Daniel,

This is really interesting! I’ll be honest, I didn’t even know that Thailand was a monarchy or that their King had recently passed. It’s a sad event for sure but it must be super interesting for you to be living there during that time. I’m sure it’s something you’ll never forget.

On a side note just about your blog itself, I really enjoyed the graphics and photos you use. It really helps make the blog feel professional. Good work!