PATTAYA, THAILAND – A deep sense of loss swept through the coastal city on October 26, 2025, as officials and residents gathered at the Banglamung District Office in Chonburi Province to offer royal bathing rites before a portrait of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, The Queen Mother.
The ceremony, held at noon, drew senior figures including Banglamung District Chief Patcharapatch Srinthayanont, Pattaya Mayor Poramase Ngampiches, deputy mayors, military and police representatives, medical staff, and civil servants. Local entrepreneurs and families filled the grounds, standing shoulder to shoulder in silent tribute. The atmosphere was solemn yet reverent—an emblem of the respect Thailand continues to hold for its late Queen Mother.
A City in Mourning
Among those paying their respects was Wanna Kheetipakool, 72, the elder sister of the Khao Mai Kaew Subdistrict Administrative Organization president. She arrived in a wheelchair, holding a portrait of Queen Sirikit close to her chest throughout the ceremony. With tears in her eyes, she recalled a lifetime of admiration for the Queen’s service beside her husband, King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great (Rama IX).
“EVER SINCE I WAS YOUNG, I SAW HER MAJESTY ACCOMPANYING THE KING EVERYWHERE—CLIMBING MOUNTAINS, TREKKING THROUGH FORESTS, OR CARRYING OUT ROYAL DUTIES. HER PRESENCE WAS CONSTANT,”
she said. For Ms. Wanna, attending the ceremony was a final token of gratitude.
“HER KINDNESS AND GRACE INSPIRED ME, AND NO MATTER HOW DIFFICULT IT WAS, I HAD TO BE HERE TO BID HER A FINAL FAREWELL TO THE HEAVENS.”
Businesses Join the Tribute
Prominent businesswoman Amporn Kaewsaeng, who manages venues along Pattaya’s well-known Walking Street, said she felt compelled to contribute to the citywide mourning.
“I DEEPLY LOVE AND REVERE HER MAJESTY QUEEN SIRIKIT. I WANTED TO DO SOMETHING MEANINGFUL FOR HER ONE LAST TIME,”
she explained.
Under her initiative, local establishments agreed to implement symbolic measures of respect:
• Play daily video tributes of the Queen Mother’s lifelong royal projects before opening each day.
• Encourage staff to wear black, signifying mourning.
• Observe a moment of silence to honour her memory.
The first of these tributes took place on the evening before the ceremony, drawing the attention of foreign visitors. According to Ms. Amporn, one tourist remarked after learning of the Queen’s passing that
“I CAN FEEL HOW MUCH THAI PEOPLE LOVE THEIR KING AND QUEEN.”
A Legacy Enduring Beyond Generations
The gathering underscored not only grief but also widespread respect for Queen Sirikit’s decades of social and cultural contributions. Her work supporting rural development, traditional crafts, and welfare programmes has left a significant imprint across Thailand.
For Pattaya—a city renowned for its tourism and vibrant nightlife—this collective pause revealed another side: a community united in remembrance. Officials and citizens alike stood together to reaffirm the enduring bond between the monarchy and the people.
As the final offerings were placed before her portrait, the ceremony concluded in quiet reflection, sealing Queen Sirikit’s legacy as the “Mother of the Land” in the hearts of all those present.