BANGKOK, Thailand – Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul has convened a special session of the Cabinet at Government House to outline preparations for the royal funeral ceremony of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, The Queen Mother.
The meeting will establish organizational committees responsible for overseeing the arrangements in accordance with His Majesty the King’s royal command. The Bureau of the Royal Household has been instructed to organize the royal funeral with the highest honors, in accordance with royal tradition, with the royal remains to be enshrined at the Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall within the Grand Palace.
At Government House, national flags were lowered to half-mast as a mark of mourning and respect. Ministers, civil servants, officials, and members of the media were seen wearing black and formal mourning attire in tribute to Her Majesty The Queen Mother.
The Prime Minister has also canceled his planned trip to attend the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia scheduled for today, to focus on coordinating the preparations.
Reports indicate that Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul will travel to Malaysia on October 26 to attend the ASEAN Summit, which is expected to coincide with the signing of the Thailand–Cambodia Peace Agreement, to be witnessed by the President of the United States. Thailand has requested that the signing ceremony be rescheduled from the afternoon to the morning. If the adjustment cannot be made, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs will represent Thailand in signing the agreement on behalf of the Prime Minister. (NNT)
