The Passing Of Hm The King Of Thailand: King Bhumibol Adulyadej

[DavidFL]

GTR would like to share their sympathy with the people of Thailand on the passing of the beloved King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand.

His Majesty has served his country diligently, faithfully & with great compassion for 70 years.
King Bhumibol Adulyadej has been a unifying influence for the country for generations and his passing is a time of great sadness for Thai people, plus many others in both the country (& the region. )

If you've resided here for any length of time you will feel the sadness of the Thai people & share their respect for the King - I certainly do after 35 years here.

Officially there is a mourning period of 12 months.
Places of entertainment will be closed for an extended period, starting tomorrow.
This should mean bars & no alcohol sales, which may upset some people.

The coming months maybe somewhat less enjoyable if you are travelling in the kingdom during this time, but please show your respect to the kind Thai people & a nation in mourning.

 

[Ian Bungy]

From what I have heard so Far there is to be No Celebrations or Festivities for the first Month! Official Mourning is for the Full 12 Months. I haven't heard any Alcohol Ban Mentioned so as long as things are kept in a Respectful manner I think things will be OK but More full on places like Pattaya and Phuket may have some bans put in affect? 70 Years on the Throne, so the Majority of People alive today whether from Thailand or abroad have only ever know this one King. His impact on His People was immense so their Mourning is very real and needs to be respected! What a Man and What a King! RIP.

 

[ianyonok]

There is great sadness in our house and local community at this time. Having lived here most of my life, like many farangs I feel this loss deeply.

His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulayadej was a Giant among Kings.

Not just for his long life and long reign, but for the way he transformed his country and improved the lives of his people. When he was crowned, the power and influence of the monarchy had been severely diminished and the country was beset by political issues and widespread poverty. By sheer force of personality and inner strength, he managed to raise the status of the monarchy to become the pillar of society we have known for so long, that had the respect and moral authority to change governments. Thailand has become one of the richest and most stable nations in the region.

The north of Thailand would certainly not be like it is now, without the influence of the King and the King's Mother.
We see the Royal Projects wherever we travel, that have helped the lives of so many, in the more remote areas of the country. We also see the photos of the King lovingly placed by his people, in the cities and in the tiniest of hilltribe village houses. This love between a King and his people is unknown anywhere else. We have been lucky to live here during his reign.

I note also that the Kingdom of Bhutan is in official mourning, as is Japan.

Here is a very good article about a different side to the King, seen by a foreign journalist;
Glimpses behind the exalted persona of Thailand's king

Riding around may be a more sombre experience for some time, but that should not prevent us travelling.
In this age of extreme violence in many parts of the world and ugly politics in some others, we have been given a shining example of how to try to go through life. Perhaps the best way we can show our feelings for the passing of this great King, is to exercise some tolerance, compassion and respect, for those around us.

 

[ianyonok]

The motorcycle outrider next to the vehicle carrying the King was the Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha. He stated that he must escort the King on this last journey.

 

[ianyonok]

It seems it was not the Prime Minister on the bike, as he was waiting at the Grand Palace.

I see the BBC has been blocked. A good thing, as their reporting here has always been inaccurate.

Yesterday as I rode out on to a highway on my '59 Triumph Thunderbird, I passed a young guy who appeared stuck on the side of the road, with a small bike that didn't work. I did a double u-turn and went back to see if I could help. On my old bikes, it is easy to pull a fuel hose off to give petrol to those who run out, which has happened a few times. In this case he said he had petrol but the fuel pump was not working. I suggested he go to a repair shop to get someone to look at it. The reply was "no money"....... soon we were travelling along with me riding and pushing his dead bike with my foot on his pillion footrest, with him sitting on and steering his bike. After 500m we reached a repair shop where I gave him 50 Baht to get it sorted. I was happy to see him and bike were gone when I passed some hours later. Someone had pushed me in the same way, just a couple of months ago when my '52 BSA broke down with a magneto failure. I believe there is a lot of truth in the saying "what goes around comes around".