Thais near final farewell for king
Funeral next month to mark end of mourning period
For the past 11 months, 73-year-old Susie Vachanonda — like many others in the Thai community — has been wearing black.
The community has been mourning since October 13 last year for their revered late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died at age 88.
They will be gathering as a community at the Potters Park Events Centre in Mt Eden tomorrow, dressed in mourning colours, to pay respects and remember the late king.
Songvut Manoonpong, president of the New Zealand Thai Society, said many in the community had been donning black since their king’s death.
“Many consider him to be like a father, and even though nearly a year has passed he is still very dearly missed,” he said.
From temple staff to many restaurant operators here, many have ditched their colourful outfits for black, white or sombre colours.
The mourning period will end only after the royal funeral next month.
The nation of 67 million people and Thais around the globe plunged into mourning following his death last year after a long illness.
Manoonpong said all celebrations and events in New Zealand, including Songkran or Thai New Year, had been cancelled or toned down.
“Many of us don’t celebrate our birthdays and even weddings have been postponed,” he said.
“Only after the king’s funeral next month, then you will see people wearing colours and smiling again.”
Saturday’s event at Mt Eden, organised by Thai Culture NZ, will give the community here a final chance to come together to pay their last re- Susie Vachanonda says when she first learned King Bhumibol Adulyadej had died she broke down. spects to the late king before the royal funeral.
Saturday was to have also been the last day in Thailand for people to visit the royal urn, but Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn had ordered an extension to next Thursday.
Tens of thousands had been lining up in Sanam Luang to meet the Saturday deadline.
Vachanonda, a retiree, still remembers vividly the time she first met the late king in Phuket when she was just 10.
“I was part of the welcome party and we were dancing for him. I felt so proud,” she said.
“After I finished my dancing, I rushed to see him and I remember the queen asking ‘are you tired from the dancing?’.”
Vachanonda, a Thai Society board member, was in Auckland when she got the news that Bhumibol had died.
“I just broke down and cried because he means so much to me,” she said.
For the past year, Vachanonda has offered prayers for the late king at the Kelston Thai temple.
She will be returning to Thailand on October 22 to join the official ceremony to farewell Bhumibol.
Prior to his death, Bhumibol held the title as the world’s longest-reigning living monarch.