Thailand counts down to final, fond October
For the past four decades, the month of October has carried certain meanings and implications associated with a leftleaning student-led civil society uprising that overthrew a military dictatorship and a right-wing military-led suppression that crushed mostly university students and chased them into the jungle to join the local communist party.
These two critical junctures in Thailand’s political history, one from 1973 and the other from 1976, are famously known as “14 October” and “6 October”. But now there are two more October months, from last year and this year, which will be indelibly etched into the collective memory of Thais.
Since the passing of King Bhumibol Adulyadej on Oct 13 last year, Thais have donned black, grey and other sombre-coloured garb throughout the kingdom. At the outset, some people asked me if this would last for the entire year. It has. Certainly, officialdom was initially required to do so, whereas business and other segments of society were asked to observe this year-long mourning period for a hundred days. In the event, black and grey became the preference of the land for as long as mourning was to last. There was some conformity and bandwagoning but, by and large, on closer inspection, Thais individually have worn black as a way of staying connected to the late King Bhumibol’s 70-year reign. It surely must be one of the longest and most genuine mourning periods on record.
It had to be long because a lot of people wanted to be a part of it. It was also long because Thais needed time to internalise, as each and every one of them had grown up under the 9th reign. Literally, many millions of Thais from all walks of life, across the ages and from all distances in the land, through the weeks and months, descended on Bangkok and converged on a little spot at the Grand Palace to pay respect where the royal urn has been kept. In the final days, the numbers who lined up in rain, shine and under grey skies swelled endlessly.
The only way to proceed with the royal funeral was to put a cap on time, with a cut-off date yesterday, nearly a week’s extension. In the end, one out of every five or six Thais — in a nation of more than 68 million over an expanse of 513,120 square kilometres, covering Bangkok and 76 provinces — found his and her own way to travel and trek in person to bid a final farewell to King Bhumibol. There have also been a small but significant number of foreigners who did the same.
Before this October rolled around, we Thais were treating it with some trepidation. The mourning period became the new norm for our livelihoods but all scheduled events eventually come to pass. It dawned on me during a wideranging, work-like conversation with a friend in mid-September. At the end of it, in a non sequitur fashion, he volunteered: “Hard to believe, it’s gone by so fast and now October is near”, before parting ways. It was a spectre we all could feel, that October means the royal cremation of the late King Bhumibol.
In Thailand’s predominantly Buddhist belief system, mixed with Brahmin rituals and traditions and customs, cremations are a big deal. In fact, cremation is closure. One of my colleagues, who maintains order doing small tasks with big outcomes at the office, lamented that the period between this royal passing and cremation should be made indefinite and somehow, the cremation does not have to transpire. But we all know otherwise. There is no putting off Oct 26; we can only count down in our own meaningful ways.
Much of the final funeral crescendo is taking place on social media, particularly Facebook. As September passed, countless cover photos took on a solemn tone. Black is back in greater force. Those who received certificates, academic degrees and other honours from the late King have posted proud photos of their younger selves in sad ways. On the streets, in shops and offices, there is a growing sense of finality. Posters and symbols of the late King Bhumibol are spruced up and spring up where they were not previously.
If there is one common theme among myriad billboards and advert signs that are ubiquitously displayed, it is “gratitude” — and in immeasurable and incompatible quantity. Every sign and poster invariably alludes to how grateful this or that business is for its lot. The same is felt among Thai people. The reign began when we had little. It ended with us having so much more. Thailand harbours alarming inequality that form the roots of political ailments but at the same time the newer generations are generally better off than their parents.
This will be a tough month for us Thais, and Thailand will never be the same because of it. Much adversity and uncertainty are in store, perhaps including more tension and conflict. There will be challenges and adjustments that will be normal and necessary after the 9th reign fully passes. But until then, Thais will be seeing and feeling, reflecting and yearning, about how far they have come with just one extraordinary man under exceptional circumstances presiding over them.
This will be a tough month for us Thais, and Thailand will never be the same because of it.