An official schedule for the royal cremation ceremony of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother was issued on Tuesday by the Government Public Relations Department (PRD).
The five-day ceremony will be held from Dec 15-19, according to the PRD’s Phra Lan Facebook page.
The ceremony will begin with a royal merit-making ceremony at the Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall in the Grand Palace at 5pm on Dec 15.
The following day, the royal urn of Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother will be taken in procession to the royal crematorium at Sanam Luang at 7am. The cremation is scheduled for 4.30pm.
On Dec 17, a ceremony to collect the Queen Mother’s relics and ashes will be held at 8am, followed by their transfer to Phra Si Rattana Chedi, the main pagoda of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha within the Grand Palace.
Merit-making at Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall will be held on Dec 18.
The ceremony will conclude on Dec 19 with the final procession of the late queen’s cremated ashes to Wat Rajabophit Sathit Maha Simaram and Wat Bowonniwet Vihara.
The PRD said the public can watch live broadcasts of the five-day ceremony.
On Monday, PM’s Office Minister Supamas Isarabhakdi, chairwoman of the public relations committee for the ceremony, held a meeting on media preparations for the event.
Ms Supamas said preparations would begin in October for a media centre and related facilities, as well as live broadcasts and the television broadcasting centre of the Television Pool Association (Thailand).
The preparations aim to ensure that coverage of the royal ceremony is accurate, complete and respectful, she said.
“This royal ceremony is very important for the Thai people. We request all sectors to cooperate closely in gratitude for Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother,” Ms Supamas said.
“We also have to make sure that Thai culture and high arts according to ancient Thai royal traditions are narrated correctly and completely to people both in and outside of Thailand.”