Night spots to close April 8-10 2012 for princess' funeral

BANGKOK: -- Night entertainment venues will be asked to suspend their businesses from April 8-10 during the funeral of Her Royal Highness Princess Bejaratana, while other private enterprises will be asked to fly national flags at half-mast on their premises, PM's Office permanent secretary Thongthong Chandrangsu said yesterday.

Television and radio broadcasts should air programmes or content considered appropriate during the three-day period, he added.

Updating the progress of the preparations for the funeral service, he said the crematorium for the late Princess is coloured in gold - the standard colour for a royal funeral - and pink, the shade representing Tuesday, the day of the princess' birth.

"The combined shades of the crematorium are especially soft and reflect femininity," Thongthong said.

This crematorium is smaller than that built for the late HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana, because HRH Princess Bejaratana's body is contained in an urn, while that of HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana was placed in a casket.

Three rehearsals of the April 9 funeral service for HRH Princess Bejaratana have been scheduled for this month. Two minor rehearsals are set for this Sunday and March 25, before a grand rehearsal on March 31.

The main pavilion, crematorium and other buildings will be open for the public to visit from April 11-17. A permanent exhibition in honour of the late princess will be installed at Nakhon Pathom's Sanam Chandra Palace, which was built by King Rama VI. HRH Princess Bejaratana, who died last July 27 at the age of 85, was the only child of King Rama VI.

The late princess' ashes will be collected on the morning after the April 9 cremation and escorted to Dusit Maha Prasart Throne Hall. On April 12, a ceremony will be held to mark the ashes' permanent placement in the Throne Hall.

A meeting of the government's organising committee on March 24 will be attended by HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, the chief adviser to the panel, at the suggestion of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, who is the executive chairman of the panel.


-- The Nation 2012-03-17