TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Queen Mother Thailand Sirikit, who brought glamour and grace to the post-war monarchy, has passed away at the age of 93, as announced by the Royal Household Bureau of Thailand on Saturday, October 25, 2025.
The Thai palace, as quoted by The Daily Star, stated that she had been hospitalized since 2019 due to various illnesses and suffered a blood infection on October 17 before passing away on Friday night.
A one-year mourning period has been set for the royal family and their household.
Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul canceled his trip to the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia due to the passing of the Queen Mother, according to a government spokesperson. The cabinet will meet on Saturday to discuss the royal funeral.
Queen Sirikit, who occasionally dabbled in politics, has remained out of the public eye since suffering a stroke in 2012.
Her husband, Sirikit's spouse, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, was the longest-reigning monarch of Thailand. He reigned for 70 years from 1946. Sirikit was always by his side, winning the hearts of the Thai people through their charitable activities.
When they traveled abroad, she also captivated the global media with her beauty and fashion sense.
During their visit to the United States in 1960, which included a state dinner at the White House, Time magazine called her "slim" and a "true feminist." The French daily L'Aurore described her as "charming."
Born in 1932, the year Thailand transitioned from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy, Sirikit Kitiyakara was the daughter of Thailand's ambassador to France, led a lavish and privileged life.
While studying music and language in Paris, she met Bhumibol, who had spent part of his childhood in Switzerland.
"It was hate at first sight," she said in a BBC documentary, adding that she was late for their first meeting. "Then it was love."
The couple spent time together in Paris and got engaged in 1949. They married in Thailand a year later, when she was 17.
Always stylish, Sirikit collaborated with French fashion designer Pierre Balmain to create stunning outfits made from Thai silk. By supporting the preservation of traditional weaving practices, she is credited with revitalizing the Thai silk industry.
Supporting Rural Development
For over four decades, she often traveled with the king to remote villages in Thailand, promoting development projects for the rural poor. Their activities were broadcast every night on the country's Royal Bulletin.
She briefly served as regent in 1956, when her husband spent two weeks in a temple, undergoing Buddhist monkhood initiation, a common transitional ritual in Thailand.
In 1976, her birthday, August 12, was designated Mother's Day and a national holiday in Thailand.
Their son, now King Maha Vajiralongkorn (also known as Rama X), succeeded his father, King Bhumibol, after he died in 2016. Following the coronation of King Vajiralongkorn in 2019, Queen Sirikit became known as Queen Mother.
Officially, the monarchy is above politics in Thailand, a country whose modern history has been dominated by coups and unstable governments. However, at times, members of the royal family, including Sirikit, have intervened or taken actions considered political.
In 1998, she used her birthday speech to urge the Thai people to unite behind the then Prime Minister, Chuan Leekpai, dealing a blow to the opposition's plan for a vote of no confidence debate in hopes of forcing a new election.
Later, she became associated with the royalist-leaning political movement People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD). Their protests succeeded in ousting governments led or allied with Thaksin Shinawatra, a former populist telecom tycoon.
In 2008, Sirikit attended the funeral of a PAD protester who died in clashes with the police, signifying the royal support for a campaign that had helped topple the pro-Thaksin government a year earlier.
For many Thais, she will be remembered for her charitable works and as a symbol of maternal virtue. Her passing will be respectfully remembered in a country that suppresses all criticism with its strict enforcement of lese-majeste laws, which carry prison sentences for those who insult the royal family, even those who have passed away.
She leaves behind a son, the king, and three daughters.
Editor's Choice: Sirikit, Queen Mother of Thailand, Dies Aged 93
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