Thailand’s Queen Mother Passes Away as Nation Enters Mourning and Retail Rush
Retailers cut prices on black attire and authorities monitor clothing markets amid mourning for Queen Sirikit
Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother of Thailand, died on 24 October 2025 at age 93, prompting the government to declare a one-year mourning period for officials and a ninety-day period of subdued public attire.
The nation’s mourning has been marked by an extraordinary surge in demand for black and dark-coloured clothing, with wholesale markets in Bangkok registering sales volumes far above normal.
In the Bobae Market wholesale district, vendors displayed rows of black T-shirts priced at THB 40 (about USD 1) — sharply lower than the usual THB 200-500 — as an appeal to ensure affordability and allow widespread participation in mourning.
One stall owner, Thanachote Siripadungdech, said he sold at a loss intentionally: “I just want to do something for the Queen Mother and the royal family.” He also reported giving away two hundred shirts to senior citizens and low-income families.
Authorities from the Department of Internal Trade (DIT) and the Ministry of Commerce have deployed monitoring of clothing supply and pricing, noting that raw-material costs remain stable and warning retailers against “opportunistic” price hikes.
Inspections cover physical stores and online platforms, with incorrect price-tagging or excessive mark-ups punishable by fines or imprisonment under relevant legislation.
While demand for black attire is soaring, some vendors report sharp drops in volume compared with previous royal-mourning periods.
A seller who once moved up to four hundred items daily during the 2016 royal mourning cycle is now selling only around fifty a day, attributing the decline to economic weakness and competition from online sellers.
At the same time, black-and-white portraits of the late queen dominate public displays, and citizens across Bangkok and its environs appear on public transit and in the streets dressed in darker tones.
The government has instructed all government offices, state enterprises and schools to fly the national flag at half-mast for thirty days and for civil-servants to wear formal mourning attire for one year, though no blanket ban on normal business or tourism has been imposed.
The combined phenomenon of elevated retail activity in mourning-coloured clothing, regulatory oversight, and public observance captures both the deep cultural resonance of the monarchy in Thailand and the commercial dynamics triggered by national mourning.
The nexus of respect, retail and regulation now shapes the local response to a significant moment in the country’s social and economic life.
The nation’s mourning has been marked by an extraordinary surge in demand for black and dark-coloured clothing, with wholesale markets in Bangkok registering sales volumes far above normal.
In the Bobae Market wholesale district, vendors displayed rows of black T-shirts priced at THB 40 (about USD 1) — sharply lower than the usual THB 200-500 — as an appeal to ensure affordability and allow widespread participation in mourning.
One stall owner, Thanachote Siripadungdech, said he sold at a loss intentionally: “I just want to do something for the Queen Mother and the royal family.” He also reported giving away two hundred shirts to senior citizens and low-income families.
Authorities from the Department of Internal Trade (DIT) and the Ministry of Commerce have deployed monitoring of clothing supply and pricing, noting that raw-material costs remain stable and warning retailers against “opportunistic” price hikes.
Inspections cover physical stores and online platforms, with incorrect price-tagging or excessive mark-ups punishable by fines or imprisonment under relevant legislation.
While demand for black attire is soaring, some vendors report sharp drops in volume compared with previous royal-mourning periods.
A seller who once moved up to four hundred items daily during the 2016 royal mourning cycle is now selling only around fifty a day, attributing the decline to economic weakness and competition from online sellers.
At the same time, black-and-white portraits of the late queen dominate public displays, and citizens across Bangkok and its environs appear on public transit and in the streets dressed in darker tones.
The government has instructed all government offices, state enterprises and schools to fly the national flag at half-mast for thirty days and for civil-servants to wear formal mourning attire for one year, though no blanket ban on normal business or tourism has been imposed.
The combined phenomenon of elevated retail activity in mourning-coloured clothing, regulatory oversight, and public observance captures both the deep cultural resonance of the monarchy in Thailand and the commercial dynamics triggered by national mourning.
The nexus of respect, retail and regulation now shapes the local response to a significant moment in the country’s social and economic life.
