**Visitors were welcome to continue their trips, and were not required to wear mourning clothes.** The expectation was respectful dress and behaviour. This guidance concerns the mourning following King Bhumibol’s death on **13 October 2016**. [Tourism Authority of Thailand’s contemporary advisory](https://www.thailandtravel.or.jp/news/2048/)

For a visit shortly after his death:

- **Pack modest, subdued clothing.** Black, white or dark colours were considerate choices, especially around mourners and royal sites. You did not need an entirely black wardrobe.
- **Keep public behaviour restrained.** Avoid loud partying, drunken antics or treating mourning ceremonies as entertainment. Follow staff instructions at memorials.
- **Speak respectfully about the King and royal family**, including online. Avoid jokes or disparaging comments; Thailand’s strict lèse-majesté laws add a legal dimension to this etiquette. [Time Out Bangkok’s October 2016 guidance](https://www.timeout.com/bangkok/things-to-do/dos-and-donts-during-the-mourning-period-in-thailand)
- **Allow for cancellations and closures.** Entertainment and festivals could be cancelled or subdued, and royal funeral sites had restricted access. Ordinary transport, banks, hospitals and most tourism services continued operating. Check individual venues before travelling. [TAT advisory](https://www.thailandtravel.or.jp/news/2048/)

The **30-day and one-year periods referred to different measures**: government flags were lowered for 30 days, while government officials wore mourning dress for a year. They did not impose a year-long dress requirement on foreign visitors. [Official royal cremation media guide, p. 54](https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/gdc/gdcovop/2017343075/2017343075.pdf)

For a return visit during that year, the same principles applied, with particular sensitivity around ceremonies. During the **25–29 October 2017 royal cremation**, TAT again explicitly said visitors did not have to wear black, but requested respectful clothing and behaviour and warned of closures and transport disruption. [TAT’s cremation guidance](https://www.tatnews.org/2017/10/recommendations-regarding-royal-cremation-late-king-bhumibol-adulyadej/)