Next month in Thailand, voters will head to the polls for the country’s general election, then welcome a new King to the throne with a coronation in May. Such a happy event will be great cause for celebration in Thailand, and a moment in the nation’s history that’s not to be missed.
The coronation of Thailand’s new King will take place from 3 – 6 May, with a set of royal rituals scheduled to take place over 15 days before and after those three dates.
Thailand’s electoral commission has confirmed 24th March as the date of the general election. One of the first duties of the new King will therefore be to preside over the opening of Parliament.
“There will be an election before coronation,” Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha told reporters recently. “We have to organize both things together but we must first give time to the coronation preparation,” he continued.
King Vajiralongkorn has been serving as monarch since the death of his father, Bhumibol Adulyadej, who passed away in 2016 following a 70-year reign in which he was widely beloved and revered by the Thai people. Thailand has observed a lengthy mourning period since his tragic passing.
Visitors to the Kingdom of Thailand over the next couple of months can expect to see history in the making, as the people choose their next government and officially recognize their first change of ruling monarch in almost three quarters of a century.
