The Ministry of Interior held a meeting to prepare for the royal cremation ceremony of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother, and the public floral tribute ceremonies across the country to ensure the events are orderly, dignified, and highly honorable.
26 Aug 2026 GMT+7 Mr. Arsith Sampanrat, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, disclosed details about the preparatory meeting for organizing the royal cremation ceremony of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother. This was the Ministry of Interior's first meeting of 2026, assigning Mr. Nirat Pongsitthaworn, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, for administration, to chair the meeting, attended by Ms. Arocha Nuntamontri, Governor of Nakhon Pathom Province, representatives from the metropolitan provinces, government agencies, state enterprises under the Ministry of Interior, and relevant officials. The meeting was held in the Rajabopit Conference Room, 5th floor, Damrongrajanusorn Building, Ministry of Interior, on 25 August.
Mr. Arsith stated that following the first meeting of the committee overseeing the royal cremation ceremony of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, chaired by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, the committee assigned the Ministry of Interior as the main agency responsible for organizing the public floral tribute ceremonies in the regions. Therefore, the ministry convened a joint meeting with all relevant agencies to discuss and rehearse procedures to ensure smoothness and proper honor.
"The Ministry of Interior has prepared for the public floral tribute ceremonies in the regional areas for the royal cremation of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit by assigning the Ministry's Office of the Permanent Secretary to request budget allocations. The Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning will construct floral tribute pavilions in each province and in central districts of each province and two metropolitan areas. The Department of Provincial Administration will build floral tribute pavilions in every district nationwide, while Bangkok Metropolitan Administration will construct pavilions in central Bangkok locations."
Regarding the creation and production of the floral tributes, the Department of Community Development is the main responsible agency, following the seven floral designs prescribed by the Royal Household Bureau. They have invited government agencies, private sector entities, educational institutions, volunteers, and all community sectors to collectively make floral tributes for the public attending the ceremonies. Additionally, one floral tribute per province and district will be created using the respective provincial flower as a model.
For the cultural and celebratory performances at the 878 floral tribute venues, provinces and districts have been advised to select performances that align with central guidelines and local artistic identities, such as Khon, Nang Yai shadow puppetry, traditional puppet theater, or performances related to royal compositions. These performances will run daily from 09:00 to 22:00 during the public floral tribute ceremonies, with a pause during the time when His Majesty the King attends the royal cremation ceremony, to ensure the regional events are dignified and orderly.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior concluded by inviting all government agencies, state enterprises, and local administrative organizations both centrally and regionally to work closely in integration and prepare thoroughly. Although many personnel have experience from the royal funeral events in 2017,
"for utmost caution and readiness, all tasks and procedures must be rehearsed again according to the framework set by the Ministry's Office of the Permanent Secretary. Provincial governors and district chiefs are to lead the implementation, rehearsing operational plans across all dimensions and managing all aspects meticulously, including site preparation, security, traffic control, medical and public health systems, and facilitating citizens attending the ceremonies comprehensively and perfectly. This is to ensure the floral tribute ceremonies and all related activities proceed smoothly, in accordance with royal traditions, with dignity, and the highest honor uniformly throughout the country."