Submitted by Isabel Gomez on the 2017 winter session program in Australia and Thailand sponsored by the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics…
This week, I got to experience visiting the Grand Palace. We were warned beforehand about the dress code. In order to appear more like the locals, we needed to wear dark clothes since the country is in a 100-day mourning period. The King had recently passed away in October. We were told that we needed to wear dark clothes that covered our knees and shoulders. When we got to the palace, I was shocked by the wave of people we saw there. All in black, brown, navy, or gray. Security was everywhere, some even carrying guns. The palace wasn’t traditionally like that, but with so many people wanting to pay their respects to the king, they needed organization. It was such a culture shock seeing how many people wanted to pay their respects to the king. Everyone loves the royal family! It is against Thai law to criticize the King and the royal family. An entire country gathers together to mourn the passing of the King.