Queen Mother Sirikit, the mother of Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn, has passed away at the age of 93, following a long life devoted to royal initiatives supporting the rural poor, preserving traditional crafts, and protecting the environment.
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The Thai Royal Household Bureau announced that the Queen Mother died on Friday at a hospital in Bangkok, after suffering from a blood infection since October 17 that doctors were unable to control despite intensive treatment. In recent years, Sirikit had largely withdrawn from public life due to declining health.
Her husband, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, passed away in October 2016 after ruling the country for several decades.
Photos released on her 88th birthday showed her son, King Maha Vajiralongkorn, and other members of the royal family visiting her at Chulalongkorn Hospital, where she had been receiving long-term care.
Although her public image was often overshadowed by her late husband and her son, Sirikit remained beloved and influential for her independent personality. Her birthday, August 12, has long been celebrated throughout Thailand as Mother’s Day, with her portraits displayed in homes, offices, and public places across the country.
She worked to assist Cambodian refugees, protect Thailand’s forests from destruction, and launch development projects in impoverished villages.
However, her political role was often a source of controversy during Thailand’s frequent periods of unrest, marked by military coups and violent protests. Her attendance at the funeral of a protester killed in clashes with police was seen by some as a sign of alignment with one side of the political divide.
Born Sirikit Kitiyakara on August 12, 1932, in Bangkok to a wealthy aristocratic family connected to the ruling Chakri dynasty, she studied in the capital during World War II before moving to France with her father, who served as Thailand’s ambassador there.
At the age of 16, she met King Bhumibol Adulyadej in Paris shortly after he ascended the throne. At the time, she was studying music and languages. Their friendship deepened after the King suffered a serious car accident, prompting Sirikit to move to Switzerland to help care for him during his recovery—where the two fell in love.
The King wrote poems and composed a musical piece titled “Dream of You” for her. The couple married in 1950, and later that year, during the royal coronation ceremony, pledged to rule “with justice and for the happiness of the Thai people.”
They had four children: the current King Maha Vajiralongkorn and three princesses — Ubolratana, Sirindhorn, and Chulabhorn.
In the early years of their marriage, the royal couple traveled extensively to strengthen diplomatic ties before focusing in the 1970s on tackling poverty, drug addiction, and communist insurgency in rural areas.
Sirikit loved visiting mountainous regions and remote villages, where elderly women affectionately called her “my daughter.” She listened to people’s concerns — from family disputes to chronic illnesses — and often followed up personally on their cases.
In 1976, she founded the SUPPORT Foundation, which trained thousands of villagers in silk weaving, jewelry-making, painting, pottery, and other traditional crafts to raise household incomes and preserve Thailand’s artistic heritage.
Her environmental work earned her the nickname “The Green Queen.” She established centers for breeding endangered species, public gardens, and sea turtle hatcheries. Through her project “The Forest Loves Water,” she encouraged communities to protect forests and water sources as part of sustainable development.
In a 1979 interview with the Associated Press, Sirikit said:
“Some people in universities think the monarchy is outdated, but I believe Thailand needs a King or Queen who understands the people. When someone says, ‘The King is coming,’ thousands gather. The word ‘King’ carries a special magic.”
Queen Sirikit firmly believed that the monarchy was essential for Thailand’s unity. Despite the political controversies that surrounded certain periods of her life, she remained a deeply respected and cherished national figure until her passing.
— Associated Press
