The passing of Thailand’s Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother, on October 24, 2025, ended an era marked by reverence and political anxiety. More profoundly, her death signaled the final collapse of the national consciousness that had defined loyalty for half a century.
Growing up, the first images I registered were the portraits of King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit, hanging high in our family home. As a child, I was genuinely puzzled: why did we hang pictures of another family in our home? This early gap between state expectation and personal reality was the first seed of doubt. It took years of study to realize Queen Sirikit was more than just “the King’s consort.” She was a carefully managed pillar of the nation, reflecting the ideal of Thai identity, elegance, and femininity that the state demanded its citizens embrace.
Her public image was dazzling: graceful in Thai silk, adorned with jewels, embodying beauty.
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