BANGKOK — October is a sensitive time of mourning in Thailand and life will be affected during the royal funeral which runs through most of the month. A number of Bangkok venues, from supermarkets and department stores to cinemas and tourist attractions will be closed.
There are also three holidays: Oct. 13, the first anniversary of King Bhumibol’s death; Oct. 23, which commemorates King Chulalongkorn’s 1910 death; and Oct. 26, the day of King Bhumibol’s cremation.
Here’s a running list of closures and other impacts to be updated as more announcements are made:
Transportation
From Oct. 25 through Oct. 28, 18 roads will be closed for the royal cremation ceremony. They include Ratchadamnoen Avenue and Lak Muang, Kalayana Maitri, Charoen Krung, Phra Pipit, Thaiwang, Maha Rat, Phra Chan, Setthakan, Chetupon, Phraya Petch, Na Phra Lan, Na Phra That, Rajini, Phra Athit and Saranrom roads.
The BTS Skytrain and MRT systems will operate normally. They will offer free rides on Oct. 26.
The interim cabinet approved waiving tolls for motorways No. 7 (Motorway Bangkok-Chonburi) and No. 9 (Motorway Bang Pa-In–Bang Phli) from Oct. 24 to 27. On Oct. 26, access to Don Mueang Tollway and Si Rat-Outer Ring Road Expressway will be free.
The Airport Rail Link will offer free rides Oct. 25 through Oct. 27.
Bangkok BRT bus rides will be free from Oct. 25 through Oct. 27 from BRT Sathorn to BRT Ratchapruek.
Chao Phraya Expresss Boats will be free on Oct. 26 from Wat Rajsingkorn pier to Nonthaburi (Pibul Songkram 3) pier. From Oct. 25 through Oct. 27 ferries will not run at Tha Phra Atit, Tha Rajinee and Tha Chang piers.
Restaurants, Bars, Cafes, Nightclubs
Most restaurants, bars and cafes will be open as usual with scaled-down or no entertainment. Some may decide to close on their own, so best to check in advance.
Hard Rock Cafe will close on Oct. 26.
Most places at Khaosan Road, Soi Cowboy and Nana Plaza will be closed for at least three days – Oct. 25 through Oct. 27.
Khaosan Road’s The Club Khaosan and Brick Bar will close from Oct. 24 through Oct. 29.
Malls, Stores, Supermarkets, Services
99 branches of McDonald’s nationwide will be closed on Oct. 26.
All branches of KFC nationwide will be closed on Oct. 26.
All branches of Family Mart nationwide will be closed from 2pm on Oct. 26.
Makro, warehouse store, nationwide will close from 3pm Oct. 26. It will open as usual at 6am Oct. 27.
7-Eleven nationwide will close from 2:30pm Oct. 26 through midnight.
All branches of Thailand Post nationwide will be closed on Oct. 26.
All branches of supermarket Tesco Lotus nationwide will be closed from 2pm on Oct. 26 and reopen as usual on Oct. 27.
Isetan, the Japanese department store in CentralWorld, will close all day on Oct. 26.
All B-Quik auto service branches will close from 2pm on Oct. 26 to 8am on Oct. 27.
Banks
All branches of Krung Thai Bank, TMB Bank, Siam Commercial Bank, Kasikorn Bank, Bank of Ayudhya, Tisco Bank, Land and Houses Bank and United Overseas Bank nationwide will be closed on Oct. 26.
Cinemas, Theaters
Major Cineplex will close all of its 119 branches nationwide on Oct. 26. The country’s largest movie theater chain will reopen normally on Oct. 27.
The Siam Niramit theatres in Bangkok and Phuket will also close Oct. 26.
Lifestyle, Entertainment
CentralPlaza and CentralFestival nationwide, except CentralWorld and CentralPlaza Rama II, will be closed from 3pm on Oct. 26.
One of the country’s largest mall operators The Mall will be closed from 3pm Oct. 26.
Index Living Mall and Index Smart Furniture Center will be closed from 2pm Oct. 26.
All of the bowling, karaoke and ice-skating centers of Blu-O, which operate under Major Cineplex, will close Oct. 26.
Thailand Knowledge Park, or TK Park, on the seventh floor of CentralWorld will be closed on Oct. 26 and reopen Oct. 27. Members who borrow books between Oct. 12 and Oct. 22 will have their due dates extended to Nov. 5.
Thailand Creative and Design Center (TCDC) in Bangkok and Chiang Mai are closed on Oct. 26 as well as TCDC Commons and AIS D.C.
Due to the royal funeral ceremony of the late Rama 9, TCDC Bangkok, TCDC Chiang Mai, TCDC COMMONS and AIS D.C. are closed on Thursday, 26 October 2017.
The Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, or BACC, located at Pathumwan intersection will close Oct. 26 and reopen Oct. 27.
The new Bangkok City Library on Ratchadamnoen Klang Road will close for one day on Oct. 13 and again from Oct. 22 to Oct. 30.
Dream World, an amusement park in the capital’s outskirts, will close Oct. 26, as will Safari World.
Tourist Attractions
The Grand Palace and Temple of the Emerald Buddha are closed through Oct. 29. They will reopen to the public on Oct. 30.
The Parusakawan Palace on Si Ayutthaya Road and the Police Museum situated inside the building are closed temporarily through Oct. 31. The two-story European-style royal mansion will reopen on Nov. 1.
The Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall is closed indefinitely.
Please send information about additional closures to [email protected].
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Roads to Close Around Grand Palace After Final Mourners Pay Respects
