Govt Warns About Misinformation on Sponsoring Royal Funeral

People line up Monday to pay tribute to His Majesty the Late King at the Grand Palace in Bangkok.

BANGKOK — Warnings were made Thursday about online messages soliciting donations to sponsor the funeral of His Majesty the Late King in a program not yet announced by the palace.

Government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd warned the public to ignore the messages being spread online since Monday, which asked people to contribute 20,000 baht to support a night of the funeral. Sansern said the palace had yet to establish any means by which the public could underwrite the funeral.

“I urge people not to believe the forwarded messages claiming it costs 20,000 baht per night,” Sansern said Tuesday.

Whether it was genuinely a scam or just misinformation was unclear however. The appeal for donations did not instruct people to send money but included a genuine phone number for the Royal Household Bureau. Someone answering the phone there explained how people could submit their names to participate in such a program and said people should be careful about transferring any funds.

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According to the information given by the Royal Household Bureau, those who want to take active part in the funeral can submit their document including their contact information. The office will supposedly contact back after the regulation is officially made public.

 

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