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Pink Elephants Bow at Bangkok's Grand Palace in Tribute to Queen Mother Sirikit

Eleven pastel-pink elephants marched and bowed outside Bangkok's Grand Palace in a solemn tribute to Queen Sirikit, who died in October at 93. Organiser Laithongrian Meepan said the animals were painted to resemble auspicious albino elephants; he has cared for elephants for three decades and credits Sirikit with guiding the selective breeding of more than 100 royal elephants. The government has declared a year of official mourning, and the queen mother will be cremated at the end of the year-long funeral observances.

12:45 PM, 11/27/2025Culture
Pink Elephants Bow at Bangkok's Grand Palace in Tribute to Queen Mother Sirikit

Eleven elephants painted a soft pastel pink paraded slowly past Bangkok's Grand Palace on Thursday, bowing in unison as a ceremonial tribute to Queen Sirikit, the queen mother who died in October at the age of 93.

Queen Sirikit, mother of the current monarch King Maha Vajiralongkorn and spouse of Thailand's longest-reigning king, is lying in state as part of an elaborate funeral observance that will continue for a year. The government has declared an official year-long mourning period and advised the public to wear black or white for the first 90 days.

Laithongrian Meepan, who runs the Royal Elephant Kraal Village in Ayutthaya province, organised the pastel procession. The animals were painted to resemble albino elephants—traditionally regarded in Thailand as auspicious—and were dressed in ornate caparisons, with tusks decorated in gold. One carried a large portrait of the late queen on its back as the procession passed the palace.

Laithongrian said he has spent three decades caring for elephants inspired by Sirikit's affection for the species and that, under her patronage, more than 100 royal elephants were selectively bred. "Her Majesty granted me an audience and gave me advice on raising elephants," he said. "We have brought the baby elephants to show Her Majesty that they obey orders."

Elephant enthusiast and royal mourner Panya Phongsrithong described the ceremony as a "magnificent" opportunity to pay respects. "I feel a close bond with the elephants," he said. The queen mother's body will be cremated at the conclusion of the year-long funeral rites.

White or albino elephants hold cultural significance in Thailand and are often seen as auspicious symbols. The pastel painting on the procession’s animals was intended to evoke that revered imagery while offering a solemn, visually striking homage to the late queen mother.

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