Farewell - with a smile

In Thai culture, a mourning period is traditionally followed by entertainment.

HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana remains in the hearts of all Thais even after her death on January 2 this year.

The mourning for her has lasted much longer than the official 100 days.

However, major entertainment programmes will be staged on November 15 and November 16 as part of her cremation to show that the mourning is really over by then.

In line with ancient beliefs, a Royal Cremation ceremony is a way to see the late royal off to heaven.

"So it's an appropriate time to celebrate," Thai Khadi Research Institute director Anucha Thirakanont explains.

The tradition for a Royal Cremation to be accompanied by major entertainment programmes can be traced back to the Sukhothai era. The entertainment serves to mark the end of mourning and also to honour the late royal.

When the Rattanakosin period began, King Rama I followed the centuries-old tradition. At the king's orders, various forms of entertainment such as khon (Thai classical masked drama), puppet shows and Chinese opera accompanied the cremation of his father.

Entertainment at royal cremations continued until the reign of King Rama VI, who decided to stop the practice because of the high cost.

The ancient tradition was later revived by the current monarch, HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

One of his daughters, HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, suggested having entertainment at the cremation of her grandmother, HRH Princess Sri Nagarindra the Princess Mother, in 1996.

The suggestion came because the Princess had seen how sombre without any entertainment the atmosphere was at the 1985 cremation of Queen Rambhai Barni, wife of King Rama VII.

In response to this suggestion from the Princess, the 1996 cremation of the Princess Mother was accompanied by khon, stage plays, shadow plays and Thai puppet shows. Similar performances will be a part of the cremation of HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana.

Fine Arts Department director-general Kriengkrai Sampatchalit has confirmed that some 2,000 artists from the department, 12 colleges of drama, the Bunditpatanasilpa Institute and other private institutes will perform shadow plays, khon, music and Thai puppet shows as part of the Princess's cremation.

Starting at 7pm on November 15, the shows will run till 6am the next day.

Stage 1, shadow plays and khon.

Stage 2, The Thai Youth Orchestra and the Chulalongkorn University Orchestra.

Stage 3, puppet shows and lakorn nork traditional plays.

Because the Princess was a key patroness of Thai arts and culture, many performing groups at the Royal Cremation will have deep ties with the late Princess herself.

The Thai Youth Orchestra, for example, was under her patronage and many of its members have had the opportunity to hone their musical talents thanks to scholarships from the Princess.

The Nattayasala Hun Lakorn Lek traditional Thai puppet-theatre troupe, previously known as Joe Louis, was also invigorated by the Princess's help.