Thailand's Queen Mother Sirikit dies at age 93

BANGKOK — Thailand’s Queen Mother Sirikit, who supervised royal projects to help the rural poor, preserve traditional craft-making and protect the environment, died on Friday. She was 93. The Royal Household Bureau said she died in a hospital in Bangkok, adding that she began suffering from a blood infection on Oct. 17 and despite her medical team’s efforts, her condition did not improve. She suffered a stroke in 2012 and was afterwards largely absent from public life due to declining health. Her husband, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, died in October 2016. The bureau's statement said King Maha Vajiralongkorn had directed that she be given a funeral with the highest honors, and that he had instructed members of the royal family and royal servants to observe mourning for one year. Mourners gathered outside Chulalongkorn Hospital on Saturday morning after hearing the news. “It is yet again another great loss for the whole nation. I heard about it at 4 a.m. I felt like fainting. The whole world seemed like it had stopped," said 67-year-old Maneerat Laowalert. Prime Minister Anutin CharnvirWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times