The following morning was even gloomier than the night before. Most people woke up and went on doing their routines; children went to school and adults went to work, confused. It was almost like a regular Friday where people looked forward to finishing the week and taking a short break from hard work. But, this was not a normal Friday. Everyone in the country could feel it in the atmosphere – people wearing black and white, no shouting or laughter to be heard, and smiles disappearing from faces. The king’s demise had created such a huge impact on every Thai citizen and in every part of the kingdom. In most big malls, it was required that all staff and customers stand in remembrance of his death for nine minutes, for King Bhumibol was the ninth king of Thailand. In light of this unfortunate event, the country will hold a one-year morning period. Flags will fly half-mast and any celebrations are also prohibited for a month starting Friday. It will take a long time for the Thai people to recover from this great loss and move on.
As the future is still unclear, a new era has officially begun. It’s the era that most Thai people wouldn’t want to come, but it’s the one that is unavoidable. Life without King Bhumibol will be hard, but to figure out where to go from here is even harder. Whether the country will be moving forward or return to the same old political schisms, which could be worse without the presence of the beloved king, is in the hand of all Thai people to decide.