Late December 2025
Observing preparations and decorations for the Chiang Mai Countdown 2026 Celebrations

Thailand’s Queen Mother Sirikit passed away on 24 October 2025 at the age of 93. Her death marked the end of a life dedicated to public service, cultural preservation, and humanitarian efforts. Sirikit was Queen of Thailand from 28 April 1950 to 13 October 2016 as the wife of King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX). Both were loved by the Thai people as they had dedicated their lives to the good of the Thai people. A year-long mourning period was declared for government officials and a 90-day mourning period for the general public.

Therefore, I expected there to be no official end-of-year holiday celebrations, or any official celebrations would be very subdued. I started noticing a few things. First, as I posted in my first post after arriving in Chiang Mai, there are many banners with Queen Sirikit’s picture and text honoring and remembering her. https://james-intrepid-pilgrim.blog/2025/11/19/chiang-mai-around-the-moat-2/ I liked seeing this. I believe it is good to remember leaders and important public servants who had the interests of the people at heart.

This year, the traditional holiday lights across the road on Tha Phae Road near Tha Phae Gate have a photo of Queen Mother Sirikit, and lights that almost look like angels (or whatever the Buddhist equivalent might be). This is a striking and beautiful honor to the Queen Mother. I like seeing this, too.

Second, as Christmas and the end of the year grew closer, almost no large-scale decorations seemed to be emerging. In past years, the decorations on the Iron Bridge (Khua Lek) and Nawarat Bridge (Sapphan Nawarat) were either completed or well underway by early-to-mid December. This year — nothing.

Christmas Decorations

Suddenly, two days before Christmas, these appeared in the Tha Phae Gate “triangle” (where the westbound Tha Phae Road meets southbound Kotchasarn Road … or is it Chaiyapoon Road … not sure where the name change occurs).

Tha Phae Gate Memorial to Queen Sirikit

My thinking was that perhaps the initial plan was to have no or a very subdued celebration, and at the last minute it was decided to do more. And then I saw this at Tha Phae Gate square a few days ago, suggesting clearly that the official Chiang Mai Countdown 2026 is going to honor Queen Mother Sirikit.

Nawarat Bridge Memorial to Queen Sirikit

About a week ago, I walked across the Nawarat Bridge and saw construction occuring there, too. The structure is well underway with much left to do. But there is a clear celebratory structure being set up for the end-of-year celebration.

I do not get all the way down to the Nawarat Bridge often, but I did a few hours ago, and the construction of the structure on the bridge is close to complete. Just like at Tha Phae Gate, this is an honor to the Queen Mother. I just love this – it really shows how deeply the Thai people loved the Queen Mother.

And it looks like they are getting everything ready to shoot fireworks from a barge on the river in front of the bridge, just like in years past. I’ll be asleep or close to asleep at midnight; I’m not a late-night party person.

Iron Bridge (Sapphan Khua Lek)

Seeing the decorative structure on the Nawarat Bridge is good and typical. The missing piece of the year-end decorations is the Iron Bridge (Sapphan Khua Lek or just Khua Lek). In the past, the Iron Bridge has been well-decorated. A year ago I made a post the previous and current year’s decorations which can be seen here https://james-intrepid-pilgrim.blog/2024/12/08/iron-bridge-at-night/. This year, the Iron Bridge has only the blue marker lights. I miss the decorations on Khua Lek. Just in case they were left for the last days before the end of the year, I’ll get down there in a day or two and have another look. As of a few days ago, here is the Iron Bridge at night:

Still a striking bridge. There is just something about that bridge that I like. I did include in a post a few years ago a little of the Nawarat Bridge and Iron Bridge history: https://james-intrepid-pilgrim.blog/2022/01/06/flower-market-and-wat-kate-karam-4/ The part about the two bridges is near the end of the post.

Tha Phae Gate and Countdown 2026

I walked by Tha Phae Gate yesterday (Sunday, 28 December 2025) late in the afternoon and found the Chiang Mai Countdown 2026 already underway with a band and singers on the stage and a fairly large crown already assembled. This celebration, in honor of Queen Mother Sirikit, will take place Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, culminating on Wednesday night December 31, 2025.

Countdown at Tha Phae Gate

The Chiang Mai Countdown 2026 started on Sunday, December 27. I walked by on Monday evening to see as many people as on Sunday. The Countdown honoring Queen Mother Sirikit is in full force. First, a couple photos of the “Happy New Year” sign, one with me (I should have asked for landscape mode, but you get the idea — I was really here).

And there is a band with many, many people watching and listening. This band appears to be a Thai version of a Country & Western group. Although billed as the “Poppular Acoustic Band,” they all have microphones, are amplified, and LOUD. The music, while loud, is very good – these are skilled muscians. Just like the jazz I have seen in Thailand, Thai muscians have a passion for their music that shines.

Over near the “Happy New Year” is another memorial to Queen Mother Sirikit. I love how this Countdown celebration is in honor of the beloved Queen Mother.

My intent was to make more, shorter posts … to borrow a line from a favorite movie, “My Cousin Vinny” near the end, “Well, I guess that plan’s moot.”

When I was in Spain on the four Camino de Santiago pilgrimage walks, I posted in my blog every day (!?!). In my defense, there were fewer distractions on those Camino walks, and no massage ladies saying “Handsome man, do you want a massage?” (that was only in Bangkok, the ladies in Chiang Mai only say, “Welcome, Massage?” I am handsome in Bangkok…but apparently not in Chiang Mai.) [And we all know it is my wallet that is handsome to the ladies…but I still love hearing it.]

Nevertheless, my goal is to make more frequent, shorter posts. We’ll see how I do with that.

Next: A Day in the Life…