Thai MP blasted for wearing pink to mourning Parliament session
Party issues public apology and defends MP after viral photo sparks fury
A Thai MP sparked public outrage after arriving at Parliament in a pink outfit during a mourning session, prompting a party apology and clarification.
The incident occurred during a House of Representatives meeting yesterday, October 29, when all attending MPs were expected to wear black as a mark of mourning. Photos later emerged showing Somsak Boonprachom, MP for Ubon Ratchathani from the Thai Ruam Palang Party, wearing bright pink traditional attire while entering the chamber.
The uproar prompted the party to issue a public apology on its official Facebook page, clarifying the circumstances and reaffirming loyalty to the monarchy, religion, and the nation.
“On behalf of the Thai Ruam Phalang Party, I apologise for any inconvenience caused by the appearance of images of the members of the House of Representatives’ attire. I reaffirm my loyalty to the nation, religion, and reverence for the monarchy.”
The party explained that Somsak had just returned from an official field visit to the Thai-Cambodian border, where he had been inspecting infrastructure projects with military personnel. Dressed for that engagement in pink silk, he boarded a Thai Airways flight expected to arrive in Bangkok before 10am, but it was delayed, landing at 11.10am. He reached Parliament at 12.15pm, after the official mourning moment had already taken place.
Due to a coordination error, his mourning-appropriate attire failed to reach him in time. Upon arrival, he entered the chamber briefly in pink to cast a critical vote, as the session was at risk of collapsing due to low attendance. He later changed into formal mourning wear and remained in Parliament until the session ended, according to Amarin TV.
The party strongly denied any intent to disrespect the Queen Mother or breach protocol. It criticised media outlets for misrepresenting the situation, calling it a distortion of the facts and warning that legal action could be taken against any continued dissemination of “false information.”
The legal team urged all media to uphold journalistic integrity and ensure accurate reporting moving forward, adding that they remain ready to defend the party’s reputation in court if necessary.
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