Thai brands begin emerging from mourning mode

THAILAND - As Thailand observes the end of the 30-day mourning day period for the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej today, sporting activities are set to resume this week and the government has given the green light for regular broadcasting to return to TV stations. 

However, a check by Campaign Asia-Pacific shows that a large number of brands are still retaining their black-and-white home pages as of this morning. Others, including Thai Airways and popular retail stores Siam Paragon and EmQuartier, have switched back to colour, but have also kept a banner display commemorating the late monarch.

Adisak Amonchat, managing director of Isobar Thailand, said although newspapers are running regular ads today, brands are still keeping their black-and-white logos.

"In terms of content, brands are back to communicating with consumers, because life has to go on," Adisak told Campaign. "But many brands are likely to postpone their campaigns until next year depending on the national sentiment." 

With the king's birthday falling on December 5, Adisak said the public mourning sentiment is still strong, and more commemorative activities are expected in the run up to the event.

"It is difficult to say for sure when the situation will get back to normal," he said. "It depends on the brands when they are going to resume with their regular campaigns. Most likely it will be early next year."