Thanks to the great contribution of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother, the khon masked dance drama had been given a new lease of life. After having learning that khon was falling into a decline, Her Majesty called for the revival of this performing art and provided sustained assistance. This performing art is now poised to strive and thrive into the future.

An important traditional style of dance and art dating from the Ayutthaya period, khon is Thailand’s remarkable performing art. It combines several artistic fields: classical dance, music, literature, ritual performances, and traditional crafts. This unique performance used to be entertainment for the Thai upper classes going back to antiquity. It draws the story line from the Ramakian, the Thai version of the Indian epic Ramayana.

Her Majesty the Queen Mother expressed her wishes for the preservation of the khon masked drama for fear that this traditional performing art would gradually disappear. In response to Her Majesty’s wishes, the Ministry of Culture launched a project to raise public awareness of the khon art form and to educate the public, particularly young people, through various media channels. More khon performances were also arranged for people in various parts of the country. 

Thanpuying Charungjit Teekara, former Private Secretary to Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, said that Her Majesty would like to see younger performers learn the art of masked drama from the older generation and inherit the national cultural heritage. 

When Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn lamented that no one was watching khon any longer, Her Majesty replied, “If no one wants to watch khon, then I shall.” Her Majesty directed her patronage toward the preservation of khon and also instructed the creation of khon costumes and accessories in accordance with the ancient style, while developing khon performances to be more modern, suitable for the new era and to be more attractive to the public. 

Since 2007, the Foundation for the Promotion of Supplementary Occupations and Related Techniques (SUPPORT Foundation), at the command of Her Majesty, has organized khon performances on a continual basis at the Thailand Cultural Center in Bangkok. The Ramakian episode of “Prommas” premiered in 2007 and the audience was captivated by this performance. The audience members came from all age groups and this was seen as a “new phenomenon” in Thai society.

Her Majesty Queen Sirikit was very pleased to have learned that the khon performances proved successful beyond expectation. To prepare the performance each time is not easy, as it requires training, elaborate costumes and accessories, and other artistic creations, such as masks and backdrops complementary to the story and its setting. Young performers have been selected from colleges of dramatic art and other institutes across the country. Concerning the difficult work to preserve this performing art, Her Majesty said, “My loss is the gain of the land.”

The latest production of khon by the SUPPORT Foundation features the episode "Bali's Unbreakable Oath." The grand performance, continuing the royal legacy of the Queen Mother, is taking place from 6 November to 8 December 2025 at the Main Hall of the Thailand Cultural Center. As it has received an overwhelming response from the audience, an extra show will be arranged on 13 November at 19.00 hr for members of the public. Tickets are now available via Ticketmaster at www.thaiticketmajor.com.