Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Suchart Chomklin and Minister of Culture Sabeeda Thaised presided over a ceremony to hand over fragrant sandalwood for use to create the royal urn for the royal cremation of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother.

The handover ceremony took place on 25 December 2025 at the Office of Traditional Arts, under the Fine Arts Department, in Nakhon Pathom Province. On this occasion, Director-General of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation Athapol Charoenshunsa and Director-General of the Fine Arts Department Phanombut Chantharachot signed a Memorandum of Agreement on the handing over of the sandalwood.

The sandalwood came from 20 fragrant dead-standing sandalwood trees taken from the Kui Buri National Park in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province. A consecration rite had been performed on 6 December 2025 to ask for permission from holy spirits to take the high-quality sandalwood from the national park for the Royal Cremation Ceremony.

A team of experts and volunteers worked attentively in cutting and processing the fragrant sandalwood into 130 logs and 1,000 planks before presenting them to the Fine Arts Department.

Mr. Suchart said that the sandalwood is considered auspicious and possesses all characteristics set by the Office of Traditional Arts. It will be used to build the royal urn and the royal coffin in accordance with the royal tradition, with the highest honor accorded to the “Mother of the Land.”  

Ms. Sabeeda said that personnel of the Fine Arts Department and craftsmen in various fields would create elegant, detailed designs before carving the fragrant sandalwood. The sandalwood royal urn will be elaborately built, showcasing Thailand’s magnificent artistic creations.

Fragrant sandalwood is rare in nature, and it has been used in royal cremation ceremonies since the Ayutthaya period. It is a symbol of the highest merit and it is believed that fragrant sandalwood will lead royal remains to a peaceful and sacred place.