Some portraits of the King have been removed in some areas, possibly because of the need for redecoration as the government has instructed the public how to decorate the King’s portraits properly according to tradition, he said.

Black and white ribbons need to be attached to the portraits, according to the instruction. People who have taken down the portraits should quickly put them up again, he added.

Sansern said the government had not issued any order to put up portraits of His Majesty in public areas either. But as this was the time for mourning his passing, it was proper to put portraits up to mourn him and show respect, so the public was encouraged to do so, the spokesman added.

Portraits of the King should show His Majesty in his full royal costume, he said.

“The prime minister is serious about this and has instructed us strictly to get it clear about the issue,” said Sansern. “[He realises] this is critical, as it can hurt people’s feelings.”

Regarding the national flag, it can be flown to show respect to the King during celebrations, so it would be more proper to remove flags for the time being.

The spokesman urged the public to stop spreading rumours to help to avoid further confusion. He said if members of the public had any doubts, they could call the government’s 1111 hotline for clarification.