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Journalism of Courage
As a mark of respect for the Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej who died on Thursday, Facebook has opted to block all its advertisements in the entire country for an undetermined length of time. The social network said the move is in observance of a “cultural custom” as the nation mourns the late Thai King, Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died Thursday at the age of 88.
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“Thailand is in a period of mourning due to the death of the King and removal of ads is a cultural custom,” a spokesperson wrote to advertisers in a blog post.
“We don’t yet know the duration of the mourning period. We’ll keep you posted of any additional details as they become available,” he said.
A funeral for Adulyadej — who was the world’s longest-reigning monarch — drew thousands of grieving citizens in the Thai capital of Bangkok on Friday.
National media broadcasts went black as his body underwent a traditional bathing ceremony.
As part of his remembrance, many Thai citizens are wearing only dark colors this week, and several websites and television stations have gone completely black-and-white. Monochrome footage of the widely revered leader’s life has dominated the airwaves.
