Thailand experiencing shortage of black dye for dead king

Late++King+Bhumibol+Adulyadej%2C+who+passed+away+on+Oct.+13.%0A%0ASource%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fwww.telegraph.co.uk%2F

Late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who passed away on Oct. 13. Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

After Thailand’s king, Bhumibol Adulyadej, passed on October 13 at the age 88, retailers have been selling out of black clothing across the country.

The beloved king had ruled for 7 decades, taking the throne shortly after World War II, making him one of the longest reigning monarchs. During his reign, the King became a symbol of unity between the republican and democratic citizens of the nation.

Thailand is currently experiencing a surge of public grief after the tragedy, allowing for a rise in demand for black clothing. Similar to the United States, black is a color of mourning in Thailand. The government requested the public to wear black and white, as a symbol of purity, for the next month and government officials to wear black for the next year.

Dying stations have appeared all over the country to allow people to dye their clothes black for free because many retailers have either sold out of black clothes or spiked their prices.

Additionally, as of Monday, the finance secretary has allowed for about eight million black shirts to be given out at no cost to those registered as low income.

Despite the government requests, deputy prime minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said feelings of grief can come from the heart and not be shown by what color they are wearing — black, white, or neither.