The grey Volkswagen Caravelle, a vehicle renowned for its modesty and previously used to escort King Bhumibol’s remains in 2016, was chosen for the solemn journey to the Grand Palace.
A subtle but profound detail emerged during the solemn procession of the Royal Remains of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother on Sunday, as the Royal Family chose a vehicle of immense historical significance for the final transfer to the Grand Palace.
At 4:26 PM on 26 October 2025, the motorcade carrying the Royal Remains departed the Bhumisiri Mangkhalanusorn Building at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, passing crowds of bowing mourners along the route.
The final Royal Vehicle used to escort the Royal Remains was a Volkswagen Caravelle T4 model from 2001.
The grey van, marked with a blue stripe and bearing the licence plate 1D-0929, is known by the nickname “James Bond.”
It is equipped with a 6-cylinder petrol engine producing 204 horsepower.
Crucially, this same Volkswagen Caravelle was regularly used by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great (Rama IX) for his daily duties.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.nationthailand.com ’
