Floral sculptures that had been painted black in Chiang Mai city following the passing of the Queen Mother have been repainted white after an outpouring of public criticism.

The drama erupted on Oct 28 after city workers started applying black paint over the original illuminated, artificial floral art displays erected at various locations for the annual Yi Peng lantern festival, which will take place this year from Nov 4 to 6.

The change was a response to the announcement of national mourning guidelines deemed appropriate for commemorating Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother, who passed away in Bangkok on Oct 24.

Critics on social media said the work was poorly done and made the northern city look ugly, and suggested there were better ways to deal with it.

City officials accepted the criticism and removed the blackened displays from each location before returning them with a new look on Saturday. The white colour was one of the suggestions made by people about how to adjust the displays and still be in keeping with the prevailing mood.

Other decorations for the festival throughout the city have also been changed to a black and white theme.

However, questions persist about the black and white stripes applied to some roadside curbs that used to be red and white. A red and white curb means no parking or stopping in Thailand.

The various adjustments have also led the public to focus on the budget allocation for the festival and ask for more scrutiny of the hired organisers who have remained unchanged for several years.