Long Live the King!

Thailand loves its King! He's been on the throne for over 60 years, the longest running monarch in history. December 5 was his 80th birthday and Bangkok was all decked out for the occasion. Preparations had started weeks ago and on the actual day, the city was swarming with people who had come in for the day, all dressed in yellow shirts, many which proclaimed "Long Live the King" on them. In Thailand (as in many other Asian cultures) each day is associated with a color. Yellow is the color of Monday, the day the King was born. Pink seemed to be the secondary color used in decorations and shirts, but I'm not sure what the referenced. Interestingly enough (or at least for me), the King was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts while his dad was studying there. Do you suppose he has a US passport? Or do you have to give that up to be king?

The King plays a very important role in Thailand, even though he's not the political ruler. (Thailand has a prime minister who seems to be overthrown in a coup every 3 years or so.) Before every movie in the cinema, they play the Thai national anthem, which everyone stands for. (Luckily I read about this in Lonely Planet before I went so I didn't make any faux pas.) During the anthem the screen shows images of Thailand superimposed with smaller photos of the King throughout his years on the throne. He must be an avid photographer as almost every picture shows him either taking a photo or with a camera around his neck.

The King's birthday was an amazing sight. People everywhere waving flags and all sorts of shows, food and other random events. Such as a tent of dozens of hairdressers cutting people's hair. No idea what that was about! I wandered around for the day and then finally settled down to watch the upcoming parade. Other people had been lining up since 3pm, but the parade didn't start until after 7:30. I got there around 7, not too worried about getting the prime spot. Eventually a few secret service cars (they look the same in every country) drove past followed by a stretch Mercedes with the King and Queen in it. The crowd stood and screamed, waving their Thailand flags like crazy. A few more cars followed with other members of the royal family. Then a few military cars, more secret service cars and then the crowd stood and walked away. That was it? People had waited over 4 hours to get a glimpse of the King? Just a good indication of their intense love for him.

I felt very lucky that I happened to be in Bangkok on that day and that I got to see the city in its preparations. If you're in Asia next year around this time, keep it in mind!