National Pride

Thailand has such a sense of National Pride - much greater than anything we have in America!

Monday's - Today is Monday and I was sitting at the hospital waiting to see the Dr. I noticed how many people were wearing yellow shirts. Here in Thailand, every day of the week has a specific color assigned to it. Whatever day of the week you are born on is your color. Monday is the color yellow, and the day of the week the King was born. It's not just a few....but many, many people....if you look out at a crowd of people it would almost look like a sea of yellow. Not quite but close. Even my friend's helper here at her house has her yellow shirt on. And usually it's a special shirt, one with the Kings emblem or I saw one today that said, Long Live the King.

National Anthem - Last night we were just beginning our time at the Sunday night market when suddenly the national anthem started playing out of loud speakers. Every night at 6 pm all across the country the anthem is played and people stop whatever they are doing and wait. All of the market stopped, we were buying some food, they waited to give my friend change until the song finished. Can you imagine this in the US? Even in the big supermarkets, people will stop...everywhere. It's pretty amazing.

Movies - I haven't made it to the movies yet this visit to Thailand. But, going to the movies is always an experience. At the beginning of the movie, everyone stands and they play the King's song (I think it is this and not the anthem) and show photos of the king from the beginning of his reign (over 60 years ago) until recent.

The people here LOVE their king and are very proud to be Thai.

P.S. I forgot one....Every night at 8 pm they do a 10 min. segment on every news station showing what the Royal did that day. Can you imagine...every day??