Diary: The Colours Of The Thai Society

By Mohd Haikal Mohd Isa Mohd Haikal Mohd Isa, Bernama's correspondent in Bangkok shares his take on the Thailand capital city and its unique social narrative. BANGKOK, Oct 20 (Bernama) -- Once the red shirts and the yellow shirts overwhelmed Bangkok, but now the black shirts dominate much of the country. Thais are mourning the demise of their revered king, his majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who passed away at the age of 88 at Siriraj Hospital here last Thursday. His majesty had reigned over seven decades and he is the only king that most Thais of today know of. Due to their deep reverence for their beloved king, his passing plunged Thailand into mourning and grief. Hence, there seems to be a monochrome view everywhere as Thais turned to black, and to a lesser extent white or muted-coloured clothing to mourn the late king. Those who wear other colours will get an uncomfortable glance from the locals, as they are seen as a disrespect for the feelings of locals and the late king. So if you are in Thailand right now, wearing nothing but black is the right thing to do. Failing to pay respect to the monarchy in Thailand is a big "No, No" as the country imposes strict lese majeste laws. Several Thai social media users who posted royal insults following the demise of the king not only bore the brunt of the law but also the wrath of fellow citizens. Hence, it is no surprise that there is a run for black apparel with many Thais lamenting on the difficulty of finding black shirts, blouse, skirts and pants and etc as many shops had run out of stock. For those who managed to find them, they have to contend with the skyrocketing prices with a simple black T-shirt now selling for more than 300 Baht (US$8), from a mere 80 Baht (US$2) just weeks ago. Due to the unprecedented demand, street vendors selling black clothing have been popping up everywhere. The Thai government had to step in to rein in the profiteers with Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak warning unscrupulous traders of the serious consequences if they were found overcharging customers. Commerce Minister Apiradi requested traders not to cheat the public while the Finance Ministry would allocate a budget of 400 million Baht (US$11.95 million) to subsidise the production of black T-shirts for 8 million low-income earners throughout Thailand. Garment manufacturers have also given firm assurances that more black apparels will be available to satisfy demand. However, black is not the only colour of significance for the highly-superstitious Thais. The Thais are in fact colourful people, as it is customary for them to wear different colours on different days. Each colour has its own virtues. Thais wear red on Sunday, yellow on Monday, pink on Tuesday, green on Wednesday, orange on Thursday, light blue on Friday and purple on Saturday. This practice of wearing certain colour on certain days is being fast forgotten by the younger generation Thais, but the older generation hold steadfast to this custom. For those who have been observing the final days of King Bhumibol, they would have also noted the thousands of pink-clad Thais congregating at the hospital grounds. Pink is a colour that represented good health that the Thais were praying for their king. Yellow is a colour long associated with the royalty, and wearing yellow indicate one's loyalty to the Thai monarchy. Yellow is also the colour donned by the People's Alliance for Democracy supporters who protested against former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his allies. In 2008, the Yellow Shirts were involved in violent protests and the occupation of key government buildings. The Yellow Shirts were countered by the pro Thaksin Red Shirts. The Red Shirts too turned aggressive in shoring up support for Thaksin and his allies. Now, both the Red Shirts and Yellow Shirts probably have buried their hatchet and opted for the black shirt as a mark of respect for the late king. In a nutshell colours have always been central to the Thais, be it at the royal court, at the political front, or even right at home. -- BERNAMA