A Sea of Yellow for the King
All decked in yellow. I remembered from my last visit that this was going to be a year of celebration for the King of Thailand. I didn’t expect the magnitude of what I found on last week.
Everywhere one looked on Friday, the Thai people were paying respect for their King by wearing yellow – most with Thai writing: “I love the King.” In a celebration in Bangkok on Friday, hundreds of thousands of Thai people waited in the heat for hours to get a glimpse of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. It was an incredible tribute with dignitaries from around the world, including several other monarchs.
King Bhumibol Adulyadej is the longest serving monarch in the world. Thailand is is commerating that feat on the 60th anniversary of his ascension to the throne with a year long celebration. I arrived for the big first day of celebration. I even had to go to Bangkok Saturday night just to get near the airport for my flight out on Sunday. Otherwise, there were so many roads to be closed on Sunday for other celebrations, we didn’t think I would ever get to the airport from the factory, had I waited.
More impressive is the devotion of the people to the King. Admiration is easily apparent by everyone, and it is truly genuine. There is no doubt about their love for the man. He has been a favorite of all people, particularly in the rural areas. And though he is officially limited in power by the democracy, he has remained a significant force in the affairs of the country. Over his tenure he has been instrumental in assuring the rights of the poor and has admonished anyone who may have threatened the balance of the country’s democracy.
I read many an article in the newspaper Friday lauding the King. It was amazing to read news reports so glamorous in admonition for an authority. It echoed the people and their views so apparent by their wearing of yellow shirts and wristbands “I love the King.”
See BBC article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/5062534.stm
posted by A Bryson (formerly) in China @ 11:30 AM
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