Final rehearsals for the big parade
Dec 5th is a very important day in Thailand. It is the day on which this nation celebrates the birthday of its beloved king. As well as being a public holiday, it is a time of national celebration. We flew on the morning of the 5th from Bangkok to Chiang Rai. Travelling to the airport we saw many banners and posters marking the special day, and many of the people were wearing yellow or pink, the adopted colours of the king.
In Chiang Rai the observance of this occasion was even stronger than in Bangkok. A major parade passed through the city in the early evening, and earlier in the day we slipped into the town’s school grounds to observe the final rehearsals. As the parade passed through the city later every person stopped whatever they were doing as the young band members and servicemen passed through.
Marching with passion
It was striking to see the reverence with which the king is held. Like the queen in Britain he is carefully to remain distinctly separate from the political machinery of the state, and has remained very popular through all of Thailand’s recent political troubles. Yes, there are some draconian sanctions for those who dare to criticise him or disrespect him, and I would be naïve to assume that he is universally popular. However I have visited a number of countries where repression has meant that people are afraid to discuss the state and its leaders, and I did not feel that in any way here.
The party is in full swing!
There is a genuine respect and admiration for the way he has led the country, even among those who may not be ardent royalists. He is considered a man of the people, a title that carries power wherever it is given. For us it was a bonus to be in Thailand on such an auspicious day and enjoy the fervour with which the people celebrated.
One time when we were in Bangkok way back in 2000, we say the King go by in a motorcade. We didn’t even know what was happening and didn’t know much about him then, but there was a lot of security and our taxi driver told us that the king was driving by. We didn’t see anything but his car, but we still thought that it was pretty cool.
Thailand does love their king. Have you ever gone to a movie there? They have a montage of him at the beginning of each film and everyone stands to watch. At least that is what they did in 2005. I wonder if it is still the same?