Friday May 12, 2006

A royal affair for all Thais

TALE OF TWO CITIES: BANGKOK
By Foo Yee Ping

THAIS are wearing it with great pride. It is almost like a badge of honour for them.

The yellow wristband inscribed with the words “Long Live The King” is a common sight now on the wrists of many Thais as the kingdom prepares to celebrate the 60th anniversary of King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s accession to the throne next month.

“Ironically, the colour yellow is also used by Sondhi Limthongkul (the man who started the protests against Thaksin Shinawatra) as his signature colour during his battle against Thailand’s No,1 CEO,” Thai journalist M. Chim said.

Locals are understandably beaming with pride at the 60th anniversary as their beloved king is the longest reigning monarch in the world.

Kings and queens from throughout the world have been invited to mark the grand occasion which includes a gala dinner on June 13.

With so many blue-blood rulers arriving in Thailand for the celebrations, caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Kreangam has promised that stringent security measures would be in place.

There will be a Royal Barge procession on June 12, an event which is guaranteed to be steeped in tradition and splendour.

Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn and Princess Srirasmi (left, in blue) with their son who celebrated his first birthday on April 29. With them is Princess Siriwan Warinarirat (in white and pink), a sister of the birthday boy.

A full dress rehearsal held on May 3 indicated that the procession would be a sure-hit with the locals and visitors to Thailand.

One news report said that holy water from five sacred rivers in India had been brought in for the king.

The overall celebration is steeped with traditional practices and customs which makes the occasion so compelling. For example, the first “white” elephant granted royal status during the King’s reign will be getting a new costume soon.

The Nation reported that all “white” elephants found in Thailand must be presented to the king and become his sole ownership.

“White elephants are regarded as auspicious. The more a monarch acquires during a reign, the more prosperous and happy his kingdom will be,” according to The Nation.

When such an elephant is discovered, the Royal Household Bureau will scrutinise the animal’s hair, tail, eyes, toenails, genitals and its other features before deciding whether it has the complete characteristics of a special noble beast based on the ancient textbook Gaja-Laksana.

Upon confirmation of its “white” status, the beast will be elevated as a royal elephant and will then begin a life of pomp and grandeur befitting its position.

A full dress rehearsal of the Royal Barge procession on May 2 in Bangkok, in preparation for the main event to be held on June 12.

Other programmes in the line-up include an exhibition, a military procession and an opera performance by Andrea Bocelli.

So, one thing is for sure if you intend to visit Thailand next month: you won’t be bored.

In March, the Thai government conducted a successful search for the identity of several people captured in five photographs with the king decades ago.

One of the images was deeply moving, showing a little boy kneeling at the feet of the King and respectfully giving him a wai.

The hunt for that small boy ended last month with the authorities discovering that the boy is now a 36-year-old man.

Just recently, another major chapter took place in the Thai royal household. Prince Teepangkorn Rasmichoti, the King’s grandson, celebrated his first birthday.

The boy’s parents, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn and Princess Srirasmi, held a merit-making ceremony on that day.

They released 21 birds, 21 turtles and 21 fish into the Chao Phraya River. This is reportedly a Buddhist tradition.

Princess Srirasmi is a graceful and demure woman who married the 54-year-old heir to the throne five years ago.

The 35-year-old princess wrote in a Thai magazine recently that her little prince was growing up so fast that “almost all of a sudden, he is one-year-old.”

As for her husband the Crown Prince, she said: “He also gives love and understanding, which is very important to me.”

And the royal family remains a subject of fascination and reverence to the rest of the Thais.