Yesterday was King Bhumibol Adulyadej's 85th Birthday! The King (more commonly known as King Rama IX as he is the 9th reigning king in the Rama dynasty) is actually really loved and respected by the Thai people. Nearly every Thai house will have a picture of the King, and my school has many many images of the King scattered throughout the school. He is revered by the Thai people, and is known for being very active with the people (more so in his younger years.) He was very active in agricultural and land development, and was known to get out of the palace and visit the areas under development, conversing with the people and "working with his hands." He is often portrayed with his binoculars or camera around his neck in the fields surveying the land.
His birthday is a national holiday in Thailand, and also happens to be Father's Day. Every day of the week has a designated color in Thailand, so the day of
the week that you were born is very important. The King was born on a
Monday, so his color is yellow. The whole town is decked out: shops are selling yellow clothing, yellow banners line the streets and every flower stand at the market has been selling yellow flowers. Parades and ceremonies are held for His Royal Highness, often praying for his health and well being.
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