Mr Fernquest is no expert on “what we do in villages” I’m sure, for I have been to a few villages lately, and the response is not uniformly to treat these enforced “gifts” as treasures. Many see them as threats. If you don’t put them up you get into trouble. I know that in the NE, villagers going to any government meeting are “encouraged” to wear yellow. I was told by one villager that a good way to get out of silly government meetings was to show up in any colour other than yellow.
I must say that when I see a foreigner in yellow I find myself thinking they must be a bit silly. But then again, I know that many local foreign employees are also “encouraged” to be in yellow.
During the anniversary celebrations last year the yellow shirst were also delivered free to the bars in Soi Cowboy. One of the bar owners went further and had his dancers in little yellow skirts and tops, both see-through. That kind of loyalty is hard to top!
“I haven’t noticed Jatukam amulets worn much with yellow shirts, maybe there’s some incompatibility or difference in the people who wear these fashion++ items?”- NO difference- both are getting conned.
The water pump in our BKK home broke the other day. We ordered a new machine from a distributer, and received along with it a bonus gift in the form a yellow shirt with Mitsubishi Motors lettering and insignia stitched in on the left side of the chest.
Don’t go out much on Mondays, but am just wondering, are people generally wearing shirts with the old or new insignia (celebrating which current auspicious royal benchmark i forget now)?
“It keeps social order” > Which surely is the most important thing, and ordering things in this way is the only possible method. Otherwise, chaos would ensure. That’s the nice thing with this military coup — it also “keeps social order,” right? Well, well…
Andrew, sorry for not continuing the discussion for such a long time. Yes, we all seem also to agree that ethnicity cannot serve as an overarching framework for “understanding” the region (which is in itself quite an ambitious goal); but I find it difficult to find such another overarching approach -probably this should be a conglomerate of different approaches: socio-economic, political, cultural, etc. If you force me to I may come up with something more specific, but, what is your idea?
“In short, this act gives very considerable powers to the army chief. It makes him in many ways more powerful than the prime minister, and not really answerable to anyone. A state above the state.”
As Jon Ungpakorn put it: “It is a dangerous bill. It is similar to a permanent declaration of martial law throughout the country.” (Bangkok Post, July 9, 2007)
IMHO If he encourages people to be entrepreneurs, it’s really a moot point what he calls himself….as long as he doesn’t go into politics…then all his secret untransparent deeds should be attached in a transcript to his jacket with a big “I am a Billionaire Ex-Civil Servant” badge displayed prominently for all to see.
There are a lot of variations on yellow shirts. There are some subtle light shades that are really nice. Then there is the color on the edge, orange, or light blue which I like. The Royal insignia, there are differences there too. I haven’t noticed Jatukam amulets worn much with yellow shirts, maybe there’s some incompatibility or difference in the people who wear these fashion++ items? IMHO Yellow shirts are nice, but being forced to wear them isn’t. I wear mine at home and at friend’s houses.
“In the village, these people also delivered 60th anniversary photos for each house and ordered that they be displayed.”
That’s just what they do in villages (and have always done). We display the flag and have all sorts of Royal Stuff on our family altar and whether it was an order or not is irrelevant, mother treats these gifts as if they were an order. I don’t see what is bad about this. It keeps social order and I think if you really didn’t want to do it, they wouldn’t make you do it. (You could always experiment and see what happens) I never wore the Phayao blue shirt that the university requested you wear on Fridays, because they made me itch. I was a real rebel, not.
Chiang Mai isn’t crazy about yellow shirts as in Bangkok. However, the other week I was sipping latte at my local favorite–Wawee, suddenly I looked up and saw a yellow shirt. To my surprise, it was the barista! And the shirt had Wawee logo embroidered! The other staff were still wearing their usual brown shirt though. Let’s hope this wasn’t going to be a new staff uniform.
Earlier this year, Thongchai Winichakul was wearing yellow shirt (under the jacket) to his keynote speech at the 6th annual conference at the Sirindhorn Anthropology Center. Half way through he took the shirt off, and threw it on the floor. I wasn’t there, but found the transcript on Prachatai:
What are you up to these days Andrew Walker? I leave New Mandala a few weeks and each return I find your latest subject matter even more jejune than previous.
Has Thaksin Shinawatra started reducing his stipends to his courtiers again? Now that is what I call \’insufficiency reward\’, eh Andrew?
The teachers at my husband’s Thai class asked him why he was no wearing yellow the other day. To which the response was a firm “I’m not Thai”. This didn’t much seem to phase the tutor, it seems now even Farangs are supposed to be coming out in their royal colours….I prefer black
Hi, I had been to the SG few time. It is a more like a big shopping Mall. It is amazing how the country had developed. Maybe Lee Kuan did a good job in building the country.
It is obvious that the people in SG are quite backward even though their country had paced in development – ppl in their are total aliens to the human race, lack of humor, do not know how to continue a decent communication … more like robots pre-programmed, compared to the japanese, which i found more social.
It is noticeable that the middle class are not very much satisfied, the cab drivers often are dissatisfied and talk about unable to cope up with the high prices and taxes.
Overall i think SG is a good place to do business, no the best place to have fun.
[…] Mandala has taken a long-term interest in Thailand’s royalist yellow fever. In one of our earliest posts (from 20 June last year) Nich Farrelly highlighted the phenomenon and asked: I┬ do wonder what […]
As far as I can recall, Sirivat kept hold on a good bit of real estate too after the crash. I don’t think He’s the real poor man he makes himself out to be.
Thanks for a good article, However I would like to accept this article under the condition of major revision i.e. borderline.
To my idea, I think that you did not do much research on Thai Politics in this article. If I am not wrong, I saw you referred to only a Chris Baker’s book.
May I recommend some other works? Probably you could turn this article to be publishable in some respectable journals.
Especially, I recommend you to read
– Duncan mcCargo, Pacific Review, “Network monarchy and legitimacy crises in Thailand”, Volume 18, Number 4, December 2005
2. Kevin Hewison, Professor, Asian Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
3. The King Never Smiles by Paul Handley. (This book is very popular among Thai abroad people)
The international press really is boring and lazy. I’m so sick of these nonsense reports on this guy and his sandwiches. But I did click through the link to the web page. What is to be made of his logo? It is yellow, but it is a balloon with a baht sign on it. Seems like material for the cultural studies people.
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National jaundice
Mr Fernquest is no expert on “what we do in villages” I’m sure, for I have been to a few villages lately, and the response is not uniformly to treat these enforced “gifts” as treasures. Many see them as threats. If you don’t put them up you get into trouble. I know that in the NE, villagers going to any government meeting are “encouraged” to wear yellow. I was told by one villager that a good way to get out of silly government meetings was to show up in any colour other than yellow.
I must say that when I see a foreigner in yellow I find myself thinking they must be a bit silly. But then again, I know that many local foreign employees are also “encouraged” to be in yellow.
During the anniversary celebrations last year the yellow shirst were also delivered free to the bars in Soi Cowboy. One of the bar owners went further and had his dancers in little yellow skirts and tops, both see-through. That kind of loyalty is hard to top!
National jaundice
“I haven’t noticed Jatukam amulets worn much with yellow shirts, maybe there’s some incompatibility or difference in the people who wear these fashion++ items?”- NO difference- both are getting conned.
National jaundice
The water pump in our BKK home broke the other day. We ordered a new machine from a distributer, and received along with it a bonus gift in the form a yellow shirt with Mitsubishi Motors lettering and insignia stitched in on the left side of the chest.
Don’t go out much on Mondays, but am just wondering, are people generally wearing shirts with the old or new insignia (celebrating which current auspicious royal benchmark i forget now)?
National jaundice
“It keeps social order” > Which surely is the most important thing, and ordering things in this way is the only possible method. Otherwise, chaos would ensure. That’s the nice thing with this military coup — it also “keeps social order,” right? Well, well…
Rethinking Sipsongpanna
Andrew, sorry for not continuing the discussion for such a long time. Yes, we all seem also to agree that ethnicity cannot serve as an overarching framework for “understanding” the region (which is in itself quite an ambitious goal); but I find it difficult to find such another overarching approach -probably this should be a conglomerate of different approaches: socio-economic, political, cultural, etc. If you force me to I may come up with something more specific, but, what is your idea?
“No warrant, and no reporting”
Sounds ominous:
“In short, this act gives very considerable powers to the army chief. It makes him in many ways more powerful than the prime minister, and not really answerable to anyone. A state above the state.”
“To understand this legislation, it helps to know the background….”
http://www.geocities.com/changnoi2/security.htm
National jaundice
Vichai N,
You are a sick man.
“No warrant, and no reporting”
As Jon Ungpakorn put it: “It is a dangerous bill. It is similar to a permanent declaration of martial law throughout the country.” (Bangkok Post, July 9, 2007)
Sirivat’s sufficiency sandwich success
IMHO If he encourages people to be entrepreneurs, it’s really a moot point what he calls himself….as long as he doesn’t go into politics…then all his secret untransparent deeds should be attached in a transcript to his jacket with a big “I am a Billionaire Ex-Civil Servant” badge displayed prominently for all to see.
National jaundice
There are a lot of variations on yellow shirts. There are some subtle light shades that are really nice. Then there is the color on the edge, orange, or light blue which I like. The Royal insignia, there are differences there too. I haven’t noticed Jatukam amulets worn much with yellow shirts, maybe there’s some incompatibility or difference in the people who wear these fashion++ items? IMHO Yellow shirts are nice, but being forced to wear them isn’t. I wear mine at home and at friend’s houses.
“In the village, these people also delivered 60th anniversary photos for each house and ordered that they be displayed.”
That’s just what they do in villages (and have always done). We display the flag and have all sorts of Royal Stuff on our family altar and whether it was an order or not is irrelevant, mother treats these gifts as if they were an order. I don’t see what is bad about this. It keeps social order and I think if you really didn’t want to do it, they wouldn’t make you do it. (You could always experiment and see what happens) I never wore the Phayao blue shirt that the university requested you wear on Fridays, because they made me itch. I was a real rebel, not.
National jaundice
I think Vichai provides an experience with virtual royal yellow!
National jaundice
Chiang Mai isn’t crazy about yellow shirts as in Bangkok. However, the other week I was sipping latte at my local favorite–Wawee, suddenly I looked up and saw a yellow shirt. To my surprise, it was the barista! And the shirt had Wawee logo embroidered! The other staff were still wearing their usual brown shirt though. Let’s hope this wasn’t going to be a new staff uniform.
Earlier this year, Thongchai Winichakul was wearing yellow shirt (under the jacket) to his keynote speech at the 6th annual conference at the Sirindhorn Anthropology Center. Half way through he took the shirt off, and threw it on the floor. I wasn’t there, but found the transcript on Prachatai:
http://www.prachatai.com/05web/th/home/page2.php?mod=mod_ptcms&ContentID=7752&SystemModuleKey=HilightNews&System_Session_Language=Thai
National jaundice
What are you up to these days Andrew Walker? I leave New Mandala a few weeks and each return I find your latest subject matter even more jejune than previous.
Has Thaksin Shinawatra started reducing his stipends to his courtiers again? Now that is what I call \’insufficiency reward\’, eh Andrew?
National jaundice
The teachers at my husband’s Thai class asked him why he was no wearing yellow the other day. To which the response was a firm “I’m not Thai”. This didn’t much seem to phase the tutor, it seems now even Farangs are supposed to be coming out in their royal colours….I prefer black
“Lee Kuan Yew – ANU is not for you!”
Hi, I had been to the SG few time. It is a more like a big shopping Mall. It is amazing how the country had developed. Maybe Lee Kuan did a good job in building the country.
It is obvious that the people in SG are quite backward even though their country had paced in development – ppl in their are total aliens to the human race, lack of humor, do not know how to continue a decent communication … more like robots pre-programmed, compared to the japanese, which i found more social.
It is noticeable that the middle class are not very much satisfied, the cab drivers often are dissatisfied and talk about unable to cope up with the high prices and taxes.
Overall i think SG is a good place to do business, no the best place to have fun.
Yellow Fever
[…] Mandala has taken a long-term interest in Thailand’s royalist yellow fever. In one of our earliest posts (from 20 June last year) Nich Farrelly highlighted the phenomenon and asked: I┬ do wonder what […]
Selling City out?
Thanks, PD. I will look those up.
Sirivat’s sufficiency sandwich success
As far as I can recall, Sirivat kept hold on a good bit of real estate too after the crash. I don’t think He’s the real poor man he makes himself out to be.
Selling City out?
Thanks for a good article, However I would like to accept this article under the condition of major revision i.e. borderline.
To my idea, I think that you did not do much research on Thai Politics in this article. If I am not wrong, I saw you referred to only a Chris Baker’s book.
May I recommend some other works? Probably you could turn this article to be publishable in some respectable journals.
Here
1. Duncan McCargo, University of Leeds
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/thaipol/duncan.htm
(So he may be a Leed United fan :P)
Especially, I recommend you to read
– Duncan mcCargo, Pacific Review, “Network monarchy and legitimacy crises in Thailand”, Volume 18, Number 4, December 2005
2. Kevin Hewison, Professor, Asian Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
3. The King Never Smiles by Paul Handley. (This book is very popular among Thai abroad people)
4. http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php
Sirivat’s sufficiency sandwich success
The international press really is boring and lazy. I’m so sick of these nonsense reports on this guy and his sandwiches. But I did click through the link to the web page. What is to be made of his logo? It is yellow, but it is a balloon with a baht sign on it. Seems like material for the cultural studies people.