Thailand in Pink

This is interesting. Three months ago I posted about Thai Police Officers forced to wear Hello Kitty armbands to shame them from committing petty crimes like littering. This month the country is swarming the malls to buy pink shirts. Women, children, and men are swimming in pink to honour their King, Bhumibol Adulyadej, who recently emerged (Wednesday, November 7) from the hospital wearing a pink blazer, shirt and tie. Apparently this was somewhat confusing to the Thai solar calendar, pink is associated with Tuesday. Normally Thais wear yellow to honor the King, the day of Monday, on which he was born. Pink, however, can be assocated with the english expression, "In the Pink," meaning, in good health.

Perhaps as the shame of Hello Kitty is to feminize naughty cops; pink apparently doesn't carry a feminizing stigma for men. I suppose if Thai prison walls are painted pink it's for a whole other reason than in North America.

Good Health to you.