Thailand’s Yellow Ribbon Coup by Nola L. Kelsey

Do not adjust the color on your television. There are no smudges on your screen. What you witnessed on the news was not an illusion. When the Thai Military puts on a coup, they do it with style and panache. It’s true! Their colorful fashion sense may actually be the reason no shots were fired during the uprising?

Only in a Buddhist realm would soldiers roll in for a coup d’état with decorative yellow ribbons tied to their guns. Yellow flowers on lapels and coordinated armbands were all the rave. Is it any wonder so many people love this Kingdom?

Exactly what is the story behind all that yellow? Is it military policy to, “Tie a yellow ribbon round the old AK?” Who decides coup fashion? Oddly enough, respect is the Blackwell of Thai military style. It’s all perfectly simple.

You see in Thailand different colors represent different days of the week. Yellow is for Monday’s and Monday was the day His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej was born on. As such yellow is his royal color. King Bhumibol Adulyadej is a wonderful royal, who is highly revered by the Thai people. All across his kingdom flags and banners glow like sunshine to humor His Highness.

This year Yellow Fever was taken a step further. 2006 marks the sixtieth anniversary of the king’s ascension to the thrown. He’s the world's longest-serving monarch. (Elizabeth is second, but she’s more of a beige gal.) Because of this auspicious anniversary yellow shirts are worn by Thais every Monday as a sign of loyalty and respect for His Majesty.

Yellow polo style shirts with the king’s crest are so popular here; there have been accusations of price gouging and temporary shirt shortages. This left many Thais feeling blue – the queens color. Others were just green with envy.

Picture this scenario. You’re in the grocery store when you suddenly have a pertinent mango question. You turn to look for an employee only to realize its Monday. As you stare across the oscillating sea of yellow shirts you know all is lost. There is no way to tell the staff from the customers.

Yes. Yellow is taken quite seriously in Thailand. It’s definitely this years new black. So when soldiers pulled into Bangkok with yellow adornments on their weaponry there was a message, beyond simply looking dapper. ‘We are here with all respect for our king.

By the time international news crews touched down to cover the blood- red carnage, children were climbing the on tanks, vendors brought ice cream out to the troops, tourists posed beside military equipment and local florists handed out roses to the soldiers – yellow roses. This was the calm before the calm or as one reporter put it, “this is the most relaxed coup I have ever witnessed.” Must be Mellow Yellow?

About The Author

Nola L. Kelsey is the author of Bitch Unleashed: The Harsh Realities of Goin’ Country and coauthor of the scathing political satire Keeping the Masses Down. She is currently wandering SE Asia for two years while she pretends to write her next book. To read more of Kelsey’s work, visit her rarely up-to-date website at: http://www.nolakelsey.com.