Happy Birthday King Bhumibol Adulyadej!

 December 5, 2011

 

The King. King Bhumibol Adulyadej (known as Rama IV or his full Thai name, Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramintharamaha Bhumibol Adulyadej Mahitalathibet Ramathibodi Chakkrinaruebodin Sayamminthrathirat Borommanatbophit) is longest reigning monarch in Thai history, ruling for almost 65 years. He was actually born in Cambridge, Massachusetts and is an American citizen (a feature unique to a typical Thai monarch). He was studying in Switzerland until he was summoned to take the throne in 1946. More recently, he has encountered some severe health issues and has been in the hospital for the last couple years. I heard he was still able to make an appearance from the hospital for this day.

Zip Your Lips. In America, we are used to freedom of speech. Talking blatantly and negatively about the government, economy, and the mishaps of celebrities gone awry is normal and sometimes second-nature. But this liberty doesn’t go across all borders.  Lese-majesty is a law that prevents the royalty from being criticized and humiliated by the public by jailing citizens who give the royal family (past or present) a bad image. Thailand is known for having some of the harshest and strictest lese-majesty laws. Because of the severe punishments and long prison sentences that are bestowed on these rule breakers, I can’t really talk anymore about the king. But I’ll talk about the events that surrounded his birthday.

The king seems to be dearly loved by his people. There were people everywhere, celebrating the day of his birth –his 85^th birthday. There were so many people trying to get to Central Bangkok that it took almost three hours to get there by bus. And this district is only 15 kilometers away! Despite the intensely crowded and energy draining bus ride, it was exciting to see the amount of loyalty and rejoice Thai citizens have for their king. All of Bangkok was lit up with festive lights, fireworks, and sky lanterns for his day.

The Giant Swing. We visited the Bangkok’s Giant Swing (or Sao Ching Cha), a Brahmin structure used for early ceremonies like the Swinging Festival. Though not a dominant religion, Brahmanism used to have a strong presence in Thai culture. After getting approval to spread the religion from a Thai king, a Brahmin man created several Brahmin temples and structures like the Giant Swing. Soon after, people would annually celebrate the season’s rice harvest with the Swinging Festival. Some of the festivals activities included men using their teeth to grab the hanging bag of silver coins as they swing and a balance test in which a high official stands on one foot during the entire event in order to avoid being stripped and chased down the street. When visiting, we did not attempt any of these strange and hazardous games. Actually, these annual ceremonies were stopped in the early 1900s due to the great amount of deaths that continued to occur. So we couldn’t do it anyways. The swing is very large though. I took a picture for perspective and I look tiny in comparison. It stands 30 meters tall. That’s a far drop. No wonder people died.

Light Up The Sky. Colorful paper lanterns are let out into the night sky as a celebratory exhibition during festivals and celebrations in Asian countries. Just like hot air balloons, when these sky lanterns are lit from the inside, it gracefully flies into the sky—lighting up the night just like millions of illuminating fireflies. While walking around, we kept on seeing all these little dots of light in the sky. After realizing that they were Thailand’s distinguished sky lanterns, we followed the path of lanterns to its origin. There were hundreds of people on the street and on the grass, lighting lanterns in celebration of the King. The lanterns were pink and white colored and had the Thai inscription ‘Long Live the King’. I tried my hand at lighting and lifting a sky lantern. It was pretty exciting especially when some lanterns would perilously get stuck in trees or would go haywire and start spewing hot wax while floating above the crowd. Nevertheless, it was an experience.

 The Grand Palace. The Grand Palace is an assortment of meticulously designed buildings with pinnacle shaped gilded roofs, diamond-like mirror encrusted temple walls, and weathered but colorful murals. The palace was constructed in the beginning of the Chakri Dynasty by King Rama I after he moved the kingdom across the river. King Rama I adored the former Ayutthaya Kingdom. Thus, he attempted to replicate many of its buildings and temples when developing his new kingdom of Ratthanakosin (now known as Bangkok). The Grand Palace is one of these replications. Many Thai kings have resided in this complex. The current royal family actually doesn’t live here though. They live in another palace.

While walking around and sipping on fresh coconut juice, we noticed that the Grand Palace seemed to be open. This is not usual since it is actually very expensive to visit the Grand Palace. A twelve dollar admission price is very pricey in Thailand. Maybe it’s not too much for Americans or other Westerners, which is why they hike up the price. Locals usually get in for free on many days throughout the year. Monks visit for free of course. However, since it was the king’s birthday, the palace was open to all visitors for free. Lucky, lucky.

Warning: Shady characters always try to deter you from going into the palace. They will tell you that the palace is closed that day or that the palace is only open for locals. You usually have to ignore what they say since they are trying to scare you, confuse you, or try to get you to go somewhere else. Many of these people are working for a company or someone else that pays them commission if they are able to get you to go to another store or tourist attraction.

I saw the palace at night so with the lights spotlighting the complex, each building gleamed at every angle as if it were covered in diamonds. It was epic. Just, epic. Additionally, being inside a structure that several royal families have been in is really unbelievable if you think about it.  

The Emerald Buddha. This Buddha figurine has been stolen or taken back several times by several Southeast Asian countries. King Rama I took it back from a kingdom in Laos before creating a home for it in Bangkok. Despite its name, the Emerald Buddha is actually not made out of emerald. The body of the figurine is made out of green jade and its imperial wear made out of gold. It is actually rather tiny. Or at least it looks very small since we were only allowed to look at the Buddha from afar.

Foot Fetish Anyone? Never point your feet towards a Thai person or a religious entity. It is one of the most disrespectful acts you can bestow on a Thai person. Feet are considered the lowest part of your body, both physically and symbolically. So to move something, point to something, or touch anyone with your feet is an inconsiderate and rude deed and should be avoided at all costs. I’m guessing that Thai people might not have kinky foot fetishes then. As a rule of thumb, your feet should just stay on the ground. I knew this cultural rule before coming to Thailand. But since it’s not a taboo in American culture, it’s easy to lose conscious control of your limbs and where you place them sometimes. When attempting to take a picture of the Emerald Buddha, I tried to adjust my location by sitting up on a ledge. When doing so, I accidentally pointed my feet towards the temple and was immediately condemned and punished. Actually, that’s a lie. I just felt bad for being unaware of my surroundings. My friend Bobby quickly reminded me and I moved my feet right away before anyone became offended.

The Royal Park. Sanam Luang is a large park in the middle of Bangkok. The area used to be used for royal cremations until this ceremonial act was displaced outside city walls. Many festivals take place in this park, including the King’s birthday celebration. When walking through the park, thousands of people were gathered all over the park region. Some sitting and enjoying a picnic like setting and many tossing up colorful lighted toys in the air. Others gathered around the stage, watching the musical entertainment for the night. Some were walking around with friends and some were playing games and festivities in some of the game booths surrounding the park. 

The King's Anthem. At one point, Bobby and I noticed that no one was moving. We looked all around us and everyone was facing all in one direction, towards the stage. Then, we noticed the music. It was the King’s anthem. We were the only people walking around out of the crowd. Whenever the king’s song is played in public places, you are required to stop in your tracks and acknowledge the song’s presence. Even foreigners are required to do this. Some people have even gotten in trouble with the law when not standing still and quiet during the song. The song is even played before the start of every movie in the theaters. You also stand up from your seats and wait for the song to end before sitting back down. We didn’t recognize the song in the park though. And of course, it’s the two foreigners who ended up disobeying the anthem code. Although little embarrassed, we stood still for the song’s duration.

Non-English speaking English Song Singer? It’s funny how some people can’t speak a lick of English but when it comes to singing Western type songs, they know the language fluently. It makes you wonder if they even know what they are singing about. I feel like I’ve met a lot of these types of people out here. Western music is a global phenomenon. Many people, at least more than you would think, know certain Western singers and their songs word for word. After a long day roaming town, we found a somewhat relaxing restaurant to eat. As entertainment, this phenomenal Thai man was fluently singing some fluent Bob Marley and Jason Mraz songs, without a hint of an accent. So strange.  It was a nice end to the night.

My future co-worker, Sarah!