Red White and Blue

One of the many things I admire in the Thai people is their patriotism. Almost every home or shop you enter, displays a picture of the King and other members of the royal family. I remember from my mission that this picture was sometimes the only form of decoration that poorer families had. For me, coming from a place where a national leader can be chosen by a mandate of only 34% (of the 60% who actually vote), seeing and hearing how universally loved the King is, was just as new and unfamiliar as the food.

There is mandatory military service for 21 year old Thai men, and the National Anthem plays over all broadcast media and government public adress systems every morning at 8AM and again every night at 6PM. I have many memories of standing in train stations or public squares while the anthem played, wishing that we did the same thing back home. On one of our evenings in Chiang Mai, our family was fortunate to witness this phenomenon when the entire length of the Saturday Walking Street market, with its thousands of shoppers and stalls, came to a complete stand still and near silence (save for a few disrespectful tourists) as the Anthem played.

The Thai flag with its red representing the blood of the people, white for the purity of their religion, and blue signifying the royalty of their monarchy, can be seen everywhere. Flags fly from traffic lights at intersections, outside home and shops, and are even attached to taxis and other vehicles. Witnessing the Thais' pride and love for their country is every bit as unique and exciting an experience as seeing an elephant in the wild. I hope that as a family, we can take this example home with us and be better citizens where we live.

- C