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Thais don pink to help king regain health

Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej takes pictures of wellwishers as he prepares to leave Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok on Wednesday. The king's pink blazer and shirt have sparked a craze for pink clothing in the kingdom. PHOTO: AFP

King Bhumibol Adulyadej has unleashed a new color on Thailand -- baby pink.

Since he left hospital on Wednesday wearing a pink shirt and pink jacket, Thais have rushed to the stores to buy pink clothes.

"Pink shirt sales jumped 60 percent today from yesterday after people saw the king in the color," a woman selling polo shirts emblazoned with the royal emblem at a street market said yesterday.

The Matichon daily quoted a woman working for Crown Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn as saying astrologers had advised that Mars, represented by pink, would help strengthen King Bhumibol, who spent more than three weeks in hospital.

"Since Her Royal Highness had been aware of the suggestions at the beginning of the year, she started to wear pink every Tuesday," Matichoon quoted Katevalee Napasap as saying.

In Thailand, Mars rules Tuesday, which translates into Thai as day of Mars. Each day is also associated with a color. Monday, the day King Bhumibol was born, is yellow. So Bangkok is awash with people wearing yellow on Mondays to show their support for the king.

Pink has now become the rage in hopes that wearing it will help return the monarch, who will be 80 next month, to full health.

King Bhumibol was taken into Bangkok's Siriraj hospital on Oct. 13 for treatment for a blood clot in his brain.

But pink may have a sting in its tail.

Fortune teller Kengkaard Jongjaiprah said Thailand -- due to hold a general election next month after an army coup last year -- could become chaotic if everyone started wearing pink on the same day.

"We will be under the influence of Mars from next week to February, which will bring conflicts to the country," Kengkaard said. "If many people wear pink, I am afraid that will strengthen Mars' influence."

The planet in Thai astrology is associated with conflict and violence and Kengkaard believes lots of people wearing pink would strengthen its characteristics.

Meanwhile, coup leader General Sonthi Boonyaratglin refused to rule out another putsch yesterday if ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's allies win next month's elections.

Sonthi said it would be acceptable if the People Power Party won the Dec. 23 polls, but not if its victory created turmoil.
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