New Mandala

33 responses so far ↓

• 1 Republican // Nov 10, 2007 at 2:47 pm

  5555555

  That is the spirit!

• 2 hmm // Nov 10, 2007 at 4:10 pm

  why why why not just a nice conservative grey, or dark blue or even a red (although that might have connotations). Next it will be neon green and the sheep will be out in their masses.

• 3 Teth // Nov 10, 2007 at 11:00 pm

  Long Live the King!

  May he live forever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever!

  And may Thailand forever not be an “advanced country” cause everything that goes up must come down. As opposed to something that never goes up.

• 4 serf // Nov 10, 2007 at 11:32 pm

  Couple of links here that sprang to mind, apart from the obvious current one, when I saw your new color scheme:

  http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showpost.php?p=16934&postcount=102
  http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showpost.php?p=16284&postcount=23

  Incidentally! Today I heard some garbled version of events that suggested that pink symbolized the CP as the future monarch. In which case, the two links above are even more apt. Does anyone here have any idea why pink might symbolize the CP?

• 5 Srithanonchai // Nov 10, 2007 at 11:59 pm

  1) Why not grey…. > Because the day following yellow has pink as its color?

  2) As opposed to something that never goes up. > There is always the possibility of Viagra…

• 6 Melly // Nov 11, 2007 at 12:38 am

  What does PINK refer to? Name of famous female singer?
  I know exactly.
  It’s God-given color. But It’s not for free, it’s for sell and very expensive one. It’s a BIG HIT color and will be replaced the yellow one.
  What kind of country I live in?
  Same color. Same thought. No Conflict just love each other.
  STUPID!!! BIG LIAR!!!

• 7 Dog Lover // Nov 11, 2007 at 5:17 am

  I commend the king on his new choice of color. Pink is not in my wardrobe, so I don’t have to throw out any shirts.

  Sometimes I wonder if the king is a practical joker or a canny marketeer. After Thongdaeng shirts and yellow shirts we now have pink shirts. This could be just a practical joke or, as with palace emblem yellow shirts, the palace might be expanding its market in shirts. We know they got a cut on sales of the emblemed yellow shirts as this was reported in the press when there was a crackdown on pirated yellow shirts with royal emblem.

• 8 Tosakan // Nov 11, 2007 at 5:53 am

  Andrew-

  Hilarious.

• 9 Cela suffit! // Nov 11, 2007 at 6:31 am

  I just love this blog!

  Even if it’s sad to see so many Thais again acting like an army of brainless robots in following this idiotic trend, it will bring relief to my eyes getting rid of this aggressive, ugly yellow. It may be just a coincidence that just now there is the Gay Pride Week in Bangkok… (was Bhumibol paying tribute to his homosexual subjects? Maybe he is not as conservative as everyone thinks…)

  Somewhere over the rainbow this country might one day find its dignity again…

• 10 nganadeeleg // Nov 11, 2007 at 9:18 am

  New Mandala’s obsession with colors is becoming tiresome:
  http://rspas.anu.edu.au/rmap/newmandala/2007/07/08/national-jaundice/

  I don’t see anyone forcing people to wear pink, so what’s the big deal this time?

• 11 Somsak Jeamteerasakul // Nov 11, 2007 at 10:19 am

  I don’t see anyone forcing people to wear pink, so what’s the big deal this time?
  What country are you talking about?
  They are certainly “not forcing” anyone to wear pink the way they’re “not forcing” anyone to wear yellow. (Of course, many are wearing yellow of their own free will. But just look at the offices of any government agencies or a great many private sector companies. The sort of “strongly recommended” policy is in place in all these organizations.

  More seriously, I heard, so far, two “explanations” of this ‘pink campaign’, one quite official, the other rumor (but interesting nonetheless).
  The kind of ‘official’ explanation is according to astrology, pink is aupicious for the King’s recovery. His birthday color is yellow of course. But people may (often) has different color for their other occasions (recovery, marraige and so on). So in order to ‘prolong’ his life (for the sake of the country’s stability of course), as many Thai as possible should turn pink.
  The other explanation, or rather rumor, is the pink is the Crown Princess color and there’s going to be a ‘Color War’ between Yellow representing the Throne, or in this case the Crown Prince, and Pink, representing the Crown Princess. Sound.. well, far fetch, doesn’t it? But don’t discount anything yet: this is Thailand.

• 12 nganadeeleg // Nov 11, 2007 at 11:07 am

  I love it - more conspiracy theories.

  Reminds me of Republican lamenting Thaksin’s demise at the same time he was claiming it was all part of his brilliant strategic master plan.

  Although I don’t believe in them, I have no problem with harmless superstitions which are done for a good purpose, such as helping the king’s recovery.
  (Just like I have no problem with people offering prayers for a persons recovery in Western cultures)

  I contrast those ‘good superstitions’ with the Thaksin type of ‘black magic’ done to enhance his personal wealth & power, curse his opponents, or inveigle his followers.

• 13 Lleij Samuel Schwartz // Nov 11, 2007 at 2:36 pm

  re: nganadeeleg:

  I love it. New Mandala comments on the Yellow-shirted masses’ obession with color, and you accuse the New Mandala staff of being “obessed.”

  Let me guess, Sheikh Nganadeeleg, you’re the kind of guy who blames female rape victims for wearing their skirts too short.

  Did it ever occur to you that how certain colors are viewed in a cultural context, especially in relation to a culture’s mode of dress, is an extremely valid subject for anthropological investigation?

• 14 Srithanonchai // Nov 11, 2007 at 2:52 pm

  That’s right, no one is forced. Post Today, on its front page (11 Nov.), printed a huge pic of Prathep and headlined the article:

  สมเด็จพระเทพฯ ทรงฉลองพระองค์สีชมพูทุกวันอังคาร

  ปรากฏการณ์เสื้อชมพู แสดงให้เห็นถึงความจงรักภักดีที่ปวงชนชาวไทยมีต่อพระบาทสมเด็จพระเจ้าอยู่หัวอีกครั้ง หลัง จากได้ทราบข้อเท็จจริงว่า “สีชมพู” นั้นเป็นสีที่จะเสริมดวงพระชะตาของพระบาทสมเด็จพระเจ้าอยู่หัวให้มีพระพลานามัยแข็งแรง และพระชนมพรรษายิ่งยืนนาน

• 15 nganadeeleg // Nov 11, 2007 at 8:21 pm

  Lleij SS: You guessed right - I often agree with Sheik Hilaly.

  New Mandala is obsessed with color obsessions & other generally harmless superstitions, except when it concerns Thaksin’s voodoo - is it because the khmer voodoo is too powerful and off limits?

• 16 Grasshopper // Nov 11, 2007 at 9:46 pm

  Nganadeeleg, I think your obsessed by this color thing given that you are the only one to have mentioned anything about it?

  Also, LSS, why essentialise only Sheiks as obsessed? Why not Rabbi’s, the Dalai Lama, Benedict the XXIIIIIIIth, Dawkins or anyone else that claims a universal truth?

  The majority of this site is white, which in Islam (and many other faiths…) represents birth and the majority of text is in black which represents the destruction of the self! Subsequently, isn’t this ‘colour’ scheme appropriate for a social science blog?! Maybe a new conspiracy theory for you to over analyze, nganadeeleg, could be what is pink is everything in between… -_-

• 17 Teth // Nov 11, 2007 at 10:59 pm

  New Mandala is obsessed with color obsessions & other generally harmless superstitions, except when it concerns Thaksin’s voodoo - is it because the khmer voodoo is too powerful and off limits?

  Here’s the thing, nganadeeleg: Thaksin’s khmer voodoo is his own personal belief, was highly ineffective, and came from the mouth of Sondhi Lim, who is a very very trustworthy source. Contrast the yellow-shirted phenomenon, which is being adorned by millions and millions of people. Surely it is legitimate for a social sciences blog to comment on such a social occurrence?

• 18 nganadeeleg // Nov 11, 2007 at 11:49 pm

  I agree it’s an interesting social phenomenon, and I actually quite like the pink adorning NM.

  I’ve seen plenty of snide comments about yellow t-shirt wearing, Democrat-but-only-when-we-cant-win-an-election-Party, sufficiency democracy advocates etc, but it all sounds a bit one-sided to me - is that what the social sciences is all about?

  Maybe I just don’t understand the social sciences - can one of you please explain to this non-academic just why AW & co only take digs at one side of the Thai political divide, and it’s basically ‘hands off’ the other side?

  The way I see it there is fault on both sides.

• 19 Thailand Weather // Nov 12, 2007 at 12:13 am

  Fan of Pink Floyd? ;-p

• 20 Colonel Jeru // Nov 12, 2007 at 12:49 am

  This is very strange and very disturbing Andrew Walker.

  If I access your website, via google route where I found your latest “New Mandala Pink Perspectives” blog, straight forwardly , I only get as far as your Nov. 9th poster “Network Myanmar”. (are you being blocked from Thailand Andrew????)

  The only way I can reach your latest Nov. 10th “New Mandala goes PINK” poster is via PROXY servers.

  BTW, you all make too much fuss of Thailand’s Yellow or Pink crazes. As crazes go, these things just sort of snowball by itself. I was at lunch Thursday last week having my noodles were I overheard three merchants discussing ‘profit possibilities’ of Pink shirts after seeing HMK in pink suits. Conspiracy my foot!

• 21 serf // Nov 12, 2007 at 1:00 am

  Yellow->Pink->Black

• 22 Nicholas Farrelly // Nov 12, 2007 at 1:03 am

  Dear New Mandala readers,

  Is anyone else in Thailand experiencing the problem highlighted here by the Colonel? Any other reports on current access (difficulties or otherwise) would be much appreciated.

  Best wishes to all,

  Nicholas

• 23 Historicus // Nov 12, 2007 at 3:33 am

  From the press:

  Thailand awash in pink in support of king
  Monarch Recovers
  Reuters
  Published: Saturday, November 10, 2007

  BANGKOK - Thailand’s revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej has unleashed a new colour on his country — baby pink.

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

  “Pink shirt sales jumped 60% today from yesterday after people saw the King in the colour,” a woman selling polo shirts emblazoned with the royal emblem at a Bangkok street market said yesterday.
  King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

  Some caught on sooner than others.

  An aide to Crown Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn told The Matichon newspaper astrologers had advised that the planet Mars, represented by pink, would help strengthen the Thai monarch, 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,” Katevalee Napasap said.

  In Thailand, Mars rules Tuesday, which translates into Thai as day of Mars. Each day is also associated with a colour. For example, 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, a genuinely revered figure in a country that has had 18 coups since it became a constitutional monarchy in 1932.

  Now pink has become the rage in hopes that wearing it will help return the world’s longest-reigning monarch, who will be 80 next month, to full health.

  King Bhumibol, a semi-divine figure whose portrait is hung in every Thai home, was taken to Bangkok’s Siriraj hospital on Oct. 13 for treatment for a blood clot in his brain.

  More than one million people in the largely Buddhist nation signed books wishing him a speedy recovery and many prayed at statues of the King’s parents.

  But pink may have a sting in its tail.

  One fortune teller said Thailand, which is due to hold a general election in December to return the country to civilian rule after the latest army coup last year, could become chaotic if everybody 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,” said Kengkaard Jongjaiprah.

  “If many people wear pink, I am afraid that will strengthen Mars’ influence.”

  The planet in Thai astrology, which is derived from the Hindu cosmology, is associated with conflict and violence. Mr. Kengkaard believes lots of people wearing pink would strengthen its characteristics.

• 24 Andrew Walker // Nov 12, 2007 at 8:58 am

  On Khmer voodoo: I am VERY interested, and in fact took the opportunity to interview a couple of my Cambodian masters students on the issue. They gave me some good background about the use of smoked/mummified babies (don’t try this at home!). I would be VERY happy to host an investigative post about the ways in which Thaksin used khmer voodoo for electoral or financial ends. And if there is evidence that PPP is doing the same then let’s get it out in the open. Please send me the evidence!

• 25 James Haughton // Nov 12, 2007 at 10:23 am

  Re Khmer Voodoo: There’s a classic anthropological rule of thumb (goes back to Victor Turner I think) that subordinate/defeated ethnic groups are always said to have the most powerful sorcery/black magic. Can’t remember his explanation at the moment: I think partly to do with legitimising conquest (by claiming that the conquered are evil), partly to do with the process of symbolic appropriation of power recapitulating the material seizure: The precursor peoples are identified with the forces of nature which can both be appropriated through magical procedures.

  Certainly this seemed to be the case in classical Laos where the Khmu and other (austronesian?) peoples played a symbolicly important ritual subordination role in the Luang Prabang court.

  Does attribution of “Voodoo” to the Khmer, who have been kicked around by the Thais since 1431 IIRC, fit the mold, or are there better explanations? American servicemen attributing “voodoo” to the Khmer Rouge? (since “voodoo” is a quintessentially american craze & should be analytically distinguised from voudon, the syncretic religion of Haiti).

• 26 Colonel Jeru // Nov 12, 2007 at 1:11 pm

  I can not believe it can just be mere coincidence. But it does appear Thaksin Shinawatra could not have soared so high (and accumulated so much) without the help of COOKS! Even Andrew Walker is now absorbed with the study of Khmer voodo and the preternatural powers of the ‘cooked unborn foetus Khmer talisman’ thought to have given powers of invincibility to Thaksin Shinawatra and Newin Chidchob (if it is not good looks or intelligence, what else can you credit for Newin’s political charisma?).

  I will always wonder what else Thaksin Shinawatra could be cooking at any moment . . .

  (still could NOT access PINK NEW MANDALA from Bangkok . . NM posters are frozen at Nov 9th to-date).

• 27 Lleij Samuel Schwartz // Nov 12, 2007 at 4:25 pm

  re: Sheikh Abu Hamaar Nganadeeleg ibn Abd’malik al-Siam

  Greetings in the name of HE, who is most compassionate and municifent,

  You wrote that, “Maybe I just don’t understand the social sciences - can one of you please explain to this non-academic just why AW & co only take digs at one side of the Thai political divide, and it’s basically ‘hands off’ the other side?”

  When Sufficency Economy provides the politically and economically disenfranchised Issan folk with the discretionary income to rush out and buy the newest red polo shirts (or is blue the new red?), then I’m sure the bloggers at New Mandala will be the first to comment on this trend with their usual verve.

  Sincerely,

  Abu Tarikh Usama ibn Warraq al-Amriki

  re: Grasshopper: I reference the good Shiekh Hilaly because his comments were recent, and, thusly, are fresh in the Australian popular imagination.

  I apologize for not putting the obligatory disclaimer that misogynists can be found in all religions and creeds. I hope that my sin of only mentioning it in a Muslim context will be forgiven and that I am not labeled as that wickedest of creatures, the vile Islamophobe.

• 28 jonfernquest // Nov 12, 2007 at 5:11 pm

  Originally I thought the pink had something to do with last week’s gay pride festival in Bangkok, but I guess I was wrong.

  Smoked, mummified babies in premodern Tai warfare are documented in Quaritch Wales book on Southeast Asian warfare (discussing their inclusion in an ancient Thai classic). **Proper incantations and rituals in the dead of night** provide invulnerability, kind of premodern supernatural armour.

• 29 Sidh S. // Nov 12, 2007 at 5:30 pm

  Hehehehe! That’s the spirit of’ sanuk’!
  (I’ll never be caught out wearing pink though - yellow was very hard enough for me and I managed it on two occasions)

  I think we are forgetting that pink is also King Chulalongkorn’s favourite color as well as Chulalongk0rn University’s color and that the occasion where Yellow/Red vies against Pink is at the annual Chula-Thammasat football match.

• 30 Andrew Walker // Nov 13, 2007 at 6:53 am

  Please note - normal non-pinko broadcasting has now been resumed!

• 31 Tip // Nov 14, 2007 at 2:27 am

  Somsak Jeamteerasakul,

  “More seriously, I heard, so far, two “explanations” of this ‘pink campaign’, one quite official, the other rumor (but interesting nonetheless).”

  Does this mean the monarchy is turning into a ‘pop culture’?

• 32 nganadeeleg // Nov 14, 2007 at 9:08 am

  Pink’s out - Green’s in
  http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/11/14/p1news/images/30055992-01.jpg

• 33 Sidh S. // Nov 14, 2007 at 11:50 am

  What! Pink’s out already - the world of sports is just catching on the pink bug:

  http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/photo_galleries/7092569.stm

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