THAILAND
Every year, Thais celebrate King Bhumibol Adulyadej's birthday, also Thailand's Father's Day, by gathering in massive crowds in Bangkok, waving flags, and wearing the royal color of yellow (yellow symbolizes Monday, the day of the king's birth). The monarch typically pardons political prisoners and occasionally offers remarks. This past year, he called for national unity.
The king's birthday isn't the only occasion in which Thais have shown support for their sovereign, believed by some to be semi-divine, through fashion choices. In 2007, the world's longest reigning living monarch emerged from a three-week stay at a hospital in Bangkok wearing a pink shirt and blazer. Within a day, sales of pink shirt had jumped 60 percent as Thais rushed to stores in the hopes of improving the aging king's health.
Paula Bronstein/Getty Images
SUBJECTS:
