Bangs and Booms in Bangkok: Celebrating the Queen’s Birthday in Style

August 12^th is one of the most celebrated ‘double dates’ in Thailand – not only does the 12^th mark the Queen Sirikit’s Birthday, but it also is Mother’s Day since the Queen is considered to be the Mother of the Thai Nation...

Since the first national celebration in 1976, celebrations for the Queen (and every other mother) have been held every year.  Normal mother’s day (not Queen Mother day), is a relatively quiet affair involving sons/daughters giving alms to monks to express their love and gratitude towards their mother and presenting their mother with white jasmine flowers.    

For the Queen, on the other hand, a few weeks before the 12^th, Thai people begin to decorate their houses and hometowns with national flags and portraits of the Queen to thank her for her good acts towards the poor and her dedication to preserve Thai culture and handicraft and to show their loyalty to her.  Then, on the 12^th in Bangkok, government officials, royal army, students and teachers take part in a procession, of course with musical accompaniment, down Ratchadamnoen Avenue (aka Stray office road) to the king’s palace.  At the palace they go on to present flowers to the Queen’s representative and play her a special song, ‘Mother of Kingdom,’ to wish her luck and long life.  In the evening, candles are lit in the Queen’s garden by government officials in order to pay respect to her and, again, wish her long life and fireworks are set off.  The Queen’s cake must almost be considered a fire hazard since she was born in 1932…

They certainly seem to love the Queen in Thailand!  And to think in the USA we chuck the celebration of every past and present president onto one day (which I don’t think is actually the date of any of their birthdays…).

Photo 1: Lighting it up over Soi Rambuttri; Photo 2: Parading near the Stray office; In the words of Captain Jack Sparrow to William Turner in Pirates of the Caribbean, “nice hat.”