Happy Father's Day!

December 5 is the King of Thailand's birthday. At 82, the King is the world's longest reigning monarch and he is greatly loved and respected by the people of Thailand. While I certainly don't understand all the intricacies of Thai politics, I've learned that it is this deep reverence for the King that keeps some level of peace in an otherwise politically volatile nation. He is so beloved that before every movie shown in the theater, there is a several-minute-long video dedicated to him, during which everyone stands in respect. I have to say that I almost teared up a little bit when I watched the video because it included moving scenes of the King throughout his reign - greeting people, crying when he witnessed a disaster, as a young man with his wife. Those video editors know how to pull on people's heart strings!

Because the King is viewed as the father of all Thai people, Father's Day is recognized in conjunction with his birthday. So Happy Father's Day to all of you fathers! My dad told me he was going to milk this for all it's worth from my siblings...but we'll see how that actually goes. (Dad, if you were here, I'd take you out for noodles and a ride on the BTS skytrain - la la la.)

There are always photos and tributes to His Majesty on display throughout Bangkok, but in the weeks leading up to his birthday and Father's Day, they seemed to pop up everywhere!

Outside of my apartment building.

At a park near my language school.

Every coin and paper baht (Thai currency) feature the King's image.

And I even think I saw the King running in the park the past two weekends...okay, so that's not true because the King was in the hospital, but the runner could have been his twin! :)

I hope you all have a chance to wish a dad a Happy Father's Day today! And if for some reason you eat a piece of birthday cake in the next few days, think of the King and then say a prayer for the people of Thailand. 

And because I miss my own father, here's my slightly-less-impressive, but equally-heartfelt, version of a monument in a park: