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Thailand gears up to embrace King Rama X
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The National Legislative Assembly meeting is held at parliament in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016. Thailand's parliament on Tuesday invited Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn to be the new king, completing a formal step for the heir apparent to take the throne following the death of his father last month. (AP/-)
T
hais are preparing for the historic moment of the accession of King Rama X to the Throne with suppliers stocking up on portraits, T-shirts, flags and other symbolic souvenirs in anticipation of high demand.
National Legislative Assembly (NLA) President Pornpetch Wichitcholchai said he was waiting for a royal audience with Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn so that he could offer an invitation for the Heir to ascend the Throne.
Many school representatives from the provinces also headed to the capital Wednesday to buy portraits of the Crown Prince as well as flags with the Crown Prince’s emblem. They are preparing decorations to celebrate the new King’s succession. It is a tradition in Thai households, private offices and government agencies to display portraits of the monarch.
“I’ve come here [Bangkok] to buy a portrait of HRH the Crown Prince to be placed in my school as a gesture of welcome to the new monarch,” said Chaikit Wutthivaree, 34, an employee of Panjawittaya Technical Training School in Pathum Thani province. He bought and transported an 80-centimeter by 120cm royal portrait back to the school by “tuk-tuk”.
Dozens of shops located near Wat Bowonniwet Vihara Temple, which have sold royal photographs and flags with royal emblems for decades, are selling increasing numbers of pictures of the Crown Prince.
However, photo wholesellers are still waiting for an official announcement of the new King’s emblem and the unveiling of the official portrait. Once that is known, manufacturing volumes will be increased to meet expected demand.
“Right now, we just sell the Crown Prince’s file photographs available in printing houses. We are monitoring news and updates closely regarding the official portrait and the new King’s emblem,” said Kanyanee Bawornbenjaphan, 60, an owner of a well-known royal photograph and flag shop.
The price of the Crown Prince’s portraits range from Bt30 (80 US cents) to Bt9,000, depending on the size and quality.
Meanwhile, Bangkok’s schools and state organizations are waiting for an official announcement from the government before decorating their buildings to welcome the new King.
“We are getting prepared and are waiting for the Education Ministry’s instructions regarding the decoration to welcome the new King,” said Tossaporn Sangtitanu, the newly appointed director of Wat Saket School, a boys-only secondary school in Bangkok.
“It’s our honor to praise our new King. As we are Thais, we do love and revere the new monarch and the royal institution,” he said.
According to a source at the Education Ministry, the ministry and other government bodies are waiting for an announcement and orders from the Office of the Permanent Secretary of the PM’s Office regarding proper welcoming practices.
Besides photographs and flags, clothes with logos and messages to welcome the new King are also being stocked to meet the expected high demand.
“We have prepared thousands of white and yellow T-shirts,” said Anona Visaraton, the owner of a popular T-shirt wholeseller at Bo Bae market whose customers are mostly retailers in the provinces.
The owner said on Tuesday that when the NLA acknowledged the accession of the Crown Prince to the Throne, more than 5,000 white T-shirts were ordered following rumors that the government had called on all people to dress in white or grey.
The owner said that although Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam later denied the rumor, the demand for white and yellow – the colors symbolizing the Crown Prince’s birthday – T-shirts was growing.
