Krung Thep, Thailand 12 June 2006

Today commemorates the 60th Anniversary of the ascension of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Rama IX to the Chakri throne. For the past three days Bangkok has been a sea of yellow polo shirts.

Why yellow polo shirts, you ask? In Thailand each of the days of the week is assigned a color. The tradition originated with astrologically-divined battle tunics. Later it was taken up by the court and those who could afford a diverse wardrobe.

This tradition lives on. I could usually tell what day it was at the office by the prevailing color of the staff’s clothes. A surprising number of people still wear the color of the day at work.

Some senior Thai’s know the year and month but not the date of their birthday but they do know the day and the color.

The King was born on Monday, so his color is yellow.

The rest of the colors of the weeks follow:

  • Sunday is colored red for the sun god Phra Arhit.
  • Monday is yellow or cream for the moon god Phra Chan.
  • Tuesday is pink for the Mars god Phra Angkarn.
  • Wednesday is green for the Mercury god Phra Phut.
  • Thursday is orange for the Jupiter god Phra Pareuhat.
  • Friday is sky blue for the Venus god Phra Suk.
  • Saturday is violet for the Saturn god Phra Sao.

The word after Phra is the Thai for the day of the week.

There is also reference to an eighth day addressing eclipses. The sun and moon are divine brothers. The oldest son governs light and the second son rules after dark. It was reasoned there must be a third son who occasionally eclipses his brothers. Phra Rahu, is black with a dark personality. He rules the middle night of Wednesday.

For whatever reason foreigners have never caught up with the name change that took place back in 1782. Bangkok began as a small trading center and port community, called Bang Makok (”place of olive plums”), replacing Ayutthaya, which was the capital of the nation (then known as Siam) until it fell to Burma in 1767. A new capital was then established at Thonburi (now part of Bangkok) on the west side of the river, before King Rama I built his palace on the east bank in 1782 and renamed his city Krung Thep, roughly meaning the “City of Angels”.

The name Bangkok now refers only to an old district on the Thonburi side of the river, but continues to be used to refer to the entire city by most foreigners. Thais will never call their capital city Bangkok unless talking to foreigners who don’t know any different. In fact, some Thais in the more remote provinces may never have even heard of Bangkok.

Krung Thep, or Krung Thep Maha Nakhon is the abbreviation of the city’s full ceremonial name Krung Thep Maha Nakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udom Ratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Phiman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanu Kamprasit , which means “The city of angels, the great city, the eternal jewel city, the impregnable city of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukarn.” Local school children are taught the full name, although few can explain its meaning because many of the words are archaic.

The full name of the city is listed by Guinness Book of Records as the world’s longest place name.

© Copyright Michael Morrissey, All Rights Reserved.

Article by Michael Morrissey is considered one of the new generation of adventure and travel photographers. Based in Bangkok, Thailand with a passion for travel, Michael got hooked on photography while driving a bus from Istanbul to Katmandu in the 70’s; an obsession briefly interrupted with a twenty year career in business. You can view his photography at: www.mjmorrissey.com

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