One Reason for yellow Mondays & happy stray dogs

Only a fool will miss the obvious fact that this nation absolutely adores its longest reigning monarch (apparently also in the world), HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Much has been reported about his image (voluntarily) plastered all over the country and Thais wearing yellow on Mondays (Monday is the day the King was born and yellow is the colour for Monday), clearly to pay tribute to him --- no doubt for his immense contribution to this country.

As an outsider looking in, it's impossible not to admire this influential and well-loved leader. It's fascinating to see how 'real' his relationship is with his people. It's almost like that of a grandfather with a grandchild --- the closest analogy I could think of is that of the fondness devout Roman Catholics have for the late Pope John Paul II.

The King's influence on the Thai people is so far-reaching that I shouldn't have been surprised to find out that one of the reasons stray (native) dogs thrive in this country is because the King is a strong supporter of these 'un-pedigreed' canines. I had mentioned previously how it amazes me to see the chubbiest dogs in this country. And it's quite a common thing to see groups (packs) of stray dogs lazily sprawled on pedestrian lanes with no care at all if you notice them or not. Back in my country, the stray dogs I've seen are not only the most pitiful scraggly creatures one would ever find. You also see this 'praning' (paranoid) expression on their faces as though they were about to be punished (butchered?). I know it's weird but try looking hard at one and you'll see what I mean. But here in the Land of Smiles, you will find the most contented and relaxed stray dogs. They are as unperturbed as their local human counterparts.

What has the King got to do with it?

The King is a dog-lover who promotes caring for the native variety. Testament to the principle of 'mahalin ang sariling-atin' (love your own). He has a dog named, Thong Daeng, who's actually a popular figure in this country owing perhaps to the book the King wrote about this dog. To quote Wikipedia:

"Thong Daeng, a female copper-coloured dog, is one of the pets owned by King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. Bhumibol adopted Thong Daeng in 1998 from the litter of a stray dog that had been taken in by a medical center he had recently dedicated. Her name means "copper" in Thai.

"Bhumibol called her "A common dog who is uncommon," and in 2002 wrote an affectionate biography of her titled "The Story of Thong Daeng". The book is commonly referred to as a parable on many social topics. For instance, the King wrote that "Tongdaeng is a respectful dog with proper manners; she is humble and knows protocol. She would always sit lower than the King; even when he pulls her up to embrace her, Tongdaeng would lower herself down on the floor, her ears in a respectful drooping position, as if she would say, 'I don't dare.'

"All the names of the dogs owned by the King start with the word "Thong" (lit. gold).

"The book instantly sold out in Thailand. Riot-like scenes unfolded in shops as customers wrestled and fought with each other over the last few items. Since demand was so high, the book became an esteemed gift. Shortages of the book had to be kept down by multiple reprints."

Here's a copper-coloured stray dog in Koh Samed who struck the perfect pose to get us to feed him our left-over dinner. At nagpadala naman kami (and we let it get to us)!