My TGF has a Rama 5 necklace. She often 'Wais' to it when putting it on, taking it off, and also asks him for help on some matters, and generally treats it with great respect.

Now I can understand her admiration for a past king, but she acts as though he is a deity or god.

So why should King Rama 5 be so important. And why would she not choose to wear a Buddha image?

I would ask her but she's not here and it's good to get some different opinions.

I wonder if you know who King Rama 5 was? But I guess you might already know so I will skip the history bit .

I am Thai and also got a pic of King Rama 5 at home in Uk. I sometime wai him if I go in front of his pic. He was the greatest king of all the kings in Thailand that why he had the name of Maharaj (=the Great) at the end of his name.

Do you realise that a lot of amulets are not images of buddha? They are images of highly respectable monks, some are still alive and some are not. So I guess as the king was so highly respected and we always view our kings as some form of Gods. So I think he is more like a God to us.

Ps. I like watching Eastender

In truth this adulation of RamaV is a quite recent phenomena.

I dozens of pictures taken in Thai houses in the early 1970s a theme in many is the family pictures on the walks. There are pictures of family, pictures of the Buddha, occasional monks but very very few royal photos.

In truth this adulation of RamaV is a quite recent phenomena.

I dozens of pictures taken in Thai houses in the early 1970s a theme in many is the family pictures on the walks. There are pictures of family, pictures of the Buddha, occasional monks but very very few royal photos.

My TGF has a Rama 5 necklace. She often 'Wais' to it when putting it on, taking it off, and also asks him for help on some matters, and generally treats it with great respect.

Now I can understand her admiration for a past king, but she acts as though he is a deity or god.

So why should King Rama 5 be so important. And why would she not choose to wear a Buddha image?

I would ask her but she's not here and it's good to get some different opinions.

If you wear a Buddha amulate around your neck, whenever you take it off or put it on you have to place it between your palms and wai, any king of Thailand is considerd as a direct link to Buddha anyway so that is quite an obvious thing to do.

Do you know much about Thai culture?

Cheers Mango

Thanks for the answers.

I realised that Rama 5 was considered a great King, but I didn't really realize the King - Buddha link.

Mango, I guess I don't know much about Thai culture, but with the help of you and others I'm learning. I found it interesting when I learnt from friends that in temples they were paying respect to a particular past monk, and not to Buddha himself, (is that correct).

And I hate Eastenders, I don't even have a TV.

My favorite photo in my house is of RamaV sitting on an old porch in his paakama, stirfrying something. So simple, and so human.

My sense is that his 'down-homeness' in these kinds of photographs is one of the things that Thais love him for. Impressed me, too

By the way, in Thailand this month on the 23 is the King Rama 5 day (Chulalongkorn Day). It s a national public holiday.

An educated Thai girl explained that "Ramahah" enacted a law that freed the populace from the feudal system in which they'd been forced to live; "no more peasant/slaves. All Thai people free". That's why the Thais hold him in such high regard.

By the way, in Thailand this month on the 23 is the King Rama 5 day (Chulalongkorn Day). It s a national public holiday.

I am sitting with a Thai teacher and she says you are wrong about dates of Chulalongkorn Day. This year it is 23 October...and Monday 25 will be the Public Holiday.

'~'

By the way, in Thailand this month on the 23 is the King Rama 5 day (Chulalongkorn Day). It s a national public holiday.

I am sitting with a Thai teacher and she says you are wrong about dates of Chulalongkorn Day. This year it is 23 October...and Monday 25 will be the Public Holiday.

'~'

Check the date of the OP GerryAsia

By the way, in Thailand this month on the 23 is the King Rama 5 day (Chulalongkorn Day). It s a national public holiday.

I am sitting with a Thai teacher and she says you are wrong about dates of Chulalongkorn Day. This year it is 23 October...and Monday 25 will be the Public Holiday.

'~'

how did you dig that out after 5 and half years?

I wonder if she still watches Eastenders?

The Rama V cult started in the late 80s / early 90s mainly by the middle classes, businessmen and entreprenuers in Bangkok according to a Thai historian who wrote about the new craze at the time.

Interesting fact . . . a lot of gogo bars have Rama V shrines / photos as bar girls admire him as he provided financially for his many consorts and educated their sons. ( So maybe some of his good nature will rub off on the guys coming into said establishments.)

Sorry, have to close this one.

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