Royal T-shirts Selling Like Hot Cakes

[george]

Royal T-shirts selling like hot cakes

Yellow T-shirts featuring the Royal Ceremonial Emblem to commemorate the 60th anniversary of His Majesty the King's accession to the throne are in short supply in many provinces in the build-up to the main celebration period.

The government has invited people to wear the yellow T-shirt every day until June 15 and every Monday throughout the year to express their loyalty to the King on the occasion of his accession to the throne.

But with demand so high, the T-shirt producers have had to work against time.

State authorities, state enterprises and several private companies have also asked their employees to wear the T-shirts every Monday or Friday.

At the booths selling souvenirs of royal projects in the Grand Exhibition to mark the 60th anniversary at Muang Thong Thani, the T-shirts have been the best sellers. Many people had to queue for hours to get the T-shirts.

A seller said most buyers purchased two or three shirts.

"Almost 10,000 T-shirts were sold out within half a day," she said. A T-shirt with a collar costs Bt300, while the standard T-shirt costs Bt200.

Many tailor shops across the country that asked for permission from The Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary to produce the T-shirt with the King's 60th anniversary emblem have also run out of stock.

In Bangkok, many people crowded Klong Thom Market to buy the T-shirts, which were sold for Bt159.

Some places were taking advantage of the demand by charging more for the T-shirts, causing people to buy ordinary yellow T-shirts and stitch on the commemorative badge themselves.

In Chiang Mai, local people flocked to Varorot and Ton Lamyai markets to try and find the T-shirt for Friday when the royal ceremony to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the King's accession to the throne will start.

Rungtiwa Tapangphom, 24, a local resident said the price of normal yellow T-shirts without the 60th anniversary symbol had been hiked from Bt99 to about Bt300, while those with the symbol went from Bt199-Bt250 to as high as Bt399. The sellers claimed it was because the T-shirts were in short supply, she said.

"The sellers shouldn't take advantage of this situation as all Thais want yellow T-shirts to express loyalty to our King," she said.

A T-shirt seller in Kalasin, Piyathat Weeranoppanan, said sales of the T-shirt had hit 1,000 a day since the beginning of June. About 50 shops in the central district of Kalasin were selling the 60th anniversary T-shirts.

In Phayao, many shops had run out of stock and were trying to get more from Bangkok.

The manager of Champ shop in Nakhon Ratchasima said the shop had to supply up to 3,000 T-shirts a day to state authorities and private companies in the provinces. The shop had sold about 100,000 T-shirts so far.

The Royal Emblem depicts the Royal Cipher of HM the King in golden yellow colour, the colour of HM's day of birth, and encircled by diamonds. The Royal Cipher is placed on the Noble Throne of Bhadrapith and surmounted by the Great Crown of Victory and Insignia.

Below, on the pink ribbon is written in gold an inscription beneath the platform, which reads "The Sixtieth Anniversary Celebrations of His Majesty the King's Accession to the Throne BE 2549 (AD 2006)"

Meanwhile, caretaker Government Spokesman Surapong Suebwonglee said 3.2 million people had visited the Grand Exhibition held at Impact, Muang Thong Thani. The government expected up to six million visitors throughout the 17 days of the event, which ends on Sunday.

--The Nation 2006-06-05

[Jai Dee]

Vendors in Kalasin show yellow T-shirts featuring the royal emblem and the words ‘We love the King’.

Source: The Nation 2006-06-05

[jdinasia]

Just sent 4 shirts back to the States ... since i moved here my sis has befriended some Thai folks and asked for something