Today is Fathers Day in Thailand. So a big thumbs up to all you sugar daddies out there. It is also, by some amazing coincidence, HRM King Bhumibol’s birthday. Which works out well since he’s considered to be the Father of the Nation. Even if he wasn’t born in Thailand. By birth, the King is an American citizen; his father – Prince Mahidol – was studying at Harvard when Bhumibol was born. And more than likely conceived. Which just goes to show you it really does mater which college you attend. Had the good prince attended Yale instead, his son may have well qualified for acceptance into the Skull and Bones Society, partied with American royalty like the Bushes, and then grown up to become president instead of just a mere king.

King Bhumibol was also born on a Monday. And as we all know, Monday’s lucky color is yellow. In the past, particularly on Fathers Day, it was common for Thais to wear yellow in honor of their king. Until a few years ago when Monday’s color was co-opted by a political group whose marketing department decided yellow would show they were on the side of the king. Regardless of the amount of problems the havoc they caused brought to his doorstep. Having become a political statement instead of a filial one, yellow lost its popularity. At least among the nonpolitical. No problemo. In 2007, King Bhumibol was seen leaving the hospital wearing a baby pink blazer. So today, Thais wear pink instead of yellow. Especially today. So if you are in Thailand, expect to see lots of pink being worn today. And don’t expect that to mean gay rights just took a giant leap forward in the kingdom. Locally, purple is considered the queerest color, not pink.

You can also expect to receive a grand gift from your boy special. Along with a receipt for reimbursement no doubt. Unlike the King’s birthday – which is in its 86th year of celebration – Fathers Day is a relatively new tradition in Thailand; it gained nationwide popularity in the 1980s as part of a campaign by Prime Minister Tinsulanonda to promote Thailand’s royal family. But Thais love any gift getting celebration and they quickly embraced Fathers Day as a chance to score some largesse. And since there’s a damn good chance your boy special is a father, you should have a gift for him today too. Along with the cash to reimburse him for whatever he got you. It’ll be good practice for you for Christmas. And New Years. All three of them.

There’s also a good chance – like 93% – that your boy’s official birthday falls during this week too. You’d think that the beginning of March is a randy time in Thailand from all the birthdays being celebrate the first week of December, but it’s really nothing more than another form of wearing a yellow, or pink, shirt. Regardless, that’s another gift you’d better go buy. And that, for the Thai in your life, is something to celebrate.

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