 A vendor shows off a green T-shirt bearing His Majesty the King's 80th birthday insignia at the Siriraj Hospital pier. Demand for green shirts shot up after the King was seen wearing a green jacket when he went to visit his elder sister, Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana, at the hospital on Tuesday. Pink and yellow shirts are also still in high demand. |
Somying Puangjinda, 26, a retailer at Pran Nok pier close to the hospital, said many people were already asking for green polo shirts bearing the royal insignia after they saw His Majesty in a green jacket on television and in newspapers.
''I received at least 30 orders in the morning. By late afternoon, I picked up two sample green shirts from Bo Bae market and wore one as a sales promotion. I sold the other one immediately for 250 baht,'' said Ms Somying.
The first lot of 50 green polo shirts arrived at her stall by late evening and she managed to sell 10 in just 20 minutes.
But the demand for green shirts might be too sudden for manufacturers as the country had gone pink only last week, she said.
The King wore pink when he was discharged from Siriraj Hospital on Nov 7. People immediately began wearing the summery pink, alternating it with the yellow shirts they have been wearing for the last year.
''The yellow, pink and green trends are all because of people's loyalty to the King,'' she said.
''If he wears orange, I will also have to put orange shirts on my stall. That's a way to express our love of the King.''
Pink is thought to be auspicious and green can help bring success for a person born on a Monday.
His Majesty was born on a Monday.
''Some manufacturers seemed to be caught off guard by the green trend, as the pink ones are not yet sold out. I don't think they should be concerned as the demand for both pink and green shirts is on the increase,'' said Ms Somying.
Sunisa Rungsomsap, 23, another vendor, said she had sold more than 1,000 pink polo shirts since last week.
She bought short-sleeved shirts for 220 baht and sold each for 250 baht.
The long-sleeved ones were a little more expensive at 300 baht.
Ms Sunisa is also offering photos of the King in pink with his camera in his hand as part of the deal for her customers.
The Royal Household Bureau said yesterday that Princess Galyani had a fever but was alert.
The 84-year-old Princess had a small appetite and her blood pressure was normal, it said. She has been in Siriraj since mid-June for treatment for abdominal cancer.
Physicians have been treating her with antibiotics and physiotherapy, and feeding her intravenously.
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