Posts by claudio:
Colors in Thailand…and why they matter
Do you ever contemplate in the morning what to wear for the day? This question is answered more easily in Thailand than other countries. Especially when it comes to color choice.
Colors in Thailand matter. At least for part of the Buddhist population. In Thai (and Khmer) tradition, each day of the week is assigned a specific color. This is the reason, you see many people wearing yellow on Mondays, pink on Tuesdays, and so on. The chart below lists the colors considered lucky and unlucky on specific days of the week.
| Day | Lucky Color | Unlucky Color |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday | red | blue |
| Monday | yellow | red |
| Tuesday | pink | yellow and white |
| Wednesday (day) | green | pink |
| Wednesday (night) | grey | orange-red |
| Thursday | orange | purple |
| Friday | light blue | black and dark blue |
| Saturday | purple | green |
The specific color of each day depends on an astrological rule (influenced by Hindu mythology) and is based on the color of the God who protects the day.
| Day | Celestial Body | Hindu God * |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday | Sun | Surya |
| Monday | Moon | Chandra |
| Tuesday | Mars | Mangala |
| Wednesday (day) | Mercury | Budha |
| Wednesday (night) | – | Rahu |
| Thursday | Jupiter | Brihaspati |
| Friday | Venus | Shukra |
| Saturday | Saturn | Shani |
* Click on each Hindu God for more details
Dressing in the color of the day has somewhat lost its importance in modern Thailand. People still know all of these colors by heart and consider the color of the day they were born their lucky color.
None of these colors seem more important than yellow, which is the color of H.M. King Bhumibol, who was born on December 5th, which was a Monday.
As a teacher, try wearing yellow on Mondays, pink on Tuesdays, and light blue on Fridays. You will demonstrate your understanding of this particular aspect of Thai culture and therefore gain a certain level of respect from your Thai peers. Some schools even require all teachers to wear yellow during the first week of December to pay respect to the King.
Text Chat Activities – Book Review
If you have been teaching for a while, you most likely have come across student material that is quite outdated. They often list technology, movie, and song references from days long past. They are boring and almost guaranteed to fail in getting the attention of your students. So when I came across Text Chat Activities: […]
Are Native English Speakers Really Better Teachers?
It is a long running debate. I actually find the question not very useful because the answer is: it depends. Isn’t it also important that a teacher has in-dept knowledge of the language, the skills to teach, is passionate, and makes an effort to prepare a good lesson, regardless of their mother tongue? However, as long as there is a strong […]
Makha Bucha Day – Honoring Buddha’s Teachings
In the Thai language Makha (Pali: Māgha) means the Third Lunar Month. Bucha (Pali: Pūjā) means “to honor”. Makha Bucha (Thai: มาฆบูชา) day honors the teachings of Buddha on the evening of the full moon of the third lunar month. Activities on Makha Bucha Day Visiting a temple to make merit, listening to monks preaching, and giving […]
How to Look for a Job as English Teacher in Thailand
At many schools in Thailand, the academic year is already over and you may be looking for a job at a new school. There are many reasons to do so: perhaps your current agency didn’t get the contract renewed, perhaps you want to move to a different area in the country, perhaps you are looking for […]
How Good is a TEFL Course with Guaranteed Job?
There is much competition amongst TEFL course providers. To attract participants, many of the courses are held in stunning settings. Courses on the islands in the South of Thailand or in the beautiful North are in high demand. With good reason. These are also top tourist destinations and will make your time off from the course seem […]