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.

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.