This Car is Blue

Well, it's not actually blue. In fact, it's gold, but spiritually, it's definitely blue.

On the top-right hand corner of the tailgate it says, "rot can nee see nam ngeun" or "this car is blue". I have seen this type of thing for years and finally got a picture of it along with an explanation.

Colors hold a special significance in Thailand. Depending on which day you were born, you will have a special color. For example, the King of Thailand was born on a Monday and the color of Monday is yellow. So, to honor him Thais (almost all or over 90%) will wear yellow shirts on Mondays.

Quite often when someone is going to purchase a new car, house or something expensive they will consult a fortune teller as to what color the purchase should be to bring the best luck. Unfortunately, there are times when the lucky color is not a color you like or is not the color of the car or house that may have been given to you. Imagine getting a nice red corvette on your 16th birthday only to find out that your lucky color is pink! Do you not accept the car or pay to have it painted? Not in Thailand - writing on the car (in a position discreet, yet visible) that the car is your lucky color is a completely acceptable solution.

Initially, I added this to my (long) list of things that I will never understand about Thailand. However, after some thought, the Thais may not be so far off. I mean, Thais obviously don't believe that by saying the car is blue that it magically becomes blue.

The best example that comes to mind is a tattoo. A man gets a tattoo of a tiger on his arm or a Superman "S" on his chest. He nor anyone else would believe that this makes him a lion or Superman, but it would be assumed that this represents some aspect of his character. Similarly, for this Thai driver, he may be driving a car that it is gold, but with a "verbal-tattoo", if you will, on his tailgate, he can reassure himself and express to all others driving too close behind that his truck possesses the good fortune of the lucky color blue.