พระเจ้าอยู่หัว

For those interested in the relationship between national culture and “local” expressions of identity, here is an interesting image from Muang Hai in southern China. This young girl (whose family are the proud owners of an 800 year old tea tree) wore her family heirlooms as she served a delightfully rustic lunch of Puer Tea, chicken and vegetables. Her elaborate head-dress featured French piastres from Indochina and a neat row of Thai baht, with the king’s head providing a nice touch of royal authority. I’m not sure if Thai cultural guardian Ladda Tangsupachai would be impressed with this cross-border appropriation of Thai national sovereignty!