THAI PRIDE

I was nursing a Cohiba on breezy Silom Road last night and ran into these kids at a street corner, soliciting sponsorship from pedestrians for their annual Sports Day.  I was attracted by their youthfulness, their singing, their gaiety, their naivety about life, their innocence on the world they live in but, above all, by the pride on their faces, and their respect they show on what they do. I was moved, donated Baht 200 or HK$50 and took this picture, for keepsakes.  What a great bunch of kids!

Two things do stand out in this Land of Smiles, and especially in this City of Life (so much better than our Asia's World City nonsense) and they are ... pride and respect.  Pride of being Thai, and Respect for each other.  At 6pm every evening the National Anthem is played in all BTS & BRT stations. Everyone stops, and stands at attention ...with pride, and with respect.  The rest of the world can learn from it.