One of the things that strikes me the most about Thailand is the vibrant and multiple colours that you can find everywhere. Thais use colour for their houses, their spirit houses, their temples and just in general. Sometimes Thailand feels like you’ve fallen into a Dulux catalogue. In this post I’ve written about some of the colours that stand out for me, and why.
You can’t talk about colour in Thailand without noting the bright orange of the monks’ robes. Apparently the colour dates back to the time of the Buddha, who taught followers to wear robes of ‘pure’ cloth, the cloth no one else wanted (soiled cloths, or even shrouds used to wrap the dead before cremation). The robes were then washed and dyed by being boiled with spices such as turmeric and saffron, which gave the robes a yellow-orange colour. SE Asian monks still wear spice-colour robes today – the bright orange being the most common colour here in Thailand.
Red brings to mind the red Songthaews which are everywhere in Chiang Mai. For a very small fee, you can flag one down, and jump in along with whoever else is in there (if they were English, we would say 6-8 people max, but in Thailand, they might have many more people in, or, indeed, hanging out of, the back), and you will be dropped off according to a route that the driver will keep revising as he gets new passengers. Not one for when you are in a hurry, but very cost effective (usually 20-60p per person within Chiang Mai for example).
I also have some personal memories of Red, as at Agama Yoga school on Koh Phangan, I went through a ‘Rites of Passage’ ritual, which was very beautiful, and involved the participants wearing red. I will write more about the power of ritual in another entry.
White
There are two main associations I make with the colour white. The first is my room here in Chiang Mai at Puri Piman, which is almost all white – lovely and fresh, spacious and clean. I love it. The other is the White Temple (Wat Rong Khun) in Chiang Rai, a stunning piece of architecture that has to be seen to be believed. Created by a Thai visual artist (17 years in the making so far), every detail has a symbolic meaning – and with Superman being one such detail painted opposite the Buddha inside the temple, it draws you in to find out more. And it’s now Thailand’s most visited tourist attraction….
Brown
Sometimes not an inspiring colour, but for me, the colour of coffee. Thailand’s new-ish to (good) coffee, and in some places it’s still pretty grim, but there’s a burgeoning coffee scene in Chiang Mai, and my life mainly consists of visiting cafes and coffee shops and hanging out. So I drink quite a lot of coffee…and a social enterprise coffee shop called Akha Ama was also the place where I saw the advert for TedXChiangMai (the inspiring proprietor, Lee Ayu, was a speaker) which was an amazing experience, so it also brings that to mind for me now.
Pink
The colours of the sky in Thailand are as inspiring as the more people-made colours of the cities and towns. On Koh Phangan, I captured a lot of sunset photos – it’s hard to get bored with them when the sky turns so many colours. A perfect pink is the one that I love the most, and the photos that tend to end up as a background on my computer.
Green
Green has two associations for me. When I came back to the UK earlier this year, a few people said to me I must miss the greenness of England while I’m away. And I do, but not because Thailand doesn’t have green. Admittedly, the ‘grass’ is quite different – tougher – and the flora and foliage are all different types, but there’s plenty of green to be had in the jungle and the mountains. The other green I associate with Thailand is the grass around the moat of Chiang Mai. It’s almost always cool around the moat because of the shade from the trees and the coolness of the water spray from the fountains. Of course, you have to cross a very busy road to get to it!
Gold
Not such a popular colour in the UK, in Thailand the majority of the 40k+ temples have a ‘Chedi’, a bell-shaped tower containing a relic chamber. These are usually covered in gold leaf, and make a splendid sight – especially with the bright sunshine making them glint and sparkle. Gold Chedis against a deep blue cloudless sky are an instant reminder of Thailand for me.
Blue
Blue should probably come next then, blending into my last entry – as of course it’s the sea and the sky that I associate with this colour. Living on an island, I could spend endless hours looking at the sea, which is always changing yet always constant. And watching the sea and sky interact is mesmerising.
Thai Rainbows
Thailand’s rainbows aren’t only in the skies after a deluge of rain – the real rainbows are in the streets, markets, temples and people’s homes.
El D says
What a fascinating post. It makes you wonder if people from lands where colour is so important find visiting our country a dull and colourless experience. Personally, I have avoided brown all my life because it was the colour of my school uniform. Put me off it for life! x
ellenmbard says
Thanks! Isn’t it interesting how we associate things with colours? And the reasons why we do or don’t like a certain colour can go back a long way. x
Chris says
A virtual kaleidoscope of colour, and a joy to behold.
A bit different from G.B. this morning.
ellenmbard says
Thanks Grandad, hope the UK cheers up soon! x
Kat says
argh, it makes me miss Thailand. The markets I find the most amazing – a color festival for the eyes esp in Chiang Mai. However I do not plan to come back yet. I am more likely to go to India first and that certainly is a country of colors textures and smells.
Hey Ellen, if you are still around CM, I recommend the 2 day Buddhist meditation retreat that they offer at Monk Chat – just google monk chat and you will find out more. There is also an amazing veg restaraunt right beside the monk chat site in CM. They take you out of town to their monastery for the meditation. I particularly like it because they show you different styles of meditation and also speak about the rituals and Buddhist culture. I have been there twice.
As well there is a beautiful meditation forest monastery with caves not far from Pai. Have you been to Pai – must go, not for everyone yet a must see and worth it for the hotsprings alone. This monastery is in the mountains and there are loads of caves around – I would sneak away from the group and go to one of the forest caves. ‘Forest Wat near Pai’ ought to be a good start for google info since the name escapes me. I don’t have time to look it up for you. If you want to know more let me know.
<3
K@ wOMan
ellenmbard says
Thanks Kat. I’ve been to Monk Chat and am currently considering a meditation retreat of some kind – maybe this is a good one to get me started – I’d love to know more about the culture here. And Pai is on my list, I just haven’t got there yet…soon…India is on my long list but I’m a bit nervous about it. x
Justin says
Looks amazing as always. Light is not as good in the UK. One of the things I like when I travel is the better quality of the light which gives more intensity to colours.
ellenmbard says
Yes, it definitely helps if, like me, you aren’t an amazing photographer! I try and take a lot of shots and then hopefully one or two look ok. But Thailand is a good model x
Elina says
Amazing photos Ellen! Are those mostly from Chang Mai?
Ellen Bard says
Thanks Elina 🙂 Yes, mostly from Chiang Mai, with a few from Koh Phangan, and then the White Temple is in Chiang Rai, a few hours from Chiang Mai.