Monkey Suits & Medals

After many years living in Thailand I have got used to seeing every one from the postman to the porter wearing these white ceremonial suits with an impressive display of ribbons on but surely this takes the biscuit. A photo taken from ASTV Manager magazine of the recent get together of the newly elected government. The man is the father of the new PM's son holding his hand. But a nine year old in full military style dress with an impressive two rows of medals? that is surely devaluing the whole purpose of the award system as we in the West know it .

Don't worry Val - as a well-connected Shinawatra, he is just rehearsing for a few years time, when the PM's gong will be handed on to him, à la the Kims of North Korea.

yep ,values you much different here than in the West

I wondered about the same thing. Maybe purple heart for a good crack at school for not doing homework or a Vietnam Service Medal for his school vacation trip to Hanoi.

Yes it rather takes the biscuit, doesn't it.

I'm going to send mine back in protest/disgust. Well the white suit anyway.

These uniforms (and ribbons) are nothing to do with the military. They are government uniforms. In fact in Thailand government employees all usually have a 'formal' dress code or uniform even the lowlyest of the low have a formal dress uniform. The medals -they are actually not medals but ribbons, which are for awards gained in work related fields - promotions, long service, greasing the right palm, that sort of thing.

Still, what a nine year old is doing with one I 'm not sure. Well - we wouldn't want him looking out of place now would we.

Now if he was wearing a Medal of Honor or a VC, now that would be noteworthy.

IU noticed these medals some time ago ( sorry ribbons )
reminds me how even the Americans seem to get a medal for crossing the potomac yet the brits only get their medals after HM authorises it and even then it is often on a selceted few or driven by time on station etc:
I have a friend in the American navy who has an impressive 24 medals I only have 4 for roughly the same time frame. So medals outside the UK are often just I was there as opposed to I actually did something.

I wouldn't be so harsh on our neighbors from across the pond Paul. I don't think the Yanks are so liberal with their medals. they have a lot of unit citations, which are awarded to er well, the unit as a whole. I also think that the brits are a bit stingy with their medals.

My great uncle stood waist deep in water at Dunkirk for 3 days waiting (in line I might add) to be rescued, all the time bombs rained down around him. All he got was a hot cup of tea and a biscuit. Sadly, he never recovered and had PTSD for the rest of his life. Rest his soul. Of my two grandfathers, one served in the home guard, the other in the North African campaign. Neither got nowt from what I can remember.

Now if you want to really get into it, then take a look at the North Korean generals, and their medals.

Or how about this ponce?

jackspratt wrote:Or how about this ponce?

Rather smart. A ponce though? Tell us more Jack .I rather wonder about those wings nearly everyone seems to have though. They seem to be a cross between a pilots and a parachutists.I am sure they are not all fliers, of the aeronautical type anyway, and if by chance they have all had the required number of jumps(!!) to qualify as a chutist, the insignia should be worn on the arm not the chest .

I think the wings were awarded for being a Platinum+++ frequent flyer - given the number of countries he has flown to/from over the past few years, to avoid his goal sentence, and impending multitude of further trials in Thailand.