Kitsch2000
The Thai (and Laotians) have a hang for the cute and cheesy. The idea for this article came when I saw this in the MBK (big mall) in Bangkok:
Take this advertisment from 7-Eleven for some sausages for example. Cute, the little boy, isn’t he?
Have you seen the VIP buses yet? I mentioned them in a previous article.
The cheesyness in Thai culture does stop at nothing it seems. Traffic police boxes can easily be recognized by the giant plastic model of a police helmet that serves as its roof.
Even the military is not excluded: Like (some) Germans, Thais also like garden gnomes. They have a different style here, of course, but one of the popular shapes is a soldier-gnome. Here:
Found in Savannakhet, Laos
The above picture is of the Ko Chang Naval Battle Memorial (interestingly, the battle was a clear defeat on the Thai side, still if you don’t know the memorial looks something like a victory monument.)
Don’t see anything special in this thumbnail? Then click for the full image!
What about respectable monks in religion? Well, see this article about Thai religion (3rd picture). Though I have seen plenty “chibi”-monks, I have yet to encounter a Chibi-Buddha.
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