Cutting the colour

The government will hold activities on May 5 to mark the 60th anniversary of His Majesty the King's coronation. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will chair the organising committee.

"We expect more than 200,000 members of the public and government officials to join the events," Deputy Government Spokesman Supachai Jaisamut said yesterday.

He was speaking after the Cabinet approved plans for the anniversary.

Unity and security

 "The monarchy is the unifying institution and is a key to national security," Supachai said.

A source said Abhisit advised his Cabinet members to wear colours that would not add heat to the country's simmering political conflict.

Yellow, the colour traditionally used to show loyalty to His Majesty, has become associated with the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) in recent years. PAD supporters have previously rallied against Thaksin Shinawatra and his allies, while the redshirts of the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship were vocal in their support for the former prime minister when they rioted earlier this month.