Tongdaeng
Tongdaeng , also Thong Daeng (born November 1, 1998 , † December 26, 2015 in Hua Hin ) was a copper-colored bitch and a pet of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand.
Life
The king ingested the dog from a street dog's litter in 1998 when he was visiting a medical center. The name means copper in Thai . Tongdaeng was among other things the subject of a 2006 stamp issue by the Thai Post.
Bhumibol wrote, among other things, a biography about the bitch, The Story of Tongdaeng (เรื่อง ทองแดง). The book, which has meanwhile been filmed, is considered a multifaceted parable, Bhumibol praised the animal for its alleged knowledge of protocol rules at the royal court, so she always remained in a lower position than the king, even when he hugged her. The bilingual book became a bestseller in Thailand. It is said to have sold better than the local Harry Potter edition and is still popular as a gift.
A Facebook comment about Tongdaeng by Thanakorn Siripaiboon, a factory worker, was considered a lese majesty under Thai law in 2015 , and the charges were only put down after various press reports. The death of the animal was reported by the veterinary department of the Kasetsart University and the bitch was addressed as Khun ('madam'), saying that Toengdang had died peacefully in her sleep in the Klai Kangwon Palace .
In December 2013, a satirical report was written about Tongdaeng and Fufu , alluding to the succession to the throne in Thailand. Fufu was the poodle of Maha Vajiralongkorn , then the Crown Prince of Thailand and comparatively unpopular. The media treatment of the pets enabled an indirect and ironic discussion about concerns about the king's succession, which could not have been openly expressed.
Individual evidence
- ^ A b Seth Mydans, For Dogged Devotion to Etiquette, a Kingly Tribute , International Herald Tribune , December 26, 2002
- ↑ Victoria Ho: Royal Thai dog at center of defamation case passes away . In: Mashable , December 29, 2015.
- ↑ Duangkamol Panya: Who let the dogs out? . Bangkok Post. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
- ^ Dissing the king's dog is a crime in Thailand . In: The Economist , December 19, 2015.
- ↑ Sven Hansen: Thailand's ruling dog: The death of the royal Wauwau . In: the daily newspaper . ( taz.de [accessed on January 14, 2017]).
- ^ Charlie Campbell: See Portraits of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej Displayed All Over Bangkok . In: Time , December 4, 2015.
- ↑ Jonathan Head: Defaming a dog: The ways to get arrested for reading-majeste in Thailand . In: BBC , December 16, 2015.
- ↑ Jigmey Bhutia: Thai man faces 37 years jail for 'insulting' King Bhumibol Adulyadej through his dog . International Business Times. December 15, 2015.
- ↑ Oliver Holmes: Thai man faces jail for insulting king's dog with 'sarcastic' internet post . The Guardian. December 15, 2015.
- ↑ Animals: Favorite dog of Thailand's King Bhumibol died . In: Süddeutsche Zeitung online (Ed.): Sueddeutsche.de . December 29, 2015, ISSN 0174-4917 ( sueddeutsche.de [accessed January 14, 2017]).
- ↑ Anonymous: Thongdaeng Abdicates To Foo Foo . In: Not The Nation , December 3, 2013. Archived from the original on January 6, 2014. “In a shocking event that may forever alter the social and cultural landscape of the Kingdom of Thailand, His Majesty the King's royal dog Thongdaeng has abdicated his position as the nation's ruling pet of state to Foo Foo, Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn's longstanding dog-in-waiting. "
- ^ Andrew MacGregor Marshall: Thai crown prince's poodle, Air Chief Marshal Foo Foo, has been cremated . In: The Guardian , February 5, 2015.