Thailand gets colour match with 2010

Now is the moment to start clearing out your mimosa shirts. Pantone has announced that 2009’s ‘warm, inviting yellow’ must give way to the shade for 2010 – a turquoise intended to evoke ‘a tropical paradise that is pleasing and inviting’.

While Thailand gets no name-check in Pantone’s annual press release, the references to ‘soothing, tropical waters and a languorous, effective escape from the everyday troubles of the world’ just have to come from an office-bound colour pundit getting misty-eyed for a holiday in the Land of Smiles.

‘Turquoise,’ says the paint manufacturer, ‘transports us to an exciting, tropical paradise while offering a sense of protection and healing in stressful times.’

Oddly, although it encapsulates their sky, seas and tranquility, turquoise has no special meaning for the people of Thailand, whose obsession with colours even extends to appointing one to each day of week.

Due to a link with the gods who protect each day, Sunday is red, Monday is yellow, Tuesday is pink, Wednesday is green, Thursday is orange, Friday is blue and Saturday is purple.

Yellow is also a royal colour, as Thailand’s King was born on Monday – although he has complicated matters by wearing pink, which has made pink polo shirts ubiquitous in Bangkok.

For luck, Thais advise wearing either the colour of the day or the colour of the day you were born on.

Alternatively, if you go with Pantone’s suggestion of PANTONE® 15-5519 Turquoise, you will be ‘especially trend-setting’ if you mix it with yellow-greens.

See the Thai weekly colour chart here.

Or visit Pantone’s colour forecast for the New Year.