Photo Credits: PG3. MASTHEAD LEFT
Babies dressed as cupids, underwater weddings and a government vitamin giveaway to encourage procreation were all part of Thailand's imaginative and bizarre events to mark Valentine's Day. The Land of Smiles embraces February 14 like few other countries in Southeast Asia, with Bangkok awash with pop-up flower stalls and a roster of romantic gestures unfurling across the country.
The junta government led the love-in, doling out heart-shaped boxes of free iron and folic acid supplements in a bid to help healthy pregnancies and stimulate the kingdom's birthrate.
In the southern tourist hotspot of Trang, couples were offered the opportunity to marry underwater -- in full wedding dress and diving gear -- in an annual publicity stunt aimed at boosting visitor numbers. And babies at one Bangkok maternity ward were dressed up with wings to resemble the god of love.
Still the junta's unbridled passion for Valentine's Day was a contrast to more po-faced approaches in previous years -- in 2015 the generals urged young people to have a special meal or visit temples instead of having sex.
