King's volunteers wearing blue caps and yellow foulards clean a canal in Bangkok, Thailand, August 8, 2018. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha
BANGKOK (Reuters) - From a distance, the volunteers cleaning up a clogged Bangkok waterway could be mistaken for Scouts, but the group, wearing yellow foulards and blue hats, are part of a volunteer programme started by Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn, 66.
The "Volunteer Spirit" scheme, which officially began in 2017, has created a new army of civilians who have pledged allegiance to the king and are boosting the image of Vajiralongkorn ahead of his formal coronation which is expected to take place at year-end, according to sources close to the palace.
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