"I ordered ahead of time," said graphic designer Jit Wongsa, 25, wearing his hard-won yellow polo shirt with the royal insignia. "It's so expensive otherwise."

FADING MEMORY?

But reverence for the quiet-spoken, bespectacled monarch may be the only sentiment many Thais currently share.

"There are a lot of unsolved and unresolved issues in the political arena and this temporary truce should not be taken as an indication that things have quietened down," said consultant Christopher Bruton of Bangkok-based Dataconsult.

After months of street protests calling for his head, Thaksin called a snap poll in April, which was boycotted by the main opposition. The election failed to return a valid parliament and was later declared unlawful.

The intense bickering faded as the royal anniversary neared, every politician wary of acting inappropriately and losing support. It will crank up again once the celebrations are over.

But on Friday, as Thais prepared for a four-day holiday weekend, trade on the stock market slowed to a trickle.

"The square root of nada is being traded on this market," said one foreign trader, using the Spanish word for nothing as he watched golf on television during the morning session.

(Additional reporting by Darren Schuettler, Tanny Chia and Chawadee Nualkhair)