Govt House Mushrooms Are Unlucky Sign For Some

(17 June) Bureaucrats returning to work at the Government House in central Bangkok today after the weekend were greeted with the sight of many mushrooms sprouting on the lawn in front of Thai Ku Fah building.

Intrigued by the 'unprecedented phenomenon' – as some people describe it – the more superstitious officials gathered near the lawn and share their speculations with one another what misfortune this sign might portend. An official expressed a belief that the mysterious mushrooms might signify imminent downturn for the government.

The anxiety might reflect the grim mood among government officials who have been battling with accusations that the government′s rice mortgage scheme is placing dangerous toll on the national economy.

However, a gardener who works for the Government House told our correspondent that the mushrooms were caused by constant rain in the recent days, coupled with new fertilizers that the gardeners have placed in the lawn recently.

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"The fertilizer soil might have carried the fungus to the lawn. Wet climate and damp soil are perfect for mushrooms to grow," the gardener said.

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Eventually, perhaps irritated by the discussion about the mushrooms, a senior official ordered the gardeners to root out all the mushrooms from the lawn.