BANGKOK – Monday night the entire kingdom was mesmerized by the appearance of a great celestial smiley face, looking down upon Thailand with what appeared to be a warm-hearted blessing of good tidings. The apparition, composed of a horizontal crescent moon and two bright white spots above it, appeared in Thai skies at around 6pm and remained until 11pm, when it vanished below the southern horizon.

On the streets of Bangkok, Thais from all walks of life stopped to observe the heavenly phenomenon together, many attempting to photograph it with their mobile phones, only to discover that the face was impossible to photograph. Many interpreted the smiling face as the true face of the Invisible Hand, the unseen and unnamed force that pulls the strings behind Thailand’s tumultuous politics. The Invisible Hand has, over the last few years, been informally named as the force behind the coup, the force behind the anti-coup movement, the protector of the PAD, the collaborator with anti-PAD grenade attacks, the barrier of investigation into Thaksin’s finances, and the silent enforcer who sealed Thaksin’s fate in various court cases. However, until last night, it was unknown if the Invisible Hand had any other body parts.

“Clearly the Invisible Hand is smiling down on us and endorsing our legal, non-violent actions to protect the Kingdom and monarchy from the corruption of Thaksin,” said PAD leader Sondhi Limthongkul. “It is clear because the face is only visible from the airport. No one else in Bangkok or Chiang Mai can see it. It has been confirmed to me by SMS.”

Meanwhile, red-shirted government supporters saw the face of the Invisible Hand as a good sign for them as well. “The forces of history are with us, and this sign from the heavens is proof,” said Veera Musikhapong, a core UDD leader and host of the “Truth Today” TV program. “The PAD has been outdoors for months, but we have just had our gathering recently. And sure enough, the Invisible Hand has come out to support us. It is no coincidence.”

Ordinary non-affiliated Thais were more sanguine about the Invisible Hand’s decision to reveal its happy face to the nation at such a crucial time. “It’s a message to stop the violence and respect His Majesty's birthday,” said 21 year old Viskorn Muengpipat, a student at Thammasat who gathered with her friends in a grassy courtyard to observe the face. “We need to unite as Thais and find a way out of this.”

Scientists offered a simpler explanation. “It’s actually a documented phenomenon, and was predicted in various astronomy websites months ago,” said Chulalongkorn cosmologist Meeravit Sakunramneejit. “The orbits of Saturn and Venus coincided at highly visible, sun-refractory positions which, when viewed from the tropics at certain longitudes, appear as two eyes above a new moon. It actually happens every few years in different parts of the world.”

The PAD, however, dismissed Meeravit’s theory. “The Invisible Hand is more powerful than these so-called scientist’s lies,” said PAD leader Somsak Kosaisuk. “We are invincible and this proves it.”