a color story: yellow elephant fridge magnet

I noticed a yellow figurine on the side of a fridge. It was an elephant. Not a gray elephant. A yellow one. 

Why mascot an elephant and why was it yellow?

I thought about it. Since most fridge magnets are souvenirs, the elephant must have been a tourist attraction. Out of all the countries with elephants, Thailand was the first candidate. I looked at the magnet again and on the bottom right of the magnet, "Thailand" was painted on.

In my days of Instagram and Facebook, I saw friends riding on elephants in Thailand which was definitely something you wouldn't be able to do at American zoos. Maybe the elephants were yellow because that's how they appeared after they wrestled in the mud and the mud dried up. It was a hard sell, a dirty elephant on an fridge magnet?

I asked for more help via Google Search. Typed "Yellow Elephant Thailand". Curry paste images popped. I probably asked the wrong question. Was it even yellow?

I looked at the elephant again and it looked orange or even golden. Typed "Golden Elephants Thailand" and I believed I dug a deeper hole.  First, the elephant symbolized prosperity or symbol of fortune. Golden elephant, Golden Fortune? One can be as lucky as the elephant but you have to be as brave as them. They could could be found in  temples as protectors. Or, in Feng Shui, it could symbolize power, wisdom, and good luck. Also, the elephant was historically traced with Buddhism. 95 percent of Thailand followed the Buddhist religion.

Then,

Elephants frequently represent Buddha in Buddhist texts. Many believe Buddha is reincarnated from white elephants which descended from heaven.

- source 

White elephant linked with the Buddhist country?

The deeper I dug into the color of the elephant, the more confused I felt. 

Then, I realized. I have never been to Thailand before. I wouldn't be able to "get" it. Maybe it was just one of those things you only understand, if you've been there. Is that the true purpose of a souvenir? A medium that rewarded the visitor and not an observer. 

I received a phone call from a friend about an upcoming social event. I asked what the gold elephant meant in Thailand, since he visited the country. We were in the same situation; he didn't know either but it was apparent in their lands. 

I returned to the fridge for whatever reason and the golden elephant stared back at me. It was the souvenir and a reminder for my brother. 

But,  it sure looked like an advertisement. Why was this elephant golden, Thailand? Could it be that simple? Golden elephant, golden future?