Flag of Thailand


Flag of Thailand
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Name Trairanga (Thai: ธงไตรรงค์, RTGS: Thong Trairong), "Tricolour flag"
Use National flag and civil and state ensign National flag, civil and state ensign
Proportion 2:3
Adopted 28 September 1917
Design Five horizontal stripes of red, white, blue, white and red, the middle stripe twice as wide as the others
Designed by King Vajiravudh (Rama VI)
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Variant flag of Thailand
Name Thai: ธงราชนาวี (RTGS: Thong Ratchanawi), "Royal Navy flag"
Use Naval ensign War ensign
Proportion 2:3
Adopted 28 September 1917
Design A red disc containing a white elephant in regalia centered on the national flag

The flag of the Kingdom of Thailand shows five horizontal stripes in the colours red, white, blue, white and red, with the middle blue stripe being twice as wide as each of the other four. The three colours red-white-blue stand for nation-religion-king, an unofficial motto of Thailand. The flag was adopted on 28 September 1917, according to the royal decree about the flag in that year. The Thai name for the flag is ธงไตรรงค์ (Thong Trairong), which simply means tricolour flag.

Contents

History

The flag of the Kingdom of Thailand is often flown along with the two Royal flags of the King and Queen.

The first flag used for Siam was probably a plain red one, first used under King Narai (1656–1688). Naval flags later used different symbols on the red ground—a white chakra (the weapon of god Vishnu which use as the symbol of the House of Chakri), or a white elephant inside the chakra.

Officially the first flag was created in 1855 by King Mongkut (Rama IV), showing a white elephant (a royal symbol) on red ground, as the plain coloured flag was not distinct enough for international relations.

In 1916 the flag was changed to show a white elephant in royal regalia. In 1917, the current design, but with the middle colour being the same red as the outer stripe, was defined as the civil ensign. The story goes that during a flood King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) saw the flag hanging upside-down, and to prevent this from happening again created a new flag which was symmetrical. Later in 1917 the middle colour was changed to dark blue, which was similar in tone to indigo, which at the time was regarded as the auspicious colour for Saturday, the day King Vajiravudh was born. According to other sources, the blue colour was also chosen to show solidarity with the Allies of World War I, which also had the colours blue-red-white in their flags.

The flag resembles the flag of Costa Rica, which was adopted 11 years prior to Thailand's. The main difference is that the blue and red colours are inverted; the flag of Costa Rica also has a different proportion of 3:5.

In the "reimagined" Battlestar Galactica television series in 2004, the color and layout of the flag of Caprica, one of twelve colonies in the series, is closed resemble to Thailand's flag.

Timeline

Flag Date Use Description
Flag of Thailand (Ayutthaya period).svg
 c.1700–c.1790 National ensign National ensign during late Ayutthaya and Thonburi periods A red plain rectangular flag.
c.1790–1855 Civil ensign Civil ensign prior to 1855
Flag of Thailand (1782).svg
 c.1790–c.1820 State and war ensign State and naval ensign decreed by King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke (Rama I) Red flag with a white chakra, presumably to represent the Chakri Dynasty.
Flag of Thailand (1817).svg
 c.1820–1855 State and war ensign Change instituted by King Buddha Loetla Nabhalai (Rama II) Red flag with a white elephant inside the chakra.
Flag of Thailand 1855.svg
 1855–1893 National ensign National ensign decreed by King Mongkut (Rama IV) A white elephant, facing the hoist, centred on a red field. Called in Thai language "Thong Chang" (elephant flag).
1893–1916 Civil ensign Civil ensign until 1916
State Flag of Thailand (1916).svg
 1893–1898 State and war ensign State and naval ensign, to be displayed defaced with the flyer's emblem on the upper hoist corner A white elephant in regalia, facing the hoist, centred on a red field
1898–1912 State and war ensign State and naval ensign
1912–1917 State flag and ensign State flag and ensign, decreed by King Vajiravudh (Rama VI)
Flag of Thailand (1916).svg
 1917 Civil ensign Civil ensign Red flag with two horizontal white stripes one-sixth wide, one-sixth from the top and bottom
Flag of Thailand.svg
 1917–present National flag, civil and state ensign National flag, civil and state ensign Flag with horizontal blue stripe one-third wide between white stripes one-sixth wide, between red stripes one-sixth wide, known as the Trairanga

Maritime flags

The naval ensign of Royal Thai Navy is similar to the national flag but has the red circle in the middle which reaches as far as the red stripes at the top and bottom. In the circle stands a white elephant, in full caparison, facing the flagpole. Thai Navy jack is the national flag with an additional emblem of Royal Thai Navy in the middle. The design of the regimental colours of RTN is as same as this flag. These two ensigns are adopted in 1917.

See also

Sources

External links