A red disc containing awhite elephant (Airavata) in regalia centered on the national flag
The flag ofThailand (Thai:ธงไตรรงค์;RTGS: thong trai rong, meaning 'tricolour flag') shows five horizontal stripes in the colours red, white, blue, white and red, with the central blue stripe being twice as wide as each of the other four. The design was adopted on 28 September 1917, according to the royal decree issued byRama VI. Since 2016, that day is a national day of importance in Thailandcelebrating the flag.[1]
The Flag Act of BE 2522 (1979)[4] stipulates the design of the national flag as "rectangular in shape with 6 part width and 9 part length, divided into five stripes throughout the length of the flag; with the middle stripe being 2 part wide, of deep blue colour, and the white stripes being 1 part wide next to each side of the deep blue stripes, and the red stripes being 1 part wide next to each side of the white stripes. The National Flag shall also be called the Tri-Rong flag".[5]
The colours of the flag were standardised in an announcement of the Office of the Prime Minister dated 30 September 2017, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of its adoption.[6] It gives recommended values for determining the standard colours of physical cloth flags, defined in theCIELAB colour space underIlluminant D65. RGB, HEX and CMYK values are derived by NSTDA.[7][8]
Flags of Siam in 1899TheSiamese Expeditionary Force duringWorld War I with the unit colours inParis, 1919National flag of Thailand being flown in 2009Flag of Thailand flown in front of the Ministry of Defence in 2019
The first flag used forSiam was probably a plain red one, first used underNarai (1656–1688). Naval flags later used different symbols on the red ground—a whitechakra, or theHindumythological elephantAiravata inside the chakra.
Officially the first flag was created in 1855 byMongkut (Rama IV), showing a white elephant 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 1916, the current design, but with the middle colour being the same red as the outer stripe, was defined as thecivil ensign. According to a popular legend, kingVajiravudh (Rama VI) was appalled when he saw the elephant flag flown upside down by one of his subjects by accident, which caused him to order the creation of a vertically symmetrical design. Initially (1916/17), this was a purely red and white design of five horizontal stripes.[9] Later in 1917, the middle colour was changed to dark blue, which was similar in tone to indigo or purple, which at the time was regarded as the auspicious colour for Saturday, the day Vajiravudh was born. According to other sources, the blue was also chosen to show solidarity with theAllies of World War I, which also had the colours blue-red-white in their flags.
Thenaval ensign of theRoyal Thai Navy (RTN) is the national flag with a red circle in the middle that reaches as far as the red stripes at the top and bottom. In the circle stands a white elephant, in full caparison, facing the hoist. The kingdom'snaval jack is the national flag defaced with the emblem of the Royal Thai Navy in the middle. The regimental colours of the RTN is as same as this flag; both ensigns were adopted in 1917.
^"Thailand: A Country Study".Country Studies Program, formerly the Army Area Handbook Program, from the Library of Congress. Mongabay.com. Retrieved23 July 2011.Sarit revived the motto "Nation-Religion-King" as a fighting political slogan for his regime, which he characterized as combining the paternalism of the ancient Thai state and the benevolent ideals of Buddhism.
^Duncan Stearn (14–20 February 2003)."A Slice of Thai History: Raising the standard; Thailand's national flags".Pattaya Mail. Retrieved24 July 2011.The prevailing – although unofficial – view of the meaning of the five stripes is that red represents the land and the people; the white is for Theravada Buddhism, the state religion and the central purple stripe symbolises the monarchy. It has also been stated that purple was the favorite color of King Rama VI (he born inSaturday). Another account claims the purple (this refer deep blue) was inserted as a show of solidarity following Thailand's entry into the First World War (in July 1917) as an ally of Britain and France....
^มาตรฐานแถบสีธงชาติไทย [Flag of Thailand] (in Thai). National Science and Technology Development Agency. 16 October 2017. Archived fromthe original on 18 September 2020. Retrieved16 February 2018.
^ประกาศสำนักนายกรัฐมนตรี เรื่อง รูปธงชาติตามพระราชบัญญัติธง พ.ศ. 2522 [Announcement of the Office of the Prime Minister regarding appearance of the National Flag in accordance with the Flag Act, B.E. 2522](PDF).Royal Thai Government Gazette (in Thai).164 (Special 245 D):1–2. 4 October 2017. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 4 October 2017. Retrieved4 October 2017.
^Znamierowski, Alfred (1999).The World Encyclopedia of Flags: The Definitive Guide to International Flags, Banners, Standards and Ensigns. Hermes House. p. 48.ISBN9780754826293.
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