Flag of Thailand
The Thailand flag has five horizontal stripes: red, white, blue, white and red, with the blue stripe in the center twice as wide as the others. It is called the Thong Trairong, the tricolor flag, and has been used since 1917.
What the flag of Thailand looks like
The Thai flag is made of five horizontal stripes. From top to bottom they are red, white, blue, white and red. The blue band in the middle is twice as tall as each of the others, so the stripes have a ratio of 1:1:2:1:1. The flag has a proportion of 2:3 (the Flag Act of 1979 gives it as 6 parts wide and 9 parts long), and it has no emblem or other symbol.
In Thai the flag is called Thong Trairong ("tricolor flag"), and the Flag Act of 1979 also names it the Tri-Rong flag. In English it is usually called the Thai flag or the Thailand flag. As an emoji it appears as the Thailand flag emoji.
The symmetrical stripes look similar to the flag of Costa Rica, a country on another continent. Costa Rica's flag has the same five-stripe structure with the colors swapped: blue, white, red, white and blue, with the wide stripe in red.
Thailand flag colors
Color codes measured from the official design. Use HEX for the web and CMYK for print.
HEX
#A51931RGB
165, 25, 49CMYK
0, 85, 70, 35 HEX
#2D2A4ARGB
45, 42, 74CMYK
39, 43, 0, 71 HEX
#F4F5F8RGB
244, 245, 248CMYK
2, 1, 0, 3 Thai flag colors and meaning
The three colors are said to stand for "Nation, Religion, King", an unofficial motto of Thailand:
- Red stands for the nation, the land and its people.
- White stands for religion.
- Blue stands for the monarchy. It sits at the center of the flag and was the auspicious color of King Vajiravudh (Rama VI).
Another reason often given for the choice of red, white and blue is that Siam declared war on Germany in July 1917, and the flag then carried the same colors as the flags of the UK, France, Russia and the United States. Some sources say the blue was chosen to show solidarity with the Allies, and the exact motives remain debated.
History of the Thai flag
The first flag used for Siam was probably a plain red one, first used under King Narai (1656-1688). In 1855 King Mongkut (Rama IV) created the first official flag, showing a white elephant on a red field, because a plain flag was not distinct enough for international relations. The white elephant has been a symbol of royal power in Thailand for centuries.
King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) replaced it in 1916-1917. In 1916 the elephant flag was changed to show the elephant in royal regalia, and a design of horizontal stripes was defined as the civil ensign. A popular legend says the king was appalled when a subject accidentally flew the elephant flag upside down, and ordered a vertically symmetrical design. The first version of 1916-1917 was red and white, and the middle stripe was changed to dark blue later in 1917.
The current red, white, blue, white, red design was adopted on 28 September 1917 by a royal decree of Rama VI, the year Siam declared war on Germany. The flag has not changed in design since, and its colors were standardized in 2017 for the 100th anniversary, although the country was renamed Thailand in 1939, called Siam again from 1945 to 1949, and has been Thailand since 1949.
The white elephant is still remembered. It appears on the naval ensign of the Royal Thai Navy, and since 2016 Thailand has marked 28 September as a day celebrating the national flag.
How the Thai flag is used
The flag is raised every day at 8:00 in the morning and lowered at 6:00 in the evening in schools, government offices and public places, and people stop to stand while the national anthem is played. The monarchy has its own royal flags and standards, which are separate from the national flag.
For similar flags and other Asian designs, see all the flags of Asia.
Thailand flag facts
| Country | Kingdom of Thailand |
|---|---|
| Flag adopted | September 28, 1917 |
| Proportions | 2:3 |
| Colors | #A51931, #2D2A4A, #F4F5F8 |
| Flag emoji | 🇹🇠|
| Country code | TH, THA (ISO 3166) |
| Capital | Bangkok |
| Continent | Asia |
| Population | 66,188,503 |
| Area | 513,120 km² |
| Currency | baht |
| National anthem | Thai National Anthem |
Thailand flag: frequently asked questions
What does the Thailand flag mean?
Red stands for the nation, white for religion and blue for the monarchy. These meanings come from the motto "Nation, Religion, King" and are traditional rather than set by law.
What was Thailand's old flag?
Before 1917 Siam used a red flag with a white elephant (introduced in 1855), and earlier probably a plain red flag. The current tricolor replaced the elephant flag under King Vajiravudh.
Why did Thailand change its flag?
King Vajiravudh replaced the elephant flag in 1916-1917 with a striped design. A popular legend says a flag flown upside down was the reason, and according to some sources the blue was also chosen to match the Allied powers in World War I.
What was Thailand called before 1949?
It was called Siam. The name was changed to Thailand in 1939, switched back to Siam in 1945, and Thailand has been the permanent name since 1949.
What flag is 🇹�
It is the flag of Thailand, shown as the Thailand flag emoji. The emoji uses the regional indicator letters T and H and shows five stripes: red, white, wide blue, white and red.
Which country has the same flag as Thailand?
No country has exactly the same flag. Costa Rica is almost identical, with five horizontal stripes in red, white and blue and a center stripe twice as thick, but the colors are reversed: its wide stripe is red, while Thailand's is blue.
