Thailand This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website Thailand Official Name: ราชอาณาจักรไทย [Ratcha Anachak Thai], Kingdom of Thailand Former Name: Siam [สยาม] (before 24 Jun 1939; also between 1945 and 11 May, 1949) Flag Adopted : 28 September 1917 Coat of Arms Adopted: 1910 The Royal Golden Jubilee Network The Trairanga or Tricolour The story goes that during the 1916 flood the king of Siam – since 26th June 1939 called Thailand – saw the national flag – red with a white elephant – hanging upside down. Because of the distress a new flag was adopted that could not be hung upside down. Initially it was a red field with two white bands , but on 28th September 1917, the middle stripe was changed to blue to show solidarity with the Allies during the First World War. The name of the flag is therefore Trairanga, meaning tricolour.

The proportions of the flag are 2:3, while the stripes are arranged 1-1-2-1-1. Sources: Crampton 1992 ; Jos Poels 1990 ; Crampton 1991 . From contributions by Roy Stilling, 21 February 1996 Jan Oskar Engene, 03 October 1996 Mark Sensen, 03 March 1997 King Vajiravudh (Rama VI), amongst other things, refashioned the flag of Siam in 1917, replacing the white elephant on a red field with the contemporary tricolor. Although not an official interpretation of the Thai flag, the prevailing view is that the central blue stripe represents the monarchy, the two white stripes are the Therevada Buddhist religion, and the outer red stripes represent the land or the nation. Riley B. VanDyke, 22 June 1998 In Thailand (...) the Thai National Flag was used everywhere and every school day started with a flag raising and the singing of Thong Chat (The Flag) either assembled in the school courtyard or in the classrooms.

Phil Abbey, 17 September 1998 During the reign of King Vajiravut (1910-1925) the flag was changed to the 5 stripe flag – red and white from 1916-1917 . In 1917 the middle red stripe was changed to blue to make the flag look much better and the blue colour is for Friday – the day King Vajiravut was born (1st January 1880). On 28th September 1917, the Flag Law of 1917 was promulgated and stated that the national flag became the trichelon [sic] flag, the one we use today. Wisarut Bholsithi, 29 October 1999 The red flag with white stripes was used as the national flag during 1917, but the design was changed again the same year. A columnist with the Bangkok Daily Mail Newspaper suggested to King Rama VI, who had originally decreed the red and white striped flag as the national flag, that the central stripe of red should be changed to blue.

The reasons for the suggested change were that blue was the colour of the King and the red/white/blue-coloured flag, which was similar to the national flags of the Allies, would remind Thailand of its participation in World War I. The King agreed with this idea and signed the Flag Act of B.E.2460 (1917), declaring the red / white / blue-coloured flag, which would be known as the "Trairanga," the national flag of Thailand. from the Rama IX Art Museum Foundation , 10 October 2005 Construction Sheet Colours of the Flag The protocol manual for the London 2012 Olympics ( Flags and Anthems Manual London 2012 ) provides recommendations for national flag designs. Each NOC was sent an image of the flag, including the PMS shades, for their approval by LOCOG. Once this was obtained, LOCOG produced a 60 x 90 cm version of the flag for further approval. So, while these specs may not be the official, government, version of each flag, they are certainly what the NOC believed the flag to be. For Thailand, PMS 032 red, 281 blue.

The vertical flag is simply the horizontal version turned 90 degrees clockwise. Ian Sumner, 11 October 2012 Flag Usage Thailanders display their national flag with as much frequency as folks in the United States . In fact, it is not at all unusual to see giant Thai flags flying over corporate buildings much like US car dealers fly giant American flags. There are small flag makers everywhere and buying a Thai flag is easy. Thai flags are usually made of light weight polyester or open weave cotton type bunting. Occasionally I could spot one made of broad cloth. Thai folk are also proud of their history and demonstrate said pride by displaying historical flags . Virtually any old Thai flag with an elephant on it can be bought. Bangkok is also a good place to find flags of other countries. It is easy to find old flags off ships for sale on the streets. Many international Thai firms will have multiple sets of flag poles up in front of their headquarters. It is very inexpensive to have foreign flags made up in Bangkok's flag shops, so flag display is popular.

Clay Moss, 04 July 2001 From the Singha Beer source : In older times no regulations existed as regards the etiquette involved in using flags; there was only the occasional Royal Command issued by His Majesty the King concerning the occasions on which particular flags were to be used. Until [sic – 'under'?] the Reign of King Rama V, however, was a set of Regulations established regarding their functions. These appeared in a Royal Decree issued on April, R.E. 110 (B.E.2434) [1891 AD] and were entitled, aptly enough, "Regulations pertaining to the use of various types of Siamese flag." Subsequently, as more and more flags were created, these regulations were amended and the amendments duly enforced, the latest one being the Decree on Flags issued on April 22, B.E. 2522 [1979 AD]. Flags in general use are divided into two main categories: those whose functions are clearly delineated in the aforementioned Decrees, and those not covered by official regulations, namely those flown by various government agencies or by members of the private sector.

Although, the latter are produced with the permission of the government and have been registered in accordance with the law, they are not specifically covered by any of the provisions set forth in the Decrees themselves. Santiago Dotor, 27 May 2003 Further, various personal flags of King Rama IX are in wide use by civilians as a kind of de-facto second national flag, often flown along with the Trairanga as a pair. The flags are always yellow (the royal color), and bear an intricate pseudoheraldic emblem; these are commissioned at intervals to commemorate milestones in the King's life. The most recent design issued is usually the one most commonly seen; the current is 2007's "Eightieth Birthday" flag, incorporating the relevant emblem . Eugene Ipavec, 10 October 2007 The Singha Beer Thong Thai Website There was a website , apparently set up by a brewing company, with scores of Thai flags. More than 70 flags are depicted and described on this site. The images are rather small and poor, so it is difficult to see the details of the emblems. Dates are given in the Buddhist calendar.

Jan Oskar Engene, 13 August 1997 The Singha Beer website contains many Thai flags. They are divided into: Departmental Flags The texts plus some selected images (those which have no similarity whatsoever to any other Thai flag in FOTW) have been added to the FOTW website. In all the images, please note that the narrow, dark blue border matches the webpage background and is not part of the flag. Santiago Dotor, 26 Oct 1999 Definitely, someone must have drawn the flags without the full descriptions which appeared close to them in the website; the Commander's Flag should be 2:5 and appears as 3:4, the Commander-in-Chief of the Army flag should be a 5:6 flag whereas the image is 7:10, etc. Those flags which also appear in Flaggenbuch 1939 follow the ratios of the descriptions. So I guess the descriptions are more precise as reference. Santiago Dotor, 05 Nov 1999 One more thing. The Thai equivalent for "fleet" has been wrongly translated as "frigate".

Thus, the Commander of the Fleet Flag is said to be that of a "Frigate Commander" and about the Pu Yai Flag it says "high ranking officers from a frigate were on board that particular vessel". Santiago Dotor, 12 Nov 1999 Thailand Flag Country: United Kingdom of Thailand Proportions: 2:3 Thai Flag Description: The flag of Thailand consists of five horizontal stripes. The top and bottom are equal-sized red stripes, the middle stripe is blue which is lined above and below by equal-sized white stripes. The blue stripe is double the size of the other four. Advertiser Links [ what's this? ] Thai Flag Meaning: The red stripes represent the blood spilt to maintain Thailand's independence. The white stands for purity and is the color of Buddhism which is the country's main religion. Blue is Thailand's national color and it represents the Thai monarchy. The blue is also used to honor Thailand's World War I allies, Great Britain, France, United States and Russia, who all had red, white and blue flags. Thai Flag History: The current Thai flag was adopted on September 28, 1917, making it one of the world's older flags.

From the mid-19th century until 1916, Thailand, which was called Siam until 1939, used a red based flag with a white elephant on it. That flag was replaced in 1916 with a red-white-red-white-red horizontal striped flag which was modified in 1917, when the blue center replaced red. Interesting Thai Flag Facts: The Thai flag is called Triaranga or Triarong, which literally means 'tricolor'. Even when Thai changed its name from Siam in 1939 and when it was allied with Japan during World War 2 the flag remained the same. World FlagsAlphabetical list of all world flags. T flag of the United States of America | Britannica.com Flag of the United States of America Written By: See Article History Alternative Titles: Old Glory, Star-Spangled Banner, Stars and Stripes national flag consisting of white stars (50 since July 4, 1960) on a blue canton with a field of 13 alternating stripes, 7 red and 6 white.

The 50 stars stand for the 50 states of the union, and the 13 stripes stand for the original 13 states. The flag’s width-to-length ratio is 10 to 19. Related Topics Betsy Ross After the American Revolution began, the first unofficial national flag—known as the Continental Colours (or, incorrectly, as the Grand Union Flag or the Cambridge Flag)—was hoisted at Prospect Hill in Charlestown (now in Somerville, Mass.) on Jan. 1, 1776; it was raised, it appears, at the behest of Gen. George Washington , whose headquarters were nearby. The flag had 13 horizontal stripes (probably of red and white or of red, white, and blue) and, in the canton, the first version of the British Union Flag ( Union Jack ). It was used at forts and on naval vessels. Another popular early flag, that of the Sons of Liberty , had the 13 stripes only. The various 18th-century “Don’t Tread on Me” flags had only local significance, but in the 20th century such designs were popularized by political protesters.

The first official national flag, formally approved by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777, was the Stars and Stripes. The blue canton was to contain 13 stars, but the layout of the stars was left undefined, and several patterns are known. The designer of the flag, Congressman Francis Hopkinson , may have had a ring of stars in mind to symbolize (in the words of the flag law) “a new constellation.” Today that pattern is popularly known as the “ Betsy Ross flag,” although the claims of her descendants that she made the first Stars and Stripes and that she used the ring pattern are unsubstantiated. Rows of stars (4-5-4 or 3-2-3-2-3) were common, but other variations also existed. The new Stars and Stripes formed part of the military colours carried on Sept. 11, 1777, at the Battle of the Brandywine , perhaps its first such use.

Similar Topics flag of the Confederate States of America The Stars and Stripes changed on May 1, 1795, when two more stars and two more stripes were added to reflect the admission to the union of Vermont (1791) and Kentucky (1792). (One such flag was the 1,260-square-foot [117-square-metre] “Star-Spangled Banner,” made by Mary Pickersgill, that Francis Scott Key saw at Fort McHenry in September 1814, inspiring his patriotic poem .) In 1818, after five more states had been admitted, Congress enacted legislation pertaining to a new flag, requiring that henceforth the number of stripes should remain 13, the number of stars should always match the number of states, and any new star should be added on the July 4 following a state’s admission. This has been the system ever since. In all, from 1777 to 1960 (after the admission of Hawaii in 1959) there were 27 versions of the flag—25 involving changes in the stars only. An executive order of Oct.

29, 1912, standardized the proportions and relative sizes of the elements of the flag; in 1934 the exact shades of colour were standardized. There is no official assignment of meaning or symbolism to the colours of the flag. However, Charles Thomson , secretary of the Continental Congress, in describing the proposed Great Seal, suggested the following symbolism: “White signifies purity and innocence, Red, hardiness & valour, and Blue…signifies vigilence, perseverence [sic] & justice.” As with many other national flags, the Stars and Stripes has long been a focus of patriotic sentiment . Millions of children have traditionally recited the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag at the start of each school day, and the lyrics of the national anthem are also concerned with the flag. Some veterans’ groups have pressured legislators to adopt laws or a constitutional amendment prohibiting flag desecration, but such legislation has been opposed on the grounds that it would infringe on the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression. Britannica Stories Ringling Bros. Folds Its Tent During the American Civil War , the Confederate States of America began to use its first flag, the Stars and Bars, on March 5, 1861.

Soon after, the first Confederate Battle Flag was also flown. The design of the Stars and Bars varied over the following two years. On May 1, 1863, the Confederacy adopted its first official national flag, often called the Stainless Banner. A modification of that design was adopted on March 4, 1865, about a month before the end of the war. In the latter part of the 20th century, many groups in the South challenged the practice of flying the Confederate Battle Flag on public buildings, including some state capitols. Proponents of the tradition argued that the flag recalled Southern heritage and wartime sacrifice, whereas opponents saw it as a symbol of racism and slavery, inappropriate for official display. The “Southern Cross” version of the Confederate Battle Flag. The Stainless Banner, first official national flag of the Confederate States of America. Malaysia This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website Malaysia National Symbols at The Malaysia Homepage Jalur Gemilang (Malay text only) with much information on flag sizes, protocol etc.

Description I came across an official Malaysian Year Book in my local library and it had 'official' descriptions of the Malaysian national and state flags as well as description of armorial ensigns, state emblems and other information like state anthems, history, rulers (as in 'sultans') etc. The Malaysian National Flag consists of fourteen red and white stripes (along the fly) of equal width, a union or canton of dark blue, a crescent and a star. The red and white stripes stand for equal status in the federation of the member states and the federal government. The union or canton of dark blue represents the unity of the peoples of Malaysia. The union contains the crescent which is the symbol of Islam, and the star, the 14 points of which symbolise the unity of the 13 states of the federation with the federal government. The yellow of the crescent and the star is the royal colour of the Rulers. Thomas W.

Koh, 14 May 1997 The 14 stripes on the Malaysian flag represent the 14 states of Malaysia (Perlis, Kedah, Perak, Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Johor, Malacca, Negri Sembilan, Selangor, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak and the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Labuan). The blue square represents the harmony of the people. The crescent symbolises Islam, the national religion and the colour yellow is the colour of royalty. Giuseppe Bottasini, 13 August 1997 [Translated from the Malaysian flags official URL:] The dark blue stands for the unity of the Malaysian people. The crescent moon is a symbol of the official religion Islam. The 14 pointed star symbolises the unity of the 13 states and the federal government. The yellow is the colour of Their Highnesses the Rulers of the Malay States. The rules for flying flags seem to be the same as in the UK, etc, except that in Malaysia state flags are flown in the honour position at state events and on state holidays.

Also, the order of state flags is according to the precedence of their Rulers, which is according to seniority, sultans/rajas then governors. Andrew Yong, 15 August 1999 Regarding the origin of the flag, I may not have the exact citation but growing up in Malaysia, the sporadic pieces of information on the origin of our national flag has seeped into our psyche. Here are some well know facts that may help explain why the uncanny resemblance to the Stars and Stripes : Malaysia is a federation of previously independent states (not autonomous) We are one of a handful states in the work that is constituted based on a federation model (like India, Australia, Canada, US) Therefore, our founding fathers drew their inspiration from a handful of existing models at that time: o India has no element of "unity of elements" in its flag o Australia and Canada (old flag, pre '64) is too British with the Union Jack in it o The US was the post war hero, liberators and role model to the world on many fronts with a great federalist flag. The Stars and Stripes was a natural choice.

Similar themes where adhered to: Each stripe represents one of the states (grew from 11 to 14) The star has 14 pointed tips The symbol of equality and strength in unity is reflected in its design. CW Wong, 8 August 2007 On the Malaysia Government`s Official Portal, on the web-page about the Malaysian Flag and Coat of Arms is written, "The canton of dark blue in the upper quarter next to the staff and extending down to the top of the fifth stripe". Mikhail Revnitsev, 11 July 2011 I guess that this is a matter of how you count the stripes - I guess that they count only red stripes as "stripes" in this counting. Željko Heimer, 11 July 2011 The protocol manual for the London 2012 Olympics ( Flags and Anthems Manual London 2012 ) provides recommendations for national flag designs. Each NOC was sent an image of the flag, including the PMS shades, for their approval by LOCOG. Once this was obtained, LOCOG produced a 60 x 90 cm version of the flag for further approval.

So, while these specs may not be the official, government, version of each flag, they are certainly what the NOC believed the flag to be. For Malaysia: PMS 286 blue, 485 red 109 yellow. The vertical flag is simply the horizontal version turned 90 degrees clockwise. Ian Sumner, 11 October 2012 Origins of the Flag Smith 1980 [ smi80 ] says, "Blue was chosen for the Malaysian flag to show its association with the Commonwealth (...)". Pedersen 1971 [ ped71 ] is more specific, "Dark blue is from the British flag and symbolizes the connexion with the Commonwealth ". I noticed that two recent books, Dorling-Kindersley 1997 [ udk97 ] and Znamierowski 1999 [ zna99 ], have dropped the connection with the Commonwealth . I would not be surprised if the change in the 'meaning' of the blue colour were associated with the accession of Mahathir Muhamad to the power in July 1981.

Mahathir has developed a nationalistic ideology and would like to be the 'champion' of South-East Asia. This could explain that the reference to the British Commonwealth was discarded. Ivan Sache, 23 April 2002 Document, BT 11/4189, in the Public Record Office at Kew explains some of the thinking behind the design of the Malaysian Flag. Federation of Malaya Order No.61 of 1949 announced that a committee had been set up to make recommendations for the design of a Federation Flag. (...) David Prothero, 2 May 2002 The colour blue on the flag may have represented the Commonwealth originally, but this is not the case now. Blue symbolises unity or perpaduan in Malay. Nagathisen Katahenggam, 25 August 2002 Malaysia is a federation of monarchies and a member of the (British) Commonwealth . The use of red and white stripes to represent a federation is clearly a United States innovation, but early U.S. flag designers probably got the idea of red and white stripes from the flag of the British East India Company , whose ships were frequently seen in American ports.

The Straits Settlements were an East India Company protectorate, and I suspect that the stripes on the Malaysian flag make reference to both their federation and their history with the East India Company. Jonathan Makepeace, 15 January 2003 The derivation of the US flag from the East India Company flag is widely posited but also disputed. It is, as I understand it, not true that East India Company ships were frequently seen in American ports, at least not flying the 'gridiron' flag . Also, the Straits Settlements did fall under the East India Company, but not after the company was dissolved in 1858, 105 years before the Malaysian flag was adopted. Absent any legislative history supporting this theory, it seems to me less persuasive than the hypothetical connection to the Stars and Stripes. Joseph McMillan, 15 January 2003 The very construction of the Malaysian flag, with its much larger blue canton [cf. the Johore war ensign ], is virtually a denial of US influence.

Whether the red-and-white stripes in the Malaysian flag can be derived from the East India Company is a moot point, but the popularity of red and white in the East Indies (Malaysia and Indonesia [cf. for instance the Indonesian jack ]) predates any influence on the part of either Britain or the United States. Red and white are part of the traditional colours of the Malagasy people , too, remember  a people whose origins are in Borneo. Mike Oettle, 19 January 2003 The founding fathers of Malaysia definitely had no reason to imitate the US flag. To find out the reason for the design of Malaysian flags, we have to check on the political history of Malaysia at the time of the independence. Malaysian politics till today comprises three distinct political parties each representing the 3 ethnic races of Malaysia - Malays, Chinese and Indians: UMNO : United Malay National Organisation -represent the Malays MCA : Malaysian Chinese Association-represent the Chinese MIC : Malaysian Indian Congress -represent the Indians The flags of the MCA is blue field with a yellow sun. The MIC flag is red and white stripe with MIC in Tamil and English at the centre.

Now merge these two flags - the MCA flag on the canton and the MIC flags without the blue stripes on the fly. The crescent moon on the canton represent Islam hence the Malays. Nadarajan V, 1 June 2009 At a Penang state track and field meet was last week I met an elderly gentleman (Mr. Ibrihim). He introduced himself and then began to ask questions about me...and after a while, he pointed to a Malaysian flag and asked me if the flag made me feel "at home" in any way. He then said that he was asking the question from a flag similarity standpoint. Surprisingly, he then said; "We intentionally copied the American flag you know." I said; "Really? How so?" He said that in those days, there was a good deal of positive sentiment about the US and that the newly independent Malaya wanted to mimic the US form of government in as many ways as possible. They wanted to draft a constitution that was similar to that of the US and they were hopeful that they would develop as a nation as successfully as America had.

Additionally, he said that the Malay were grateful for US intervention during WW II while also quietly encouraging the British to "let go" after the war ended. He said that the US flag serving as inspiration for the design of Malaya's flag was a natural sort of process and simply seemed like "the way to go." I was amazed that I was getting to listen to Mr. Ibrihim's story and asked him how he knew all of this. He then let me know that he had been a Malay state representative from Penang during and right after independence came along. About that time, I had to excuse myself and said that I would return in a few minutes. When I got back to my seat, Mr. Ibrihim was gone. I never got to probe further relative to his story. I hope to track Mr. Ibrihim down soon.

Clay Moss, 11 April 2010 Name of the Flag: Jalur Gemilang The Flag Bulletin [ tfb ], #186, March-April 1999, page 74, says under the heading "Flag News and Notes" [ smi99e ]: Malaysia: The government of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad has introduced many changes into the economic, political and social systems of Malaysia. On the 40th anniversary of the country's independence, 31 August 1997, provision was made for an official name for the national flag. The version chosen, Jalur Gemilang, combines a Malay word meaning "stripes" or "range of values" with the adjective ("gemilang") signifying "glorious". No change was introduced in the design of the flag. Santiago Dotor, 20 December 1999 Sometimes seen is a typical Malysian national flag, except that the bottom white stripe wis abnormally wide, perhaps twice as wide as the others, maybe a bit less.

Jorge Candeias, 20 June 2009 There are lots of those type Malaysian flags flying here and there. They are printed cotton broad cloth and come in all sizes. Whoever makes/made them will simply get their screens a bit too narrow for whatever width they are trying to print. Usually the manufacturer is working with a piece of material that is pre-woven with tapered locked edges. That way, the flags do not have to be hemmed on the top or bottom. So, all they do is print, hem the fly and hoist and sell. Clay Moss, 21 June 2009 Flags in Malaysia Malaysia is really a good place for flag spotting. Flags are almost all over the place and not only the Malaysian flag but also all 14 states flags. People put little flags on their cars or inside their cars, they also use stickers with Malaysian flag and inscription 'Proud to be Malaysian' and so on. If you visit Kuala Lumpur you must go to the Merdeka Square and see one of the tallest flag poles in the world (100 metres).

The Union Jack was lowered at midnight on August 30, 1957 and the Malayan flag hoisted up for the first time. It is really magnificent. There are Malaysian and Federal Territory flags in front of the court building and all 14 states flags under the huge pole. The flag is really big and it's really great when you see it from different parts of the city. Here is a little picture of the Merdeka Square with the tall flag pole. Uros Zizmund, 25 July 1999 I found this flag related news in the East Malaysian Daily Express online version 13 April 2001: Kota Kinabalu: Fifty-eight students from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) 10th College and Kolej Ibukota Kinabalu (KIK) fought coldness and fatigue to unveil Malaysia's largest Jalur Gemilang (national flag) on the summit of Mt Kinabalu last week. On Thursday, they once again unveiled the 118m x 77m flag at the KIK main campus football field in an attempt to enter the Malaysia Book of Records.

Organised by the UPM 10th College undergraduate supreme council in collaboration with KIK, as the main sponsor, the project cost some RM20,000 and it took the students four months to prepare the flag. (...) Strange dimensions, 118m x 77m, giving a proportion of (almost exactly) 13:20, as opposed to the official ratio of 1:2. Santiago Dotor, 16 April 2001 Thailand's National Flag The red flag with white stripes was used as the national flag in 1917 and was changed its design in the same year. King Rama VI, who originally used the red and white striped flag as the national flag, was suggested by a columnist of the Bangkok Daily Mail Newspaper that a central stripe of red should be changed to blue. The reasons for the changing were that blue was the colour of the King and the red white blue coloured flag, which was similar to the national flags of alliances, would remind the participation of Thailand in the World War I.

The King agreed with this idea and declared the Flag Act B.E.2460 (1917) stating that the red white blue coloured flag, which was known as �Trairanga Flag�, was the national flag of Thailand. flag of Thailand | Britannica.com Flag of Thailand national flag consisting of horizontal stripes of red, white, blue, white, and red. The flag has a width-to-length ratio of 2 to 3. Related Topics flag of the Confederate States of America The original national flag of Thailand , in use from perhaps the 17th century, was plain red. When other states in the area displayed similar flags and commerce increased, it became necessary to add a symbol to the design for ready identification. In 1782 a white chakra (wheel), symbol of the ruling Chakri (Chakkri) dynasty , was put on the flag of navy vessels, and in 1855 both navy and privately owned vessels displayed a red flag with a white elephant in the centre. The rare white elephant had long been a symbol of good fortune associated with the nation.

Thailand was one of the few Asian countries to escape European imperialism; however, its close relations with the West resulted in its becoming one of the Allies in World War I . To honour the relationship, King Rama VI ( Vajiravudh ) altered the national flag to a more “modern” design. On November 21, 1916, the elephant was replaced by two horizontal white stripes against a red background, and on September 28, 1917, the central red stripe was changed to blue. This gave Thailand a flag with the “colours of liberty” used by its allies Britain , France , Russia , and the United States . The navy adopted the same flag but added a red central disk with a white elephant, a design still in use today. Red is seen as a symbol of the blood Thai people have shed for their country, while white is for religious laws and the purity of Buddhism. Blue stands for the institution of royalty that guides the nation. Flag of Thailand South America Flag of Thailand Thailand (Kingdom of Thailand) has a tricolor flag with five stripes instead of just three. The colors of the flag are in this order: red – white – blue – white – red.

The blue band at the middle is twice the width of any of the four other stripes. The flag’s Thai name is Thong Trairong simply meaning tricolor flag. The three colors – white, red, and blue – stands for religion, nation, and king, respectively. “Nation, Religion, King.” is said to be Thailand’s motto. This flag was adopted as the national flag of the Kingdom of Thailand in September 28, 1917 as per royal decree on national flag issued that year. Before that year, however, Thailand’s flag underwent several changes before finally being the tricolor flag it is today. The flag used under King Narai, who ruled Thailand (then called Siam) from 1656 to 1688, was a plain red flag and was probably that first flag that Thailand used. A red flag with a white chackra on the center, as according to the decree by Rama I (King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke), has been used since 1790 to 1820. Another variant of the flag of Thailand has a white elephant inside the chakra.

But the first official flag of Thailand was the one created by Rama IV (King Mongkut). The flag showed a white elephant with a red background because the plan red flag was deemed not distinct enough for used in international relations. In 1917, the flag used had the current design but the middle stripe was the same with the outer stripe in width and color (red). It was changed and made symmetrical by Rama VI (King Vajiravudh). The middle color was changed to dark blue in 1917. It was similar in tone with indigo, which was then considered lucky color for Saturday, the day Rama VI was born. According to some sources, though, it was to show solidarity with the Allies of the First World War that also bear blue-white-red flags. Leave a Reply Thailand Flag colors - Thailand Flag meaning history WORLD FLAGS Thailand National Flag - Information The flag of the Kingdom of Thailand, popularly known as ธงไตรรงค์ (Thong Trairong) meaning "tricolour flag”, features 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.

Thailand Flag - Colors - meaning and symbolism Red symbolizes the nation and the blood of life White represents Buddhism and the purity of Buddhism Blue stands for the monarchy Thailand Flag - History, Facts & information for kids The first flag of Thailand was created in 1855 by King Rama IV (Mongkut) that featured a white elephant on a red field. On November 21, 1916, King Rama VI (Vajiravudh) replaced the elephant with two horizontal white stripes against a red background. and on September 28, 1917, in the midst of World War I, the central red stripe was changed to blue in order to express solidarity with the Allies (UK, USA, Russia and France) whose flags were red, white and blue. Thailand Flag - History, Facts & information for kids Thailand flag flying gracefully against the wind Thailand Flag pictures The United States Flag The United States Flag Every country has a national flag. The United States has a flag. The American flag has three colors. It has a blue square in the corner. There are 50 white stars in the blue square. It has red and white stripes. There are 13 stripes.

Today there are 50 states, so the American flag has 50 stars for the 50 states. Choose the correct answer for the questions below: 1. Does the United States flag have three colors? Belgium This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website Belgium Flag of Belgium - Image by António Martins, 4 May 2016 Flag adopted 23 January 1831, coat of arms adopted 17 May 1837. Use: on land, as the civil and state flag.

Colour approximate specifications (Album des Pavillons [pay00] ): Red: Pantone 186 c / CMYK (%) 0-90-80-5 Yellow: Pantone 116 c / CMYK (%) 0-15-95-0 On this page: Belgium: Index of all pages Colours of the Belgian flag The colours of the Belgian flag were taken from the arms of Brabant , a province in the former Low Countries (today Belgium and the Netherlands ), which extended from the Walloon province of Walloon Brabant , over the Flemish provinces of Flemish Brabant (and Brussels ) and Antwerpen , and up to the Dutch province of North-Brabant . The arms of Brabant show on a black field a yellow lion facing the viewer's left, with a red tongue and nails. The heraldic description (blazon) of these arms is "Sable a lion rampant or armed and langued gules". The lion of Brabant features on the arms of the Kingdom of Belgium and the provincial arms of Walloon Brabant and Flemish Brabant, as well as on the arms of the Dutch province of North-Brabant.

Filip Van Laenen, 29 October 1997 Proportions of the Belgian flag According to information kindly forwarded by Michel Lupant no exact date of issue can be found, but the proportions of 13:15 stem from a 19th Century directive of the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs which gave the official Belgian flag as being 2.60 metres high x 3.00 metres long. Flag in these proportions are, I am advised, occasionally to be seen on important Government buildings such as Parliament, but (as we know) the vast majority (flown by both the Government and civil population) are in 2:3. Michel also knows of a few instances where 13:15 flags have been ordered and flown by foreign Governments when a Belgian Ambassador was presenting his credentials, but he himself only possesses a table model. The first official drawing of the flag with vertical stripes (1831) has proportions 3:4. Christopher Southworth, 18 August 2003 The 13:15 proportions are the "official" or constitutional one, while the 2:3 proportions are known as the "civilian" version.

Ministries and other public buildings use the civilian version, but atop the Royal Palaces in Brussels and Laeken, the official one is always used. When I was Director of Logistics for the Foreign Ministry, we started offering embassies the official version as well as the civilian one. On my official residence in Jerusalem, we fly the official version. There is an added but unmentioned advantage to the 13:15 proportions: in strong winds the flag will show less wear and tear at the downwind vertical edge since it moves less. A problem with the colour is that in an era of uniformization, the yellow tends to become darker, under the influence of the German flag where it is "gold". The Foreign Ministry used the data from the FOTW website a few years ago to indicate precisely to the manufacturer and supplier which tint of yellow was the right one. Guido Courtois, Consul General of Belgium in Jerusalem, 16 February 2005 The 1:1 proportions are fine theoretically, only people in Belgium would be very surprised ("everyone knows the Belgian flag is not a square but a rectangle", they would say).

The 13:15 proportions may be the official ones but this fact is largely unknown. Jan Mertens, 19 August 2003 The protocol manual for the London 2012 Olympics (Flags and Anthems Manual London 2012 [loc12] ) provides recommendations for national flag designs. Each NOC was sent an image of the flag, including the PMS shades, for their approval by LOCOG. Once this was obtained, LOCOG produced a 60 x 90 cm version of the flag for further approval. So, while these specs may not be the official, government, version of each flag, they are certainly what the NOC believed the flag to be. For Belgium, PMS 116 yellow, 186 red. The vertical version is simply the flag turned through 90 degrees clockwise, black on top. Ian Sumner, 10 October 2012 History of the Belgian flag: From horizontal to vertical stripes Flags with horizontal stripes were used in a first revolution ( Brabantine Revolution ), in December 1789 when the Belgians unsuccessfully raised against the Hapsburgs (Austrians).

On a drawing showing those flags, the colours are arranged red-black-yellow. However, the first true Belgian national flag , horizontally divided red-yellow-black was adopted in 1830. On 23 January 1831 the Belgian Provisional Gouvernment decreed the following: The provisional government of Belgium Central Committee, In view of the report and the proposal by the Committee on external relations, considering that the Belgian People have adopted red, yellow and black as its colours; that these colours are borne by the Belgian army; that it is important to determine what will be the merchant flag: Decides: Art. 1. The Belgian merchant flag is red, yellow, and black. These colours are placed vertically. Art. 2. The present decision is to be transmitted to the Administrator General of the War Ministry, to the consuls and the various harbour captains. [...] In Article 124 of the Belgian Constitution of 4 February 1831 no order of colours was given. On 15 September 1831 the Department of the Navy decreed: Black must be placed on the hoist, yellow in the middle and red on the fly.

A similar dispatch was released by the Department of the Interior on 12 October 1831. However, according to Roger Harmignies (Belgique : Les drapeaux d'honneur de 1830, Vexillacta [vxl] #3 (March 1999), pp. 7-8), flags with vertical stripes and flags with horizontal stripes coexisted in Belgium for a few years (see for instance the 1830 Honour flags with horizontal stripes). The last official flags with horizontal stripes were seen on 24 September 1838 during the inauguration of the war memorial on Place des Martyrs in Brussels. Here again, the use of flags with horizontal stripes was deliberate. The Belgian national flag was last confirmed on 28 January 1936. Mark Sensen, Jan Mertens, & Ivan Sache, 25 May 2006 In a painting from c. 1832 of the Post Office Packet P.S.

Salamander and the topsail schooner Union off Ostend , there are two flags flying from buildings on shore: - The Belgian flag with the red and black reversed; - A dark blue flag with a red canton. David Prothero, 30 November 1999 The Belgian flag in the Constitution Quoting an article published (originally in Dutch) in De Standaard, 2 November 1999: Black, yellow, red, starting from the pole. That's how we've always known the Belgian flag. But if you read the Constitution, this isn't correct, says Karel Rimanque, professor at the University of Antwerp . Article 193 of the so often revised Constitution still says: The Belgian Nation chooses as its colours red, yellow and black. Rimanque: "In 1830 too, they used to describe the flag starting from the pole. Thus, our flag is different: red at the pole, yellow in the middle, and black at the fly." Does this mean that the Constitution has been broken for all 168 years? Was it interpreted wrongly at the beginning and did nobody ever notice the error?

"Anyway, either we have to correct this article, or we have to correct our flag." says Karel Rimanque. Filip Van Laenen, 2 November 1999 The national flag on Royal palaces National flag on Royal palaces - Image by Ivan Sache, 18 July 2001 An unusual Belgian flag in proportions 4:3 is described by L. Nyssen in Vexillacta [vxl] #3, March 1999. L. Nyssen and other careful flagspotters have noticed that the Belgian flags hoisted over the Royal palaces in Brussels and Laeken are higher than wider in proportion, and particularly large in size. After more than three years of investigations (!), L. Nyssen finally received on 23 December 1998 a letter from the Commander of the Royal Palaces. The letter states that the flag hoisted over the palace of Brussels is 4 x 3 m, whereas the flag hoisted over the palace of Laeken is 3.2 x 2.4 m. Excluding those giant flags, the largest official Belgian flag has a 2.6 x 3 m size.

These flags are manufactured by the Logistic Service of the Army in the basis of Peutie, located near Vilvoorde . The exaggeration of the dimensions of the flags is based on aesthetical considerations. Due to the size of the buildings on which they are hoisted, they are viewed from far below. The statues of the Gothic cathedrals and several huge monuments follow the same "artistic" rules. Therefore, the above image seems rather strange, but the picture of the palace of Brussels shown in Vexillacta seems very normal. A note by Pascal Parent published in Vexillacta [vxl] #12 (June 2001) explains the rules for hoisting these flags. The national Belgian flag shall be hoisted over the palaces of Brussels and Laeken when the King is present on the Belgian territory (but not necessarily present in one of the palaces). The flag shall be removed only when the King has to go abroad for an official visit or summer vacation. In such instances, the flag shall be removed as soon as the King leaves the national territory and hoisted again as soon as he enters the national territory.

Last year, following a heavy heart surgery, the King started his convalescence in the South of France. Since it was considered that he was still able to exercize all his powers, even if he was physically not present on the Belgian territory, the flags were not removed from the palaces. Ivan Sache, 18 July 2001

Question: How many blue stripes are on the national flag of Thailand?
Answer: One