Flag of Thailand

Meaning and history of the flag of Thailand

Thailand's flag, known as the "Trairanga" or tricolor flag, is made up of five horizontal stripes in three colors: red, white, and blue. The outer top and bottom stripes are red, followed by white stripes, with a central blue stripe twice the width of the others. This symmetrical design was officially adopted on September 28, 1917, by decree of King Vajiravudh (Rama VI).

Red symbolizes the nation and the blood shed for the country's independence, white represents purity and the teachings of Buddhism, the predominant religion in Thailand, and blue honors the monarchy, a central institution in Thai life. The central blue stripe replaced an original red stripe as a gesture of solidarity with the Allies during World War I, whose countries' flags shared these same three colors.

The Thai flag is one of the few in Southeast Asia never to have carried colonial symbols, reflecting the fact that Thailand is the only country in the region never colonized by a European power. Its horizontal-stripe design bears some resemblance to the flags of Costa Rica and Cambodia, though the order and proportion of the colors differ considerably.

You can view the flag of Thailand in high resolution above and download it in several sizes for personal, educational or reference use. To explore more, visit the full Thailand profile, its map, or the current local time in Bangkok.