Thailand Flag

The flag of Thailand consists of five horizontal stripes of red, white, blue, white and red. The central blue stripe is twice as wide as each of the other four lines on the flag. This design was officially adopted on September 28, 2017, and there is a national holiday on this date every year in Thailand. According to Thai history, the King of Thailand at the time, Rama VI saw the flag hanging upside-down and decided that a symmetrical flag of Thailand was needed. Later in 1917, the middle, and most prominent colour, was changed to blue, reflecting the day the King was born as well as solidarity with the Allies of World War I.

The colours in the flag of Thailand represent the nation, Buddhism and other religions, and the King of Thailand. Red is symbolic of the land and the people of Thailand, white is the symbol of religious harmony, and blue is the symbol of the monarchy. This flag is also known as the Thong Trairong or Tricolour flag.

King Rama VI is widely credited with designing the modern flag of Thailand in 1917 and adopting it as the national symbol the same year after a royal decree. King Rama VI has a legacy in Thailand of promoting nationalism, and he thought that this symbol was appropriate. The 1979 Flag Law states the flag must be “of rectangular shape with a width of 6 parts and a length of 9 parts divided into five strips in the whole length of the flag, with the middle a strip of 2 parts in width, a dark blue colour, and white stripes that are 1 wide part next to each side of the deep blue stripes, and the red stripes that are 1 part wide at side of either side of the white stripes”.

A previous flag of Thailand depicts a white elephant in regalia, facing the mast side of the flag, centered in a red field. This flag was in use until 1917 when a very similar flag to the current version, replacing the blue stripe with red, was in use for the civil ensign. The earliest known flag of Thailand was a simple red rectangular field which was in use during the Ayutthaya and Thonburi periods of rule. Thailand has several flags and symbols for their royal family that are different to the national flag.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

More on Graphicmaps

Published on 2019-11-06


Capital	Bangkok
Languages	Thai (official) 90.7%, Burmese 1.3%, other 8%
Ethnic Groups	Thai 97.5%, Burmese 1.3%, other 1.1%, unspecified <.1% (2015 est.)
Religion	Buddhist 94.6%, Muslim 4.3%, Christian 1%, other <.1%, none <.1% (2015 est.)
Government	Constitutional monarchy; note - interim military-affiliated government since May 2014
Independance	1238 (traditional founding date; never colonized)
Area	513,120.00 km²
Water Area	2,230.00 km²
Land Area	510,890.00 km²
Population	68,200,824.00 Highest population density is found in and around Bangkok; significant population clusters found througout large parts of the country, particularly east / northeast of Bankok and in the extreme southern region of the country
Location	Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma
No. Bordering Countries	4
Bordering Countries	Burma 2,416 km, Cambodia 817 km, Laos 1,845 km, Malaysia 595 km
GDP(PPP)	$1,160,000,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$16,800.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are the United States, China, and Japan.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are automobiles and parts, computers and parts, jewelry and precious stones, and polymers.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are China, Japan, and the United States.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include machinery, crude oil, and chemicals.
Climate	Tropical; hot, humid; distinct rainy and dry seasons
Terrain	Central plain; Khorat Plateau in the east; mountains elsewhere
Learn More	Thailand

Thailand Flag

More on Graphicmaps

What is a Trade Embargo?

Which Two Countries Used to Have the Same Flag?

What Is the Only Two-Sided State Flag?

Which Country Flag Looks Like the Texas Flag?

Flags That Resemble the US Flag

What is Demography?