Thailand

Muang Thai

Last modified: 1997-09-03 by joan-francés blanc
Keywords: thailand | siam | asia | elephant | japan |
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by joan-francés blanc<

• Presentation of Thailand
• Royal Standard
• Historical flags
• Thailand 1916-1917

Presentation of Thailand

Full name: Muang Thai
Location: South East Asia
A short history:
The original name was Siam. 1893 cedes Laos to France. 1939 change name Thailand. 1943-45 as an ally of Japan occupies 4 northern Malay states. 1945-49 Named Siam again. 1949 Regains the Thailand name.
joan-francés blanc, 13-NOV-1996

Royal Standard

Thailand's Royal Standard is a yellow flag with the royal arms in the center, 1:1. the royal arms are difficult to describe, it is a Garuda, a mythical figure with a human torso and arms, a demonic face, bird legs and wings and a bird's tail. it is dressed in gold, with a crown, bracelets, arm bands, a necklace, ana a girdle or loin cloth. the lower half of the legs are also gold.
nathan augustine, 08-APR-1996

Garuda, incidentally, is originally a Hindu god, a combination bird/human creature. There's a whole legend behind his birth and doings, but let's just say that he was pretty cool. :-) I'm not sure how he got to be so associated with Thailand and Indonesia (I think their national airline is called Garuda), though.
dipesh navsaria, 10-APR-1996

1913: the ensign is red with a white elephant, standing and facing the hoist. In the state ensign the elephant is wearing a harness and other regillia and there is a sun or rose in the canton, all white. In the merchant ensign the elephant is plain.
1941: The national flag is the same as today, the naval ensign is the same also except that on a red circle in the center with the state elephant on it.
nathan augustine 5-DEC-1995

The flag of Siam consists of a scarlet field on which is a white elephant. The elephant is in full trappings and harness and stands on a platform. In the upper corner next to the hoist appear a pogoda-crowned anchor and a wheel. The elephant recalls the tradition of the founder of the nation. Before Xacca, the reputed founder, was born, his mother dreamed that she had given birth to a white elephant. The Brahmans affirmed that Xacca, after undergoing 80,000 reincarnations, finally did actually become a white elephant, and as such was received into the company of the celestial deities. On this account the white elephant is held a sacred beast, and the Siamese rejoice to place themselves beneath so potent a protector. One further intersting note: the "Siam Merchant" is identical to the modern Thai flag but the middle stripe is red and not blue.
josh fruhlinger 20-FEB-1996

According to Crampton's Observer's Book of Flags, the blue was added in 1917 to show solidarity with the Allies. ISTR reading elsewhere it was when Siam joined WW1 on the Allied side.
roy stilling 21-FEB-1996

A white elephant appeared on the flag in 1817. In 1855 the flag was plain red with a white elephant on the centre. In 1891 the elephant is shown caparisoned. In 1916 a simplified civil ensign (see 1916 flag). In 1917 the central stripe is altererd to blue to express solidarity with the Allies as W. Crampton says.
joan-francés blanc, 13-NOV-1996