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The flag of Thailand shows five horizontal stripes in the colors red, white, blue, white and red. The middle blue strip is twice as wide as the other four. The three colors red-white-blue stand for nation-religion-king, an unofficial motto of Thailand. The flag was adopted on September 28 1917. The Thai name for the flag is ธงไตรรงค์ (Thong Trairong), which simply means tricolour flag.

The first flag used for Siam was probably a plain red one, first used under King Narai (1656-1688). Naval flags later used different symbols on the red ground—a white chakra (the Buddhist wheel), a white elephant inside the chakra, or a white disc with a sun inside.

Officially the first flag was created in 1855 by King Mongkut (Rama IV), showing a white elephant (a royal symbol) on red ground, as the plain coloured flag was not distinct enough for international relations.

In 1916 the flag was changed to the current design, but with the middle colour being the same red as the outer stripe. The story goes that during a flood King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) saw the flag hanging upside-down, and to prevent this from happening again created a new flag which was symmetrical. In 1917 the middle color was changed to blue, the colour for Friday, the day King Vajiravudh was born. According to other sources, the blue colour was chosen to show solidarity with the Allies of World War I, which also had the colours blue-red-white in their flags.

An interesting fact is that the flag is just like the flag of Costa Rica but with the blue and red colors inverted. Costa Rica often puts its coat of arms on it to avoid confusion from afar or in international settings.

[edit] Naval ensign

The naval ensign of Thailand was adopted in 1917.

[edit] Naval jack

The naval jack of Thailand was adopted in 1917.

[edit] Sources

• Macharoen, Chawingam (2002). Thong Thai Laem 1. ISBN 974-419-454-5.

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Flags of formerly independent states

de:Flagge Thailands

et:Tai lipp es:Bandera de Tailandia ko:타이의 국기 id:Bendera Thailand it:Bandiera thailandese he:דגל תאילנד hu:Thaiföld zászlaja ms:Bendera Thai nl:Vlag van Thailand ja:タイの国旗 pl:Flaga Tajlandii pt:Bandeira da Tailândia ru:Флаг Таиланда sv:Thailands flagga th:ธงชาติไทย