Flag of Thailand - Thong Trairong

[Braveheart]

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

[Khun Scalawag]

Interesting since Siam didn't become Thailand until 1937 or 1938.

[Braveheart]

Agreed, it would seem to be an oddity in that it did not change flags when it changed names.

[Khun Scalawag]

Agreed, it would seem to be an oddity in that it did not change flags when it changed names.

Weren't the borders re-drawn at the same time?

[Braveheart]

I'm not sure exactly as I am still learning Thai history and am not overly knowledgeable yet. What I do know is that the Southern border with Malaysia was set in 1909 by the Anglo-Siamese Treaty, Franco-Siamese treaties of 1893 and 1904 made Isan the frontier between Siam and French Indochina.

 

In 1904 in order to get back Chantaburi, Siam had to give Trat to French Indochina. Trat became part of Thailand again on March 23, 1906 in exchange for many areas east of the Mekong river like Battambang, Siam Nakhon and Sisophon. After the Paknam crisis in 1893 the French colonist troops occupied Chanthaburi, returning it in 1905 when Thailand gave up ownership of the western part of Cambodia.

 

It appears that both the South and Eastern borders were well decided by the time the flag was changed but as I said I am not really sure as I dug this information up very quickly and have not had an opportunity to review other areas of the country.

 

Was this what you were thinking of?

[Khun Scalawag]

Along that line.

I gave up some time ago trying to research Thai history as I never read the same account twice. Everyone was different.

[Braveheart]

Thanks for clearing that up. I thought I was the only one that found Thai history utterly confusing. Actually it's not just Thai history I find confusing but almost all of SEA. You are right when you say dates don't read the same in 2 different accounts which is fine when they are only off by a day or 2 but they are off by months and years in many cases.

[layow]

I like the old flag

 

The present one looks to similar to the french one.

[koko]

colour of flage

Red is mean = nation; nationality

white = religious

Blue = Kings