List of Thai flags explained

This is a list of flags used in Thailand.

Royal flags

Royal standards

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1911–		A yellow plain square flag with a dancing red Garuda in the center. Usually mounted in front of the car boarded by the King.
	2019 –	Standard of Queen Sirikit the Queen Mother	Similar to the Royal Standard in the ratio of 2:3 with swallow-tail end and the royal monogram of Queen Sirikit at the canton.^[1]
	1911–		King's Standard in ratio 2:3 with swallow-tailed end.
	1979–	Standard for Senior members of the royal family (created for the Princess Mother)	Queen's Standard in ratio 2:3 with swallow-tailed end. The blue middle square depicts the Royal Crown atop two bowls on a table flanked by two five-tiered royal umbrellas.
	1911–	Standard of the Crown Prince of Thailand.	Thai king's standard with blue border.
	2019 –		Dark blue rectangle with the ratio of 2:3 defaced with the Royal Standard. The flag is swallow-tail and has the royal monogram of Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn at the canton.
	2019 –		Dark blue rectangle defaced with yellow circle. The circle features the red Garuda. At the canton of the blue field has the royal monogram of Princess Chulabhorn Walailak. The flag is swallow-tail
	1911–	Standard for the Royal Consort of the Crown Prince of Thailand.	Blue 2:3 rectangle defaced with King's Standard. The flag is swallow-tailed.
	1911–	Standard for other princes in the Chakri dynasty.	Blue square defaced with yellow circle. The circle features red Garuda.
	1911–	Standard for other princesses in the Chakri dynasty.	Standard for the male royalties in ratio 2:3 with swallow-tailed end.
	1936–	Standard for the Regent of Thailand.	A white plain square flag with the Garuda and a shield depicting the National Flag in the center.

Personal royal flags

See main article: Royal flags of Thailand.

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	2016–present		Yellow flag (the King's birthday colour), the middle the depicts the Royal Cypher (ว.ป.ร.: มหาวชิราลงกรณ ปรมราชาธิราช : Mahavajiralongkorn Paramarajadhiraja (Thai equivalent to Vajiralongkorn Rex), topped by the Great Crown of Victory, in between is the Thai numeral of 10.
	1950–present		Blue flag (the Queen's birthday colour), the middle the depicts the Royal Cypher (ส.ก.: สิริกิติ์ : Sirikit), the middle is Queen Sirikit's Royal Cypher, topped by the Great Crown of Victory.
	2019–present		Purple flag (the Queen's birthday colour), the middle the depicts the Royal Cypher (ส.ท.: สุทิดา : Suthida), the middle is Queen Suthida's Royal Cypher, topped by the Great Crown of Victory.
	1977–present		Purple flag (the Princess' birthday colour), the middle the depicts the Royal Cypher (ส.ธ.: สิรินธร : Sirindhorn), the middle is the Royal Cypher, topped by the simplified crown.
	1982–present		Orange flag (the Princess' birthday colour), the middle the depicts the Royal Cypher (จ.ภ.: จุฬาภรณวลัยลักษณ์ : Chulabhorn), the middle is the Royal Cypher, topped by the simplified crown.
	2001–present		Red flag (the Princess' birthday colour), the middle the depicts the Royal Cypher (อ.ร.: อุบลรัตนราชกัญญา : Ubolratana), the middle is the Royal Cypher, but not topped by the simplified crown.
	1977–present		Purple flag (the Princess' birthday colour), the middle the depicts the Royal Cypher (ส.ส.: โสมสวลี : Soamsawali), the middle is the Royal Cypher, under the Buddhist/Hindu sacred sign of "Unalome".
	2019–present		Orange flag (the Princess' birthday colour), the middle the depicts the Royal Cypher (พ.ภ.: พัชรกิติยาภา : Bajrakitiyabha), the middle is the Royal Cypher, topped by the simplified crown.
			Orange flag (the Princess' birthday colour), the middle the depicts the Royal Cypher (ส.ร.: สิริวัณณวรีนารีรัตน์ : Sirivannavari), the middle is the Royal Cypher, topped by the simplified crown.
			Blue flag (the Prince's birthday colour), the middle the depicts the Royal Cypher (ท.ป.: ทีปังกรรัศมีโชติ : Dipangkorn), the middle is the Royal Cypher, topped by the simplified crown.
	1982–present		Blue flag (the Princess' birthday colour), the middle the depicts the Royal Cypher (ส.ภ.: สิริภาจุฑาภรณ์ : Siribhachudabhorn), the middle is the Royal Cypher, topped by the glowing tiara.
	2016–present		Purple flag (the Princess' birthday colour), the middle the depicts the Royal Cypher (อ.ก.: อทิตยาทรกิติคุณ : Aditayadornkitikhun), the middle is the Royal Cypher.

Royal Thai Government flags

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1979–		White flag in ratio 5:6 with the Prime Minister's seal under the royal crown.
	1936–		White flag in ratio 5:6 with the Emblem of the Ministry of Defence in the center. The emblem consists of a red chakra (Army), the dark blue anchor (Navy) and the sky blue wings (Air Force).
	1979–		White flag in ratio 5:6 with the National Assembly of Thailand's seal under the royal crown.
			White flag in ratio 5:6 with the Supreme Court of Thailand's seal under the royal crown.

Naval flags

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1917–		A national flag with the emblem of Royal Thai Navy in the center: a chakra inserted with an anchor under the Thai royal crown. The design is identical to Thai naval unit colours. Note that all Thai Army, Navy and Air Force unit colours called "Thong Chai Chalermphol .
			A red disc containing a white elephant in regalia centred on the national flag.

Military flags

See main article: List of Military flags of Thailand.

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1979–	Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters Flag	Red, Navy blue and Sky blue flag with the emblem of Royal Thai Armed Forces: at the center of the tricolour is a badge of the Headquarters with a golden Chakra, with an anchor with golden chains and golden Wings, surrounded by a golden wreath. (from Flag law B.E.2522 (1979)).
		Royal Thai Army Flag	Red flag with the emblem of Royal Thai Army: a chakra under Unalom and the Thai royal crown with rays flanked by the wreaths (from Flag law B.E.2522 (1979)).
		Royal Thai Navy Flag	Navy blue flag with the emblem of Royal Thai Navy in the white circle (from Flag law B.E.2522 (1979)).
		Royal Thai Air Force Flag	Blue sky flag with the emblem of Royal Thai Air Force: wings with Unalom under the Thai royal crown and rays (from Flag law B.E.2522 (1979)).
			Red, Navy blue and Sky blue flag with the emblem of Royal Thai Armed Forces with five stars underneath.
			Red flag with the emblem of Royal Thai Army with five stars underneath.
	1897–		Navy blue flag with the emblem of Royal Thai Navy.
	1979–		Sky blue flag with yellow borders and the emblem of Royal Thai Air Force with a shield depicting the National flag.
	2016–		Yellow flag in the ratio of 2:3, with dark yellow borders and an emblem depicting an escutcheon depicting the National flag, behind are a pair of wings, topped by the Great Crown of Victory, with blue rays and a white Aum/ Rama IX Monument

Police flag

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1958–		Maroon red flag with the emblem of the Thai National Police in the center.
	1979–	Pitak Santiraj flag	An honour flag of the Royal Thai Police according to the Thai Flag Act of B.E. 2522 (1979). It has the same characteristics and colors as the National Flag but in the centre of the flag is the coat of arms of Siam during the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), with the words "To Protect the People's Peace" (พิทักษ์สันติราษฎร์ – pronounce "Pitak Santiraj") embroidered in silver metallic threads embracing the underside of the coat of arms.

Diplomatic flags

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1927–	Ambassador Standard of Thailand	A blue disc containing a white elephant in regalia centred on the national flag.
		Consular Flag of Thailand	Triranga surmounted with blue disc containing a white elephant.

Provincial flags

Flag	Date	Use	Description
			Purple flag with the Seal of Amnat Charoen Province in the center.
			Yellow, Green bicolor with yellow on top and green on the bottom with the Provincial Seal on the center.
			Green flag with the Seal of the Bangkok Metropolitan, in white at the center. Used by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and the Governor of Bangkok.
			Purple, White, purple with the center bar being wider than the purple bars with the Provincial Seal on the center.
			Purple and Orange flag split in half vertically with the Purple on the left and the Orange on the right with the Provincial Seal in the center.
			Red flag with the Seal of Chachoengsao Province in the center.
			Pink flag with the Provincial Seal in the center.
			The flag of Chanthaburi Province has a red background with the province seal.
			The flag of Chiang Mai Province is blue and has a white elephant standing on a podium in a green circle.
			The flag of Chiang Rai Province is a vertical tricolor band, two with blue and one with light purple and an elephant in the center.

Historical flags

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	c. 1680–1782		A red plain rectangular flag.
	1782–1817	State ensign of Siam	Red flag with a white chakra.
	1817–1832	State ensign of Siam	Red flag with a white elephant inside the chakra.
	1832–1916	Flag of Siam	A white elephant facing to the hoist in the red flag. Called in Thai language "Thong Chang Phueak (ธงช้างเผือก)^[2] (the white elephant flag). Commonly attributed to Rama IV's reign but was first implemented during the reign of Rama III.^[3]
	1916–1917	State flag and ensign of Siam	Red flag with a white elephant in regalia.
	1917	Former flag of Siam	Five horizontal stripes flag like the Trairanga but the middle stripe is red. It is currently used by several anti-monarchists due to its omission of the colour blue which symbolizes the monarchy.

Naval jacks

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1881–1897	Naval Ensign of Siam	Red flag with a white elephant in regalia, with a white Chakra at the top corner.
	1898–1912	Naval Ensign of Siam	Red flag with a white elephant in regalia.
	1912–1917	Naval Ensign of Siam	Red flag with a white elephant in regalia, with the emblem of the Royal Thai Navy at the top corner.
	1855–1881	Naval Jack of Siam	Blue flag with a white elephant.
	1881–1917	Naval Jack of Siam	Blue flag with a white elephant in regalia.

War flags

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1917–1918	Standard of the Siamese Expeditionary Force, Obverse	Triranga defaced with a red disc containing dressed white elephant, facing a flagpole. Briefly, its appearance is the same as naval ensign, but both red banners of the flag contains a stanza from a Buddhist chant in Pali (the Jayamangala Gatha), written in Thai script: "พาหุํสหัส์สมภินิม์มิตสาวุธัน์ตํ ค๎รีเมขลํอุทิตโฆรสเสนมารํ ทานาทิธัม์มวิธินาชิตวามุนิน์โท ตัน์เตชสาภวตุเมชยสิทธินิจ์จํ".
		Standard of the Siamese Expeditionary Force, Reverse	Triranga defaced with a red disc containing King Vajiravudh's personal emblem. The emblem features Thai acronym "ร.ร." and Thai digit six ("๖"), both are displayed under the glowing crown. Both red banners of the flag contains the same chant in Thai script as the obverse.

Diplomatic flags

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1873–1912	Ambassadorial Standard of Siam	State flag with the crowned arms of Siam at its canton.
		Consular Flag of Siam	State flag with the escutcheon of Siam at its canton.
	1912–1917	Ambassadorial Standard of Siam	State flag with blue circle at its canton. The circle contains Garuda holding crown.
		Consular Flag of Siam	State flag with blue circle at its canton. The circle contains Garuda with outstretched wings.
	1917–1927	Ambassadorial Standard and Consular Flag of Siam	Triranga surmounted with white elephant, facing a pole.

Prime Minister flags

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1936–1939	Flag of the Prime Minister
	1939–1943	Flag of the Prime Minister
	1943–1979	Flag of the Prime Minister

Royal Thai Government flags

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1938–1941	Flag of the Minister of Economy
	1938–1979	Flag of the Minister of Education
	1938–1979	Flag of the Minister of Finance
	1938–1979	Flag of the Minister of Foreign Affair
	1938–1979	Flag of the Minister of Interior
	1938–1979	Flag of the Minister of Justice

See also

• Royal Flags of Thailand
• Royal Standard of Thailand
• List of Military flags of Thailand
• Seals of The Provinces of Thailand

References

1. ราชกิจจานุเบกษา, ระเบียบส่วนราชการในพระองค์ว่าด้วยการใช้ การเชิญ การแสดงธงพระอิสริยยศและการถวายความเคารพโดยใช้ธงชัยเฉลิมพล พ.ศ. ๒๕๖๒, เล่ม 136, ตอนพิเศษ 117 ง, 10 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2562, หน้า 2–12
2. Web site: Siam Bandiera mercantile 1839 . 25 September 2004 . Roberto Breschi. it . https://web.archive.org/web/20041208223916/http://www.rbvex.it/asiapag/thailandia.html . 8 December 2004.
3. https://drive.google.com/file/d/181F5jH2Bq6sQJg3n3j_rKQ9W_bBcQu4h/view Supplement of The Singapore Free Press 26th October 1843

External links

Government

• Thai royal flags (from Thai MOD's site)
• Thai Naval ensign and others naval flags (from Thai Naval Museum)
• Thai naval flags

Private

• Siam Flag museum (White Elephant Flag)
• Thai Flag museum (Tricolors)
• Timeline of Thai Flag wrote by Damrong Rajanubhab
• Historical thai flag
• Flag Law B.E. 2522 (Current Thai flag law in Thai language)