The Royal Standard of Thailand ( th, ธงมหาราช ''Thong Maharat'') is the official flag of the
King of Thailand
The monarchy of Thailand (whose monarch is referred to as the king of Thailand; th, พระมหากษัตริย์ไทย, or historically, king of Siam; th, พระมหากษัตริย์สยาม) refers to the c ...
. The present form was adopted in 1910 under
Vajiravudh (Rama VI), superseding the first Royal Standard created by
Mongkut in 1855. In 1979, the designs were codified by law; specifically in Article 2 of the Flag Act of 1979 (พระราชบัญญัติธง พ.ศ. ๒๕๒๒), which also regulated Thailand's
other flags. The standard is currently used by Maha
Vajiralongkorn, also known as Rama X, since 2016.
Description
The Royal Standard consists of a bright yellow square with a red Royal
Garuda
Garuda (Sanskrit: ; Pāli: ; Vedic Sanskrit: गरुळ Garuḷa) is a Hindu demigod and divine creature mentioned in the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faiths. He is primarily depicted as the mount (''vahana'') of the Hindu god Vishnu. Garuda ...
at the center. The mythical
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
and
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
beast, the Garuda, is the
national emblem
A national emblem is an emblem or seal that is reserved for use by a nation state or multi-national state as a symbol of that nation. Many nations have a seal or emblem in addition to a national flag
A national flag is a flag that represents ...
and the official symbol or 'arms' of the King. The Garuda has been the symbol of the monarchy since
Ayutthaya. Readopted in 1910, Vajiravudh decided to replace all of the Royal Standards to feature the Garuda.
Uses
The standards are usually hoisted at the King's palace of residence, sea or land vehicles and as an emblem on the side of the royal aircraft. The standard is also used on ceremonial occasions and official business by the King. The use of these standards are reserved exclusively to the monarchy and are not commonly seen. Unlike the King's
personal flag which are commonly seen all over Thailand, usually flying alongside the
National flag.
Other members of the royal family
The Law also adopted flags for other members of the
Royal Family as well as the
Regent
A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...
of Thailand.
Gallery
File:ในหลวงรัชกาลที่ 8 หลังสงครามโลกครั้งที่ 2 ยุติ.jpg,
File:Rajawong fai nai flag for Princess Galyani (2).jpg,
File:HM King Bhumibol 2010-12-5 1.jpg,
File:Princess Sirindhorn follow the royal chariot in the royal funeral procession of Princess Bejaratana Rajasuda.JPG,
Historical standards
Fourth reign
Mongkut (Rama IV) felt the need to create a Royal standard to distinguish his royal barge from other vessels during his many travels around the Kingdom and to fly above the
Grand Palace when he is in residence. In 1855 a Royal Standard was created called the 'Thong Chom Klao' (ธงจอมเกล้า).
The standard featured a red rectangular flag with a smaller dark blue rectangle inside. Within the dark blue rectangle depicts the
Great Crown of Victory
The Great Crown of Victory ( th, พระมหาพิชัยมงกุฎ; ) is one of the regalia of Thailand. Made of gold and enamelled in red and green during the reign of King Rama I in 1782, the crown is 66 centimeters (26 inches) h ...
on a stand flanked by two seven-tiered Royal Umbrellas. The Crown itself is derived from the King's personal seal, which in itself is a
canting
' (IPA: , VOS Spelling: ''tjanting'', jv, ꦕꦤ꧀ꦛꦶꦁ, Tjanting) is a pen-like tool used to apply liquid hot wax ( jv, ) in the batik-making process in Indonesia, more precisely ''batik tulis'' (lit. "written batik"). Traditional '' ...
of both his given name and ceremonial name: Mongkut (มงกุฎ) and Chom Klao (จอมเกล้า) both meaning 'Crown' in Thai. The crown and the umbrellas are situated on a golden platform.
However the sight of an empty flagpole when the King was not in residence at the palace was considered inauspicious, therefore a second flag was ordered to be hoisted during the King's absence. This flag is called the 'Thong Airapot' (ธงไอยราพต), the rectangular red flag depicts a mythical three-headed
white elephant
A white elephant is a possession that its owner cannot dispose of, and whose cost, particularly that of maintenance, is out of proportion to its usefulness. In modern usage, it is a metaphor used to describe an object, construction project, sch ...
(
Airavata
Indra (alias Sakra) and Shachi riding the five-headed Divine Elephant Airavata, Folio from a Jain text, Panch Kalyanaka">Shachi.html" ;"title="Indra (alias Sakra) and Shachi">Indra (alias Sakra) and Shachi riding the five-headed Divine Elepha ...
) in full regalia standing on a golden base with a golden pavilion on its back. Within the pavilion is the Thai symbol for
Aum or Unalom. The elephant is then flanked on two sides are two seven-tiered Royal Umbrellas.
Fifth reign
In 1891, King
Chulalongkorn (Rama V) decided to promulgate a new law to reform the Royal Standard and create for the first time ranks flags for members of the Royal Family. The Royal Standard was changed by adding the new
Arms of Dominion, which is a golden shield divided into three parts. The first in yellow depicts a three-headed mythical elephant representing Siam, the second quarter in red depicts a single white elephant for
Laos (
Lan Xang
existed as a unified kingdom from 1353 to 1707.
For three and a half centuries, Lan Xang was one of the largest kingdoms in Southeast Asia. The meaning of the kingdom's name alludes to the power of the kingship and formidable war machine of the ea ...
) and the third quarter in pink depicts two crossed
Krisses for the
Malay suzerainty (Siam was later forced to relinquish these territories by the French and British, respectively). Inside the crown the symbol for the Chakri Dynasty is added; it depicts an intertwined
Chakra and
Trisula. The flag ratio is 5:6 The name of the Royal Standard was then changed to 'Thong Boromrajathawat Maha Siaminthra' (ธงบรมราชธวัชมหาสยามินทร์), A few years later in 1897 the name was permanently changed to 'Thong Maharaj'.
The King retained the second colours by replacing the Unalom with his own Royal cypher (จ ป ร, derive from "จุฬาลงกรณ์ ปรมราชาธิราช": Chulalongkorn Paramarajadhiraja; equivalent to Chulalongkorn Rex), which in turn is topped by the Royal Coronet or
Phra Kiao (พระเกี้ยว). The name of this flag was also changed to the 'Thong Chudhathipathai' (ธงจุฑาธิปไตย).
Other members of the royal family
Sixth reign
In 1910 Vajiravudh replaced the Royal Standard and Royal rank flags to mirror the change of the national emblem from the Coat of Arms of Siam to the Royal Garuda. These flags are retained and in use to this day. Six years later he also redesigned the
national flag and naval ensigns.
See also
*
Royal flags of Thailand - Personal flags of the various members of the
Thai Royal Family
The Chakri dynasty ( th, ราชวงศ์ จักรี, , , ) is the current reigning dynasty of the Kingdom of Thailand, the head of the house is the king, who is head of state. The family has ruled Thailand since the founding of the ...
*
Emblem of Thailand
The national emblem of Thailand ( th, ตราแผ่นดินของไทย) is called the ' (Royal Thai General System of Transcription, RTGS transcription: Phra Khrut Pha; "Garuda as the vehicle" (of Vishnu)). The Garuda was officia ...
*
Monarchy of Thailand
*
Royal Standard
In heraldry and vexillology, a heraldic flag is a flag containing coats of arms, heraldic badges, or other devices used for personal identification.
Heraldic flags include banners, standards, pennons and their variants, gonfalons, guidons, and ...
*
List of Thai flags
This is a list of flags used in Thailand.
National flag
Royal flags
Royal standards
Personal royal flags
Royal Thai Government flags
Naval flags
Military flags
Police flag
Religious flags
Diplomatic flags
Provi ...
References
External links
Flag Act, Article 2Siam Flag museum
{{DEFAULTSORT:Royal Standard Of Thailand
1
Thai monarchy
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
Flags introduced in 1910
Flags displaying animals