Flag of Thailand

Thailand's flag, officially adopted in 1917, features five horizontal stripes. The central stripe is a broad band of blue, flanked by two narrower white stripes. Red stripes of equal width to the white stripes occupy the uppermost and lowermost positions.

The colors of the Thai flag are said to represent the nation's core values. Red symbolizes the land and the people. White represents purity and Buddhism, the nation's primary religion. The central blue stripe stands for the monarchy.

Prior to 1917, Thailand, then known as Siam, used a red flag with a white elephant. King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) introduced the current design to replace earlier flags. The adoption occurred during World War I when Thailand joined the Allied powers, though the specific reasons for the design choice are debated.