The flag of the Kingdom of Siam
was created during the reign of
King Rama II and flew on all Siamese sea-going vessels The symbol
of a white elephant on a red background was chosen because white
elephants are considered very auspicious by Thais. King Rama II
was known as the 'White Elephant King' as he had three of these
noble animals in his possession during his reign. The five
horizontal stripes of three colors-red, white, and blue-have very
significant meanings. Red signifies the life-blood of Thai
people; the white stripe symbolizes the purity of Buddhism, the
national religion; and the dominant blue stripe, the monarchy and
the important part it plays in the daily life of the Thai people.
The present national flag , the "Trai-rong" or three colors , was
designed by King Rama VI and was first used on September 28,
1917. The flag is raised daily at 8.00 am and lowered at 6.00 pm
at all official buildings, public places, large private
enterprises, and schools, usually to the accompaniment of the
Thai National Anthem. The flag is also flown nationwide on
national holidays.