History of Thai clothing facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Thai traditional costumes are special clothes from Thailand's past. They changed a lot over time, depending on the city and the kings who ruled. These clothes can be grouped into six different periods, starting from the 13th century. Long ago, people wore these traditional outfits every day. But now, they are mostly worn for important events like traditional Thai weddings.

Sukhothai Clothing (13th-15th Century)
Ayutthaya Clothing (14th-18th Century)
Rattanakosin Clothing
- Early Rattanakosin Styles
- Modern Rattanakosin Styles
Fascist Thailand (1940s)
Contemporary Thai Clothing
See also

Sukhothai Clothing (13th-15th Century)

The Sukhothai clothing style was popular from the 13th to the 15th century. During this time, the city of Sukhothai brought other Thai cities together to form one kingdom.

Men in Sukhothai wore simple tops with long sleeves and a V-shaped neck. They also had a cloth piece over their shoulders. Their lower body was covered with a loincloth made of silk, held in place by a large metal or gold belt.

Women wore long silk sarongs, which are like wrap-around skirts, often with painted flowers. Their tops usually had full silk sleeves. Married women would also wrap another piece of silk or fabric around their chests.

Ayutthaya Clothing (14th-18th Century)

Portrait of Siamese State Officials, an 18th-century painting.

Ayutthaya clothing was the style from the 14th to the 18th centuries. The city of Ayutthaya was the capital of Thailand for 417 years. This was the longest time Thailand was ruled by one king. Many clothing styles came from the Ayutthaya period. Fashion changed often because of influences from other countries that traded with the kingdom.

Historically, both Thai men and women wore a wrap-around cloth called a chong kraben. Men wore their chong kraben from their waist to about halfway down their thighs. Women wore theirs from their waist to well below their knees. It was normal for people to have bare chests and bare feet. This can be seen in old paintings, books, and photos from before the mid-1800s.

In the royal court, kings and noblemen wore special items. They wore a lomphok, which is a tall, pointed hat made of white cloth wrapped around a bamboo frame. They also wore a Khrui, which is a light outer robe for ceremonies. Traditional Thai clothing changed a lot during the later Rattanakosin period.

Thai traditional costumes in the Bangkok National Museum.
A Burmese painting of an Ayutthaya king.
Thai delegates in Peking in 1761.
Ok-khun Chamnan, a Thai ambassador who visited France in 1688.
The Ayutthayan official Kosa Pan wearing a Lomphok and Khrui.
Kosa Pan wearing a lomphok and Khrui in 1686.
Claude de Forbin wearing Ayutthayan mandarin dress.
The French ambassador meets King Narai in 1685.
A Thai official wearing a Lomphok and Chong kraben.
Portrait of Thai noblemen.

Rattanakosin Clothing

Early Rattanakosin Styles

During the early Rattanakosin period, people in central Thailand dressed much like they did in Ayutthaya. However, after the Second Fall of Ayutthaya and repeated attacks from Burma, central Thai women started cutting their hair very short, in a crew-cut style. This short hairstyle was popular until the 1900s.

Before the 20th century, the main way to tell someone's social class by their clothes was by the type of fabric. Richer people used silk with fancy patterns. But both common people and royals wore wrapped clothes, not stitched ones.

Men's clothing
Binnya Sein, a commander in the early 1800s.
Prince Svasti Sobhana wearing royal clothes from the early Rattanakosin period.
Prince Nakkhatra Mangala wearing royal clothes from the early Rattanakosin period.
The Thai embassy to France in 1861, wearing formal clothes.
Prince Ammarit, before 1870.
Sri Suriyawongse, a Prime Minister in 1865.
Prince Yodyingyot, before 1885.
Young Prince Chulalongkorn and his brothers in 1851.
A 19th-century Thai boatman.
Thai men squatting in early Rattanakosin style clothing.

Women's clothing
A Thai girl in early Rattanakosin style clothing, 1921.
Princess Kinnari, 1819.
Queen Sunandha wearing early Rattanakosin style clothing.
Tieng Rojanadis, a consort of King Mongkut.
A Thai peasant, 1904.
Queen Debsirindra in early Rattanakosin style clothing, 1855.
Daughters of King Rama II and King Rama III.
Lady Pun Bunnag in early Rattanakosin style clothing, 1866.
Princess Ying Yaowalak Akkharatchasuda (1851–1886).
Daughters of King Mongkut (Rama IV) in early Rattanakosin style clothing.
A traditional Thai female music group.
Queen Savang Vadhana in 1879.
Princess Nariratana.
Queen Somanass Waddhanawathy.
Princess Thip Keson of Chiang Mai, before 1884.
Princess Dara Rasmi wearing a pha sin and pha biang, 1909.
Princess Lamom, before 1896.
Thai women in 1890.

Modern Rattanakosin Styles

From the 1860s, Thai royals started to adopt Victorian styles. They used these new looks to appear modern both in Thailand and to other countries. Stitched clothing, including court outfits and uniforms, were created during the reign of King Chulalongkorn. Western clothing became popular among city people in Bangkok during this time.

In the early 1900s, King Vajiravudh encouraged Thai women to grow their hair long instead of keeping it short. He also wanted them to wear pha sinh (ผ้าซิ่น), which is a tubular skirt, instead of the chong kraben (โจงกระเบน) wrap.

Noblemen's clothing
King Chulalongkorn wearing the raj pattern costume.
Prince Damrong Rajanubhab wearing the raj pattern costume, 1900.
King Vajiravudh wearing the raj pattern with a khrui robe.
Prince Vividhavannapreecha in 1893.
Mom Luang Pin Malakul as a student in the 1910s.

Noblewomen's clothing
Queen consort Sukhumala Marasri with her mother and daughters in 1880.
Queen consort Sukhumala Marasri and princesses in 1887.
Queen Saovabha Phongsri in 1897.
Chum Krairoek and her daughters in the 1900s.
Princess Puangsoi Sa-ang, 1880.
Princess Suddha Dibyaratana, before 1910.
Princess Saisavali Bhiromya, 1887.
Chao Chom Mom Rajawongse Sadap.
Princes Mankhian.
Thai princesses in 1890.
Daughters of King Rama V, 1904.
Prince Dilok Noppharat and his mother, Princess Thip Keson, 1896.
Prince Yugala Dighambara and his mother, Princess Saisavali Bhiromya, before 1905.
Prince Mahidol Adulyadej with his sister and mother, Queen Sri Savarindira, 1925.

Fascist Thailand (1940s)

On January 15, 1941, Prime Minister Plaek Pibulsonggram issued a new rule. This rule was part of a plan to make Thai dress more modern and Western. It stated that old customs like not wearing shirts or wearing only a wrap-around cloth were not proper public clothing anymore.

Contemporary Thai Clothing

The formal Thai costume is called ชุดไทยพระราชนิยม (chut thai phra ratcha niyom). This means "Thai dress of royal endorsement." It includes several different outfits. These were created in the second half of the 20th century to be the official Thai national costume for formal events.

Women's clothing
Princess Sirindhorn wearing the "Chut Thai Amarin".
Princess Soamsavali wearing the "Chut Thai Amarin".
Princess Ubolratana wearing the "Chut Thai Boromphiman".

Men's clothing
Prem Tinsulanonda, a former Thai Prime Minister, wearing the "chut thai phra ratcha niyom".
Former Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva wearing the "chut thai phra ratcha niyom".
Surayud Chulanont, a former Thai Prime Minister, wearing the "chut thai phra ratcha niyom".