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Boy Scouts' Flags (Thailand)

National Scout Organization of Thailand
Provincial Scout Flags
Symbols of Thai Scouting
Historical Boy Scout Regional Troop Flags
Unknown Thai Scout Flag #1
Unknown Thai Scout Flag #2

See also:

Thailand

National Scout Organization of Thailand

image by Suttipong Phuensaen, 19 Apr 2007

In the National Scout Organization of Thailand's flag, the Trairanga stands for the Thai nation and the Dharma Wheel for the Buddhist religion. Its finial, the Vajra (weapon of the god Indra) is made of silver and represents the king, especially King Vajiravudh or Rama VI who founded Thai Scouting in 1915.

Suttipong Phuensaen, 19 Apr 2007

Provincial Scout Flags

image by Suttipong Phuensaen, 19 Apr 2007

The provincial Scout flags indicate the province's name under the Thai Scouting badge. For example, if this flag were for Chon Buri province, there would be characters on the dotted line spelling out its name in the Thai alphabet, "จังหวัดชลบุรี".

Suttipong Phuensaen, 19 Apr 2007

Symbols of Thai Scouting

National Scout Organization of Thailand Emblem	Badge of Thai Scouting

image by Suttipong Phuensaen, 19 Apr 2007	image by Suttipong Phuensaen, 19 Apr 2007

Historical Boy Scout Regional Troop Flags

From the Singha Beer source:

The Flags of various Boy Scout Troops
This is the flag King Rama VI ordered to be conveyed to the boy scouts as a symbol of himself as their King. Each member of the troop, therefore, had to swear an oath to protect the flag at all costs – even at the cost of his life. Consequently, each individual troop in the provinces had to note the date on which the flag had been delivered to them and memorize the words of advice given to their unit by His Majesty so that they would always be reminded of their mission.

King Rama VI started the Boy Scouts' movement and from B.E.2458 [1915 AD] onwards presented Boy Scout troops from various regions with their own individual flags. King Rama VII added to each one so that at the First Jamboree of Thai Boy Scouts in B.E.2470 [1927 AD] every region had its very own flag.

This is followed by 14 regional flags.

Santiago Dotor, 29 Oct 1999

Historical Thai Boy Scout flags from 14 regions [are] detailed in "Macharoen, Chawingam (2002) Thong Thai Laem 1. ISBN 974-419-454-5."

Suttipong Phuensaen, 19 Feb 2007

The 14 historical Thai Boy Scout flags were made obsoleted by Flag law B.E. 2479 (1936 A.D.) and were replaced by the colour of the National Scout Organization of Thailand and the provincial scout colours. The first stands for the National Scout Organization of Thailand and the second for each Thai province. These two flags are still in use today.

Suttipong Phuensaen, 12 Mar 2007

Two years after the Thai Revolution in 1932, the Thai Government abolished the 14 regions. Since then, Thailand is no longer organized into the 14 regions of Ayutthaya, Chanthaburi, Krungthep, Nakhonchaisri, Nakhonsrithammarat, Nakhonratchasima, Nakhonsawan, Pattani, Phayap, Phitsanolok, Phuket, Prachin, Ratchaburi and Udon). That is also why the regional Scout flags are no longer to use today.

Later, in 1940, the badges of the former regional Scout flags become the current seals of some provinces. For example, the badge on the Scouts' flag of Nakhon Sri Thammarat Region became the seal of Songkhla. The badge on the Ayutthaya Region scout flag is the current seal of Ayutthayam Province.

The current seal of Udon Thani came from the former Scouts' flag of Udon Region, while the shoes in the Scouts' flag of Ratchaburi Region are now a part of Ratchaburi province's seal. Other Scout badges remain in Thai provincial flags and seals.

Suttipong Phuensaen, 19 Apr 2007

A list of provincial Scouting badges appears at the Thai Scouting website – the emblems on some are identical to ones that had been used on the former regional scouting flags mentioned above.

Eugene Ipavec, 05 Apr 2007

Unknown Thai Scout Flag #1

image by Eugene Ipavec

An unknown TH Boy Scout flag is shown on a stamp: red, with a golden symbol near the hoist (almost certainly the emblem of the ), and lines of writing. It appears that the king is presenting it to the scouts. This may be the unidentified flag the entry above refers to when speaking of "the flag King Rama VI ordered to be conveyed to the boy scouts as a symbol of himself as their King."

The text is a specimen only.

Unknown Thai Scout Flag #2

image by Eugene Ipavec

Another unknown Scout flag appears on a stamp booklet cover: a red pennant with a white bird.