The outfit, modelled by the team’s star badminton player, Sapsiree Taerattanachai, is a blue-coloured shirt made from Thai indigo-dyed silk. It was unveiled on Wednesday (July 17) via Stadium TH’s Facebook page. It sparked heated conversations on social media following its premiere, with many netizens criticising it for its “outdated design”. Others claimed they were disappointed that the attire didn’t represent Thailand’s soft power, while others praised the uniform’s excellent and beautiful design, reports the Bangkok Post.
Some netizens used AI technology to create alternate attire that is colourful and modern. One was a Facebook account with the username “Grace Anthony” that shows various creative outfits, which has been shared more than 1,900 times.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin defended the uniform.
“When saying your clothes or mine are outdated, its beauty is in the eye of the beholder, isn’t it?” the prime minister said.
He said respect should be given to those who designed the uniform and called on everyone not to pay attention to a trivial issue.
Mr Srettha also turned to his Facebook account on Wednesday to defend the Thai athletes’ uniform for the Paris Olympics Games.
“Patterns from the Ban Chiang World Historical Site inspired the design team. The outfit reflects the combination of Thai cultural heritage and internationalisation,” he wrote.
Mr Srettha said the design team conducted thorough research by meeting Udon Thani Rajabhat University’s Fabric and Textile Creative Design Centre (FTCDC) director. He said they gathered data and information and obtained advice from the Ban Chiang National Museum, the Fine Arts Department, and local communities that continue the tradition of weaving and the indigo dying process with the unique Ban Chiang patterns.
He said that after the data-gathering, the design team brought those patterns, indigo from the dyeing process, and knowledge obtained from the research to apply to designing outfits for use in competitions and travel.
They made uniforms that looked modern and suitable for the world stage, he said.
In addition, the innovation of polo shirts made from recycled plastic bottles was used to be part of sustainably solving environmental problems, according to the prime minister.
“The athletes’ uniform is more than just a costume; it represents the combination of the past and a sustainable future. It served as an inspiration for the new generation to preserve Thai culture while steadily moving forward,” wrote Mr Srettha.
Meanwhile, Thana Chaiprasit, vice president of the Thai Olympic Committee and the national team chief, said the team is considering changing the uniform to tracksuits made by local company Grandsport because the uniform material might not suit the hot weather in France during the opening ceremony on July 26.
Thai national athlete teams arrive in Paris
Meanwhile, the first group of Thai national badminton team members, led by Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul, a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Vice President of the Badminton World Federation, along with Dr Somsak Leeswadtrakul, chairman of the Doping Control Center for Athletes, and head coach Kim Ji-hun from South Korea, have arrived in Paris for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Additionally, Thai national teams for table tennis, tennis, cycling, athletics and swimming have also traveled on this occasion, reports the Bangkok Post.
They were welcomed at Charles de Gaulle International Airport yesterday morning by Sarun Charoensuwan, Ambassador of Thailand to Paris, his wife, embassy staff, and representatives of the Thai community in France.