Thai Culture Ministry encouraging traditional attire

[Praematura]

Definitely good use of resources rather than promote learning English.

Feels like dear leader is trying to invoke some kind of quasi nationalist agenda to get people to forget the country is spinning into the toilet.

Dear leader needs an external threat beyond the subtle suggestion "Thainess" is being diluted or under attack. Thais are too sophisticated with social media to buy this. People can't pay their bills, much less afford a new wardrobe.

Maybe they are trying to rebrand Thailand from a sex tourist destination to something that it's not?

[Rhys]

Could one of the generals dress this person down.. Parade dress is over...

Edited May 6, 2015 by Rhys

[GarryP]

Ministry of the Clueless that treats the public like kindergartners. Rather than trying to justify their salaries with all their ill thought out ideas and edicts, why doesn't the government do something useful, like dissolve the said ministry and save a bunch of money. They can even invoke section 44 for something useful for a change.

[lostoday]

Ministry of the Clueless that treats the public like kindergartners. Rather than trying to justify their salaries with all their ill thought out ideas and edicts, why doesn't the government do something useful, like dissolve the said ministry and save a bunch of money. They can even invoke section 44 for something useful for a change.

Thailand has to tell it's people what to wear as it is a cultural tradition. See Thai cultural mandates. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_cultural_mandates

Many societies have the same type of things the USA has.....

[JAG]

Conservatives always have an excess of nostalgia. Young people will certainly ignore this.

But I will do my part. I'm thinking a linen suit and Panama hat would be nice.

As a gentleman in the tropics sir, how else should one dress?

One leaves the singlet and shorts ( I believe the ensemble is known as a "wife beater") to those from the antipodes. Likewise baseball caps and denim are the perview of those who hail from North America.

Standards must be maintained! If one must strike a note of informality then one may dispense with a tie, but I would not recommend doing so.

Edited May 6, 2015 by JAG

[baboon]

Conservatives always have an excess of nostalgia. Young people will certainly ignore this.

But I will do my part. I'm thinking a linen suit and Panama hat would be nice.

As a gentleman in the tropics sir, how else should one dress?

Rab C. Nesbitt in my case...

[The manic]

Brown shirts and jackboots for men, then?

[The manic]

I don't understand silly appeals to tradition. Imagine if Rush Limbaugh or Michael Moore (or pick any other loudmouth know-it-all) said that Americans should go back to their "traditional" clothing for the office. We'd all have a conniption fit, but the Thais in America would probably think it's cute and that it's a shame we all don't dress that way.

No. You would be wearing buck skin, moccasins and feathers. Now that would be cute.

[mca]

Conservatives always have an excess of nostalgia. Young people will certainly ignore this.

But I will do my part. I'm thinking a linen suit and Panama hat would be nice.

As a gentleman in the tropics sir, how else should one dress?

One leaves the singlet and shorts ( I believe the ensemble is known as a "wife beater") to those from the antipodes. Likewise baseball caps and denim are the perview of those who hail from North America.

Standards must be maintained! If one must strike a note of informality then one may dispense with a tie, but I would not recommend doing so.

I would also advise against sporting a cravat lest one be seen to be a bounder, cad or blighter.

[The manic]

I personally like the traditional Thai dress...that is the type of "Thainess" tourists and ex-pats can enjoy...and Thais can be proud of...where is the down side?

The downside is that in our modern time "traditional" Thai garb (by that you probably mean the fanciful costumes worn during parades and other festivities, and not the ACTUAL traditional dress; see photo further up in this thread) is entirely impractical at the work place and even during leisure time for the average citizen, no matter how photogenic it may look.

Time has moved on even in Thailand - but apparently not in that silly ministry.

Could you imagine that half of Britain goes back to wearing tricorn hats, heavy longtail coats with stiff high collars and laquered shoes with huge brass buckles in their daily lives, or the working population of southern Germany from now on resorting to lederhosen and woolen knee socks when going to the office?

I see no problem with the traditional British attire you are describing.

[JAG]

On the subject of lederhosen, I recall seeing a Bavarian themed beer hall in Chiang Mai, the staff of which were dressed in lederhosen and dirndl dresses. I have to say whilst I appreciate a pretty girl in a dirndl, on Thais Bavarian dress looked rather out of place!