News Forum - PM Paetongtarn asks Thais to don elephant pants for Songkran

[Thaiger]

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is encouraging all Thais to wear elephant pants from their respective provinces during the upcoming Songkran water festival to promote Thai culture and local identity. The prime minister made the call before chairing the first meeting of the National Soft Power Strategies Committee at Government House. Wearing a pair of blue elephant … …

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[cmsally]

Elephant pants have never been part of local culture.  When it comes to clothing , traditionally "Choot Moh Hom" is worn in the north of Thailand during Songkran. These clothes traditionally come from Phrae where there is a tradition of  dyeing using indigo.

In the article they also refer to "fisherman pants" . Again these are not the same as "elephant pants" , they are the "wraparound pants" that have no elastic. You wrap them around, tuck in and tie.

Both "Moh hom" and fisherman pants are traditional whereas elephant pants are something that was invented in the recent past (about 20 years or so ago) to sell to tourists. The fact that you now have members of the government lined up wearing them is nothing short of hysterical. 

[Khunmark]

Soft power, lol.

[AussieBob]

  On 3/20/2025 at 12:58 AM, cmsally said:

Elephant pants have never been part of local culture.  When it comes to clothing , traditionally "Choot Moh Hom" is worn in the north of Thailand during Songkran. These clothes traditionally come from Phrae where there is a tradition of  dyeing using indigo.

In the article they also refer to "fisherman pants" . Again these are not the same as "elephant pants" , they are the "wraparound pants" that have no elastic. You wrap them around, tuck in and tie.

Both "Moh hom" and fisherman pants are traditional whereas elephant pants are something that was invented in the recent past (about 20 years or so ago) to sell to tourists. The fact that you now have members of the government lined up wearing them is nothing short of hysterical. 

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I thought the same thing - they are as silly as a bucketful of cut snakes and headless chooks.

[cmsally]

Hats off to a person who commented on one of the Thai forums about this photo. He said "do you remember the days when you sent your kids to school and they peed in their pants. They came home in the evening wearing anything the teacher could find in their locker".

Oh my god, almost spat my coffee out! (The whole class had to get changed).

[SnapDragon]

  On 3/20/2025 at 12:58 AM, cmsally said:

Elephant pants have never been part of local culture.  When it comes to clothing , traditionally "Choot Moh Hom" is worn in the north of Thailand during Songkran. These clothes traditionally come from Phrae where there is a tradition of  dyeing using indigo.

In the article they also refer to "fisherman pants" . Again these are not the same as "elephant pants" , they are the "wraparound pants" that have no elastic. You wrap them around, tuck in and tie.

Both "Moh hom" and fisherman pants are traditional whereas elephant pants are something that was invented in the recent past (about 20 years or so ago) to sell to tourists. The fact that you now have members of the government lined up wearing them is nothing short of hysterical. 

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I've got a pair of Elephant Shorts. Hope they will be OK.

[rattlesnake]

  On 3/20/2025 at 6:24 AM, cmsally said:

Hats off to a person who commented on one of the Thai forums about this photo. He said "do you remember the days when you sent your kids to school and they peed in their pants. They came home in the evening wearing anything the teacher could find in their locker".

Oh my god, almost spat my coffee out! (The whole class had to get changed).

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They look like a right bunch of tw*ts.

[AussieBob]

  On 3/20/2025 at 9:29 AM, rattlesnake said:

They look like a right bunch of tw*ts.

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Obtuse change of direction I know - but it has always fascinated me how Thai (and Asia in general) social norms has created a society of very silly and corrupt people. Things like this obvious stupidity and ignorance are IMO caused by generations of 'lack of feedback'.  Where I/we come from, if you do anything like this, you are immediately ridiculed, and that 'feedback' tells you that what you are doing is silly and/or wrong.  Also, others seeing and hearing this 'feedback' are also 'educated' about what is silly and/or wrong.

However, everything Thais do in public from driving practices to wearing ridiculous outfits, has no 'feedback', because of the 'loss of face' social norm that stops anyone giving 'feedback' and thus making someone 'lose face'. Therefore, those doing ignorant, silly and stupid things are not 'corrected'.  Likewise, this social norm is upheld by the legal system, such that publicly criticising someone, even if what said is true, is illegal - and thus the corrupt get away with their very common and widespread practices.

[Skip]

  On 3/22/2025 at 4:47 AM, AussieBob said:

 However, everything Thais do in public from driving practices to wearing ridiculous outfits,   

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You mean like this?  

[AussieBob]

  On 3/22/2025 at 10:58 PM, Skip said:

You mean like this?  

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Yep - as per my last 2 posts in response to your rubbish - you are a vindictive argumentative troll.

Bye Bye.