BANGKOK: The blue jacket designed for Thailand’s Olympic athletes won many derogatory comments from netizens on Thursday (July 18), prompting Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin (pic left) to step in and say everybody should be respectful.
The jacket (pic right), which Thai athletes will wear in the opening ceremony of Paris 2024 on July 26, was introduced online on Thursday and went viral almost immediately. Many complained that it was far inferior compared to the Olympic uniforms designed by other countries.
Some netizens called on the designers to adjust the jacket and make it more suitable for the Olympic Games, as it only comes around once every four years.
Srettha, however, defended the design, saying, “I believe we must respect the designer. I ask everybody to not focus on such trivial matters, but concentrate on more important issues, such as drugs, which is far more crucial.”
The blue jacket with a traditional pattern was created by Thai sportswear manufacturer Grand Sport and Udon Thani Rajabhat University’s Fabric and Textile Creative Design Centre.
The designers said the print was inspired by patterns from the Ban Chiang Archaeological Site in Udon Thani, which was named a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1992. Also, the uniform is made from recycled fabric made from plastic bottles in a bid to meet sustainability trends.
Government spokesman Chai Wacharonke echoed Srettha, saying that the designers wanted to promote Thailand’s soft power and had applied climate conservation to the production of the uniforms.
He also said that every Thai should offer encouragement to members of the national team, because they will be showing off their sportsmanship and cultural beauty at the Games, which run from July 26 to Aug 11.
Tourism and Sports Minister Sermsak Pongpanit, however, said that though the Thai-style uniform looks nice, it may not be universally accepted.
He said he will take this issue to the National Olympic Committee of Thailand, which is responsible for the design of the uniform worn by athletes at the Games’ ceremonies.
Somsak added that how the uniform is adjusted will depend very much on the committee, though wearing tracksuits during the opening ceremony was perfectly fine.
“Thais are critical of the design because they want it to be as perfect as possible, so those in charge of this matter should take this point into consideration,” he added. - The Nation/ANN
