Thailand Campaigns to Wear Specialty ‘Elephant Pants’

The Thai government has launched a promotional campaign for “elephant pants,” a Thai specialty that foreign tourists enjoy.

According to local media such as the Bangkok Post on the 20th, the government will launch a campaign to wear elephant pants during Thailand’s biggest holiday and festival, Songkran.

Thai Prime Minister Patton Shinawatra proposed at the National Soft Power Strategy Committee the previous day to wear elephant pants with unique patterns that reflect the cultural identity of each province of Thailand during the Songkran period from the 11th to the 15th of next month.

Prime Minister Patton Tan and the ministers of each ministry attended the meeting wearing elephant pants representing each region and then took a commemorative photo.

Prime Minister Patton Tan, who chose blue elephant pants, said, “I hope everyone will wear elephant pants to the upcoming Songkran festival and promote the design of each region.”

Elephant pants are a favorite souvenir for travelers visiting Thailand because they are wide and cool.

It is known to be mainly produced in the northern Chiang Mai region, but each province makes elephant pants with its own design. The elephant is the iconic animal of Thailand.

The Thai government, which is pushing to strengthen soft power as a national task, is promoting elephant pants as one of the ‘fashion soft powers’.

Last year, authorities responded to the controversy that low-cost Chinese elephant pants, which are much cheaper than Thai ones, dominate the Thai market.

At the time, the government restricted imports of Chinese copies, saying, “Elephant pants copyrights are registered in Thailand,” and prepared copyright protection and marketing measures.

SALLY LEE

US ASIA JOURNAL