The new uniform for Thai athletes attending the Olympic Games 2024 has become a hot potato after some netizens criticised the design as being outdated.
The outfit, modelled by the team's badminton player, Sapsiree Taerattanachai, is a blue-coloured shirt made from Thai indigo-dyed silk. It was unveiled on Wednesday 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 It sparked heated conversations on social media following its premiere, with many netizens criticising it for its "outdated design".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.
Some people online have used AI to create alternate outfit designs for the Thai Olympic team, including these examples posted on Thursday on a Facebook account with the username Grace Anthony.
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"When saying your clothes or mine are outdated, its beauty is in the eye of the beholder, isn't it?"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.
