Thailand replaces athletes’ Olympic uniforms after controversy
The National Olympic Committee of Thailand (NOCT) has modified its outfits for the 2024 Summer Olympics after criticisms.
Concerns were raised about similarities between the original uniforms and clothes worn by Tambon Administration Organisation officials (the main organization of local management) for local government meetings.
Critics claimed the design was outdated, but Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin defended the uniforms, maintaining that they were inspired by patterns from Ban Chiang, a World Heritage Site.
He also urged that respect be accorded to the design team for the efforts they put into the designs for the attires.
During a visit to the Office of the Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) on July 18, he said, "When you say your clothes or mine are outdated, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, isn't it?"
“Respect should be given to those who designed the uniform and everyone should not focus on trivial issues,” he was quoted.
The old uniforms unveiled with badminton star Sapsiree Taerattanachai as the model have been modified.
The new uniforms were designed by Grand Sports and four other teams and will feature the Ban Chiang pattern at the Olympics opening, National Olympic Committee of Thailand (NOCT) announced on Facebook.
Here are the new uniforms as unveiled by the National Olympic Committee of Thailand
