Residents in Phitsanulok wore traditional Thai costumes to take identification card photographs at a municipality office, with the Ministry of Culture backing the trend and encouraging more Thai people to participate in the campaign.
The trend returned yesterday, October 27, after several residents visited the office in traditional clothing to have their photographs taken for new ID cards. Similar initiatives have previously encouraged people to wear Thai dress for their identification photographs.
Traditional Thai clothing also gained popularity following the broadcast of the historical television series Love Destiny in 2018.
Provincial Mayor Sirichin Hanpitakpong said traditional Thai costumes are permitted for ID card photographs provided applicants comply with the rules. Dark glasses and hats are prohibited, while a chada, a traditional Thai headdress, is not permitted. Applicants must also ensure their shoulders are covered.
Sirichin said make-up is allowed but recommended keeping it light to help with facial verification in the future.
The municipality has turned the trend into a small campaign by offering souvenirs to people who visit the office wearing traditional Thai clothing.
One teenage girl who wore a traditional costume for her ID card photograph said she found the picture both pretty and smart. She said she wanted to help preserve Thai traditional dress and frequently wore such clothing for traditional dance performances and school activities.
Two other teenage girls also wore Thai costumes when applying for their ID cards. They said they had seen people doing the same elsewhere on social media and wanted to follow the trend.
The Ministry of Culture’s official Facebook page shared photographs and news reports about the trend, encouraging Thai people to participate.
The ministry said traditional Thai dress, adapted Thai dress and Thai fabrics are permitted for ID card photographs, provided applicants’ faces remain clearly visible, and they are dressed neatly.
The Culture Ministry had previously proposed traditional Thai costume for consideration by UNESCO as an item of intangible cultural heritage. The consideration process is expected to take place at the end of this year.
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