Overview
Draped and wrapped cloth, influenced by India, the Khmer and the Mon, was the consistent frame of Thai dress. Under a Buddhist culture, dress combined simplicity with courtly splendour.
The story of dress
After the silk and gold-brocade court dress of Ayutthaya, Westernisation advanced under Rattanakosin. Modern Thailand keeps everyday Western dress alongside the chut thai, the formal dress codified by Queen Sirikit, as a national costume.