Thailand’s monarch and queen travelled to Paris this week for a state banquet marking a historic moment in royal fashion, with a gown not worn since the previous reign making its return.
On June 29, King Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida, together with Princess Sirivannavari, attended an official state banquet hosted by the French president and his wife at the Élysée Palace. For the occasion, Queen Suthida wore an adapted Boromphiman-style Thai dress with a two-tailed sabai, tailored from gold brocade silk with embroidered detailing by the Pichitra fashion house. It marks the first time the style has been worn in the current reign.
The two-tailed sabai has deep roots in Thai royal tradition. It first appeared during the 1925 coronation of King Rama VII, when Queen Rambai Barni wore the style in full ceremonial dress, paired with a pleated gold brocade panung folded in the ancient manner.
The tradition continued at the 1950 coronation of King Rama IX, when Queen Sirikit wore the same two-tailed sabai style. She later had the French fashion house Balmain design further versions of the gown for state occasions throughout her reign.
Queen Sirikit’s original two-tailed sabai gown is now part of an exhibition titled ‘La Mode en Majesté: Royal Thai Dress From Tradition to Modernity,’ on display until November 1 at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, reported Amarin TV.
In another development highlighting the Royal Project Foundation has developed a purple rose given a royal name by His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn to mark Queen Suthida’s 48th birthday. Bred from Ocean Song and Nightingale roses since 2018, the flower features soft purple petals and was registered on May 24, 2024, reflecting Thailand’s advances.
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