Countries

Thailand

The only country in Southeast Asia never colonized by a European power: its name means "land of the free." Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn, rises on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, its central prang encrusted with porcelain and seashell mosaics.

Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn, seen across the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, Thailand

Wat Arun, Bangkok

Photo: Bernard Spragg. NZ, CC0

Red for the nation, white for religion, blue for the monarchy. Adopted in 1917 with the blue band already double-width, a design said to echo the flag colors of Thailand's WWI allies: France, Britain, Russia and the US.

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