Wat Thai Fa Thai: Banners

THAILAND, Phayao

These long cloth banners are known as “tung” in Northern Thailand and are commonly seen in monasteries there. They were a special feature of ancient Lanna Thai ceremonies. Some of the finest “tung” are displayed in the main hall of Wat Phra That Lampang Luang in Lampang. The cloth banners vary in width, most measuring between 10 cm and 40 cm, but can be between 100 and 400 cm long. Northern Thai people consider the banners to be ladders that lead their ancestors to the Pure Land. For this reason, most “tung” are divided into vertically arranged steps.
The banners kept at Wat Tha Fa Tai are mostly white or pale cream, often with dark brown, red, brown, or black horizontal stripes. The most widely used motifs are stupas, elephants, and colored bands.