Thailand is fighting over shoes this week and no, it’s not the cat-fight you’re imagining.
“Red, white and blue are universal colors that no one holds the copyrights to,” declared the Thai National Flag Museum in a statement released earlier this week, telling netizens to cool their outrage over a shoe featured in a Vogue Paris’ collection.
The drama started on Friday when Vogue Paris’ official Facebook page posted a photo of the ‘show-stopping’ sneakers by Italian designer Dsquared2 that resembles the pattern of the Thai national flag.
For those who aren’t accustomed with traditional Thai etiquette, feet are considered ‘dirty’ for being the lowest part of one’s body. Having something sacred (such as something associated with religion or national pride) at the same level as your feet is considered extremely disrespectful and even offensive.
Furthermore, any action determined to constitute desecration of the Thai flag is illegal under the 1979 Flag Act, punishable by up to six months in prison and a fine of THB1,000 (about US$30).
The post has since received over 800 comments and nearly 3,000 shares, mostly by pissed of netizens.
“You evil people. This is the pattern of the Thai flag. Thai people, why aren’t you protesting? Don’t you love your country? This is our father’s [the King’s] kingdom” fumed one commenter.
“How can you trample over our Thai’s people’s’ feelings like this?” wrote another.
“If you love this country so much, let’s join forces to boot Prayuth [the current prime minister and head of the junta] out of power instead. There’s so much corruption that I don’t have anything to eat. Isn’t the economic state more oppressive towards Thailand than the colors of these shoes?” another netizen shot back.
Some commenters even demanded legal action and jail time over the shoes. The outrage got so out of hand, in fact, that on Sunday, the Thai National Flag Museum issued their statement, via their Facebook, to settle netizens down.
Pointing out that no one owns the copyright to red-white-blue, the museum, also noted that everyone has the rights to use the colors of the pattern, even if it resembles the Thai flag.
Furthermore, they reminded netizens that the designers could not be prosecuted since their design and manufacture occurred outside Thailand.
The museum added that this isn’t the first time this issue has come up and attached a few photos from past examples, perhaps to lighten the mood.
Here are some examples for the pleasure of your perusal:
