ANN/THE NATION – One of the popular foreign tourist souvenirs has hit the market in Thailand. The ‘Thai Elephant pants’ has gained more fame with their trendy styles of design pants showcasing the beautiful culture and places of Thailand.
The feathery and bouncy textures of the pants has different design and patterns of the iconic symbol of Thailand, the elephant. The trendy design of the pants has invited varieties of new and special designs depicting the many places and regions of Thailand. This favourite souvenir will help bolster the country’s local economy and tourism.
‘The Plaplatootoo’ pants captured the interest of netizens, garnering the highest engagement. Not far behind are the ‘capybara pants,’ which enjoyed massive pre-orders due to its cute design. The ‘Korat Cat pants’ have also become an in-game fashion item, thanks to the game Free Fire. ‘Thai Elephant pants’ are a must-buy fashion item among foreign tourists visiting Thailand. Its popularity has captured the interest of the local population, and many Thais are seen wearing these comfortable pants as well. It is considered one of the ‘5Fs’ (Food, Festival, Film, Fight, Fashion) products of Thailand’s Soft Power, where the Thai government and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) actively promote the “Soft Power” policy to boost tourism and stimulate the country’s economy.
From elephant pants to pants depicting unique thai provincial identities, the red-hot popularity of elephant pants, especially among tourists, even caught the attention of a MotoGP racer who wore them, turning into a viral sensation. This generated tremendous buzz for elephant pants and prompted government agencies, tourism authorities, and local businesses in each province to collectively promote them as a soft power commodity.
This effort aims to boost tourism and the economy within communities. Various regions had the creative idea of incorporating distinctive local identities onto the pants, resulting in unique patterns and designs instead of the traditional elephant motif. These region-specific patterns have transformed the pants into symbolic attire representing each locality or province. Some patterns have received robust positive responses, such as the pre-order launch of the ‘capybara pants’ from Khao Kheow Open Zoo, where the initial batch sold out within three minutes.
In addition to the top five most popular pant designs promoting Thailand’s soft power, there are also unique designs representing different provinces in Thailand, including the ‘Wualan pants’ from Petchaburi, ‘Dinosaur pants’ from Khon Kaen and ‘Nonthaburian pants’ from Nonthaburi. Other peculiar designs can also be found on these light, baggy pants, such as comic gags or characters from popular children’s shows like Mask Rider.
A trend is also on the rise where elephant patterns have been incorporated into various products. For example, garment factories like Chinrada Garment in Chiang Mai have taken elephant patterns and applied them to create designs for shirts, bags, and various other products for their shop.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE ELEPHANT PANTS TREND?
Anyone familiar with the game Free Fire, developed by Garena, probably knows that the korat cat pants were licensed and featured in the game as a fashion item. This event exemplifies the widespread popularity of elephant pants, prompting numerous entrepreneurs to consider them as a potential career opportunity or an additional income source for their businesses. Consequently, there are now clothing stores offering elephant pants with varying prices and qualities.
For instance, Chanthaburi Original presents rabbit-patterned pants paired with durian, a collaboration with the Chanthaburi Provincial Chamber of Commerce. Greyhound Original has raised the standard of Thai elephant pants, emphasising improvements in both quality and price. The government continues to actively promote Thailand’s soft power through initiatives like the ‘Thailand Soft Power X Guinness World Records Challenge’.
Led by the TAT, this initiative showcases Thailand’s ‘5Fs’ of Soft Power. One of the activities within this project involves attempting to set the record for the most elephant pants worn in one minute. According to the overall consumer sentiment on Thai elephant pants, many people applaud the idea of creating unique designs that depict the identities of different provinces and printing them on the pants. Some suggested that each province should create its unique pant design.
SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER
However, some consumers express concerns about the pants’ thin fabric, which can easily rip and may be see-through in direct sunlight. The Thai elephants also trended in China, resulting in cheaper “Made in China” elephant pants flooding the market in Thailand.
This compelled Thai operators to adapt and improve the quality of elephant pants. This has also prompted efforts to create more imaginative and unique patterns as well as filing intellectual property rights to protect the unique patterns of Thai-designed elephant pants as these pants have been sold to tourists visiting Thailand as souvenirs for more than 10 years.
