Thai Clothing

Chong kraben is a lower-body, wrap-around cloth. Unlike the typical pha nung, it resembles pants more than skirts. It is a rectangular piece of cloth measuring 3 meters long and one meter wide. It is worn by wrapping around the waist, stretching it away from the body, twisting the ends together then pulling the twisted fabric between the legs and tucking it in the back of the waist. Sabai or pha biang is shawl-like garment.

Women and men can wear Sabais. Sabai is also known as a long piece of silk, about a foot wide, draped diagonally around the chest by covering one shoulder, which its end drops behind the back.

Suea pat is a long-sleeved shirt with no buttons. It is worn by wrapping the right side of the front panel of the shirt over the left side of the front panel, and the two panels are tied together via strings. Northern Thai women typically wear Suea pats.

The formal Thai costume, known in Thai as, includes several sets of dress, designed as the Thai national costume in formal occasions. Although described and intended for use as national costume, they are of relatively modern origins, having been conceived in the second half of the twentieth century.