Color Symbolism in Thai Culture and Its Influence on Intercultural Communication
Keywords:
Color Symbolism, Thai Culture, Intercultural Communication, Nonverbal Communication, Color LiteracyAbstract
This study investigates the role of color symbolism in Thai culture and its implications for intercultural communication. Despite the growing significance of cross-cultural encounters in Thailand, color as a specific nonverbal communication channel has received insufficient systematic attention, particularly within Southeast Asian contexts. This study addresses this gap through a systematic literature review combined with interpretive cultural analysis, drawing on theories of semiotics, nonverbal communication, and cultural dimensions. The findings reveal that key colors in Thailand, namely yellow, white, black, red, and purple, carry layered meanings derived from Buddhist tradition, royal symbolism, and political history. These meanings function as encoded social messages that Thai people expect others to understand implicitly, leading to cultural noise and misunderstandings when foreign nationals fail to interpret them correctly. Case analyses in tourism, business, and national mourning contexts illustrate the practical consequences of color-related miscommunication. The study argues that color literacy should be integrated as a teachable dimension of intercultural competence and provides a structured model for understanding how visual symbols shape social expectations in Thailand. These findings have implications for intercultural training programs, educational institutions, and multinational organizations operating in Thai contexts.
References
Apiradee, P., & Suchada, C. (2022). The social semiotics of color in Thai public life: Monarchy, religion, and everyday communication. Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, 53(2), 211-234. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022463422000145
Berry, J. W. (2021). Acculturation: A personal journey across cultures. Cambridge University Press.
Binson, B., Phoasavadi, P., & Lev-Wiesel, R. (2021). When personal and national grief unite: The unique case of the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 26(4), 336–351. https://doi.org/10.1080/15325024.2020.1780026
Chandler, D. (2022). Semiotics: The basics (4th ed.). Routledge.
Changnon, G. (2021). Intercultural competence in multinational corporations: Color, dress, and nonverbal dimensions. International Journal of Cross-Cultural Management, 21(3), 441–460. https://doi.org/10.1177/14705958211042791
Cohen, E., & Cohen, S. A. (2022). Tourism, culture, and visual communication in Southeast Asia. Tourism Management Perspectives, 44, 101018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2022.101018
Deardorff, D. K. (2020). Manual for developing intercultural competencies: Story circles. UNESCO Publishing.
Funston, J. (2020). Thai politics after the coup: Color, conflict, and cultural identity. Asian Survey, 60(4), 634–655. https://doi.org/10.1525/as.2020.60.4.634
Hall, E. T. (1976). Beyond culture. Anchor Books/Doubleday.
Hirtescu, C. G. (2024). Color in contemporary clothing and its role in non-verbal communication. Studiul Artelor si Culturologie: Istorie, Teorie, Practica, 46(1), 111-114.
Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G. J., & Minkov, M. (2010). Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill.
Huang, L. (2023). Developing intercultural competence through a cultural metacognition-featured instructional design in EFL classrooms. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, Article 1126141. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1126141
Huda, M., Rahmatika, L., Setiawaty, R., Wahyudi, A. B., & Hoque, M. S. (2023). Color representation in the word 'COVID-19' in WHO Indonesia's Instagram. Lensa: Kajian Kebahasaan, Kesusastraan, Dan Budaya, 13(2), 204-223. https://doi.org/10.26714/lensa.13.2.2023.204-223
Kaewseenual, S. (2018). Risky opportunities: Developing children's resilience through digital literacy in Thailand (Doctoral dissertation, The University of Waikato).
Kanchanarat, N., & Thanaporn, S. (2023). International students' adjustment in Thailand: The role of color literacy and nonverbal cultural competence. Journal of International Students, 13(1), 78–97. https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v13i1.4121
Kitiarsa, P. (2020). Color, ceremony, and power in thai culture: royal symbolism and buddhist practice. Asian Ethnicity, 21(3), 399–418. https://doi.org/10.1080/14631369.2020.1730015
Klausner, W. J. (2020). Thai culture in transition: Aspects of social change in a Buddhist kingdom (5th ed.). Siam Society.
Machin, D., & Mayr, A. (2023). How to do critical discourse analysis: A multimodal introduction (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Neuliep, J. W. (2021). Intercultural communication: A contextual approach (8th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Patterson, M. L., Dunbar, N. E., Schmid Mast, M., & Fernandez-Dols, J. M. (2021). Editorial: Advances and obstacles in contemporary nonverbal communication research. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, Article 731334. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.731334
Phiwhorm, S., Charoenphol, S., Somboon, N., Wongsuwan, C., & Ratanapol, K. (2024). Cultural identity among Thai youth in urban and rural areas. International Journal of Humanities, Management and Social Science, 7(2), 74–86. https://doi.org/10.36079/lamintang.ij-humass-0702.691
Phongpaichit, P., & Baker, C. (2021). Unequal Thailand: Aspects of income, wealth and power. NUS Press.
Rodpan, S. (2024). A Thai culture-centred study of communication between Thai immigration police officers and English-speaking travelers at the northern borders of Thailand (Doctoral dissertation, The University of Waikato).
Samovar, L. A., Porter, R. E., McDaniel, E. R., & Roy, C. S. (2021). Communication between cultures (10th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Sarwari, A. Q., Adnan, H. M., Rahamad, M. S., & Abdul Wahab, M. N. (2024). The requirements and importance of intercultural communication competence in the 21st century. SAGE Open, 14(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440241243119
Stengs, I., Vail, P., & Tanabe, S. (2020). Charismatic Buddhism in Southeast Asia. In C. McDaniel (Ed.), New Buddhist movements in Thailand: Towards an understanding of Wat Phra Dhammakaya and Santi Asoke. Routledge.
Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (2017). Guidelines for foreign nationals during the royal mourning period. Royal Thai Government.
Thananithichot, S. (2021). The roots and drivers of the color-based polarizations in Thailand. Asian Journal for Public Opinion Research, 9(2), 85–105. https://doi.org/10.15206/ajpor.2021.9.2.85
Ting-Toomey, S., & Dorjee, T. (2021). Communicating across cultures (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
Tourism Authority of Thailand. (2023). Cultural etiquette guide for international visitors. TAT Publications.
Urgun, D., Seidel, J., Vangeli, E., Borges, M., & de Oliveira, R. F. (2025). Exploring the impact of cross-cultural training on cultural competence and cultural intelligence: A narrative systematic literature review. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, Article 1511788. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1511788
Viriya, P. (2023). Brand color adaptation in the Thai digital marketplace: A cross-cultural marketing analysis. Journal of Global Marketing, 36(2), 119-138. https://doi.org/10.1080/08911762.2022.2150017
Wiriya, T., & Supaporn, K. (2022). Color symbolism in Thai social media: Digital mourning, royal loyalty, and political identity online. New Media & Society, 24(8), 1890-1910. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448221089432
