What Is a Phuang Malai? Meaning, History and Types

A phuang malai (พวงมาลัย) is a Thai flower garland, in English also simply called a Thai garland. Fresh flowers, petals and leaves are threaded on a long needle, slid onto thread and tied into shape. Thais offer it to the Buddha, give it to parents, teachers and elders, and place it around the necks of honoured guests.

In this guide:

• What is a phuang malai?
• The meaning of phuang malai
• History
• The parts of a garland
• Types of phuang malai
• Flowers used
• Occasions and etiquette
• The family of Thai floral arts
• Fresh, plastic or cotton
• Our cotton phuang malai
• FAQ
• References

Key takeaways

Topic	In short
What it is	A garland of fresh flowers, petals and leaves, strung on a needle and thread, then tied into shape
English name	Garland, or more precisely Thai flower garland; the Thai name is written phuang malai
Meaning	Respect, and merit in Buddhist texts
The 3 parts	Body (ตัวมาลัย, tua malai), binding band (มาลัยซีก, malai sik) and tassel (อุบะ, uba)
Main types	Single-tail garland (มาลัยชายเดียว, malai chai diao) and double-tail garland (มาลัยสองชาย, malai song chai), plus neck, wrist and favour garlands
Key flowers	Jasmine, crown flower, phut flower, champaca, rose and marigold; hibiscus calyx for the tassel cap
Where it comes from	Garland making appears in the Pali Buddhist texts; in Thailand it is best documented at the Bangkok court under Rama V
Fresh vs cotton	The traditional garland is made of fresh flowers, and jasmine browns by the second day; Macrame by Nicha makes a cotton interpretation, made to be kept

What Is a Phuang Malai?

A phuang malai is fresh flowers strung into a garland with a needle and thread. The Royal Institute dictionary describes the garland (มาลัย, malai) as a Thai flower craft.

• How it is made: flowers, petals and leaves go onto a garland needle (เข็มมาลัย, khem malai), slide onto thread, and are tied into strands of different forms (Royal Institute dictionary).
• Where Thais use it: to worship the Buddha, to honour elders at New Year and at Songkran (สงกรานต์, songkran), the Thai New Year, and around the necks of honoured guests and performers (Office of the Royal Society, 2019).
• How it is built: three parts, the body, the binding band and the tassel. See the parts of a garland.

What Does "Malai" Mean?

• From Pali: garland (มาลัย, malai) comes from the Pali word มาลฺย (malya), written มาลย (malay) in old Thai, later มาลัย. This is the reading of a Pali specialist on dhamtara.com.
• Root meaning: Pali mālā means garland, wreath or chaplet. Sanskrit mālā also means crown, string of beads, or row (Pali Text Society and Monier-Williams dictionaries).
• Bunch (พวง, phuang): the Royal Institute dictionary gives bunch or cluster. The verb for stringing flowers is a different word: to string (ร้อย, roi).
• Name trap: Phra Malai (พระมาลัย, phra malai) is a monk in a Buddhist legend. The name does not refer to a garland.

Phuang Malai and Phuang Mala: Two Different Words

• Flower garland (พวงมาลัย, phuang malai): strung flowers, often with a tassel, for the Buddha, elders and guests.
• Framed arrangement (พวงมาลา, phuang mala): a large framed arrangement laid at monuments, a different word.

The Office of the Royal Society treats them as two separate objects, so keep the two words apart.

What Is Phuang Malai Called in English: Thai Garland or Thai Flower Garland?

In English, a phuang malai is a garland, or more precisely a Thai flower garland. The Thai name is written phuang malai in Latin letters.

Thai	Romanisation	English	Meaning
พวงมาลัย	phuang malai	Thai flower garland	Flowers strung and tied into a garland
มาลัย	malai	garland	The garland itself, a word from Pali
มาลัยชายเดียว	malai chai diao	single-tail garland	Round loop with one tassel
มาลัยสองชาย	malai song chai	double-tail garland	Tied at both ends, a tassel on each
มาลัยกร	malai kon	wrist garland (trade name)	What sellers call the round single-tail garland
มาลัยซีก	malai sik	half garland	Half-circle band that binds the joins
มาลัยตุ้ม	malai tum	spindle garland	Swells to the middle, odd number of layers
อุบะ	uba	floral tassel	Hangs from the garland
ร้อยมาลัย	roi malai	garland stringing	The act of threading a garland
เข็มมาลัย	khem malai	garland needle	Long needle for threading flowers
พวงมาลัยรถ	phuang malai rot	steering wheel	A car part that shares the word
พวงมาลา	phuang mala	framed arrangement	A large framed arrangement laid at monuments, a different word

The Meaning of Phuang Malai

A phuang malai stands for respect. Thais give it to honour the Buddha, parents, teachers, elders and guests, and Buddhist texts link it to merit.

• Material worship (อามิสบูชา, amisa bucha): flowers offered as a sign of faith and respect, as P.A. Payutto's Buddhist dictionary puts it (quoted by Kulthamrong, 2014).
• Merit: Dhammapada verse 53 reads: "As from a heap of flowers one might make many garlands, so should one born mortal do many good deeds."
• Offering to the Buddha: in the Apadana, the monk Sumanadamiya strings a jasmine garland and holds it before the Buddha Siddhattha (Kulthamrong, 2014).
• Honouring the Sangha: Ajarn Phano of RMUTT Radio (2024) explains that incense honours the Buddha, candles the Dhamma, and flowers the Sangha.
• Honouring people: parents, teachers, elders and honoured guests (Office of the Royal Society, 2019; Hongrattanavorakit and Aitsarasuchip, 2023).

The History of Phuang Malai

Garland making is older than Thailand: the Pali Buddhist texts already describe it. In Thailand it is best documented at the Bangkok court, peaking under King Rama V, while the Sukhothai origin story is a legend.

When	What happened	Source
The Buddha's lifetime (traditional)	The Vinaya records monks making garlands for lay families, which the Buddha forbade. Dhammapada 53 uses the garland maker as a simile.	Kulthamrong 2014
Dvaravati, about the 11th to 17th Buddhist centuries	Buddhism and Indian culture spread in the region	Kulthamrong 2014
Sukhothai, 13th to 15th century	Lotus and other flower motifs, such as phuttan (พุดตาน, phuttan), in temple craft. Nang Noppamas's flower work is a legend.	Kulthamrong 2014; Towiwat 2013
Rama I, 1782 to 1809	Chao Khun Tani noted for her flower skill	Sorose and Kaewsrithong 2023
Rama III, 1824 to 1851	The Nang Noppamas text was probably written in this reign	Hutangkur 2021; Prince Damrong's letter, via Silpa Watthanatham
Rama V, 1868 to 1910	Court flower work at its height, led by Queen Saovabha and Phra Wimada Thoe	Journal of the Royal Society 40(3); Sorose and Kaewsrithong 2023
About 1888 (B.E. 2431)	Rama V writes the Royal Ceremonies of the Twelve Months (พระราชพิธีสิบสองเดือน, phra ratcha phithi sip song duean), quoting the Noppamas flower account	Thai PBS; Hongrattanavorakit and Aitsarasuchip 2023
After 1932	Court flower craft moves into vocational schools	Sorose and Kaewsrithong 2023
1986 (B.E. 2529)	The royal women's craft school opens, with a fresh-flower department	Royal Office 2021
National heritage list	Fresh-flower craft becomes item 110 on the national list	Department of Cultural Promotion
10 June 2016	Thailand joins the UNESCO 2003 heritage convention	UNESCO

Roots in India and the Pali Canon

• The Vinaya (monastic rules) tells of monks at Kitagiri stringing flowers for lay families. The Buddha forbade it, which shows the craft already existed (Kulthamrong, 2014).
• Pali and Sanskrit both have the word mālā for garland.
• Buddhism and Indian culture reached the region in the Dvaravati period. Our sources name no garland artefact from that time.

The Nang Noppamas Legend

According to the Nang Noppamas tale, written in the early Bangkok period, a Sukhothai consort of King Phra Ruang made a lotus-shaped float (กระทง, krathong) from flowers.

Her parents let her "play only at roi krong (ร้อยกรอง) and drawing". The word can mean stringing flowers or composing verse (Towiwat, 2013).

The legend says	The sources say
Nang Noppamas, a Sukhothai consort, made the first flower krathong.	Prince Damrong, in a letter reported by Silpa Watthanatham, judged the text a work of King Rama III. The Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre dates it to the early Bangkok period.
Sukhothai consorts shaped flowers into animals in betel containers for the king.	We know this account only through the Noppamas text, which Rama V quoted around 1888.
She invented flower netting.	That credit is legend. Under Rama V, Phra Wimada Thoe was known for many net patterns (Changpum and Pittungnapoo, 2016).

The Bangkok Court, Rama I to Rama V

• Rama I: Chao Khun Tani is recorded as a skilled flower maker (Sorose and Kaewsrithong, 2023, citing Bunnag 2017).
• Rama V: fresh-flower work flourished in the Queen's residence. Court flower artisans and painters designed hanging flower pieces together for the royal birthday ceremony at Phaisan Thaksin Hall (Kulthamrong, 2014, citing the National Archives).
• Queen Saovabha (Queen Sri Bajrindra) was skilled at stringing flower nets and garlands of many forms (Journal of the Royal Society of Thailand 40(3)). Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University credits her with developing patterned garlands from the plain white garland.
• Phra Wimada Thoe's residence was also known for flower artistry and trained attendants.

From the Palace to the Classroom

• Inner-court women (ฝ่ายใน, fai nai) of the Grand Palace made the flower work for the king, the royal family and ceremonies (Sorose and Kaewsrithong, 2023).
• After 1932, teacher Yuen Phanuthat (อาจารย์เยื้อน ภาณุทัต, achan yuean phanuthat), a former palace attendant, brought court women's crafts into vocational schools.
• In 1986, the royal women's craft school (โรงเรียนช่างฝีมือในวัง (หญิง), rongrian chang fimue nai wang ying) opened, with fresh flowers as one of its departments (Royal Office).
• Today garland making is taught from primary school to university and in vocational training (Hongrattanavorakit and Aitsarasuchip, 2023). Competitions continue, such as the Korat SmartEd 2026 garland contests on 24 July 2026.

A Listed National Heritage

• Fresh-flower craft (งานช่างดอกไม้สด, ngan chang dok mai sot) is item 110 on Thailand's national intangible heritage list, under traditional craftsmanship (Department of Cultural Promotion).
• The same list includes the tiered offering (บายศรี, bai si) at 107 and the Loi Krathong festival (ลอยกระทง, loi krathong) at 222.
• Thailand joined the UNESCO 2003 heritage convention on 10 June 2016. Thailand's UNESCO-listed elements do not include a garland.

Common Claims, Checked

Some pages say	What the sources show
The first record of garlands is from Rama V's reign.	Rama V quotes an older text, and garlands already appear in the Pali canon. The only source given for the claim is a 1992 non-formal education textbook.
The word comes from Tamil.	We found no source for it. A Pali specialist traces the word to Pali มาลฺย (malya).
Garlands began in Sukhothai.	That claim rests on the Noppamas text, which dates from the Bangkok period.
The Ramakien is thousands of years old.	The best-known Thai version was completed in 1798 (poets.org).
"Phuang" means to string.	พวง (phuang) means bunch. Stringing is ร้อย (roi).
Champaca and frangipani are the same flower.	They are different plants. Thai champaca (จำปา, champa) is Magnolia champaca.
Some garlands are laced with gold and silver thread.	Probably a mistranslation of the fringed garland (มาลัยครุย, malai khrui), which is edged with small tassels.

The Parts of a Phuang Malai

A phuang malai has three parts: the body, the binding band and the tassel. This follows the RMUTP paper (Hongrattanavorakit and Aitsarasuchip, 2023).

Part	What it does
Body (ตัวมาลัย, tua malai)	The main strand of flowers
Binding band (มาลัยซีก, malai sik; also มาลัยเสี้ยว, malai siao)	Covers the joins, body to body and body to tassel
Tassel (อุบะ, uba)	Hangs from the garland

One Thai Grade 10 lesson teaches a different set of three: body, tassel and ribbon bow (โบมาลัย, bo malai).

The Body

• Needle and thread give a flexible, drooping strand.
• Coconut-leaf ribs (ก้านมะพร้าว, kan maphrao) are used where a piece must stand, for example a spindle garland in a vase. Wire now does the same job.
• Typical lengths from the RMUTP author's own practice: a round body about 19 inches, a twisted crown-flower body about 24 inches.

The Binding Band

• A half circle or less in cross-section.
• Sized in rows (หลัก, lak): 5, 7, 9 or 11.
• A band that joins bodies is about 7 inches. The one at the tassel joint is about 3.5 inches, with 13 layers (the RMUTP author's practice).

The Tassel

From bottom to top, a tassel has an end flower (ดอกตุ้ม, dok tum), a cap (ดอกครอบ, dok khrop) and threaded flowers (ดอกสวม, dok suam). Suwanmalee and Suansiri list 6 classic tassel types, while Chanthanapalin (2009) lists 17.

More in our guide to the Thai floral tassel.

Our cotton interpretation of this form: the Malai Uba (3,000 THB), a single-strand tassel (อุบะขาเดียว, uba kha diao) in hand-knotted cotton.

Tools and Flower Preparation

• Tools: garland needle (เข็มมาลัย, khem malai), short hand needle (เข็มมือ, khem mue), tassel needle (เข็มอุบะ, khem uba), scissors, small knife, pliers, wire, petroleum jelly, muslin, water sprayer, trays, sandpaper.
• Preparing flowers: cut petals to size (ตัด, tat), tie petals (มัด, mat), insert one flower into another (สอด, sot), pluck petals (ปลิด, plit), wrap in gauze (ห่อ, ho).
• How a garland is judged: proportion, colour, workmanship (no visible knots, tight joins) and freshness (Suwanmalee, 1990).

Types of Phuang Malai

Thai sources group garlands three ways: by use, by strand shape and by overall form. The grouping follows Chantana Suwanmalee's 1990 book, as cited in the RMUTP paper.

Types by Use

Type	What it looks like	Used for
Single-tail garland (มาลัยชายเดียว, malai chai diao)	Round loop, one tassel	Offering to the Buddha, worn on the wrist or arm, decorating a place
Royal wrist garland (มาลัยข้อพระกร, malai kho phra kon)	A single-tail garland, royal term	Presented to royalty
Double-tail garland (มาลัยสองชาย, malai song chai)	Tied at both ends, a tassel on each	Neck of an honoured person, front of a car, bow of a boat
Neck garland (มาลัยคล้องคอ, malai khlong kho)	Long garland worn around the neck	Wedding couples, honoured guests, performers
Favour garland (มาลัยชำร่วย, malai chamruai)	The smallest form	Favours at weddings, housewarmings, birthdays; home decoration
Couple's garland (มาลัยบ่าวสาว, malai bao sao)	Usually a double-tail garland with tassels	Worn by the bride and groom

Single-Tail Garland (มาลัยชายเดียว, malai chai diao)

• A round loop with one tassel.
• Also called hand garland (มาลัยมือ, malai mue), hand-hanging garland (มาลัยคล้องมือ, malai khlong mue), wrist garland (มาลัยข้อมือ, malai kho mue) or arm garland (มาลัยคล้องแขน, malai khlong khaen).
• Presented to royalty, it becomes the royal wrist garland (มาลัยข้อพระกร, malai kho phra kon) (Hongrattanavorakit and Aitsarasuchip, 2023).
• Sellers often call it the wrist garland (มาลัยกร, malai kon): see what malai kon is and when it is used.

Double-Tail Garland (มาลัยสองชาย, malai song chai)

A garland tied with a ribbon or bow at both ends, with a tassel on each end. It goes around the neck of an honoured person, on the front of a car or on the bow of a boat.

We compare it in detail in our double-tail and wrist garland guide.

Neck Garland (มาลัยคล้องคอ, malai khlong kho)

The Office of the Royal Society describes long garlands worn around the neck by wedding couples, honoured guests and performers. It is a way of wearing a garland rather than a separate technique.

For a wedding, our Malai Bao Sao is a cotton pair of bride and groom neck garlands to keep.

Wrist Garland (มาลัยข้อมือ, malai kho mue)

Part of the single-tail family. A 2016 Department of Cultural Promotion text, cited in the RMUTP paper, also calls it the braided garland (มาลัยเปีย, malai pia).

Favour Garland (มาลัยชำร่วย, malai chamruai)

The smallest garland, given as a small thank-you gift at weddings, housewarmings and birthdays. In a study of the Pak Khlong Talat flower market, buyers gave it the highest score for home decoration, 4.54 (Jintakanon, 2024).

Types by Strand Shape

Type	Shape	Used for
Round garland (มาลัยกลม, malai klom)	Circular; plain or patterned (ยกดอก, yok dok)	Body
Flat two-faced garland (มาลัยแบนสองหน้า, malai baen song na)	Long and flat	Body; trim on flower trays
Half garland (มาลัยซีก, malai sik) or crescent garland (มาลัยเสี้ยว, malai siao)	Half circle or less	Binding the joins
Triangular garland (มาลัยสามเหลี่ยม, malai sam liam)	Equilateral triangle	Body
Square garland (มาลัยสี่เหลี่ยม, malai si liam)	Square	Body
Spindle garland (มาลัยตุ้ม, malai tum)	Swells to the middle, then tapers	Tops of flower cones, vases, gifts
Caterpillar garland (มาลัยตัวหนอน, malai tua non) or Job's-tears garland (มาลัยลูกเดือย, malai luk dueai)	Like the spindle garland, but longer	Body
"Three kings" garland (มาลัยสามกษัตริย์, malai sam kasat)	Named in the sources, not described	Body
Braided garland (มาลัยถักเปีย, malai thak pia)	Sources differ: a body style, or the wrist garland	Body or wrist

Half Garland (มาลัยซีก, malai sik)

• A half circle or less in cross-section, also called the crescent garland (มาลัยเสี้ยว, malai siao).
• Sized in rows (หลัก, lak) of 5, 7, 9 or 11.
• It binds the joins: body to body, and body to tassel (RMUTP 2023; Owajariyapitak et al., 2020).

Spindle Garland (มาลัยตุ้ม, malai tum)

• Small, swelling to the middle, then tapering. Plain or patterned.
• Always an odd number of layers: 9, 11, 13 or 15.
• Used on top of flower cones, in vases and as gifts (RMUTP 2023; Ministry of Culture m-culture database, 2022).
• When it must stand, for example in a vase, it is built on coconut-leaf ribs.

Types by Overall Form

Type	Description	Source
Creature garland (มาลัยตัวสัตว์, malai tua sat)	Flowers shaped into animals: mouse, rabbit, squirrel, gibbon	Suwanmalee 1990, cited second-hand
Chain garland (มาลัยลูกโซ่, malai luk so)	Two or more round or half garlands linked in loops	RMUTP 2023
Braided garland (มาลัยเปีย, malai pia)	Two round garlands joined, with pine-cone-shaped ends	Suwanmalee 1990, cited second-hand
Vine garland (มาลัยเถา, malai thao)	Half garlands arranged like a vine	Suwanmalee 1990, cited second-hand
Fringed garland (มาลัยครุย, malai khrui)	Large round garland with small tassels all around, draped over the shoulders or chest	Sorose and Kaewsrithong 2023 (name); craft blogs (description)
Orchid garland (มาลัยดอกกล้วยไม้, malai dok kluai mai)	Made of orchids only	Suwanmalee 1990, cited second-hand

Garland Patterns (ลายมาลัย, lai malai)

• Spiral pattern (ลายเกลียว, lai kliao)
• Wavy kris pattern (ลายคดกริช, lai khot krit)
• "Meeting eyes" pattern (ลายตาประชุม, lai ta prachum)
• Combined pattern (ลายประกอบ, lai prakop)
• Diamond pattern (ลายสี่เหลี่ยมขนมเปียกปูน, lai si liam khanom piak pun)
• Filled diamond pattern (ลายขนมเปียกปูนสอดไส้, lai khanom piak pun sot sai)

Pattern names from RMUTP (2023) and Owajariyapitak et al. (2020).

See our cotton phuang malai

Flowers Used to Make Phuang Malai

Jasmine, crown flower, phut flower, champaca, rose and marigold are among the fresh flowers strung into Thai garlands. Each one has its place: the body, the cap or the end of the tassel.

Flower	Scientific name	Role in the garland
Jasmine (มะลิ, mali)	Jasminum sambac	Threaded flowers
Crown flower (ดอกรัก, dok rak)	Calotropis gigantea	Threaded flowers; sepals for the cap
Phut flower (ดอกพุด, dok phut)	not stated in our sources	Threaded flowers
White champaka (จำปี, champi)	Magnolia × alba	End flower of the tassel
Champaca (จำปา, champa)	Magnolia champaca	End flower of the tassel
Rose (กุหลาบ, kulap)	not stated in our sources	End flower; plucked petals
Marigold (ดาวเรือง, dao rueang)	not stated in our sources	Garlands
Ban mai ru roi flower (บานไม่รู้โรย, ban mai ru roi)	not stated in our sources	End flower; threaded flowers
Orchid (กล้วยไม้, kluai mai)	not stated in our sources	End flower; orchid garland
Khachon flower (ขจร, khachon)	not stated in our sources	Threaded flowers
Hibiscus calyx (กลีบเลี้ยงชบา, klip liang chaba)	not stated in our sources	The tassel cap

Roles from the RMUTP paper (2023). Scientific names from Royal Park Rajapruek (jasmine, white champaka, champaca) and Anusan Or Sor Tor magazine, read second-hand (crown flower).

Jasmine (มะลิ, mali)

• Named the Mother's Day flower in 1976 by the National Council on Social Welfare (สภาสังคมสงเคราะห์, sapha sangkhom songkhro) (Royal Park Rajapruek).
• Demand runs all year and peaks at Mother's Day, religious holidays and Songkran (KMITL, 2025).
• At Pak Khlong Talat market on 11 August 2026, jasmine garlands sold for 35 to 50 THB (small), 50 to 100 THB (medium) and 200 to 300 THB (large) (Thairath, quoting the Department of Internal Trade).
• More in our article on Mother's Day flowers and the meaning of jasmine.

Our cotton interpretation, in white: the Malai Supreme Purity (1,990 THB).

Crown Flower (ดอกรัก, dok rak)

• A standard threaded flower. Its sepals also form the tassel cap.
• Strung with jasmine for engagement trays and couples' garlands (Anusan Or Sor Tor magazine, 2016, read second-hand).

Phut Flower (ดอกพุด, dok phut)

• A threaded flower.
• Makers wrap it in gauze (ห่อ, ho), or insert it inside khachon flowers (สอด, sot) (RMUTP, 2023).

White Champaka and Champaca (จำปี, champi and จำปา, champa)

• Two fragrant magnolias used as tassel end flowers.
• Old Thai songs called champaca the "king of flowers" (Royal Park Rajapruek, 2020).
• By belief, some people avoid planting champaca because "pa" (ปา) sounds like the Thai word for "throw" (Mo Chao Ban, 1997).

Rose (กุหลาบ, kulap)

Used as a tassel end flower. Makers pluck the petals (ปลิด, plit) to shape it (RMUTP, 2023).

Marigold (ดาวเรือง, dao rueang)

• In 2020, 1,637 households grew marigolds on 3,807 rai (a Thai land unit). Tak had 684 rai and Nakhon Ratchasima 420.
• About 300,000 flowers per rai, at 0.50 THB a flower, rising to 1 to 2 THB at festivals.
• Flowers move through Pak Khlong Talat, Talad Thai and Si Mum Muang markets. Garland making is named as a source of demand (Department of Agricultural Extension).

Our cotton interpretation: the Malai Marigold (1,590 THB), in cotton and dried flowers.

Ban Mai Ru Roi Flower (บานไม่รู้โรย, ban mai ru roi)

Used as a threaded flower and as a tassel end flower (RMUTP, 2023).

Orchid (กล้วยไม้, kluai mai)

A tassel end flower, and the only flower in the orchid garland (มาลัยดอกกล้วยไม้, malai dok kluai mai).

Khachon Flower (ขจร, khachon)

A threaded flower. Makers can insert phut flowers inside it (สอด, sot) (RMUTP, 2023).

Hibiscus Calyx (กลีบเลี้ยงชบา, klip liang chaba)

The usual tassel cap (ดอกครอบ, dok khrop), along with crown-flower sepals. Hibiscus calyces are now hard to find, so plastic caps are also used (RMUTP, 2023).

How Long a Fresh Garland Lasts

• Jasmine turns brown by the second day after harvest (KMITL, 2025).
• Wax coatings (KU WAX or CU WAX) on white crown flowers slow wilting (Subprasert, 2011, cited in RMUTP 2023).
• Freshness is one of the four criteria a garland is judged on.

When Thais Give Phuang Malai, and the Etiquette

Thais give a phuang malai to honour someone: the Buddha, parents, teachers, elders, a couple or a guest. The type depends on where it goes.

Offering to the Buddha

• The single-tail garland is the one offered to the Buddha.
• Flowers are material worship, a sign of faith.
• Read more about offering a garland to a Buddha image.

Honouring Parents, Teachers and Elders

• The Office of the Royal Society lists honouring elders at New Year and Songkran among a garland's uses.
• Mother's Day: jasmine has been its official flower since 1976.
• Wai kru (ไหว้ครู, wai khru), the teacher-honouring ceremony: the school offering tray centres on needle flower (ดอกเข็ม, dok khem), Bermuda grass (หญ้าแพรก, ya phraek), eggplant flower (ดอกมะเขือ, dok makhuea) and popped rice (ข้าวตอก, khao tok) (Naewna). Garlands for the day are covered in our wai kru garland guide.

For a Mother's Day gift that lasts, see our cotton garlands for Mother's Day.

Weddings

• The bride and groom wear a couple's garland (มาลัยบ่าวสาว, malai bao sao), usually double-tailed, at the water-pouring blessing (รดน้ำสังข์, rot nam sang) and the evening party (Praew Wedding).
• Belief: wearing the same pair at both is said to bring a smooth marriage.
• The headpiece at the blessing is a twin-loop cord (มงคลแฝด, mongkhon faet), separate from the garland.

Welcoming Honoured Guests

• Garlands go around the necks of honoured guests and performers (Office of the Royal Society). The double-tail garland is the usual form.
• For companies, see phuang malai as a corporate gift.

Our interpretation, for a guest you want to celebrate: the Malai Prestige Gold (3,090 THB). Gifting orders are made to order and quoted for each project.

Request a corporate quotation

Vehicles and Boats

• A double-tail garland goes on the front of a car or the bow of a boat (RMUTP, 2023).
• Belief: the garland honours Mae Yanang (แม่ย่านาง, mae ya nang), the vehicle's guardian spirit. The custom was carried over from boats (Nation Thailand, 2025).
• Roadside garlands sold at traffic lights are usually jasmine, marigold and rose (Nation Thailand, 2025).
• See garlands for blessing a new car.

How to Give a Garland Politely

• Single-tail garland: for the Buddha, or worn on the wrist or arm.
• Double-tail garland: around the neck of an honoured person, on a car or on a boat.
• The wai (ไหว้, wai), the Thai greeting with joined hands: the Department of Cultural Promotion sets three levels, for the Triple Gem, for parents, teachers and respected elders, and for people in general.
• Handing to an elder: light items in the right hand, trays (พาน, phan) in both hands, body lowered slightly (Thai etiquette lessons).

Phuang Malai in the Family of Thai Floral Arts

The phuang malai belongs to Thai fresh-flower craft (งานดอกไม้สด, ngan dok mai sot), the court art of stringing, sewing, tying and layering petals and leaves (Sorose and Kaewsrithong, 2023). Its closest relative, hanging flower art, uses the same stringing, net and tassel techniques.

Art form	What it is
Floral tassel (อุบะ, uba)	Pendant that hangs from garlands and hangings
Hanging flower art (เครื่องแขวน, khrueang khwaen)	Flat and three-dimensional hangings, sometimes called Thai flower chandeliers
Flower cone on a tray (พานพุ่ม, phan phum)	Flowers shaped into a dome on a pedestal tray, a high offering
Float (กระทง, krathong)	Banana-leaf and flower float for Loi Krathong
Tiered offering (บายศรี, bai si)	Mainly banana leaf, in 3, 5, 7 or 9 tiers, for sacred beings
Banana-leaf craft (งานใบตอง, ngan bai tong)	Developed alongside the garland
Lanna flower tree (ต้นดอก, ton dok, or สุ่มดอก, sum dok)	A wooden frame studded with flowers, offered to the Buddha in northern Thailand
Artificial flowers (ดอกไม้ประดิษฐ์, dok mai pradit)	Fabric, paper or clay flowers
Thai flower arrangement (การจัดดอกไม้แบบไทย, kan chat dok mai baep thai)	Thai techniques blended with international arrangement

• Painters borrowed garland stringing patterns for temple murals (RMUTP 2023, citing Chanthanapalin 2009).

• Flat pieces: the crystal ladder (บันไดแก้ว, bandai kaeo), the elephant-face net (ตาข่ายหน้าช้าง, ta khai na chang) and the crocodile hanging (กลิ่นจระเข้, klin chorakhe).
• Three-dimensional pieces: the plume (พู่กลิ่น, phu klin) and the cascade chandelier (ระย้า, raya) (Anurak magazine).
• Read what khrueang khwaen is.

Our cotton interpretation of these forms: The Elephant Net (1,990 THB) and The Crocodile Fragrance (2,590 THB), which now hang for good.

Garlands Across Asia and the Pacific

Place	Tradition
Thailand	A women's craft, passed down from the court to vocational schools
Lanna, northern Thailand	Flower trees offered to the Buddha (Chiang Mai University)
Luang Prabang, Laos	Marigold flower trees (ton dauk) with a cone for Mount Meru and a three-pronged top for the Three Gems. Making one yourself is said to earn more merit than buying it (Garland Magazine, 2021).
Tamil South India	In Pondicherry, temple garlands are woven mostly by young men in market stalls (The Jugaad Project, 2020)
Hawaii	The lei. Don Blanding proposed Lei Day on 13 February 1928. It was first held on 1 May 1928 and officially recognised in 1929 (Kamehameha Schools).

Fresh, Plastic or Cotton Phuang Malai Compared

Fresh flowers are the traditional material, and the right choice for temple offerings and for scent. Garland makers already swap a few parts within the tradition, while a cotton malai is a separate interpretation made to be kept.

• The case for fresh: freshness is one of the traditional tests of a good garland.
• Materials already change within the tradition: metal-sheet caps, pearl beads in place of threaded flowers, plastic caps, clay flowers and dried dyed lotus leaves (RMUTP 2023; Owajariyapitak et al., 2020).
• Fabric flowers: a Sukhothai community enterprise developed a coating for flowers made from textile scraps (Sihawatankul and Jaithorn, 2023).

Material	How long it lasts	Scent	Typical use and price
Fresh flowers	Jasmine browns by day two	Natural	Temple offerings and ceremonies; 35 to 300 THB (Pak Khlong Talat, August 2026)
Plastic	Not stated in our sources	Not stated	Not stated
Cotton (Macrame by Nicha)	Made to be kept	Malai Glin Rak: you add the scent you love	Gifts a person keeps; Malai Glin Rak is 499 THB

The full story is in from fresh flowers to a lasting garland in cotton.

Macrame by Nicha's Cotton Phuang Malai

“Europe created the medal. Thailand has the Malai.”

Nicha reimagines the Phuang Malai as a lasting expression of respect, gratitude and recognition. Handcrafted in cotton, each garland can carry a personal story through colours and proportions chosen for a person, family or institution.

Her vision gives this Thai tradition a lasting place in contemporary homes: a reminder of an achievement, a meaningful relationship and the person who gave it.

See how Nicha works

Who Makes Them

• Our designer, Nicha, is an Akha designer from Chiang Rai.
• Akha Ma-De, the social program behind our Akha makers, won first prize in the SME category at UN Women's 2024 Thailand WEPs Awards.
• Gifting orders are made to order, with a quotation for each project.

Malai Chaad

The Malai Chaad (2,690 THB) is a cotton phuang malai in the colours of the Thai flag, made for VIP and diplomatic gifts.

Malai Petite with a Birthday-Colour Belt

The Malai Petite (1,590 THB) comes with a belt in the colour of the day of birth (สีประจำวันเกิด, si pracham wan koet).

Malai Glin Rak

The Malai Glin Rak (499 THB) is a small cotton garland that also works as a scent diffuser.

You add the scent you love, because only you know your best fragrance. See also traditional Thai fragrance.

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Phuang Malai FAQ

What is phuang malai called in English?

A Thai flower garland, or simply a Thai garland. The Thai word is written phuang malai in Latin letters.

How many types of malai are there?

Thai sources group garlands by use, by strand shape and by overall form. By use, the main types are the single-tail and double-tail garlands, plus neck, wrist and favour garlands.

What are the parts of a phuang malai?

Three parts: the body (ตัวมาลัย, tua malai), the binding band (มาลัยซีก, malai sik) and the tassel (อุบะ, uba).

What is the difference between phuang malai and phuang mala?

A phuang malai is a garland of strung flowers for the Buddha, elders and guests. A phuang mala (พวงมาลา) is a large framed arrangement laid at monuments, a different word.

How old is the phuang malai?

Garland making already appears in the Pali Buddhist texts. In Thailand it is best documented at the Bangkok court under Rama V, while the Sukhothai origin story is a legend.

Which flowers are used to make a garland?

Mainly jasmine, crown flower, phut flower, khachon flower, ban mai ru roi flower, rose, champaka, orchid and marigold. Hibiscus calyces form the tassel cap.

How are single-tail and double-tail garlands used differently?

A single-tail garland is offered to the Buddha or worn on the wrist or arm. A double-tail garland goes around the neck of an honoured person, on a car or on the bow of a boat.

How long does a fresh flower garland last?

Jasmine turns brown by the second day after harvest (KMITL, 2025). Wax coatings can slow the wilting of crown flowers.

References

1. Hongrattanavorakit, S. and Aitsarasuchip, K. (2023). มาลัยคล้องมือ: การเพิ่มมูลค่าจากรูปแบบมาลัยที่เปลี่ยนไป (Hand garlands: adding value through changing forms). กระแสวัฒนธรรม (Cultural Approach), RMUTP. Link
2. Kulthamrong, R. (2014). ดอกไม้วิจิตร (Exquisite flowers). วารสารไทยศึกษา (Journal of Thai Studies) 10(1). Chulalongkorn University. Link
3. Sorose, A. and Kaewsrithong, J. (2023). Journal of Arts Management 7(4). Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University. Link
4. Office of the Royal Society (2019). พวงมาลัย และ พวงมาลา (Phuang malai and phuang mala). Link
5. Royal Institute Dictionary (2011). มาลัย (garland), via Longdo. Link
6. dhamtara.com (2014). มาลา-มาลัย (Pali word of the day 910). Link
7. Wisdom Library. Mala (Pali Text Society and Monier-Williams entries). Link
8. Department of Cultural Promotion and UNESCO-ICHCAP (2014). Intangible Cultural Heritage Inventory, Thailand. Link
9. Journal of the Royal Society of Thailand 40(3). Office of the Royal Society. Link
10. Towiwat, L. (2013). นางนพมาศ: วรรณกรรมคำสอนสตรีที่ (อาจ) ถูกลืม (Nang Noppamas: a possibly forgotten conduct book for women). วารสารศิลปศาสตร์ (Journal of Liberal Arts) 13(2). Link
11. Hutangkur, T. (2021). Article on the dating of the Nang Noppamas text. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre. Link
12. Silpa Watthanatham. Prince Damrong on the Nang Noppamas text. Link
13. Thai PBS Podcast. พระราชพิธีสิบสองเดือน (Royal Ceremonies of the Twelve Months). Link
14. Changpum, C. and Pittungnapoo, W. (2016). Naresuan University architecture journal 7(1). Link
15. Royal Office (2021). โรงเรียนช่างฝีมือในวัง (หญิง) (The royal women's craft school). Link
16. Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University. Thai Wisdom in Blooming Flowers. Google Arts and Culture. Link
17. Dhammapada, verse 53. Ancient Buddhist Texts. Link
18. Poets.org. Introduction to extracts from the Ramakien. Link
19. UNESCO. Thailand: conventions. Link
20. Owajariyapitak et al. (2020). การประดิษฐ์พานพุ่มจากใบบัว (Making flower cones from lotus leaves). RMUTP Home Economics Technology Journal 2(2). Link
21. Jintakanon, C. (2024). การออกแบบมาลัยของกลุ่มชุมชนปากคลองตลาด (Garland design of the Pak Khlong Talat community). RMUTP thesis. Link
22. Ministry of Culture (2022). มาลัยตุ้ม (Spindle garland), Samut Prakan entry. m-culture.in.th. Link
23. Korat SmartEd 2026. Garland competition results. Link
24. Royal Park Rajapruek (2020). Jasmine. Link
25. Royal Park Rajapruek (2020). White champaka and champaca. Link
26. Mo Chao Ban (1997). Champaca. Link
27. Yeamsuriyotai et al. (2025). Frontiers in Plant Science. King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL). Link
28. Thairath (11 August 2026). Pak Khlong Talat jasmine and garland prices. Link
29. Department of Agricultural Extension. Marigold factsheet, 2020 data. Link
30. Ajarn Phano (2024). RMUTT Radio. Link
31. Naewna. The wai kru offering tray. Link
32. Praew Wedding. Wedding garland customs. Link
33. Nation Thailand (2025). Roadside garlands and Mae Yanang. Link
34. Department of Cultural Promotion. The Thai wai. Link
35. Anurak magazine. Thai hanging flower art. Link
36. Chiang Mai University Art and Culture Office. Lanna way of life. Link
37. Sihawatankul and Jaithorn (2023). SSA Journal. Link
38. McIntosh and Tiao Nith (2021). Devotional flower offerings of Luang Prabang. Garland Magazine. Link
39. Comeau (2020). Garlands for gods in southeast India. The Jugaad Project. Link
40. Kamehameha Schools. The history of May Day and Lei Day in Hawaii. Link

Further reading, cited through the RMUTP paper: Suwanmalee, C. (1990). มาลัย (Garlands). Odeon Store. Suansiri (2004). เรียงร้อยมาลัย (Stringing garlands). Chanthanapalin, M. (2009). วิจิตรการคล้องพวงมาลัย (The art of garlands). Anusan Or Sor Tor 56(7) (2016), pp. 112 to 113, read second-hand.

About the author Nicha is an Akha designer from Chiang Rai and the designer behind Macrame by Nicha. In 2023, Macrame by Nicha exhibited "The New Age of Khruang Kwaen and Phuang Malai" at TCDC Bangkok (Thailand Creative and Design Center). Read more about Nicha.