Attire and Thai Female Identity in The Empress of Ayodhaya

Abstract

          This study aims to examine the forms, components, and semiotic meanings of costumes in the 2024 television drama Mae Yua as a medium reflecting Thai female identity. The research focuses on understanding the role of costume as a cultural language that communicates Thai female identity in terms of gender, class, and social power, through a semiotic framework.This qualitative research employs content analysis of costumes worn by three main groups of female characters: 1) Thao Srisudachan (Mae Yua), 2) women of the royal court, and 3) commoner women, across all 16 episodes broadcast on ONE 31. The findings reveal that costumes function as a semiotic system that communicates Thai female identity in three key dimensions: (1) Gender and femininity: Mae Yua’s costumes, featuring gold-threaded silk and luxurious ornaments, represent a powerful and assertive woman, challenging the traditional image of the Thai gentlewoman. (2) Class and social status: Costumes reflect social hierarchy through the selection of materials, patterns, and levels of elaboration. (3) Power and cultural identity: Costumes serve as a medium linking Thai female identity between the past and the present. In conclusion, Thai female identity is not fixed but continuously constructed through media and contemporary fashion. Costumes in Mae Yua are not merely aesthetic elements but significant mechanisms for communicating and negotiating Thai female identity within contemporary Thai society.