Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has defended the new uniform for Thai athletes in the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games.

He was responding to widespread criticism from netizens who claimed the design was outdated and old-fashioned.

Mr Srettha said "When you say your clothes or mine are outdated, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, isn't it?" 

Respect should be given to those who designed the uniform and everyone should not focus on trivial issues, he said.

On Wednesday, the prime minister took to his Facebook account to defend the uniform that is to be worn by Thai athletes at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics on July 26.

"Patterns from the Ban Chiang Archaeological Site have inspired a design team. The outfit reflects a combination of Thai cultural heritage and internationalisation," he wrote.

His comments followed criticism on social media after photos of the uniform were posted on Facebook.

Among the comments were "(The design team) had to please senior figures; otherwise, the design would not get approval," and "Is this all you can do?"

The uniform also drew positive comments from some netizens who liked the design.