Thai. Name of a kind of vertical banners that are placed at Buddhist temples during the kathin ceremony in Thailand indicating their participation, in which pious laymen bring gifts and robes to all the monks of a temple. There are various kinds. Typically, they are used in pairs, the most common variety being one depicting a mermaid holding lotus flowers and which is individually also referred to as thong nang matcha (ธงนางมัจฉา) and which symbolizes doubt, delusion or infatuation, as it is part fish-part woman (alternatively a fish or a kinnari, i.e. a creature part bird-part woman, may reportedly be used); the other having the depiction of a crocodile with lotus flowers in its mouth, known on its own as thong jorakae (ธงจระเข้) and representing greed. According to a folk tale, the crocodile is the incarnation of a rich but greedy person who never did any good deed, act of charity, merit making, nor gave any donation to the temple or alms to the monks. Hence, in his next life he became a crocodile tasked with guarding the temple's treasures. Alternative varieties of banner used during kathin are with the depiction of a turtle, which is known as thong tao (ธงเต่า) and represents consciousness, and of a centipede called thong takaab (ธงตะขาบ) which symbolizes anger. WATCH VIDEO (1) and (2). 回