Every August in Thailand, jasmine appears everywhere. As garlands, brooches, small bouquets, and school ceremony gifts, the small white flower is passed from children to mothers on August 12. To understand why, you need to understand two things: the date itself, and what jasmine means to Thai culture.
A day tied to the Mother of the Nation
Thailand’s National Mother’s Day has always been more than a family occasion. It was tied directly to Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother, regarded as the Mother of the Nation, and the day carries that weight alongside the more personal act of honouring one’s own mother.
Queen Sirikit passed away on October 24, 2025, at the age of 93. This year’s Mother’s Day is the first since her passing, and the occasion carries particular significance as a result. The tradition she inspired, of Thais honouring their mothers with jasmine and gratitude, continues as a living expression of the values she embodied. Her influence on Thai culture and the depth of affection Thais held for her is hard to separate from the holiday itself.
Why jasmine
Jasmine, known in Thai as dok mali, was officially designated as the flower of National Mother’s Day in 1976, the same year the date was formalised. The choice was not arbitrary. The flower’s qualities map directly onto what Thai culture associates with maternal love.
Its white colour represents purity, a mother’s heart untainted by selfish desire. Its fragrance, gentle and long-lasting, is read as a symbol of enduring care. Its small, familiar form reflects something that does not demand attention but is always present. For many Thais, that combination makes dok mali a more honest symbol of a mother than any grander flower could be.
Jasmine is also deeply woven into Thai ceremonial life more broadly. Garlands are offered to monks, teachers, and elders, not just mothers. Many Thai households grow jasmine at home, believing it brings peace and harmony. In some ritual settings, jasmine-infused water is used in cleansing ceremonies. The flower carries meaning across contexts, which gives the Mother’s Day tradition its roots in something older and wider than the holiday itself.
The varieties of dok mali
Not all jasmine garlands are the same. According to Potico, five jasmine varieties are commonly used in Thailand, each with its own character:
- Jasminum sambac (Mali La): The most popular variety for garlands, prized for its strong scent and symbolic purity.
- Jasminum multiflorum (Mali Lee): Known for multiple blooms per stem and a milder fragrance.
- Jasminum polyanthum (Mali Thot): A climbing variety used decoratively for its prolific flowering.
- Jasminum grandiflorum (Mali Son): Larger blossoms and a subtle aroma, also used in perfumery.
- Jasminum azoricum (Mali Pikun or Mali Chat): A rarer species with distinctively shaped flowers.
The most common in Mother’s Day garlands is Mali La, the single jasmine, chosen for the intensity of its scent and its association with purity.
How the day is marked
The jasmine garland itself is the central gesture, but the day looks different in every family for Mother’s Day in Thailand. Some children string the flowers themselves, the handmade nature of the gift considered part of its meaning. Others buy garlands from market vendors who begin stocking them days in advance. Many families mark August 12 with a meal together, a temple visit, or simply going home.
In schools, Mother’s Day ceremonies are common, with children presenting garlands and sometimes kneeling before their mothers in a gesture of respect that reflects the Thai concept of katanyu, or filial gratitude. The act is not just symbolic. It reflects a cultural value that places the family unit as one of the foundations of Thai life.
For a quick reminder of where August 12 sits in Thailand’s broader calendar of public holidays this year, the full 2026 public holidays guide lists every national observance and what each one involves.
What flowers do other countries use for their Mother’s Day
Thailand is not alone in attaching a flower to its Mother’s Day. As Potico notes, China uses the lily, the United States and Japan favour carnations, Australia uses chrysanthemums, and the Philippines marks the day with the pink Cadena De Amor.
Each reflects something specific to its own culture. Thailand’s choice of jasmine, small, fragrant, and unshowy, says something about how Thai culture frames motherhood itself.
Sources: Potico, Thai Mother’s Day floral guide; Centrepoint; April Flora, and Queen Sirikit biographical detail via The Thaiger.
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