Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

This is going to be the very basis of how Thai names work. And I must say that this is what I know from what I experience in my day-to-day life and not some linguistics lesson.

First, all your favorite characters were likely called by their nick names, not their legal names.

Secondly, their nick names were likely to have had nothing in common with their legal names.

So if you want accuracy, don't use that nickname on a legal document like a citizenship ID or something that they would have to formally register their name at, like a school, workplace, or hospital. 

I'm aware that throughout the show you might not ever hear anyone say their legal names, so you don't have anything to use. In that case, I would like to suggest you guys make the situation a bit more natural to use nicknames. If you want the teacher to call them, then make the teacher know them already and not read their names on roll call or make the doctor ask how they want to be called instead of reading it from the record.

But if you want to use their nickname like it's a legal name, it's not a big deal either! After all, writing fanfic is a hobby, and nobody should stress over a hobby.

Next, let me tell you how we Thai say each other's name.

Most Thais have a first name, a last name, and a nickname, and as we know, the nickname is what is used the most in the show, and yes, that is what happens in real life too. So you guys have tons of examples of how to use nicknames already. Let's skip that.

In Thai, we say first name and then last name when referring to someone's full name. We usually say our full name just once (if situation require) when introducing ourselves and usually with a nickname to accompany it if we want to be friendly and ok to let those we talk with use our nickname, but if it was a formal setting, then it would be "khun+first name" pattern people use to call each other. I think khun might be equal to mr. or miss, so you could just use "mr. first name"

What about when you want to use their full name in a teasing way? Or a mom yells their kid full name angrily?

Then it would be first name and last name without a nickname. I notice that sometimes people tend to write it like a nickname, first name, and last name when characters say a full name, which is fine, but it's not actually how it is normally said in a conversation, you know?

To make it easier to remember, just don't mix nicknames and full names, and if you use a nickname to call one character when describing a scene, then it's probably a good idea to use a nickname for all of the others too.

At least in day-to-day conversation. People wouldn't say their friend's name as nickname + last name and only say nickname + first name combination if the nicknames of the people they were referring to were the same as someone else they knew. But if they talked about celebrities, then nickname + first name would get used a lot, similar to using a singer's stage name or nickname + their band's name or company's name to refer to them.

• In kindergarten, things are usually marked with a nickname, and when we grow up, they will be marked with a legal name and surname and/or class number, student ID.

Chapter Text

Lets start with what name you shouldn't use.

A name that resembles the king, the queen, or a title conferred by the king (only of the current, the Chakri Dynasty) is illegal. For example, the late King Rama 9's name is Bhumibol Adulyadej, so if you tried to name your kid Bhumibol or Adulyadej, they wouldn't let you register. But if you cut it short enough, it might still work, like Bhum. Bhum pronouse phum Or Bol pronouse pon (it's the most accurate I can make) is actually a fairly common name. 

Mis-gender name, Some names have genders, and if you can't read Thai, there is a chance that you might make some mistakes, and it would be alright. But here are a few very obvious examples so you could avoid some of it: "Chai(ชาย)", which means "man", Don't use a name that has the word "Chai" in it for a woman character. The same with Ying(หญิง), which means woman.
**There are many other words that are spelled as "chai" in English but spelled differently in Thai, and they don't mean "man" either, but most of them still are man's names.

The concept of gender in names and the view that words that will be used as people's names need to have some kind of specific quality rather than just anything were actually introduced into societies not that long ago in Plaek Phibunsongkhram's government era. But it is now the norm.

And one last thing.
It isn't necessarily a bad name, but it's my pet peeve, so...
Anything starts with Som(สม). If it's "som+anything", the chance is they are really old fashion names. 90% of the people with these names are definitely not teenagers. Most would atleast be in their 40s or something. Except Som without anything after or Som-O, because it's actually different Som. It's pronounced with a different tone.

So what name should you use? 

For the first name, I would suggest you just copy the actual Thai first name you know. It is the easiest choice. You could search for a Thai celebrity's name or you could use a website for naming babies. Nothing could go wrong with that!

For the surname It is more difficult than the first name. We can't just copy an already exciting last name. Because in reality, while you can always create a new surname, it needs to be unique. Unless there is some error that occurs, Thai people who have the same surname are related, whether since birth, by marriage, or by adoption. If someone wants to create a new surname today, they will need to make sure that the surname they have in mind hasn't already been taken. The first thing they could do is check with the civil registration website. I guess you could use the name of some place, like the name of an old village or mound, as your OC last name. It would be like their ancestors came from that place, or you could try to find some well-meaning word in Pali or Sanskrit if you want. Well, it's not really limited to those two things since a real surname can actually be quite random, but those are pretty safe. I think the hardest thing about a surname is that it usually links to the background of that family to some degree, and if you don't know what you gave your character, it could be a bit weird. You could find some random word to be a surname, but I wouldn't recommend that. 

And for the nickname, the easiest of them all, you can use anything. Literally anything, with just a small exception. For example, from A-Z except E because it is homonymous with a rude word, and N because it is homonymous with a word that means sinew, you could use any letter and it wouldn't be that weird. Some might be more popular than others, but all could be used. You could just cut the legal name into one syllable and use that. It might be a little weird if you pick the wrong syllable to keep, but the risk is not that great. Stick to the last syllable, and it's mostly safe. You could use any animal you see as cute (except dogs; they're cute, but we already use dog as a curse word) as a name too. Just google translate it to Thai (or not). Fruit is the same way. And the weather too. From the sun to the storm to the grass, as long as it's cute or has a good ring to it, it can be used. 

I have seen quite a few foreigners express that they think that the reason why some Thai people's names are random English words is because the one who picks them isn't well versed in English, but in my opinion, a lot of names that are Thai words are also equally random, and this is just how our culture is.

Bonus+

• If you want to name siblings, many Thais like to make their children's names be the same set, such as having the same initial letter, using the same word or sound as a first syllable, using words that the meanings go together, like Mek-เมฆ(cloud) and Mork-หมอก(mist), or choosing a rhyming word.
• Most Thai people's first names and surnames are Pali/Sanskrit, which is a dead language, or Thai words that can be used in daily life. For nicknames, they can be the shorten form of first names, so it can be a meaningless sound, Pali/Sanskrit or Thai words, or it can be anything the namer chooses, such as random Thai or foreign words, brand names, or whatever.
• If you want to attempt a period, do know that a canon nickname has a high likelihood of being a name that will never be used in an accurate setting, since using those foreign words as a nickname is a rather recent trend. What name you should use will depend on various factors. But generally speaking, surnames, many-syllable names, and genders in names are quite new (it used to be pretty unisex. And maybe even more random??) Not ancient, I mean.
• Sensible parents will choose a good-meaning name for their child. Not so sensible parents and writers might choose a not-so-good-meaning name for their child. There are so many novels with characters who have got really weird names. Sometimes I swear the writer chooses that name purely for pun purposes.
• If a character's name looks like an English word when spelled in English, then there is a high chance that it is really that English word. Sometimes it might just be a coincidence, but most of the time it is an English word and if it is not pronounced like one, it's because it's just more convenient to say it in a heavily Thai accent among Thai people. And to be honest, even names containing Thai words won't be pronounced "right" all the time, especially if there is a diphthong in there.
• Quite a few people choose to name their babies' nicknames after a place they conceive when it is obvious where is it happen, like, after they go on vacation abroad. or any other special event, activity, or reason that leads to it. So the country or town, as a nickname, can be because of that.😳😳
• http://161.200.50.2/th2roman -->for transcribing Thai words into English.
• If you want to, you could check out my Tumblr for character names' meaning posts. That might give you more ideas about Thai names and surnames. As I said, some writers do pick weird names for their characters, but even then, it's usually not that much weirder than reality.

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The no-shoe indoor policy

Why? 
There is no official reason, but many people agree that it's for hygiene reasons, including me. The ground outside would make the shoes dirty, and by wearing them indoors it would contaminate the inside floor.

When and where do we remove our shoes?
Some families remove it outside their homes. Some remove it inside their homes, but they still won't wear it past their "shoe area". In some condominiums, you will see shoes lined up beside the wall. The same goes for temples, nail salons, and barbershops. Even in the hotel, some people would still leave their shoes near the door out of habit. It's common sense to remove your shoes before entering the other home, unless the owner states otherwise.

Do we wear slippers?
Some do, some don't. Those who don't will just walk around their house barefoot. As for the guests, if the home owner doesn't wear one, then there won't be any for the guests, obviously. If the home owner wears it, then they probably have a few pairs for their guests. It might be in varying sizes or in one standard size, but if it is too small for the guest, or if there are too many guests and not enough slippers, then the guest just doesn't wear it. After all, most of us don't mind walking around the house barefoot.

Something else that may or may not be related
-In the old fashion house, there may be a small basin built in on the ground or a water-jar with a coconutshell ladle in it at the foot of the stairs for washing your feet before entering the house.
-Temple's bathroom may have you remove your shoes before entering and use the slippers that got cut in the head and/or heel so it won't get stolen.

Wai
I think you all know the basis of Wai already, but I'm still going to talk about it just in case. Wai is a form of greeting and a way to say thanks, sorry, or pay respect.

Who should we wai?
Anyone who is regarded socially as someone we must respect.
For example, the elder, especially one's own relative(but like, I don't wai my mom, who I'm super close with, and only wai those relatives I don't see much of.), monks, teachers, or professors, and the boss or senior at work.
Most people will still Wai people that society expects them to Wai, even when they do not want to. But if someone hates someone they are supposed to Wai enough, they might not be willing to do it even when they are going to be in trouble for not being polite.

What about seniors at school?
It's not weird if you do, not weird if you don't. Most people stop doing it after they get close.

Who would it be weird for us to wai?
people younger than us, with the exception of people who are in a higher position. Someone who is close to us and not significantly older.
But if we wai them as a way of teasing, then it's not going to weird them out. For example, if we say something like, "Oh, they are going to pay for everyone's food" teasingly and then everyone wai to thank them, also teasingly, knowing they are not actually willing to pay. That would be quite a common joke.

Other than wai is there another way of greeting?
Wai is a formal way of greeting, and so there are other casual ways of greeting, which I personally think are quite universal body language, like nodding and waving, but we don't use handshakes, at least not between Thai people anyway.

‐------------------------
This chapter is for Silvs. I hope my answer is clear enough for you. I say I'm planning to write this with other customs and manners I can think of, but in the end, I realize that what I plan to talk about isn't a thing that actually matters, a fun thing to know, or can count as a custom, so I only write about these two things.😅

As for your other question, I assume you are talking about the greeting custom. Most people won't get offended if that is what you ask. 
BL is a fantasy, yes, but I think it is still in line with reality enough to learn something. But don't use Bl as the only source, either.
If the gay in question is a stranger, classmate, or co-worker, most people are quite relaxed and I have never really witnessed any bullying nor heard anything from my friend who is already out as gay, but I saw some discussing it on twitter and apparently one of my high school classmates is a homophobe. I hear if they are family, it can be a lot more intense though. 
As for skin ship between actors, in my opinion, that should be up to the actors, but since a lot of Thai fans like it to be as much as possible, many actors develop a habit of doing it a lot. Sometimes it is a little weird, tbh.
I have yet to see anything that indicates that anyone feels bothered about their favorite have inter fan. In fact, many take pride in it. 

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The pronouns or prefixes chosen for themselves and others will depend on a lot of factors such as age, preexisting relationship, mood, place, and occasion. And it has no rigid rule one can refer to. Sometimes it will change rapidly. Sometimes it will stay the same. In one conversation, one can use more than one set with the same person. Sometimes it might be chosen after a thought process and careful consideration, but most of the time it's likely just habit or instinct.

พี่ Phi

Gender-neutral

Can be used with or without a name.

Polite but not particularly formal

Can be used to refer to the first, second, or third person.

The literal meaning is "elder sibling," but it can be used to call anyone older. And since it's polite but not too formal, it gets used all the time. The chance that someone will get offended by being called Phi is really low. It can also refer to a lover, despite being a family term. I understand that it might look a bit weird when someone tries to translate it to English and decides to use bro or something along that line, but it's normal here.

Sometimes older relatives will call a child in their family that has a younger sibling Phi, and in that case, the child might call themselves Phi when speaking to them too. But that is the only situation I know of where the one Phi refers to, in a non-teasing way, is younger. (Not counting times where both parties didn't know each other's age and so they both insisted on calling the other Phi to be polite.)

When someone calls themselves Phi, they might refer to the other party as nong, khun, nai, tur, nhu, name, or pet name.

Example

First person: Phi (I) update it every year asking from those who newly join.

2nd person: Phi Kim(you) are going to buy this for phom(me) too?

3rd person: Ai Akk! Come and take photos. Phi(พี่) kao(เขา) (Phi kao = He) wants a group photo with staff. **If it's Phi+name, Kao can be left out. It can be Phi -name- kao wants a group photo or Phi -name- wants a group photo. Kao is a third-person pronoun, and most second-person pronouns can be made third-person by adding kao if not used with a name.

น้อง Nong

Gender-neutral

Can be used with or without a name.

Polite but since Thai culture focuses on respecting the elderly a lot, terms that are used to address someone younger can sometimes be seen as disrespectful.

Can be used to refer to the first, second, or third person.

Nong is Phi's counterpart. Its literal meaning is "younger sibling." It is mostly used in the same way as Phi, but for younger people. And, unless they are related, when someone calls themselves Nong, they will likely only refer to the other party as phi (with or without a name). As for when they are related, like, when they talk to their grandma, and they refer to themselves as nong+name they, for obvious reasons, will refer to Grandma as Grandma rather than Phi.

Example

First person: So nong P(I) sit on this side?

2nd person: Wow! Nong Noo(you) are looking fine growing up.

3rd person: Dose it means I can do anything if she(nong) isn’t around?

เฮีย Hia

Masculine

Can be used with or without name.

Casual

Can be used to refer to the first, second, or third person.

The literal meaning is "elder brother" but get use for older man in general too. The word has Chinese roots (Teochew dialect), so if someone is referred to as "hia", it's safe to assume he has a Chinese ancestor, but not all people who have a Chinese ancestor will be referred to by the word that has Chinese roots. It's up to their personal preference. The same is true for jèe, tee, and muay.

Example

First person: Wash this for hia(me) too.

2nd person: I’m not talking about hia(you).

3rd person: I’m not talking about hia(him).

เจ๊ Jèe or Che or Jay (I'm not sure how to write this in english)

Feminine

Can be used with or without name.

Casual

Can be used to refer to the first, second, or third person.

The literal meaning is "elder sister." For some reason, people use it to call women who are in charge of small businesses a lot, especially in the restaurant and construction industries. While it's not exactly rude, many people don't like it.

Example

First person: When we have love, I(Jèe) will tell you one secret.

2nd person: Where do they usually date? Because usually I come to finish the case at your(Jèe) shop.

3rd person: Whenever anyone speaks of jèe Yok(kinnporsche) as a third person

ตี๋ Tee

Masculine

Use without a name.

Casual

Can be used to refer to the first, second, or third person.

The literal meaning is "younger brother." Sometimes it gets used as a nickname or to describe people who have light skin and single eyelids. Most don't see it as a negative thing. People won't use it to refer to other people's younger brothers in the same way that you use the word "younger brother." For example, they won't say "how your tee is doing" but they might say "how tee is doing."

หมวย Muay

Feminine

Used without a name.

Casual

Can be used to refer to the first, second, or third person.

The literal meaning is "younger sister". Used just like tee.

All four hia, jèe, tee, and muay may say with ah in the front. like ah-muay, ah-hia It didn't add or change any meaning of the word. It's just a sound.

คุณ Khun

Gender-neutral

can be used with or without a name.(I kind of feel like Khun with the name can be a bit more respectful and Khun without a name can be a bit more casual)

Formal

can be used to refer to a second or third person.

It can be translated to you, miss, mister, sir, etc. It can also be translated to virtue, benefit, and the like in other contexts, but we won't talk about that.

Most formal settings will use khun, with the exception of those who have a rank or special prefix like doctor or soldier. In the workplace, co-workers will use khun to call each other if they are not yet close. In a hospital, the doctor and nurse will use khun to call the patient, and the patient will add khun to the word that means doctor and nurse when calling them. In universities, many professors use khun when they talk to students. Even in school, specifically in my class, we used to call each other Khun(without names) before we grew up and gradually became more familiar with bad words like Gu(กู) and Mung(มึง).

**If we already call someone using "Khun + name" as a second person, then it is likely to be used as a third person too.

But just because it's not quite casual doesn't mean it can't be intimate. Many lovers will call each other khun. In some pairs they will both use it. In some pairs only one of them will use it and the other may use their lover's name or pet name. Like my grandparents, my grandma called my grandpa khun+name and he called her by her name.

If only one of them used khun to address the other, the chance is they are the younger of the pair. 
The pairs that used khun were usually people who had used it since the beginning before they got together. But they might just try many ways to call each other and then decide that they like it best.

Example

2nd person: You(khun) don’t need to do anything for her(tur).

ผม Phom

Masculine

used without a name.

Quite formal and polite.

used to refer to the first person only.

translated to "I". It is a common way to call themselves as it is appropriate for all ages and all occasions. Children call themselves that when they talk to their mom and all the other adults in their life. A grown man called himself that when he talked to his subordinate and supervisor alike. It may be paired with khun, tur, tan, nai, phi, hia, jèe, or other party names.

Example

First person: I’m(phom) talking about coffee.

นาย Nai

Masculine

used without a name.(when used as a pronoun)

casual pronoun that is quite polite, an official title for every man aged more than 15 years old, and can also be translated to boss, owner, employer, etc. But in this chapter we are going to talk about it as a pronoun only.

It can be used to refer to a second or third person. But for the third person, it will be in a very specific form. It will be along the lines of "that person/that one (นายคนนั้น-nai-kon-nan), you remember right?" And nothing else. At least there is nothing else I can think of.

It translates to "you". It's not the most popular nowadays, but it's not very rare either. It is mostly used among friends and people around the same age.

Example

2nd person: Are you(nai) Gifted?

เธอ Tur

Gender-neutral but can be considered a little more feminine than masculine in the present time.

used without a name.

It is polite but only used to address someone who is at the same or lower level, never higher when use as 'you'.

Technically, it can refer to both the second and third person. However, it is mostly used in the second person these days. It can be seen as a quite sweet way to call others. Many couples used it.

Example

2nd person: Just a love song that you(tur) need to listen to.

หนู Nhu

Gender-neutral but considered more feminine than masculine.

It can be used with or without a name.

can be used to refer to the first, second, or third person.

It is used by young boys and girls to call themselves when talking to older people, but when most of the boys grow up a little, they will likely stop using it. In their teen years, it's quite rare to see them call themselves that, except when they talk to their mom or people they used to use it with when growing up. Most of the girls will stop too, but a lot slower. Some (not the majority in my opinion, but I also wouldn't say it's that small of a percentage) might use it well into adulthood, like until most people around them are not that older than them anymore, and some, typically those who view their position as low in social standing, will use it even with people younger than them (but in a higher position in their opinion). When it's used by older people to call younger people, it's usually to girls more than boys and quite a young person more than an adult. It is possible to offend the receiver by calling them nhu since it can be seen as not taking them seriously, belittle them, or treat them like a child. It's polite to call yourself nhu, but by doing that, you risk presenting yourself as in a lower position than who you speak with, young, and not in a position of power. 

Example

First person: (Yes, I'm Single!) Which camera do you want? I(nhu) can talk to every camera.

ท่าน taan

Gender-neutral

It can be used with or without a name.

polite and formal.

can be used to refer to both second and third persons.

can be translated to you, he or she. It's used when we call someone with a lot of respect. For example, royalty, monk, CEO, your cat whom you will serve and die for, president.

Example

2nd person: I know that you(taan) want to get rid of Director Supot.

ฉัน chan

Gender-neutral

used without a name.

Polite

used to refer to the first person only.

translated to "I". Used when talking to someone the same age or younger a lot more than when talking to someone older. Get paired with khun, tur, gae, and taan. 

Example

First person: But you(tur) and I(chan) know the meaning between the lines.

เรา Rao

Gender-neutral

used without a name.

Polite

Can be used to refer to the first, or second person.

Translate to I, we, or once in a while, you. Polite way to say "I", and a normal and not more polite than usual way to say "we". It's usually used only with people in the same age group. It was used as "I" by Ae from love by chance.

Example

First person: I’m(rao) glad. That I’m(rao) the first one who sleeps here.

First person:

How do we(rao) know if that person matches us(rao)?

There will be a sign.

When you/we(rao) found one, you/we(rao) will feel it.

แก gae

Gender-neutral

used without a name.

A little rude, but less rude than Mung.

It can be used to refer to both second and third persons. But the second person is more common than the third person.

translated to "you." Many girls in BL used it. It can be used by anyone at any age to call anyone the speaker is close to or isn't afraid to be rude to.

Example

2nd person: There are! It’s you(gae).

มึง Mung

Gender-neutral

used without a name.

Rude

used to refer to the second person only.

The meaning is "you." 

Example

2nd person: I(gu)'ll be waiting. I(gu)'ll be waiting until you(mung) open your heart and accept me(gu) back once again.

กู Gu

Gender-neutral

used without a name.

Rude

used to refer to the first person only.

The meaning is "I."

Example

I'm(Gu) just embarrassed that I(gu) confessed to him.

Both Mung and Gu get used in the series all the time, so I don't know what to add, but it feels weird if I don't include it.

มัน Man

Gender-neutral

used without a name.

Rude

used to refer to the third person only.(if used as pronoun)

Translate to it(normal) or he/she(rude).

Example

He(man) doesn't really love you(name).

+Bonus

"You" and "I" in English as a pronoun when speak Thai.

It's not that common, but it's also not that weird. People who do that are those who typically also use many other English words. As for the situation, it should be in a casual setting with people who are on the same level or lower in social status, i.e., not an elder, teacher, boss, ect. And like in English, you and I are gender neutral.

Used only the name all the way, no other pronouse.

as a first person

• It's more feminine than masculine, since it's seen as an attempt to be cute. I did use it with my family growing up, so it was natural for me to always use it with them, but when I used it with my friends, I did it with the intention of irritating them by acting overly cute. 

as a second person

• It's also more feminine(?), but for the speaker, not the name's owner. I'm not so sure about why. I just don't see men do it(except with kids). You should be at some level of closeness before you do it. I usually use it with my classmate, who I am not super close with but not, not close either. I guess it's just my default when I don't want to be rude bu also afraid to be overly polite and weird them out.

Used name to refer to a third person is just a normal way of speaking.

Some titles used in Khun Chai's explanation

Here

Other things

• There are no words for your, his, and her in Thai, so if it can be translated to you, it can also be your and so on.
• Calling someone noticeably older only by their name is not a common practice and can easily be seen as rude. There is always a prefix one can and should add when addressing someone older.
• People who met in a casual setting, have some level of closeness, attempt to be close, or are just easygoing usually use the same word set for family to call each other. You can see some in Chapter 14 if you want to. It's kind of the default choice, actually.

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: I'm definitely not an expert.

There are a lot of supernatural beliefs, and people have a different level of faith in them, hence a different level of approach towards them. There are some small ones that do not require much faith or afford to participate, like the belief in guardian spirits. You see their shrine, you wai, and that's that. Everyone does it, even when they don't really believe it. And then there is a big thing like black magic, like in the Long Kong series, where if you are a true believer, it can go so far, but if you are not, it is a complete non-sense "Why would anyone do that?" kind of thing. 

There is a popular saying about the superstitious that I think is the usual mindset about the whole thing. Here> ไม่เชื่ออย่าลบหลู่ Don't believe (is fine, but?) don't disrespect.

Thai culture is a mix of cultures. Throughout history, we have constantly been influenced by many different things from many different sources. The superstitions of today are a mash-up of animism, Buddhism, Brahmin, Hinduism, chinese lores, and possibly a few other things. I honestly can't tell what came from what or explain with confidence why anything is the way it is, so keep that in mind. Also, it's a belief it's not going to have a fixed rule.

Sin(บาป), Merit(บุญ) and Karma(กรรม)
I say I can't distinguish any belief origin, but this one is clearly Buddhist, so if you want more information, you know where to look. The basis is that when we do something, it's karma, and if it's bad, then it's a sin. If it's good, it's merit. Every krama will have a consequence. And, I don't think the next part is pure Buddhist, the consequence can come to you in your next life if it has not already affected this life or the afterlife. By praying, we can give merit to the other person, dead or alive. The reason I believe this is not a pure Buddhist is that Buddhists have a concept of non-self (อนัตตา), which means that everything is impermanent and will one day cease to exist. These two concepts do not really fit together when you think about it. Also, there is a teaching about how we shouldn't believe in something just because it's been told to be or because of who told it, and only believe in what can be proven to be true, so according to that, I don't think any superstitions are really part of the core of Buddhism. I really like that in Buddhism. A teacher who is not afraid to be questioned or researchers who are not afraid to have their theories subverted is a good one in my opinion. Anyway, the concept of karma is, I want to say, literally everywhere, but it is not a tangible thing, so figuratively everywhere in Thai.

Guardian spirits
There are a lot of type of guardian spirits. First, start with the one you are most likely to see in the background in series "Phraphom Chaothi"(พระภูมิเจ้าที่)

they are the local god of the land and by land we usually mean house they can also seperate into Phraphom and Chaothi if we want to be really specific. Phraphrom is Phra ChaiMongkol, the deity that protects houses. It is believed that paying homage to Phra ChaiMongkol will make people in the house live happily bring good luck and help avoid danger.Chaothi is the Spirit which used to be the original owner who ties to that area and help take care and protect it.
Their shrine will look a little different but the condition about how their shrine should be build are the same the shrine must build on the ground, the location must not be cast down by the shadow of the house, be far from the location of the bathroom, not face into the area where the bathroom is located, not face the front door, at least 1 meter away from the fence or the wall of the house, and the height should be slightly above the eye level of the homeowner.
Most Thai people tend to set up both shrines together. Start By performing a ceremony to invite Phraphrom first and then Chaothi after. The worshiping rituals we do are also performed at the same time too. Im not sure if it universal but my family do it once a year. We will ask they for "left over" food after pay homage so the food is not waste.

*something not quite related - There is a phrase "Chaothi raeng," which translates to "Chaothi here is powerful." It means someone's lover is a really jealous person.

Second, we have "Chao Pa Chao Kao"(เจ้าป่าเจ้าเขา)

the guardian spirit of the forest(Pa-ป่า) and mountain(Kao-เขา). Sometimes they get called together, sometimes separate, but their concept is the same. Since the forest is under their protection, anyone who insults or damages the forest might get punished by making them lost in the forest by hiding the offender from other people. In Thai language, it's called "Phi Bang Ta" (Phi-ผี-ghost Bang-บัง-conceal Ta-ตา-eyes) so when people get lost in the forest, the searcher party often makes an offering to apologize to Chao Pa Chao Kao in case the victim offended them somehow or to ask for their help in searching. The offerings consist of white wine, boiled chicken, and garlands or baisri.
Other than to apologize, there is another ceremony that people who work in the forest do. It's called "Pi Tee Pert Pa"(พิธีเปิดป่า) The direct translation is Forest Opening Ceremony, The point of this ceremony is to ask to be free from harm when they enter and work in the forest. It is performed by lighting incense, saying the objective of entering, asking for success and safety, apologizing in advance in case anything offends them, and during the stay, people might also make food offerings to them too.

Third, "Mae Yanang" (แม่ย่านาง)

guardian goddess of boats, who nowadays is also a guardian goddess of any other vencicle too. The main worshipper of Mae Yanang is the fisherman, but there are also many other people who are not fishermen too. There are a few different stories about who Mae Yanang is and how she came to be the guardian goddess of boats, but the most popular (in my opinion) is that she is Mazu, the Chinese sea goddess whom we worship after being influenced by the Chinese merchants first and then by the Chinese Hokkien people who migrated into Thai during the Ayutthaya period.

There are other guardian spirits, but if I list all of them, it's going to be too long and I doubt that anyone will need these for anything. I just kind of like some of the concept and also think Phraphom Chaothi's shrine is very cute and I want to introduce it to you, so I will stop here. But as usual, if you have other questions, feel free to ask. 

บนบาน
Bon baan
The meaning of bon baan is to ask the Holy for assistance by promising to give something in return or to do what was promised when it is completed, and so on. It can be shortened to only bon or add sâan glàao at the end, depending on how you want to say it. Săan means shrine, and glàao means to say, inform, or announce.

Buddhism is atheism, but most others that influenced Thai culture were polytheism, so we have many gods to pray to, and if gods aren't enough, we can also pray to other things. Nowadays, it might even be to no one in particular. People will just said that if something they wanted happened, they would do what was promised. But back to the gods. Every god has their own niche, both in terms of what they like or dislike being promised and what they are likely to grant or not. For example, you can pray to Trimurti for love but shouldn't pray to any god or goddess who is widowed for love because it is not their area of expertise. At best, they just not help. At worst, they might get offended. 

Tips that are believed to help get the results faster.

1. Make no impossible wishes or wishes beyond one's own merit. For example, donate ten baht but ask to win the lottery first prize. It's beyond your merit. 
2. We must only ask for positive outcomes. Do not ask for something that is sinful. You can ask for a lover, but not for the other pair to break up.
3. The mind must be still before pleading. 
4. When we promise to do anything, we can do it immediately for them to see. For example, when you promise that you will abstain from eating meat for 7 days if your son gets a job, you can start refraining from eating meat that day and don't have to wait to get what you want before doing it. 
5. Accumulate a lot of merit. Minimize bad karma as much as you can. 

Those who pray may be true believers or not fully believe it and are just hopeless or need more reassuring. It's really popular for those who want to attend a specific university to pray to that university's sacred. My roommate in my first year promised to run 10 laps around campus if she got into our university, which she did. I don't really get why our university's sacred would want her to run 10 laps, but if it's work, it's work, I guess.

ปีชง
Bpee Chong
It's a concept that everyone has unlucky years depending on what zodiac year one was born. It is linked with Tai Sui Xing Jun, the god of destiny in Chinese astrology. It is a pair of years that do not match. The year of birth plus six is the opposite year, which is believed that opposite years are opposing each other, so unlucky things will happen in those years. If that year is the unlucky year of any zodiac year, people born in that zodiac year will face obstacles no matter what they do. Every year, there are those who are 100% Chong, meaning they were born in the year opposite the current zodiac year, and those who are only partially Chong, consisting of those who were born in the year counting three years from the current zodiac year and the opposite year, as well as those whose year of birth is the current zodiac year. People who believe in it will enhance their luck and make their fortune better by going to do the ritual in a Chinese temple, especially those who are 100% Chong. 

Things to do to enhanced luck
Well, in the end the core of almost every belief is what to do to bring good luck and avoid bad luck so here are some random tidbits about how people try to enhanced their luck nowaday.

-ชื่อมงคล auspicious name
Many people name their babies with the intention of the name bringing luck to their babies. What names are auspicious or ill-lucks can be considered based on many factors, such as time of birth, day of birth, gender, surname, parents' names, and what aspect in life the parents want to compensate for or boost. It also has many branches, with each branch having its own set of rules, which you can choose to follow. In some cases, it makes us able to guess things from people's names. People who got a name that spells with no visible vowel are usually those born on Monday, for example.

-สีมงคล auspicious color
In my understanding, auspicious color is a relatively recent thing. It is based on an older concept, but it is a new trend. It is incredibly popular among the younger generation. If you type the word "สีมงคล" into a search engine, you will find many charts showing information about what color is auspicious or ill-luck for what day and in what aspect. It's been created for easier use, so people can easily see what color to choose for their clothes.

-เครื่องราง amulet
There are a lot of types of amulet, but let's focus on the most popular type first, the one for money and success. 

1.ปี่เซียะ Pixiu, a Chinese mythological animal well-known throughout Asia, is thought to increase property value and bring in an endless supply of money. The usual form it comes in is a red rope bracelet with Pixiu as a pendant.

2.พระพิฆเนศ Ganesh the Hindu god of beginning, is the patron of intellectuals, bankers, scribes, and authors. People in the entertainment industry are his devotees, and many other people worship him too, as he is seen as generous and able to remove any obstacles. 

3.หินมงคล Auspicious stone. Different stones are believed to have different attributes and, in some cases, people who are born on different days will also be differently affected. But what most of them have in common is the belief that the stone should touch the skin for it to have maximum effect. There are many stones that are considered auspicious. Some of the popular ones are rutilated quartz, agate, lapis lazuli, jade, and any gem, but the real classic is the combination of nine different gems. Diamond, Ruby, Emerald, Yellow-Sapphire or Topaz, Garnet, Blue Sapphire, Moonstone, Zircon, and Chrysoberyl All this together is called Noppakao (the same as the lovely writer's main actor's name in all spelling, pronunciation, and meaning).

4.พระเครื่อง Phra Khrueang (Thai Buddha amulet). It is a small Buddha image you can wear around your neck. People who wear it usually don't take it off much if they have a choice. 
5.Parents' picture There is a phrase, "Father and mother are like in-home monks." It is believed that if we respect our parents, our lives will go well in all aspects. So a picture surely doesn't hurt.

-เลขมงคล auspicious number
People will use Taksa or Thaksapakorn, which is an astrological method to find an auspicious number (and some other things, like an auspicious name) to use in all matters that have numbers involved, e.g., choosing a car registration number, phone number, or even finding what number you want on a banknote you will deliberately carry. That banknote will be called "ngern kwăn tng." It's money you won't use and just carry around to bring luck.

-Lucky homescreen/wallpaper
Yeah, for your phone. I can't find any reason or principle behind this. I have zero idea why some pictures are more auspicious than others. Someone will just say it is with no explanation. It can be an animal or group of them, a river, tree, god, ship, flower, etc. It has gotten quite popular for a bit. If I remember correctly, Lisa Blackpink used the god of fortune, Cai Shen Ye, who is a popular choice to help enhance luck in financial matters, as a lockscreen at some point.

สักยันต์
Sak Yant

Sak means tattoo, while Yant means mystic symbol, magic letter, or talisman. It's tattooed for the main purpose of superstition. For example, it will bring luck, help avoid danger, make the tattooed person invincible, etc. It is believed that each type of tattoo or talisman pattern will give you something different, but they can be roughly categorized into two types, namely, those for popularity and those for invulnerability. Those who have been tattooed must comply with the regulations set by the institution they received it from, or the power in the tattoo will deteriorate.

There are two methods of tattooing. Firstly, ink. Unlike the black ink we use today, ink used for tattooing used to come from nature, such as snakehead fish gall grind mixed with Aporocactus flagelliformis Lem (Thai name:เถานาคราช:Naga vine) or Stephania venosa (Thai name:สบู่เลือด:blood soap). which is thought to result in invulnerability, so those tattoos for invulnerability will mostly use ink, resulting in a visible tattoo.

Next oil, most of this method will use "wan 108 type water", which is believed to give the effect of popularity, such as compassion and great charm. The direct translation of wan (ว่าน) is aloe, but it used to be an umbrella term for all plants that are used for medicinal purposes and some that are used for ornamental purposes, so in this case, wan means plant, and for 108 types, it does not mean they will use all 108 of them, it just means they will use some of those 108 it refers to. The most popular is sesame oil, but some institutions might mix other things in. The oil will be invisible after its healing, so those tattoos for popularity will mostly result in invisible tattoos. 

You can see more yant pattent at this link.

ทำเสน่ห์
Charm
The meaning is to make someone enchanted with you by using superstitious methods. There are two ways to do it; the white way and the black way. 

The white way is the safer method compared to the black way. Because the maker will not have to be afraid that the occult will get back at them and drive them insane like in the Black Way, it has the least risk overall, whether for the maker or the target. It is considered the more popular method. The white way will focus on the mind. It's using spells to either call lovers back or convince the target to become their lover. The most important thing is that the white way is said to be more effective in the long run. It will also last longer than the black way.

The black way is said to be an extremely dangerous thing. Both for the maker and the target. In the Long Kong series, it's the black way. This method is only popular with certain groups of people, which are those who are really desperate and didn't care about the consequent or happiness in the long run anymore. For it focus on wanting to possess that target person, more physical than mind and said to be effect the health greatly in short spant of time

Both the white and black ways have many varieties, from different sources, for different results. For exemple there are things like soul binding, love potion(เสน่ห์ยาแฝด:SaNayYaFaet :Charming Twin Pills?) and the use of Prai oil(น้ำมันพราย), etc.

Ghost
Everything was kind of all over the place. There are no concrete rules, and there will always be an exception.

Type of ghost.
There are many of them, so I will only address those I'm 100% sure came from dead humans and not something else.

-Sambhawesi (สัมภเวสี) directly translates to "birth seeker," meaning a person who is dead but not yet born, or in some interpretations, everyone, dead or alive, who has not yet become a Buddhist saint. It's kind of a broad term more than an actual type, but due to repeated use in some contexts, it became slang for a ghost that can't be reborn because of their bad karma, so they have to wander begging for merit from the living people.

-Chao Kam Nai Wen (เจ้ากรรมนายเวร), a ghost that has ill will towards a living person due to the wrongful karma that person committed to them during their life. In some cases, it can also mean a living person or even an animal that got wronged too. Because if those who do wrong can be reborn, why can't those who get wronged? 
The action Chao Kam Nai Wen does is called Jong Wen (จองเวร). Jong means reserve, book, or hold, and Wen means resentment, vindictiveness, malice, indignation, sin. Wen can also be used as a swear word. 
Both words can also be used to refer to people who we don't like but keep having to meet and interact with. Like, is that guy my Chao Kam Nai Wen? Why is he still following me? How much longer is he going to jong wen me? Pat from the Bad Buddy Series calls Pran his Chao Kam Nai Wen in Ep1 after Pa, his sister, calls Pran his soulmate.

-Phi Tai Hong (ผีตายโหง). Phi (ผี) means ghost or spirit. Tai (ตาย) means die, dead, or death, and Hong (โหง) means die a violent or unnatural death, ghost, or demon. It is a ghost caused by an unnatural death. They did not die from sickness or old age but suddenly died from something unnatural, such as death from being shot, war, drowning, being hit by a car, suicide, or something fast, so their death occurred in such an instant that their mental state couldn't accept it. They are in a state of fear, shock, or spite. Thus, causing most souls to be unable to admit that they were actually dead, they refuse to be born and keep haunting the place where they died as vengeful ghosts. In many tales, Phi Tai Hong can get really powerful. 

-Phi Tai Thang Klom (ผีตายทั้งกลม) is a Phi Tai Hong variant. They are pregnant women who died while giving birth along with their children. They are associated with many black magic practices because they were believed to be really powerful and required a really hard and complicated ritual to pacify.

- Kuman thong (กุมารทอง) The first version of them originated from the spirit of a child who died in the mother's womb and was brought in by a black magic user to adopt as a child and help with various tasks. The maker of Kuman thong will really perform the ritual by using an actual stillborn child in early practice. Later, there has been a modification of the process of creating Kuman thong by changing it to create the form of a child by using the soil of the seven cemeteries, a specific type of wood, metal, etc. And then do the ritual to conjure up the mind and soul. They can be gifted, so the owner and the maker might not be the same.
Anyone who owns them must raise them as if they were their own children, provide food and drink offerings for them, and call them to eat in the same way that a parent would. It is said that if Kumarn thong receives good care, they will help with many things. For example, they will help protect the owner and family from all bad things, help them get more trade, protect the houses from thieves and enemies, and issue a warning about future danger as well. 

-Hong prai (โหงพราย) ghosts under the power of black magic users/sorcerers. They can have varying differences in ability and other things dependent on the ghost itself and the ritual their owner does to keep them. It is considered a heavy sin to keep one.

-Sa ming (สมิง) I'm not too sure, but its root word might mean king, ruler, or guardian.
Sa ming prai (สมิงพราย) A powerful ghost
Suea sa ming(เสือสมิง) Suea means tiger. A tiger that was believed to originally be a person with a strong magic skill that later transformed into a tiger Or a tiger that eats a lot of people and gets possessed by the dead, and later, it is able to transform into a human form. Suea Sa Ming will use their human form to lure their prey to them to eat. 

-Pret (เปรต) A hungry ghost comes from a religious tale, born from those who committed real heavy sin. Their shapes varies, but the most famous ones are the ones that are really tall with giant hands and feet but only have a mouth the size of a pinhole. 

- Pu Som Fao Sap (ปู่โสมเฝ้าทรัพย์) Pu som (ปู่โสม) means gnome, gremlin, or churl. Fao means guard and Sap means treasure. A ghost or spirit that guards a precious treasure or a national treasure. There is a tale about how the sky was distorted after thift laid their hands on treasure the spirit guards, or how they received many misfortunes until they had to return what they took. Their origin is not clear and, in historians' opinion, their story is quite new compared to the others, but the version I know is that they are people who get killed or commit suicide with the intention of guarding the treasure, whether willing or unwilling.

Ability: What could a ghost do?
The ability of Thai ghosts is mostly in line with every other country in my opinion. They can sometimes appear, make some noise, lure people to their death using various means in the hope that they will get replaced and be free, or just so that person will stay with them. If they are really powerful, they can even assult people using their own hands, strangling them or something. They can also appear in someone's dream, to haunt, to give lottery numbers, or something else depending on their intention toward that person, possess people invited or uninvited, or influence people's minds. 

other things

-Phit phi (ผิดผี) translates directly to "wronged the ghost". It means violating custom or tradition, especially in a sexual way. I use this word for many things. Ex : Eat grilled bananas without sauce, make fried basil without basil, and don't give out free lime slides when selling fried rice. I will give more examples, but apparently food is all my mind can think about. All in all, in this day and age, this word can be used to express that you don't agree with something (and find it to be kinda out of the norm), ranging from silly things like an opinion on food to more serious things (like sexual misconduct).

-Benjapas (เบญจเพส) translates directly into the crucial age of twenty-five. It's a belief that bad things will happen when people reach a certain age, like twenty-five years old, and then every twelve years or something else depending on what book you choose to believe.

-Ong long (องค์ลง) to be possessed by a spirit. When one performs a traditional performance, it's believed that there is a chance that the spirit of the master or deity might possess the performer, and it's not a bad thing, a good thing even. They will leave when it ends, and the performance will be perfect. It can also refer to someone who has a mood swing.

-Phi plak (ผีผลัก) got pushed by a ghost. It's when we feel like something got pushed but can't find what pushed it, so we say it's a ghost or It can also be used to refer to when something unintentional happens.

- Sia khwan (เสียขวัญ) to lose ones khawn. Khawn in this context, is an invisible spirit that lives within each person and which is responsible for psychological and spiritual well-being and, when lost, is thought to cause health or mental problems. But in general, sia khwan means anxious, discouraged, panicked, scared.

-There is a belief that planting lemongrass in the ground upside down by a virgin will make the rain stop, so sometimes when there is an event and people don't want it to rain that day, they will do it. And if you are not a virgin but do it anyway, it's said to make the rain rain harder. The ones who do it are typically girls, cis or tran, but I don't remember anyone caring much about the gender of the performer. There are more specific requirements, such as the performer being the eldest daughter who was born on Monday, but other than the virginity, I don't see anyone focusing on other things much. I hear that the staff of an event organizer would religiously do this rain repellent ritual for their work too, so maybe it's them who would be more concerned about the detail than a student trying to have a sports day like I have seen. Many big companies are actually quite serious about all the superstitions.

Chapter Text

In my opinion, most holidays and festivals can be sorted by their relevance into a few categories, like the royal family, religion, or something inbetween. If its origin is something related to the royal family, it is likely that it will have fewer activities for people who are not government officers or students to do than when it relates to religion.

Piyamaharaj Day

Date : Oct 23

King Chulalongkorn (or Piyamaharaj) Day is to commemorate the day King Chulalongkorn passed away. King Chulalongkorn made many contributions in his reign, like the educational system, military affairs, national communication, the state railway, and the Slave Liberation Act without bloodshed in Thailand. Piya (ปิย) means beloved and Maharaj (มหาราช) means the Great King. As the name suggests, he was really popular. Many people have his picture in their house or their shop. He is also somewhat considered sacred, and some people will make a wish to him. The offerings that people believe he liked consist of brandy, cigars, shrimp paste rice, pink roses, and other general offerings. 

Activities

The various departments will send their representatives to lay wreaths of flowers to pay homage at his statue and make merit in His Majesty King Chulalongkorn's name. People who loved him will do that too. Many government agencies, schools, and universities will also hold exhibitions to educate the public about his life and work.

Father's day and Mother's day

The current queen’s birthday
Date : Jun 3

The current king’s birthday
Date : July 28

Activities
Most government agencies and schools will set up the king or queen's picture, decorate it, and arrange a place for people to sign their name to wish them a happy birthday. They might also hold exhibitions about their lives and the work they do for the public too. 
I'm glad I didn't have to do it anymore. It's really hard to make an informative board when there is so little information in the first place.

Coronation Day

Date : May 4

In Thailand, we call it Chat-Mong-Khon day. Chat (ฉัตร) means several-tiered umbrella. In this case, it is nine-tiered, symbolizing the sovereign. Its Thai name refers to the ceremony they do on the date that the coronation of the current king happens. Originally, this ceremony was considered a private ceremony of the King, held in the royal court, but later it became a national holiday.

Activities

There are none, but like every special day and occasion in Thailand, it was encouraged to make merit on this day.

The Royal Ploughing Ceremony

Date : May, at the beginning of the month, depends on what day is the most auspicious according to astrology.

The main purpose of the ceremony is to boost the morale of farmers across the nation. The highlight is the sacred bull's choice, which will predict the amount of rain and which product will flourish, and the rice sowing, which won't really have a chance to grow because the audience will collect it up immediately as it is believed to bring luck and help the crop grow when they mix the seed in. After the ceremony, the model farmer usually received a plaque of honor from the king or representative. 

Activities

Other than in the ceremony, there are none.

Magha Puja

Date: The 15th day of the waxing moon (full moon) of the 3rd month according to the Thai lunar calendar.

A day celebrates a gathering that was held between the Buddha and 1,250 of his disciples who came to see the Buddha without being summoned. From the tale, all of them are already Buddhist saints (Arhat) and all of them are direct disciples ordained by the Buddha himself. 

Activities

Go to the temple, abstaining from all sins, offer alms or make merit by giving freedom to animals (release birds or fish) that got caught-about this one, I must say that it's a thing you shouldn't do on a whim. Too many people do it without any consideration for the environment or even whether the animals they release will survive. They do it just because it's a "tradition". Their actions also create demand for birds or fish that wouldn't get caught otherwise. It's more sin than merit at this point. 
Listen to a sermon and go wian tian (เวียนเทียน) which is to walk with lighted candles in hand around a temple in the evening.

Visakha Bucha, or Vesak

Date: The 15th day of the waxing moon of the 6th lunar month or, in other words, the full moon day of the Visakha (visakha is the name of the month in the lunar calendar).

It is a day that marks the three most important events in Buddhism, namely the birth, enlightenment, and death of Gautama Buddha, with all three events taking place on the same day but in different years according to Thai interpret.

Activities

The same thing you do on Magha Puja.

Asanha Bucha

Date: The full moon day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar.

It is the day that Gautama Buddha gave his first sermon, the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutra, to Kondanna, Bhaddiya, Vappa, Mahanama, and Assaji.
The day after Asanha Bucha will be the day Buddhist Lent starts.

Buddhist Lent or, in Thai, Khao Phansa.

"Khao Phansa" means "Rains Retreat", which means all monks must stay at any temple during the rainy season. Because the monks in Buddha's time had a duty to make pilgrimages to animals and spread the Dharma and teachings to the people in various places. There is no need to have a fixed place to live, even in the rainy season. The villagers blamed them for stepping on the seedlings and other crops until they were damaged. Therefore, the Buddha laid down a Buddhist Lent regulation for the monks to stay stationary for three months in the rainy season. 

Activities

Because Asanha Bucha and Khao Phansa are next to each other, sometimes the activities get mixed up. For Asanha Bucha, we do the same thing we do on Magha Puja and Visakha Bucha days. Khao Phansa will have more occasional things happen, but like I say, it can get mixed. One day is not a big deal at all. There will be a Buddhist ceremony, as well as preparations for the monks' and novices' residence to be in good enough condition to be used for three months during Buddhist Lent. There will also be a Candlelight Procession (Phi-Tee-Hae-Tian-Phan-Sa:) in which we will take special candles (one of the popular activities is to cast that candles by providing materials such as wax, candle wicks, crucibles, and pans for the crowd to use to make them together in a public place such as in front of the mall), we make before Khao Phansa Day, go to the monastery to present the candle to the monk, then put candles into the temple, and light candles to worship the Three Jewels. There are also other activities, such as offering clothes to the monk, praying that they will conduct themselves within the framework of the Five or Eight Precepts, listening to sermons, and the Dharma. You can choose to participate as much or as little as you want. It is up to your faith and abilities. For monks, there will be a lot of other activities, but for ordinary people, I think this will be all.
At the end of Buddhist Lent there will be Tak Bat Devo festival.

The Vegetarian Festival, or Tesakan Gin Jay (เทศกาลกินเจ)

Date: Start on 1st day of the 9th lunar month according to the Chinese calendar and last 9 days.

It is came from Taoist tradition. During the fastival people who choose to paticipate will only eat food that prepared without meat or products of animal origin (e.g. milk, eggs, honey, fish sauce, gelatin, collagen) and not flavored with strong smell vegetables such as garlic, onions, spring onions, shallots, chives, and cilantro, some also Including hot and spicy spices.

Moon Festival

Date: The full moon day of the 8th month according to the lunar calendar.

It is a traditional Chinese cultural festival that takes place in the middle of autumn to celebrate the harvest. Some households will celebrate it with their family, some don't. The ceremony will be held in private, so I'm not sure how popular it actually is, but the mooncakes sure are.

Chinese New Year

Date: The 1st day of the 1st month in the Chinese calendar.

Thais of Chinese descent will follow the tradition for 3 days: pay day (wan jai/วันจ่าย), pay respect day (wan wai/วันไหว้) and travel day (wan tiao/วันเที่ยว).

Pay Day is the day before the end of the year. It is a day when we have to buy food, fruits, and various offerings before the shops close for a long vacation.

On Worship Day, the day starts in the early morning by paying homage to "Bài lǎoyé" (拜老爺 / 拜老爷) which is a form of worship to various gods. The offering is three meats (Sasae, Sam Cheng), pork, duck, and chicken, and liquor, tea, and paper money. After that, we pay respect to "Pai Pae Bo" (拜父母), which is to pay respect to ancestors, parents, relatives, and relatives who have passed away. This will be completed no later than noon. The offerings consisted of sa sae, sweet and savory dishes (mostly done as the deceased once liked), as well as the burning of paper money, gold paper, and paper clothes to dedicate to the deceased. Then the whole family will be gathered to eat and exchange red packets afterward. Finally, we will pay homage to "Pai Ho Hia Tee" (拜好兄弟), which is respect for the spirits of the deceased brothers and sisters. The offerings will be kanom keng, kanom tian, taro in syrup, silver and gold paper, along with firecrackers to ward off evil and for good luck.

The day of travel or holding day is the new year's day. It is the first day of the first month of the year. Today, it is a tradition called "Pai Jia," which is an occasion to go to another's house to wish them luck and ask for blessings from the elders and loved ones.

Qingming

Date: 15 days after the spring equinox.

It is believed that Qing Ming Day is one of the three days when the human world and the spirit world are closest to each other. So during this period, it is a custom to go sweeping and pay respect to ancestors' tombs. Moreover, during Qingming, the weather is good. Therefore, it is suitable for the descendants to travel to the graves of their ancestors to pay homage, sweep and clean around the graves of their ancestors.

( He is coming to me's Thai name is He came to Qingming next to my grave.)

Songkran or Thai New Year

Date: 13-15 April

The word "Songkran" comes from Sanskrit and means "moving." It refers to how the zodiac sign is moving, which means the new year. Songkran is a traditional family practice where water is the main element of the ceremony. Basically, there will be 
1.Bathing Buddha images at home and at temples for good fortune and making merit, offering food to monks
***By bathing, I mean gently pouring water from a water bowl (ขันน้ำ) onto the Buddha images.
2.Gently pouring water from a water bowl onto each other and wish each other luck in the new year. It will be more formal when it's between an elder and a child than between friends.
3. Ask for forgiveness for something that has already passed or a New Year's wish from an elderly person.
4.Loading sand into the temple. It is believed that it will bring auspiciousness, happiness, prosperity, and a lot of money, like the grains of sand that are carried into the temple. Another belief is that taking the sand that is attached to the feet from the temple is a sin. Therefore, to not commit a sin, we should bring it back to make up for what we take during the past year. 
It is mainly a family event, so it is also a time when most people travel back home to their family. Many people work far from home and don't have many chances to go back, so in the Songkran period they will go back and have a family gathering.

The water fight is not really traditional, but it's a main event that has many people waiting eagerly now.

(More on Ch.20)

Loy Krathong Festival

Date: The 15th waxing moon of the 12th month according to the Thai lunar calendar.

Loy means float, and Krathong, in this context, means banana leaf vessel or floating basket. The traditions vary by region, but one thing they all have in common is that it hightlight takes place at night and includes float Krathong. The purpose of this event is to either worship the goddess of water, Ganga, pronounced in Thai as "Khong-ka", or to worship the Buddha, or both. The krathong that is used in this event can be made from a lot of things, such as banana leaf, banana stalk pith, foam, coconut shell, or bread. There are many beliefs around this event. For lovers, sometimes the pair will use one Krathong together or go float it together and try to make it stick together after it goes into the water, as it is believed to be a good sign for a pair of lovers. During fastival, the atmosphere can be quite romantic. There is also a belief that you can float away all suffering along with the krathong by cutting nails, hair, and money and putting them into the krathong before floating it.

Yi Peng Festival

Date: the 13th to the 15th waxing moon of the 12th month according to the Thai lunar calendar or the 15th waxing moon of the 2nd month according to the Thai Lanna lunar calendar. On the same day as the Loy Krathong Festival.

Yi Peng is actually a variation of Loy Krathong, but instead of only Krathong, it will also have Khomloy, which is some kind of hot-air balloon, and it will actually happen two days before. The Yi Peng starts on the 13th day of the waxing moon, which is considered "Wan-da(วันดา)" or the day of the preparation to make merit at the temple. When it comes to the 14th day of the waxing moon, Father Oui (grandpa/elderly man), Mae Oui (grandma/elderly woman), and those who have faith will go together and conduct themselves within the precepts, listen to the Dharma, and make merit at the temple. A large krathong will be made in the temple courtyard. Inside the krathong will be food and other consumables. Anyone can bring something to make a contribution. Those items will be given to the poor to make merit. On the 15th day of the waxing moon, the big Krathong at the temple and the small personal Krathong will be floated on the river.

3 not-so-Thai days

update 20/2/2024

Valentine

Valentine is mostly marketing. Actually, I kind of think all three here are mostly about marketing, but Valentine's Day is the most obvious one, in my opinion. Our Valentine didn't look any different from what I saw other countries do on social media. Couples go out on a date and do various romantic gestures. Restaurants and shops push out love-themed promotions.

Last Valentine's Day, a few chocolate sellers I was interested in but felt like their nearest branches were too far away set up a booth at a mall near my house for a few days (it was great!). Many other malls all have some kind of Valentine's Day event too. 

As for things that are not that generic, the only thing I can think of is the way many people go pay homage to Goddess Lakshmi and ask for her blessings for love. This is a thing outside of Valentine's Day too. But from what I hear, the people at her shrine on Valentine's Day are a lot more than usual. Think of it. It's pretty funny, isn't it? Lots of probably Buddhists, at least in name, if not in practice, go pray for help in finding love from a Hindu goddess on a Christian's day.

Oh! And the stickers! I'm not sure if other countries also do this or not, but bringing stickers to give to people on Valentine's Day is very popular in school. If you watch Bad Buddy, there is a scene where baby Pat and Pran compete about who gets more stickers. It is like that.

Halloween

There isn't a lot happening on Halloween. I didn't see anyone do anything growing up, outside of some small decorations at school. I don't remember much, but I think I did cut some paper up to make pumpkins and bats or something at school once.

Now I live beside an international school, which means a lot of parents and children that attend there or plan to attend there in the neighbourhood. Some who don't speak any Thai, and some who learn Thai as their second language too. 

And I think that might be why my now neighbours play trick or treat, but maybe they just like to have an event. The group that I secretly call the Parents Association of our community does organise a lot of activities for their children.

There isn't as much marketing promotion and event as Valentine, but there are still some. A Halloween special menu or something.

I know for a fact that the building management team from a certain company has decorated shared spaces for some special day, including Halloween, as one of their mission, and so the decorations in the building that hires them will be accordingly.

Christmas

There is a mall that always puts up a big Christmas tree in the front around Christmas time every year. A lot of decorations, both for sale and for decorated shops and restaurants, Christmas songs, and maybe even a fake snow.

My school does have some activities related to it, but tbh, I really don't remember what said activity is anymore—a show from students who volunteered, maybe. There are Christmas-themed snacks being distributed at some point. I do remember getting candy cane, which I kind of hate, a few times in primary school.

I don't know anyone who actually celebrates Christmas, so I don't really know what Thais who do, do at their home. 

It might sound disrespectful, but I feel like most of us see Christmas more as a fun themed-event than a religious day. Sorry🙏

Chapter Text

Buddhism has a principle called "Ovada-patimokkha", which is sometimes called the "heart of Buddhism."
In the Ovada-patimokkha, there are three main principles we see as a basic lesson and talk about a lot.

1. Cease to do evil (abstain from sin)
2. Cultivate that which is good (make good deeds)
3. Purify the heart (clear your mind from sorrow or sinful thought)

By trying to follow the teachings of this principle, it leads to an attempt to do good deeds by actions that can be seen. It consists of 3 things:

1. alms: the giving of one's possessions for the benefit of others
2. Precepts: keeping the body and speech in order.
3. Prayer: training the mind to be calm and wise.

The Buddhist ceremony is where we will do those 3 things together with other Buddhists. Sometimes it happens as a national event and sometimes as a personal event between groups of families and friends.

The ceremony that is organized for personal reasons can be categorized according to the occasion into two types.

1. Auspicious ceremonies such as merit making, ordaining, topknot shaving, getting married, moving to a new house, and so on.

2. Inauspicious ceremony such as the death of parents, teachers, or relatives. When a Buddhist dies, their family will make merit at the funeral for 7 days, 50 days, or 100 days depending on their ability and determination. They will also make merit on the anniversary of the death of loved ones. Or if other bad things happen, people will also organize a ceremony to try to make the misfortune go away or to alleviate the sorrow. 

I will not go into detail about how you should go and organize one yourself. But if you want any details in particular, please do let me know. Except if you are really about to organize one by yourself, then please consult with someone else, not me. I usually just do what others do, so I kind of know what the ceremony consists of, but I never remember the order in which things happen. 

The ceremony will begin after the monks we have invited arrive at the ceremony site, so that will be the first thing to happen. The organizer of the event will then light incense and candles and pray to the Triple Gem, followed by the churchwarden (makanayok) taking over for a while before the monks begin to chant.When the chant is over, the host will offer food and various equipment to the monks. 

Different things can have different meanings if you believe in superstition, so it can be a factor in what you choose as an offering, but I think it will be best to prioritize efficiency first when choosing what to offer or donate. Something like alcohol and accessories is forbit and if you include it, it can be considered as sin.

After the monks accept those things, they will bless and anoint/sprink holy water on the attendees. Then the ceremony is kind of done. 

When I attend a ceremony organized by my school, there is no lunch break because it will finish before that time, but if it is organized by my relative, the food offering will happen at lunch time (before 12 p.m. bc eating after 12 p.m. is against the rule for Thai monks), and we will offer other things after everyone eats lunch, and we will pour ceremonial water somewhere near the end.

If the one who organized the event requests the monks will preach on the requested topic, I'm not sure when but they will. 

Other things

-Attendees are expected to chant some parts along with the monks. I never sure which part and just copy someone who sit near me.😅

-pouring ceremonial water is a symbol of the intention of giving the merits that we have done to those who have passed away. We will pour water into the ground or pour it into some sort of container and then into the ground or at the base of the tree afterward. When there weren't enough jugs, many people have a habit of touching one another, starting from the one who has it when it's time to pour the water in order to participate.

-Ordination can occur from many intentions and occasions. Some people might do it with the intention of being a monk for life, while others might do it only for a short period on a special occasion. The occasion can be when a close relative or a benefactor passes away and he enters the priesthood while the body is being cremated, before he gets married, when something bad happens, or to make his parents happy. Sometimes it was even to redeem oneself. When a person does a bad thing and feels guilty, they might choose to compensate by ordination and, in some cases, they will do it as a life-long commitment. It was also a way for the poor to give their children access to an education in the past. Because when a child becomes a novice monk, they get to learn how to read and write. Most Buddhist men will be ordained at least once in their lives. 

-5 and 8 precepts. 5 precept is to abstain from taking life, stealing, sexual misconduct, false speech, alcohol or other intoxicants. 8 precepts is the same as 5 precepts but with 3 more, which are don't eat after noon, don't partake in entertainment such as dancing, singing, and also anything related to making yourself pretty, and don't use a high and soft bed. 

Chapter Text

Thais do have a certain traditional way of doing a wedding ceremony, but what matters the most is the preferences of the married couple. Nowadays, one can choose to do whatever they want with their wedding! A mixture of Thai and Chinese or Western happens all the time. Weddings without any traditional Thai ceremony elements are also an option, as is simply registering.

In this chapter I will talk about the Thai (Thai-Buddhist) style and a little bit of mixed style. 

But first, let get something out of the way.

Yes, traditionally, the wedding ceremony is designed for a straight couple. So what should a queer couple do?

The answer is whatever they want!

They could pick a role. They could be two brides, but one plays a groom role for when the ceremony requires it. Many couples do that. Or they could adjust some details, cut something out, add something in, or bend some part. It's entirely up to them. Straight couples adjust things all the time too. Don't see the tradition as a rigid rule you have to follow even if you are unhappy, see it as a template you can customize to suit your needs. 

Now, let's start.

Thai Wedding Ceremony

When a man and a woman decide to marry, The men will send his parents or recruit elderly men who have a high position in society or may be their respected elder relatives, known as "tâo gàe", to approach the woman's parents in order to ask the woman to be his bride and be the one who talks about the dowry. When the woman's parents agree, they will go find the auspicious day for the wedding based on the pair's information, which is mostly their date of birth. After the date is set, then they will start organizing for the wedding ceremony.

Since the "good" date for a wedding in each month/year (according to astrology) does not come that often, the popular venue would be packed. So it's better to plan ahead if you happen to want a big/glamorous wedding.

Order of the ceremony

(For a completed-in-one-day course. There are other options/ways of organizing a wedding.)

1. Buddhist Ceremony (พิธีสงฆ์ phithi song)

As I say in chapter 7, we Thai Buddhists will invite monks to be in a ceremony for an event like this. For the wedding ceremony, in the past, it was popular to invite them in an even number, four for example, but now nine is the most popular because nine in Thai is homonym with the word that means thrive, and by counting the presiding Buddha images as the ten, they will be in an even number. 

In my eyes, the highlights are first when the pair put food into the monks' alms bowl together using one ladle. It is believed that whoever gets to hold the ladle by the top or neck will be superior to the other in the pair. In some cases, they will switch between themselves as a symbol that they will be equal. 

And second, when the groom receives forehead anointing to bless the marriage from the monk first and gives one to the bride himself, with the hands of the monk holding and guiding his. In some cases, forehead anointing will be done by an elder the married couple respects instead of the monk. And in some people's opinion, forehead anointing does not count as a part of the Buddhist ceremony, so it won't happen in this step.

2. Khan Mak procession (แห่ขันหมาก hae khanmak)

Khan means a type of tray/bowl. Mak means betel nut. Together 'Khan Mak' refers to gifts from the groom to the bride's house. 

The amount of trays and gifts can be varied depending on the groom's budget, their manpower, and the aesthetic. 9 pairs or 19 pairs (each pair mirroring each other with some exceptions) seems to be the popular choice, but the smallest number I see is only 2 trays that are not mirroring each other.

The Khan Mak parade is separated into two types, Khan Mak Ek (ขันหมากเอก-primary) and Khan Mak Tho (ขันหมากโท-secondary). There are also banana tree and sugarcane that some sources put in Khan Mak Ek, some put in Khan Mak Tho, and some put in their own categories and not in either Ek or Tho.

Traditionally, after the wedding, the banana tree and sugar cane will get planted at the newlyweds' house as a wish for the couple to have a sweet, flourishing life with many children. At the time when the banana tree and sugar cane arrived at the bride's house, there could be a little game where the person on the groom's side who carried it refused to give it to the bride's side until they got some 'water.'  It could actually be water for watering the plant, but apparently in many cases it would be alcohol to satisfy the plant carrier rather than the plant.

Trays in the Khan Mak Ek category are 

1. Khan Mak Ek tray: betel leaves, silver bag, gold bag, auspicious grains, mung beans, black sesame, unhusked rice, puffed rice, and money envelopes. 

2. Incense and candles tray: candles and incenses. They will get used at the later step (the fifth step, accept Wai).

3. Dowry tray: gold, jewelry, and various valuables depended on their prior agreement.

4. Ring tray: Rings of the bride and groom. Each ring may have its own tray, or they may share one tray.

Trays in the Khan Mak Tho category are containing less important things like auspicious desserts and auspicious fruits.

In the countryside they might do an actual procession with a Khan Mak parade pass through their community to the bride's house. As for the city, they might skip it or change the location the parade starts and make it a lot shorter due to the fact that in the city there isn't enough space for it. 

If they do have a parade, the groom's side will start someplace not too close to the bride's house (or the wedding site), cheer three times to signal everyone to start walking, and then another three near the end to tell the bride's side to get ready.

The cheer sounds like this

When the parade arrives at the bride's house, the bride's relatives will start barring the groom from entering the house by using some type of string as a gate.

Traditionally, there are three gates in total, but there can be more.

The groom and guests on his side must play games that the bride's side wants in order to pass the gate. It can be answering the question about the bride. The groom shouts out his love for the bride, pushes up, or anything they want.

The groom's side will also give away some money in addition to winning the games. Most of the people who participate in barring the gate are the younger generation, like siblings or friends of the couple.

3. Marriage proposal ceremony (สู่ขอ sòo kŏr) and dowry counting ceremony

In the beginning the bride will not be present on scene. Later, after the parents express their consent for the marriage to happen, the bride's parent will go bring the bride out into everyone's eyes, and then the Sinsod counting will begin.

Sookor is asking for permission to marry from the bride's parents. And as that implies, in some cases it might even be done without the bride's consent, but fortunately that is not a common occurrence anymore. I can't say it's absolutely not happening, but it's not normal for sure.

The action of Sookor traditionally happened quite some time before the wedding. But in the present it is a part of a less than one day marriage ceremony.

The actual agreement will be reached since before, and they will just act their role out.

The parents and whoever acts as a tao gae will pretend to negotiate, and when they come to an agreement, the dowry which is in the Khan Mak they have been carrying, would be give out and the bride's side will pretend to count them. during the process they will also sprinkle various flowers with popped rice, which also came with one of the Khan Mak, on the dowry and bless the pair.

Lastly, the bride's mother will pick up the sinsod using cloth to wrap it, place it upon their shoulder, and act as if they are unable to carry it because it is very heavy.

Other than the act and dialogue, all of the props used during Sinsod counting will also signify something auspicious. 

For example, one of the flowers used, the crown flower, its Thai name is synonymous with the word love, or the globe amaranth, its Thai name is blooms that know no withered.

The bride's parents can take those sinsod for themselves (frowned upon) or give them to only the bride, or only the groom, or both the bride and groom to share as a fund for their new family.

4. engagement ceremony

The engagement ceremony was originally intended to give men and women the opportunity to study and adjust to each other, so it has been held before the wedding for quite some time, but nowadays, the engagement ceremony is commonly held on the same day as the wedding date. which makes everything happen and over all in one day.

In the process of giving the engagement ring, the groom first puts the ring on the bride, and then the bride bows down to the groom. Like this Link at 9:39

After that, it's the bride who will put the ring on the groom, followed by the couple bowing down to pay homage to their parents.

5. Accept wai (รับไหว้ Rap Wai)

In this step, the newlyweds will pay their respects to their parents and senior relatives, and they will offer a gift or blessing as a response. The meaning of this is to ask the parents and relatives of both the bride and groom to acknowledge and look after them as a new member of their partner family.

On this step the couple will bowing down with their hands close (like when you wai). 3 times for the parents and grandparents and once for others. After bowing down, the couple will hand a raft of incense sticks to the elders. They will take it and then tie the bride and groom's wrists with holy thread for good fortune and as a symbol of being a member of the family, along with giving blessings and money envelopes as gifts for the newlyweds. Other valuables will also be given as a blessing and as funding for them to build a family together. 

6. Water pouring ceremony (รดน้ำสังข์ rod nam sang)

It's different from the other water pouring ceremony I talk about in chapter 7, but I don't know what other word I should translate this one to. This one, the water will be pouring from the Valambari Shank. 

The ceremony began with incense and candles being lit to honor the Three Jewels. The newlyweds sit on a bench, preparing to receive holy water, which is thought to be a life blessing. The honor guest (prathan: chairman, president, honor guest) will put the nuptial good luck thread on the newlyweds' heads and anoint their foreheads, and then the holy water pouring will start in the order of seniority, one by one. Most of the time, the people who get to do it are the ones who are already married, not children or teenagers. When it's over, the honor guest will remove the nuptial good luck thread, which must be taken off from both the groom and the bride at the same time, and roll it all together to put it on the groom's hand or the bride's hand, along with congratulating the pair.

7. Make a bed ceremony and sending bride and groom to the nuptial chamber

There are many alternative names for this step.

• พิธีปูเตียงเรียงหมอน—Bed-making and pillow-arranging ceremony.
• พิธีร่วมเรียงเคียงหมอน—I'm not sure how to translate it, but basically it is called a ceremony to join in bed and lay side by side.
• พิธีปูที่นอน—Bed making ceremony (but different word from the first)
• พิธีเรียงหมอน—pillow-arranging ceremony. (The word เรียงหมอน—pillow-arranging is also a name of a lunar calendar's day that is good for weddings.)
• พิธีส่งตัว—The send-off ceremony
• พิธีส่งตัวเข้าหอ—The send-off to the nuptial chamber ceremony
• พิธีแลกที่นอนบ่าวสาว—The bride and groom's bed exchange ceremony (refer to a particular substep. Here a link to a script for that step. https://praewwedding.com/thai-wedding/35250 The green text is the english translation)

When it's an auspicious time, their family will prepare rice, flowers, and other things according to the beliefs to sprinkle on the bed where the newlyweds will sleep. The bed sheet they use in the ceremony must be the newly bought one. In the ceremony, the elders, whom both sides respect, will make a bed and arrange the pillows. The requirements for those who performed are for them to be married couples who were rightfully married according to tradition and have a good, long married life and also be accepted in society as ethical and good people. The purpose of this ceremony is for auspiciousness and to give a good example of a good marriage for the newlyweds. 

After this, the ceremony is considered over. Many people usually have a party at some point, but it's up to their personal preference.

*This one is the central Thai one. It normalizes the most since it is officially the center of the country. In other locations, the details and order of some of the steps may vary depending on the local customs. Or even have some step that is different entirely. For example, in Isan, there is a step where the bride and groom will feed boiled eggs to each other, which is a step other places don't have.

If you want other sources, these links below are for you.
https://learnthaiwithmod.com/2013/09/thai-tradition-wedding-ceremony/

https://www.weddinglist.co.th/blog/8-steps-of-thai-wedding-ceremony/

https://www.thethailandlife.com/thai-wedding-ceremony

https://www.thailandfoundation.or.th/culture_heritage/thai-wedding/

https://www.vivathaiwedding.com/thai-traditional-weddings

Thai (Buddhist?)+ Chinese wedding ceremony

It can be done in many different ways depending on whether they want more Thai or more Chinese elements, but I think the most common way to go about it was by adding a tea ceremony and adjusting some details, such as the content of Khan Mak.

Tea Ceremony

It is a Chinese tradition to pay respect to the elderly. The bride will be prepare a teapot and a teacup, and the elderly relatives who are attending the ceremony will sit in order of seniority. The groom's relatives will sit on the left. The newlyweds must sit together at the start of the ceremony. They will kneel down and pour tea into a cup, place it on a tray, and lift the tray with both hands at the same time. and send it to the attendee to drink until the cup is empty. Then elder relatives will bless them and give gifts, and the newlyweds will give something in return. They can be general items like cushions, towels, or glassware. At the end of the tea ceremony The newlyweds will eat Khanom Ei and Khanom Bua Loi together to symbolize sweet love.

The tea ceremony might happen after the wedding day, like how it happens according to Chinese tradition, or it might be combined with the accept wai step as they have the same purpose.

Or it can be anytime they want. My parents did it before the wedding day. It sounds like they do it when they get engaged, sometime before the wedding. It also appears that no one has a real, organized plan for how the wedding should take place at that time.

Thai (Buddhist??)+ Western wedding ceremony

There isn't a standard one for this. What I can gather is that the first thing most people cut off from all the steps in a Thai ceremony is the Buddhist Ceremony, and they usually keep the Water Pouring Ceremony, but that is just my opinion, not a fact.

Other

• There is a concept about how a young couple who elope comes back to apologize to their parents after letting some time pass for their parents to cool down or better, after they have a baby.

  Some does say that marriage ceremonies are a middle-class thing, and others usually just elope. The concept of virginity was something that became prominent because of western influences and not of Thai originally after all.

• Women who get engaged but didn't get to wed for any reason, whether it be the groom's death before they have the ceremony or they broke the engagement are called Mai Khan Mak (หม้ายขันหมาก) (Mai-widow). And it can be seen as a shameful or bad thing in the past.
• A wedding ring is a western influence, but a popular one. At this point, it's the norm for a married couple to have one. My grandparents didn't seem to have one, but my mom and all the other married people I pay attention to do. Teachers, my brother's friend, my friend's relatives, etc. All the media I consume also feature it.
• Traditional Thai weddings typically begin in the morning, so it gets called the morning ceremony (งานเช้า). After the morning ceremony, many couples will also have a party where they will have food and drink and wedding cake and flowers toss, similar to what is in the western media. And that party will be called an evening ceremony (งานเย็น). 
• An arranged marriage is known in Thai as khlum thung chon(คลุมถุงชน), which is a word that derives from how people set up a cockfight. I find that quite funny.
• The popular locations for the wedding are at home (the bride's home is the tradition for many place) or hotel. A wedding studio is also a thing. All places that can be rented out are options.
• The wife's taking her husband's last name after marriage is the most common, but the opposite, or both of them keeping their own last names or even go creating their own new last name, is also an option. As for using both last names, it's not so popular among Thai couples, but it's what quite a few Thai-foreign couples want. This option can be a bit more difficult compared to the others due to its being out of the norm and the process of obtaining it can be confusing, so many people will choose to make their old last names into middle names as a way to keep them instead of actually trying to use both.
• Marriage register information is considered private information. You will be informed about your partner's status when you and your partner register together. As for other cases, you will need to file for a court's order to access that information.
• A before-wedding celebration such as a bachelor party or something similar does not exist in Thai culture, nor does an after-wedding celebration such as a honeymoon. One could choose to have it, of course. The concept is known through media, social networks, and any other way out there, it just not a tradition here.
• People like to get their marriage registration at Bang Rak District. Rak (รัก) means love, so it has a good meaning for a married couple. And by the same logic, there are a few other districts that are also popular or unpopular with the married couple too. For example, Bang Sue District, Sue (ซื่อ) means honest, strict forward,  truthful, faithful (ซื่อตรง). A quality people want from their partner. So, a popular choice. Or Bang Phlat. Phlat (พลัด) means to stray away, to be separated from, thus making it unpopular.
• 9 auspicious Thai desserts. Wikipedia The desserts that are chosen to be in this set all have a somewhat good meaning word in their names. It's not only popular for a wedding but also for all kinds of auspicious occasions. The same concept with the reason why Bang Rak is a popular district to register a marriage. 9 (เก้า-kao) is also an auspicious number.
• A groom moving into a bride's family's house is a traditional way of Thai marriage. Each couple can do whatever they want, of couse. Buying a new place only for themselves is an appealing choice for many of those who can, but I want to point out that a groom marrying in is historically done and a very normal choice in Thai.
• Wedding outfit

1. Link1
2. Link2
3. Link3 -groom
4. Link4 -bride
5. Link5 -bride 
6. Link6 -bride's/groom's mom
7. Link7 -groom's friends
8. Link8 -bride's friends

**About traditional Thai attires, many of them, contradicting to what their names may suggest, aren't that old of a tradition. The biggest influencer about to-day Thai dress is Queen Sirikit, the mother of the current king. They are designed based on older Thai culture but not entirely old–old.

• Best man and maid of honor are translated into Thai as เพื่อนเจ้าบ่าว and เพื่อนเจ้าสาว. Groom's friends and bride's friends.
• https://kidhaina.com/dowrycalculator.html <- a website created to help people calculate how much a dowry would be proper. You could translate the page if you want to use it. I try translated the page into English via the browser, and it is understandable.
• PorschArm Podcast talking about organizing a wedding⤵️

https://youtu.be/6j-VtE3wiDU?si=smzuLACaLcJWHKc7

• For Buddhist men, it is a tradition that they should have entered the monkhood before the wedding (just before the wedding in general doesn't have to be right before the date, and if you have ordained before, then you don't have to do it again specifically for the wedding), as it is believed to make them a better man. It's fine if they don't, though. Its not a big deal.
• It is common for people to invite classmates and coworkers to their wedding. It is also common for the parents of the bride and groom to have their own guests. It's kind of an old practice that people would cut out if they had a limited budget, tho.
• I have a conversation, and the other person wonders if there is any ceremony a couple would do for themselves in the case that they elope and can't have a wedding with all their family and friends. The answer is I don't think so. I never heard of one. For Thai Buddhists, at least. And since the point of the wedding is mainly about social acceptance, whether it is that each side's family accepts the other, an announcement so that everyone knows the couple as a marriage couple, or 'Hey, look how grand our wedding is!' etc. If you have to elope and the social did not accept your relationship, then there is probably no reason to do it. Most, if not all, of the ceremonies are kind of not possible to do without any family or friends to beging with. 
• This link is a script for MCs who run a wedding. There are English translations for the part that the MC will speak out loud and some more. I think it could be helpful. ⏭️https://m.pantip.com/topic/38458358?⏮️
• A house that the newlyweds would move into after marriage is called เรือนหอ-ruen hor. The words Ruen and Hor separately do have meaning, and a similar one too. Ruen means something that is built with an elevated floor, walls, and roof. And Hor is a subset of Ruen. Together, Ruen Hor is a proper noun. The wedding night is called เข้าหอ-entering hor, that word hor is as in ruen hor. In Thai to Thai dictionary, the description of Ruen hor is a house built for a newlywed couple to live in. (Some say that traditionally the groom would build it on the bride's family's land.) When people say the word, I do think of a new house. But due to the modern practice of living together before marriage, our poor economy and common sense. A whole new house is, of course, not something you have to strive for.
• For the legal side of marriage, there is no full translation of the new law that gave marriage rights to the same-sex couples yet. But if you want to read the old one, this site provides it. https://www.thailandlawonline.com/thai-family-and-marriage-law/family-and-mariage-law-in-thailand-for-foreigners The change the new law makes is mostly about making the gender term a neutral one. For example, for an engagement law where its use was to be a man and a woman, they would change it to the one that proposed for the engaged and the one that accepted an engagement. Other than that, it mostly stays the same. Here another site ➡️ https://thailawonline.com/thai-family-law-explained/

Marriage registration

Things required 

• ID card that has not expired or other cards issued by the government.

• House registration book (the one that your name is inside)

Link to an explanation 

• Two people over 20 years old who will be your witnesses (with their ID)
• Proof of divorce (if there is)
• In the case that your previous marriage ended because of the death of your previous partner, proof of death
• If you have any children before registration of marriage, then a birth certificate and house registration book of the child are required.
• A form call คร. 1 It can be found at the place you will do the marriage registration, so you can fill it there, or you can download it online and fill it before going in if you want.

Place

• You can register your marriage at any registration office, Thai embassy or consulate
• You can arrange for the registration to happen at any place (your wedding site, for example) you wish for a low price of only a 200 baht fee plus commute expense for the marriage registration officer. The request should be put in at least 3 days prior to the date you want it to happen.

Time

• Office hours, which are 8.30 to 16.30 minus lunchtime, Monday to Friday minus public holiday.

Chapter Text

Breakfast

Actually, anything can be breakfast, but this is some of what is frequently viewed as breakfast.

• Khao Tom (Boiled rice/Rice porridge)

• Jok (Rice porridge/Congee)

• Tom lueatmu (Pork Blood Soup)

• Khaoniao mu ping (Grilled Pork Sticky Rice)

• Khaoniao mufoi (Glutinous Rice with Shredded Pork)

• Khai kratha (Pan egg)

• Namtaohu songkhrueang (soy milk with topping)

• Sandwich boran (thai style sandwich)

and everything westerners consider breakfast.

Northern food

• Namphriknum (young chili paste)

• Namphrik-Ong (Ong Chili Paste)

• Khaepmu (Crispy Fried Pork Rinds)

• Sai-Ua (a type of sausages)

• Kaengho

• Kaenghangle (Hung Lay Curry)

• Khanomchinnamngiao

• Khaosoi 

Central food

• Nam phrik long ruea

• Nam phrik kapi

• Homok (steamed fish with curry paste)

• Thotman (a type of fish ball)

• Pucha (deep-fried crab meat and minced pork in crab shell )

• Kaengchuet

• Kaengphet

• Kaengsom

• Khaophat (Fried rice)

• Yam

Northeastern food (E-san food)

• Soup nomai (bamboo shoot soup)

• Tomsom (fish soup with ginger)

• Kaeng Om

• Kaeng Proe (Bamboo Shoot and Yanang Soup)

• Kaeng Het (Mushroom Soup)

• Kaeng Khai Motdaeng (Red ant egg soup)

• Somtam 
  

Southern food

• Kaeng Taipla

• Kaengsom

*Kaengsom in the central and southern regions have some differences. Recently, there was even a debate online about whose Kaengsom is superior.

• Kaenglueang

• Kai Tom Khamin

• Khua Kling

• Phatsato

• Phat Phet Kop

• Yam Nam Budu 

Nowadays, every part of Thailand eats everything I mention here, but its origin is still very obvious, and the origin can give some impression about what it will taste like for people who try it for the first time.

Popular Foreign food

• Chinese food (It's kinda Thai-Chinese more than actual Chinese)

• Japanese food

• Korean food

• Mexican food

• Indian food

• Vietnamese food

• Westerner food (Farang food)

Drink

• Green Tea

• Iced Tea/Thai Tea

• Lemon Tea

• Cocoa

• Nom yen/Nom chomphu (Pink milk)

• Oliang

• Yok lo

• Coffee boran

• Butterfly pea juice

• Lemongrass and Pandan Juice

• Nam daeng (Red drink) (Hale's blue boy sala flavor)

• Nam khiao (Green drink) (Hale's blue boy cream soda flavor)

• Bubble tea

Chain Restaurants  

• Sizzler
• KFC
• McDonald’s
• Burger King
• Starbucks
• Subway
• Taco Bell 
• MK Suki
• S&P
• Barbecue Plaza
• Yum Saap
• Fuji restaurants 
• Katsuya
• Yayoi
• Ootoya
• Chester’s Grill
• Pizza Hut
• Pizza Company
• Narai pizzeria
• Hachiban
• Mos Burger
• Dairy Queen
• Swensen

Easy to find dish

There a type of restuarant call ran-ahan tam sang (ร้านอาหารตามสั่ง) (Cooked to order resturant?) which is basically everywhere and this is a basic almost every those restuarant will have.  

• Rice top with fried basil

• Fried rice

• Stir Fried Vegetables with Rice

• Garlic Pork with Rice

• Stir Fried Chili Paste

• Thai Styled Sukiyaki (water/dry)  

You can select the type of meat yourself, even if the name includes the word "pork," (it's just a place holder) and you can add extra meat (more of the one you select or something else) or eggs if desired.

Eating utensils

The most common choice are just a spoon and fork. In places like noodle shops, it usually has chopsticks as well. and for steak, a knife.

List of online supermarket site

I was browsing through fics and comments and whatnot, and there are people like arguing about a certain type of snack, whatever or not we eat that in Thai, and I also remember someone being confused about the price of things.

I think that having access to a Thai online supermarket site would probably help with those kinds of things, so here are some of them.

https://www.makro.pro/en

https://www.lotuss.com/en

https://www.central.co.th/en

https://www.bigc.co.th/en

https://www.7eleven.co.th/

These online shopping sites do not cover everything. There are many other types of businesses that have products that a big supermarket does not cover, and the prices of many things are in range, but this should give you some idea.

Chapter Text

lullabies and Children's song

นกกาเหว่า : nok-ka-wao (Cuckoo song)

กาเหว่าเอย ไข่ไว้ให้แม่กาฟัก   
kawao oei khai wai hai mae ka fak  
The cuckoo lays an egg for the mother crow to hatch. 

แม่กาก็หลงรัก คิดว่าลูกในอุทร   
mae ka ko long rak khit wa luk nai uthon  
The crow fell in love and thought that the egg was her own, 

คาบเอาข้าวมาเผื่อ ไปคาบเอาเหยื่อมาป้อน   
khap ao khao ma phuea pai khap ao yuea ma pon  
carrying food and prey back to feed it, 

ถนอมไว้ในรังนอน ซ่อนเหยื่อมาให้กิน   
thanom wai nai rang non son yuea ma hai kin  
cherish it in the nest, and hide the prey for it to eat. 

ปีกเจ้ายังอ่อนคลอแคล ท้อแท้จะสอนบิน   
pik chao yang on khlokhlae thothae cha son bin  
Your wings are still too weak to teach to fly. 

แม่กาพาไปกิน ที่ปากน้ำพระคงคา   
mae ka pha pai kin thi paknam phra khongkha  
The mother crow took it to eat at the estuary of the Ganges river. 

ตีนเจ้าเหยียบสาหร่าย ปากก็ไซ้หาปลา   
tin chao yiap sarai pak ko sai ha pla  
Feet are stepping on algae, and the mouth is searching for fish. 

กินกุ้งแลกินกั้ง กินหอยกระพังแมงดา   
kin kung lae kin kang kin hoi kra phang maengda  
Eat shrimp and crayfish. Eat mussels and horseshoe crabs.

กินแล้วก็โผมา จับที่ต้นหว้าโพธิ์ทอง   
kin laeoko pho ma chap thi ton wa pho thong  
Then dart to the Wa Pho Thong tree. 

ยังมีนายพราน เที่ยวเยี่ยมเยี่ยมมองมอง   
yang mi naiphran thiao yiam yiam mong mong  
There is also a hunter sneaking a peek at them. 

ยกเอาปืนขึ้นส่อง จ้องเอาแม่กาดำ   
yok ao puen khuen song chong ao mae ka dam  
Raising the gun and staring at the black crow, 

ตัวหนึ่งว่าจะต้ม อีกตัวว่าจะยำ   
tua nueng wa cha tom ik tua wa cha yam  
one is to boil, another one will be made into yum. 

กินนางแม่กาดำ ค่ำวันนี้อุแม่นา   
kin nang mae ka dam kham wanni u mae na  
This evening we will eat the mother black crow.

*These two clips word some lyrics a little different, but overall, it's the same.

นกขมิ้น : nok-kha-min (Canary song)

เจ้านกขมิ้นเหลืองอ่อนเอ๋ย 
chao nokkhaminlueang-on oei 
O light yellow canary

ค่ำแล้วจะนอนที่ตรงไหน 
kham laeo cha non thi trong nai 
Where will you sleep at night?

จะนอนไหนก็นอนได้
cha non nai ko non dai 
You can sleep anywhere.

สุมทุมพุ่มไม้ก็เคยนอน 
sumthum phummai ko khoei non 
The bushes used to sleep

ลมพระพายชายพัดมาอ่อนๆ 
lom phra phai chai phat ma on on 
The gentle wind blows

เจ้าเคยจรมานอนรังเอย 
chao khoei chon ma non rang oei 
You used to wander and come to sleep in the nest.

วัดโบถส์ (Bot temple)

1

วัดเอ๋ย วัดโบสถ์ 
wat oei watbot 
Temple Oey, Bot temple

*Bot means a place for monks to use for rites but is sometimes used as a temple name. Watbot means Bot temple.

ปลูกข้าวโพด สาลี 
pluk khaophot sali 
planting wheat

ลูกเขยตกยาก 
lukkhoei tokyak 
son-in-law become impoverished

แม่ยายก็พรากลูกสาวหนี
maeyai ko phrak luksao ni 
The mother-in-law took her daughter away.

โอ้ข้าวโพด สาลี 
o khaophot sali 
oh wheat

ป่านฉะนี้ จะโรยราเอย
panchani cha roira oei 
Thus far, it will wither

**Normally, khaophot means corn and sali means wheat, but according to La Loubere, khaophot sali here should mean wheat.

-------------------

2

วัดเอ๋ย วัดโบสถ์ 
wat oei watbot 
Wat Oey, Wat Bot

มีต้นตะโหนด อยู่ 7 ต้น 
mi ton ta not yu chet ton 
There are 7 tanote trees.

เจ้าขุนทองจะไปปล้น
chao khunthong cha pai plon 
Chao Khun Thong is went out to rob

ตะโหนด 7 ต้น ของคนดง 
ta not chet ton khong khon dong 
7 tanodes of the barbarian people

เจ้าขุนทองตายแล้ว 
chao khunthong tai laeo 
Chao Khun Thong is dead.

เหลือแต่กระดูกแก้ว ให้คนปอง 
luea tae kraduk kaeo hai khon pong 
Only bones left for people to get

มือขวาถือฉัตร 
muekhwa thue chat 
right hand holding a tier

มือซ้ายสะบัดขึ้นถือธง
muesai sabat khuen thue thong 
left hand flutters up to hold the flag.

ตั้งใจจะไปปลง
tangchai cha pai plong 
intend to cremate

ศพเจ้าขุนทอง
sop chao khunthong 
The corpse of Chao Khun Thong

-------------------

3

วัดเอ๋ยวัดโบสถ์
wat oei watbot 
Wat Oey, Wat Bot

มีตาลโตนดอยู่7ต้น
mi tantanot yu chet ton 
There are 7 palm tanot trees.

พ่อขุนทองก็ไปปล้น
phokhun thong ko pai plon 
por Khun Thong went to rob
*Usually พ่อ(por) means father, but here it is a term use for a younger man with intimacy or affection.

ป่านฉะนี้ไม่เห็นมา
panchani mai hen ma 
even now he still can't be seen came back.

เมียคดข้าวใส่ห่อ
mia khotkhao sai ho 
Wife dip out rice and wrapped it

ถ่อเรือไปตามหา
thoruea pai tamha 
punt out to find him

เขาก็เล่าลือมา
khao ko laolue ma 
people are rumored

ว่าพ่อขุนทองตายแล้ว
wa phokhun thong tai laeo 
that por Khun Thong is dead

เหลืออยู่แต่กระดูกแก้ว
luea yu tae kraduk kaeo 
Only the bone remains

เมียรักจะไปปลง
mia rak cha pai plong 
dear wife will go to cremate

เจ้าขุนศรีจะถือฉัตร
chao khun si cha thue chat 
Chao Khun Sri will hold a tier.

ยกกระบัตรถือธง
yokkrabat thue thong 
raising the flag

ถือท้ายพายเรือหงส์
thuethai phairuea hong 
steer a swan boat
*a state barge with a swan as a figurehead

จะไปปลงศพเจ้าพ่อนา
cha pai plongsop chaopho na 
to go to the funeral of him Na

---------------------

4

วัดเอ๋ย วัดโบสถ์ 
wat oei watbot 
Wat Oey, Wat Bot

มีตาลตะโหนด อยู่7ต้น
mi tan ta not yu chet ton 
There are 7 palm tanodes.

เจ้าขุนทอง ไปปล้น
chao khunthong pai plon 
Chao Khun Thong went to rob

ป่านฉะนี้ ไม่เห็นมา 
panchani mai hen ma 
its been a long time but he still not came back

คดข้าว ใส่ห่อ
khotkhao sai ho 
dip out rice, wrapped

ถ่อเรือ ไปหา
thoruea pai ha 
punt out to find

เขา ก ร่ำฦๅมา
khao kram lue ma 
people are rumored

ว่าเจ้าขุนทอง ตายแล้ว 
wa chao khunthong tai laeo 
that Chao Khun Thong is dead

เหลือแต่ โกศแก้ว
luea tae kot kaeo 
Leave only the glass urn

เมียรัก จักมาปลง
mia rak chak ma plong 
dear wife will come

จักถ่อพาย ท้ายเรือหงส์
chak tho phai thairuea hong 
Will paddle at the back of the swan boat

ไปปลงศพ อุแม่นา 
pai plongsop u mae na 
Go to the funeral u mae na 
* u mae na is a kind of suffix used in some old songs.

This is the first one. This is the third one.

Originally I knew only 2 versions of this song, but since I found 4 when I searched, I put all 4 here.

The version of this song that mentions Khun Thong actually has political implications. First, is that Khun Thong died fighting for our country and we should honor his action; and then, afterward, Khun Thong kind of became a symbol of the act of a revolutionary, as that name got used in literature about the uprising on October 14th, 1973, and the massacre on October 6th, 1976.

จันทร์เจ้าขา (Moon song)

• "Chaokha" is a word used by women to politely call or beg the elderly. It's quite old-fashioned and is rarely used nowadays.

จันทร์เจ้าขา ขอข้าวขอแกง ขอแหวนทองแดง ผูกมือน้องข้า
chan chaokha kho khao kho kaeng kho waen thongdaeng phuk mue nong kha 
Moon Chao Kha, I ask for rice, for curry (soup/stew), and for a copper ring to bind my Nong's hand.

ขอช้าง ขอม้า ให้น้องข้าขี่ ขอเก้าอี้ ให้น้องข้านั่ง
khochang kho ma hai nong kha khi kho kao-i hai nong kha nang 
Asking for an elephant,  for a horse, for my Nong to ride, for a chair, for my Nong to sit on.

ขอเตียงตั่ง ให้น้องข้านอน ขอละคร ให้น้องข้าดู
kho tiang tang hai nong kha non kho lakhon hai nong kha du 
Ask for a bed for my Nong to sleep in. Ask for a play for my Nong to watch.

ขอยายชู เลี้ยงน้องข้าเถิด ขอยายเกิด เลี้ยงตัวข้าเอง 
kho yai chu liang nong kha thoet kho yai koet liangtua kha eng 
ask for granny Chu, take care of my Nong. Ask for Grandma koet, take care of me.

เดือนหงาย (Waxing moon song)

เดือนเอ๋ยเดือนหงายดาวกระจายทรงกลด
duean oei dueanngai daokrachai songklot 
Moon eoi, moonlit night. Star scatter and the moon have halo

อุ้มเจ้าขึ้นใส่รถว่าจะพาไปชมเดือน
um chao khuen sai rot wa cha pha pai chom duean 
carry you in the car to take you to see the moon

พิศแลดูดาวไปดาวก็ไม่งามเหมือน
phit lae du dao pai dao ko mai ngam muean 
Looking at the stars, the stars are not as beautiful.

พิศแลดูเดือนเหมือนนวลอุแม่นา
phit lae du duean muean nuan u mae na 
Look at the moon, its beautiful like you u mae na 

น้ำท่วมเมฆ (Flood clouds)

โยกเยกเอย 
yokyek oei 
swaying oei 
*eoi is an apostrophe after a name, or an introductory noun. , or at the end of the poem

น้ำท่วมเมฆ 
namthuam mek 
flood of clouds

กระต่ายลอยคอ 
kratai loikho 
floating rabbit

หมาหางงอ 
ma hang ngo 
bent-tailed dog

กอดคอโยกเยก
kot kho yokyek 
hugging each other neck swaying 

ค้างคาว (Bat song)

ค้างคาวเอ๋ย 
khangkhao oei 
bat oei 

บินมายืด ๆ 
bin ma yuet yuet 
slowly fly over

ค่ำ ๆ มืด ๆ 
kham kham muet muet 
late at  night

จะไปสวนไหน
cha pai suan nai 
which garden will you go

จะไปสวนนอก 
cha pai suan nok 
if going to the garden outside

เอาลูกมะกอกมาฝากบ้างนะ
ao luk makok ma fak bang na 
Do bring some olives back for us.

จิงโจ้ Chingcho

*Chingcho have many meaning such as  

• Pond Skaters
• a type of crib mobile nursery décor.
• Female soldiers in the reign of King Rama V
• kangaroo
• mythical creatures
• a type of bird.

I grew up thinking the word Chingcho here meant the bird, but after doing some searching I found a more convincing explanation, which is that the word Chingcho in this song did not refer to anything above but the swaying movement that all things above have in common, and this song is about Chinese people who sailed to Thailand to trade and do the swaying movement in order to sail the ship.
  
จิงเอย จิงโจ้   
ching oei chingcho   
ching oei chingcho   
  
มาโล้สำเภา   
ma lo samphao   
making the junk sailing along the waves  
  
หมาไนไล่เห่า   
manai lai hao   
The dog barks  
  
จิงโจ้ตกน้ำ   
chingcho tok nam   
chingcho falls into water  
  
หมาไนไล่ซ้ำ   
manai lai sam   
dog repeatedly chasing  
  
จิงโจ้ดำหนี   
chingcho dam ni   
chingcho dives away, fleeing  
  
ได้กล้วยสองหวี   
dai kluai song wi   
get two hand of bananas   
  
ทำขวัญจิงโจ้   
thamkhwan chingcho   
thamkhwan chingcho   
*Tham khwan refers to the practice of performing a ceremony to encourage or resurrect spirits after experiencing a loss of khwan.

It can also mean to pay damages or compensation, to give something for consolation (of the people of north Thailand), to perform rites of welcome or to compensate, or to recompense.

กาพย์เห่เรือ  ตอน  เห่ชมเรือ

เกริ่นโคลง introductory poem

ปางเสด็จประเวศด้าว     ชลาลัย
pang sadet prawet dao  chalalai 
 
ทรงรัตนพิมานชัย                 กิ่งแก้ว
song rattana phiman chai  king kaeo 
 
พรั่งพร้อมพวกพลไกร             แหนแห่
phrangphrom phuak phon krai  haen hae 
 
เรือกระบวนต้นแพร้ว              เพริศพริ้งพรายทอง
ruea krabuan ton phraeo  phroetphring phrai thong 

กาพย์ poem
ช้าละวะเห่ cha la wa he

พระเสด็จโดยแดนชล       ทรงเรือต้นงามเฉิดฉาย
phra sadet doi daen chon  song ruea ton ngam choetchai 
 
กิ่งเเก้วแพร้วพรรณราย            พายอ่อนหยับจับงามงอน
king kaeo phraeo phanrai  phai on yap chap ngamngon 
 
นาวาแน่นเป็นขนัด          ล้วนรูปสัตว์แสนยากร
nawa naen pen khanat  luan rup sat saenyakon 
 
เรือริ้วทิวธงสลอน                   สาครลั่นครั่นครื้นฟอง
ruea rio thio thong salon  sakhon lan khran khruen fong 
 
เรือครุฑยุดนาคหิ้ว           ลิ่วลอยมาพาผันผยอง
ruea khrut yut nak hio  lio loi ma pha phanphayong 
 
พลพายกรายพายทอง              ร้องโห่เห่โอ้เห่มา
phon phai krai phai thong  rong ho he o he ma 
 
สรมุขมุขสี่ด้าน             เพียงพิมานผ่านเมฆา
son muk muk si dan  phiang phiman phan mekha 
 
ม่านกรองทองรจนา                หลังคาแดงแย่งมังกร
man krongthong rotna  langkha daeng yaeng mangkon 
 
สมรรถชัยไกรกาบแก้ว    แสงแวววับจับสาคร
samat chai krai kap kaeo  saeng waeowap chap sakhon 
 
เรียบเรียงเคียงคู่จร                 ดั่งร่อนฟ้ามาแดนดิน
riapriang khiangkhu chon  dang ron fa ma daen din 
 
สุวรรณหงส์ทรงพู่ห้อย     งามชดช้อยลอยหลังสินธุ์
suwan hong song phu hoi  ngam chotchoi loi lang sin 
 
เพียงหงส์ทรงพรมมินทร์            ลินลาศเลื่อนเตือนตาชม
phiang hong song phrom min  lin lat luean tueanta chom 
 
เรือชัยไวว่องวิ่ง            รวดเร็วจริงยิ่งอย่างลม
ruea chai wai wong wing  ruatreo ching ying yang lom 
 
เสียงเส้าเร้าระดม                    ห่มท้ายเยิ่นเดินคู่กัน
siang sao rao radom  hom thai yoen doen khu kan 
 

This one is a part of a type of poem used for sing while paddling a boat so it isn't excetly a lullaby but some people do used as one including my family. The content of this poem is to admire the beauty of the parade of royal ships. I decided that translating it would be too difficult for me. So I will just leave it at that.

ช้าง (Elephant song)\

ช้างช้างช้าง
chang chang chang 
elephant elephant elephant

น้องเคยเห็นช้างหรือเปล่า
nong khoei hen chang rueplao 
Have Nong ever seen an elephant?

ช้างมันตัวโตไม่เบา จมูกยาวๆ เรียกว่างวง
chang man tua to maibao chamuk yao yao riakwa nguang 
The elephant is very big and has a long nose called a proboscis.

มีเขี้ยวใต้งวงเรียกว่างา
mi khiao tai nguang riakwa nga 
It has fangs under its trunk called tusks.

มีหู มีตา หางยาว
mihu mita hangyao 
have ears, eyes, long tail

กบเอยทำไมจึงร้อง(Why is the frog crying?)

กบเอยทำไมจึงร้อง กบเอยทำไมจึงร้อง
kop oei thammai chueng rong kop oei thammai chueng rong 
Why is the frog crying? Why is the frog crying?

จำเป็นต้องร้องก็เพราะว่าท้องมันปวด
champen tong rong ko phrowa thong man puat 
The frog groaned because his stomach ached.

ท้องเอยทำไมจึงปวด ท้องเอยทำไมจึงปวด
thong oei thammai chueng puatthong oei thammai chueng puat 
Why does the frog stomach hurt? Why does the frog stomach hurt?

ท้องมันปวดก็เพราะว่าข้าวมันดิบ
thong man puat ko phrowa khaoman dip 
The frog stomach hurts because the rice is raw.

ข้าวเอยทำไมจึงดิบ ข้าวเอยทำไมจึงดิบ
khao oei thammai chueng dip khao oei thammai chueng dip 
Why is the rice so raw? Why is the rice so raw?

ข้าวมันดิบก็เพราะว่าไฟมันดับ
khaoman dip ko phrowa fai man dap 
The rice was raw because the fire was extinguished.

ไฟเอยทำไมจึงดับ ไฟเอยทำไมจึงดับ
fai oei thammai chueng dapfai oei thammai chueng dap 
Why did the fire go out? Why did the fire go out?

ไฟมันดับก็เพราะว่าฟืนมันเปียก
fai man dap ko phrowa fuen man piak 
The fire was extinguished because the firewood was wet.

ฟืนเอยทำไมจึงเปียก ฟืนเอยทำไมจึงเปียก
fuen oei thammai chueng piak fuen oei thammai chueng piak 
Why is the firewood wet? Why is the firewood wet?

ฟืนมันเปียกก็เพราะว่าฝนมันตก
fuen man piak ko phrowa fon man tok 
The firewood is wet because it rains.

ฝนเอยทำไมจึงตก ฝนเอยทำไมจึงตก
fon oei thammai chueng tok fon oei thammai chueng tok 
Why does it rain? Why does it rain?

ฝนมันตกก็เพราะว่ากบมันร้อง
fon man tok ko phrowa kop man rong 
It's raining because the frogs sing.

กบเอยทำไมจึงร้อง กบเอยทำไมจึงร้อง
kop oei thammai chueng rong kop oei thammai chueng rong 
Why is the frog crying? Why is the frog crying?

กบมันร้องก็เพราะว่าท้องมันปวด
kop man rong ko phrowa thong man puat 
The frog groaned because his stomach ached.

หนูมาลี nu mali

หนูมาลีมีลูกแมวเหมียวลูกแมวเหมียวลูกแมวเหมียว
nu mali mi lukmaeo miao lukmaeo miao lukmaeo miao 
Malee has a kitty cat, a kitty cat, a kitty cat

หนูมาลีมีลูกแมวเหมียวขนมันคล้ายสำลี
nu mali mi lukmaeo miao khon man khlai samli 
Malee has a kitty cat. Its fur is like cotton wool.

หนูมาลีจะไปที่ใดไปที่ใดไปที่ใด
nu mali cha pai thidai pai thidai pai thidai 
No matter where Malee goes

หนูมาลีจะไปที่ใดมันตามไปทุกที่
nu mali cha pai thidai man tam pai thuk thi 
No matter where Malee goes. it follows everywhere.

เป็ดอาบน้ำ bath duck

ก้าบ ก้าบ ก้าบ เป็ดอาบน้ำในคลอง 
kap kap kap pet apnam nai khlong 
Kab Kab Kab Duck bathing in the canal

ตาก็จ้องแลมองเพราะในคลองมีหอย ปู ปลา
ta ko chong lae mong phro nai khlong mi hoi pu pla 
It eyes staring because there were shells, crabs and fish in the canal.

กำมือ fist your hand

กำมือขึ้นแล้วหมุนๆ
kammue khuen laeo mun mun 
ชูมือขึ้นโบกไปมา
chu muekhuen bok paima 
fist your hand, raise it and turn around, raise your hand and wave it back and forth.*2

กางแขนขึ้นแหละลง
kangkhaen khuen lae long 
arms up and down 

พับแขนมือแตะไหล่
phap khaen mue tae lai 
folded arms touching shoulders

กางแขนขึ้นแหละลง
kangkhaen khuen lae long 
arms up and down 

ชูมือขึ้นหมุนไปรอบตัว
chu muekhuen mun pai roptua 
Put your hands up and spin around.

โรงเรียนของเราน่าอยู่ Our school is nice

โรงเรียนของเราน่าอยู่
rongrian khong rao na yu 
Our school is nice

คุณครูใจดีทุกคน
khunkhru chaidi thuk khon 
All teachers are kind.

เด็ก ๆ ก็ไม่ซุกซน
dek dek ko mai sukson 
Children are not naughty.

พวกเราทุกคนชอบมาโรงเรียน
phuakrao thuk khon chop ma rongrian 
We all like to come to school.

ชอบมา ชอบมาโรงเรียน
chop ma chop ma rongrian 
like to, like to come to school

For my entire life, I had never seen anyone sing this song sincerely.

แมงมุมลายตัวนั้น That striped spider

แมงมุมลายตัวนั้น
maengmum lai tua nan 
that striped spider

ฉันเห็นมันซมซานเหลือทน
chan hen man somsan lueathon 
I saw that it looked unbearable.

วันหนึ่งมันเปียกฝนไหลหล่นจากบนหลังคา
wan nueng man piak fon lai lon chak bon langkha 
one day it was wet with rain flowing from the roof

พระอาทิตย์ส่องแสงน้ำแห้งเหือดไปลับตา
phra-athit songsaeng nam haenghueat pai lapta 
the sun shines The dry water ran out of sight.

มันรีบไต่ขึ้นฟ้าหันหลังมาทำตาลุกวาว
man rip tai khuen fa hanlang ma thamta lukwao 
It hurriedly climbed into the sky. Turning around, eyes sparkling.

After some searching, I found out that this one is actually an English song, Itsy Bitsy Spider, translated into Thai, but it is not that match between the two versions, so I am not using the original lyrics here.

songs in children's games

รีรีข้าวสาร Reree Khaosan

รีรีข้าวสาร 
ri ri khaosan 
Reree Khaosan

สองทะนานข้าวเปลือก 
song thanan khaoplueak 
two pans of paddy

เลือกท้องใบลาน 
lueak thong bailan 
choose palm leaves

เก็บเบี้ยใต้ถุนร้าน 
kepbiataithunran 
collect the allowance under the store.

คดข้าวใส่จาน 
khotkhao sai chan 
crooked rice on a plate

พานเอาคนข้างหลังไว้ให้ดี
phan ao khon khanglang wai hai di 
Take the person behind you.

ไอ้เข้ไอ้โขง ai khe ai khon

อ้ายเข้อ้ายโขง  
aikhe ai khong 
Ai crocodile

อยู่ในโพรงไม้สัก  
yu nai phrong maisak 
live in the hollow of teak

อ้ายเข้ฟันหัก 
aikhe fan hak 
Ai crocodile tooth are broken

กัดคนไม่เข้า
kat khon mai khao 
can't biting people

The lyrics in this clip and the lyrics I write are a little different, but the meaning is still the same.

งูกินหาง tail-eating snake

Father Snake :

แม่งูเอ๋ยกินน้ำบ่อไหน
mae ngu oei kin nambo nai 
Where does mother snake drink water?
  
Mother Snake :  

กินน้ำบ่อโสกโยกไปโยกมา 
kin nambo sok yok pai yok ma 
drinking water from the well, rocking and swaying
  
Father Snake :

แม่งูเอ๋ยกินน้ำบ่อไหน
mae ngu oei kin nambo nai 
Where does mother snake drink water?
  
Mother Snake :

กินน้ำบ่อหินบินไปบินมา 
kin nambo hin bin pai bin ma 
Drink water at stone pond, flying back and forth.
  
Father Snake :

แม่งูเอ๋ยกินน้ำบ่อไหน
mae ngu oei kin nambo nai 
Where does mother snake drink water?
  
Mother Snake :

กินน้ำบ่อทรายย้ายไปย้ายมา 
kin nambo sai yai pai yai ma 
Drink water at sand wells, move back and forth.
  
Father Snake :

กินหัวกินหางกินกลางตลอดตัว
kin hua kinhang kin klang talot tua 
Eat head, eat tail, eat in the middle to the whole body.

มอญซ่อนผ้า Mon hides the cloth

มอญซ่อนผ้า 
mon son pha 
Mon hides the cloth

ตุ๊กตาอยู่ข้างหลัง 
tukta yu khanglang 
doll on the back

ไว้นู่นไว้นี่ 
wai non wai ni 
keep it right there. Keep it right here

ฉันจะตีก้นเธอ
chan cha ti kon thoe 
I will spank you

จ้ำจี้มะเขือเปราะ chamchi makhuea pro

จ้ำจี้มะเขือเปราะ กระเทาะหน้าแว่น
chamchi makhuea pro kratho nawaen 
chamchi eggplant kratho nawaen 

พายเรืออกแอ่น กระแท่นต้นกุ่ม
phairuea ok aen krathaen ton kum 
Rowing until the chest bent. Almost stuck to the kum tree.

สาวๆ หนุ่มๆ อาบน้ำท่าไหน
sao sao num num apnam tha nai 
Where do young people take a bath?

อาบน้ำท่าวัด เอาแป้งที่ไหนผัด
apnam tha wat ao paeng thinai phat 
Take a bath at the temple's waterside. Where do they get the face powder from?

เอากระจกที่ไหนส่อง เยี่ยมๆ มองๆ นกขุนทองร้องฮู้ 
ao krachok thinai song yiam yiam mong mong nokkhunthong rong hu 
Where will they get a mirror to use? Sneak a peek secretly. Khun Thong birds sing hoo.

โพงพาง phongphang

โพงพางเอ๋ย ปลาเข้าลอด 
phongphang oei pla khao lot 
fish trap oei, the fish enters through.

ปลาตาบอด เข้าลอดโพงพาง
pla tabot khao lot phongphang 
A blind fish enters the fish trap.

*When I was a kid, I actually didn't know this game's name or that it had a song. We call it "live fish, dead fish" and just shout that at the beginning of the game, lol.

เป่ายิ้งฉุบ

ยันยินเยาปั๊กกะเป่ายิ้งฉุบ
yan yin yao pak ka pao ying chup 

There are actually a lot of versions of the songs to sing before Rock Paper Scissors (shortening or extending version of the song above) Many times, it gets shortened to the point of using only the last word.

Songs for university activities or camp.

แจว Paddle

แจวมาแจวจ้ำจึก 
chaeo ma chaeo cham chuek 
Paddle, come paddle.

น้ำนิ่งไหลลึกนึกถึงคนแจว *2
namninglailuek nuekthueng khon chaeo 
Still, water flows deep. Thinking of a rower.

แจวเรือจะไปซื้อ “word” 
chaeoruea cha pai sue “word” 
Sailing boats will go buy a "word".

ขอเชิญ “name” ลุกขึ้นมาแจว
kho choen “name” luk khuen ma chaeo
Invite "name" to come up.

*“word” and “name” must be rhyming words.

ไก่ย่าง grilled chicken

ไก่ย่างถูกเผา*2
kaiyang thuk phao *2
The grilled chicken got burnt *2

มันจะถูกไม้เสียบ*2
man cha thuk mai siap *2
It will be skewed *2

เสียบตูดซ้ายเสียบตูดขวา
siap tut sai siap tut khwa 
Plug in the left ass, plug in the right ass

เสียบตูดซ้ายเสียบตูดขวาเอ๊า!!
siap tut sai siap tut khwa ao!!
Plug in the left ass, plug in the right ass, ah!!

ร้อนจริงๆร้อนจริงๆร้อนจริงๆ
ron ching ching *3
extremely hot *3 

ตาแดงๆ Red, red eyes

ตาแดง ๆ อย่ามายะน้องแรง น้องเจ็บหัวเข่า *2
tadaeng tadaeng ya ma ya nong raeng nong chep huakhao *2
Red red eyes, don't come fxxk me hard. My knee hurt. *2

น้องบอกอย่ามายะ อย่ามายะ!! *2
nong bok ya ma ya ya ma ya *2
I said, "don't come, don't come !! *2

อย่ามายะน้องแรง น้องเจ็บหัวเข่า 
ya ma ya nong raeng nong chep huakhao 
Don't come fxxk me hard. My knee hurt.

ปีหน้าจะมีรำวง *2
pi na cha mi ramwong *2
Next year there will be a dance. *2

น้องกลัวท้องป่อง อย่ามายะ อย่ามายะ
nong klua thong pong ya ma ya ya ma ya 
I'm scared of a big belly. Don't come, don't come.

This one is filthy, but due to its popularity, I chose to put it in. I'm a modest person, I swear.(ﾉ∀＼*)

ฮิปโป Hippo

ฮิป! ฮิป! ฮิป! ฮิปโป 
Hip! Hip! Hip! hippo 
Hip! Hip! Hip! hippo

โอ้โห ตัวมันใหญ่มัน 
o ho tua man yai man 
Oh, it's big.

เดินอุ้ยอ้าย มันเดินอุ้ย 
doen ui-ai man doen ui 
Walks slowly, it walks slowly.

ลัลล้า ลัลลัลลา ลัลล้ลลา
lan la lan lan la lan lon la 
lalala lalala lalala

ตุ่ม Jar

ตุ่มใส่น้ำใส่น้ำให้เต็มตุ่ม 
tum sai nam sai nam hai tem tum *2
Water jar, fill the jar with water *2

แล้วเราจะชื่นใจ
laeo rao cha chuenchai *2
Then we will rejoice *2

รถตุ๊กๆ Tuk tuk car

รถตุ๊กๆ บรรทุกถ่าน 
rot tuk tuk banthuk than 
tuk tuk car, carry charcoal

รถขึ้นสะพาน 
rot khuen saphan 
car up the bridge

รถลงสะพาน 
rot long saphan 
car down the bridge

รถเลี้ยวซ้าย 
rot liaosai 
car turn left

รถเลี้ยวขวา 
rot liao khwa 
car turn right

ชักกระตุกๆๆๆ
chakkratuk kratuk kratuk kratuk 
twitch*4

สับปะรด Pineapple  

มีตารอบตัว รอบตัว รอบตัว 
mita roptua roptua roptua 
have eyes everywhere

มีตัวลายตา ลายตา ลายตา 
mi tua laita laita laita 
have dazzling body. Dazzling, dazzling, dazzling.

ฮูลาฮูลา สับปะรด ๆ 
hu la hu la sapparot sapparot 
Hula Hula Pineapple.

(เปรี้ยวไหม ๆ? เปรี้ยว!) เปรี้ยวทำยังไง?
(priao mai priao mai? Priao!) priao tham yangngai?
(Is it sour? Yes!) What if it's sour?

เปรี้ยวก็จิ้มเกลือ 
priao ko chim kluea 
sour, then dipped in salt.

หวานก็จิ้มเกลือ 
wan ko chim kluea 
sweet, then dipped in salt.

เปรี้ยวก็จิ้มเกลือ 
priao ko chim kluea 
sour, then dipped in salt.

หวานก็จิ้มเกลือ 
wan ko chim kluea 
sweet, then dipped in salt.

ถ้าไม่มีเกลือ ก็ไม่ต้องจิ้ม 
tha mai mi kluea ko mai tong chim 
If there is no salt, no need to dip.

หม่ำไปเลย ๆ
mam pai loei mam pai loei 
Eat it up*2

กิ่งก้านใบ Branches, stems, and leaves      

กิ่งก้านใบ ชะ ชะ ใบก้านกิ่ง 
kingkan bai chacha bai kan king 
Branches, stems, and leaves. Water wash leaves, stems, and branches.

กิ่งก้านใบ ชะ ชะ ใบก้านกิ่ง 
kingkan bai chacha bai kan king 
Branches, stems, and leaves. Water wash leaves, stems, and branches.

ฝนตกลงมาจริง ๆ 
fontok long ma ching ching 
It's really raining.

ฝนตกลงมาจริง ๆ 
fontok long ma ching ching 
It's really raining.

ชะ ชะ กิ่งก้านใบ
chacha kingkan bai 
Branches, stems, and leaves get wash by water

Chapter Text

Thai musical instruments can be divided into 4 types according to their sound-producing characteristics:

• Plucking (plucked string instruments; เครื่องดีด, khrueang dit)
• Bowing (bowed string instruments; เครื่องสี, khrueang si)
• Striking (percussion instruments and hammered dulcimer; เครื่องตี, khrueang ti)
• Blowing (wind instruments; เครื่องเป่า, khrueang pao)

Wikipedia

Example

เครื่องดีด Plucking

• Chakhe (จะเข้) - crocodile-shaped fretted floor zither with three strings. The first two strings are made from silk, and the last is made from bronze

• Phin (พิณ) - There are many different types according to the region.

• • Phin hai (พิณไห) or hai song (ไหซอง) - a set of earthenware jars with rubber bands stretched over the open mouths
  • Phin phia (พิณเพียะ) - chest-resonated stick zither played by the Northern Thai people
  • Phin namtao (พิณน้ำเต้า) - a single string harp made from the fruit of a gourd cut in half.
• Sueng (ซึง) - plucked lute from the northern region

• Krachappi (กระจับปี่) -  A plucked, long-necked fretted lute used in the classical music of Central Thailand.

เครื่องสี Bowing

• Saw duang (ซอด้วง) - higher two-string fiddle with hardwood body; used in classical music

• Saw sam sai (ซอสามสาย) - three-string spike fiddle with coconut shell body; used in classical music; also known as the most beautiful of the fiddles

• Saw u (ซออู้) - lower two-string fiddle with a coconut shell body; used in classical music

Link

• Saw saw krapawng (ซอกระป๋อง)- two-string fiddles with body made from a metal can; used in the Isan region; saw krapong is smaller
• Saw pip (ซอปี๊บ) In a larger version of the saw krapang, the resonator is made of aluminum or large stainless steel crafted into the box. Bamboo neck and wooden pegs (shaft), it uses steel strings. The sound is lower than that of saw krapang. Usually, saw pip is only for the blind and beggars used for the purpose of busking to earn money.
• Saw bang/Saw phu thai (ซอบั้ง) - a made from bamboo, used in the Isan region. It is similar xi xa lo of Thai people (Vietnam).

• Salo (สะล้อ) - two- or three-string spike fiddle used in the northern region

เครื่องตี Striking

• Krap (กรับ) - clapper
  • Krap phuang (กรับพวง) - bundle of hardwood and brass slats, tied together at one end

• • Krap sepha (กรับเสภา) - pair of bamboo or hardwood sticks

• Ranat (ระนาด) - trough-resonated keyboard percussion instrument; generally played with two mallets and used in Thai classical and theater music

• • Ranat ek (ระนาดเอก) - higher xylophone, with bars usually made of hardwood
  • Ranat ek mahori (ระนาดเอกมโหรี) - It is shaped like a xylophone Ek of Piphat in all respects, but is smaller in size and Luk Thuan (lowest sound) are 2 tones higher than in a Piphat ensemble, comparable to the sound of Ti and then runs all the way to Luk Yot. (Highest sound) equal to the sound La (number of 21 xylophones) or sound of a Ti (number of 22 xylophones).
  • Ranat thum (ระนาดทุ้ม) - lower xylophone, with bamboo or hardwood bars
  • Ranat thum mahori (ระนาดทุ้มมโหรี) - smaller in size and Luk Thuan (lowest sound) is comparable to the sound Sol and runs all the way to Luk Yot. (Highest sound) is the sound that has a total of 17 key.
  • Ranat ek lek (ระนาดเอกเหล็ก) - higher metallophone

• • Ranat thum lek (ระนาดทุ้มเหล็ก) - lower metallophone
  • Ranat kaeo (ระนาดแก้ว) - crystallophone; very rare

Link

There are 2 type of Ranat mallets, soft and hard.

soft hard

•  Khong

• • Khong chai (ฆ้องชัย), also called khong hui (ฆ้องหุ่ย) or khong mui (ฆ้องมุ่ย) - huge hanging bossed gong used for indicating time
  • Khong mong (ฆ้องโหม่ง) or mong (โหม่ง) - medium-sized hanging bossed gong used in Thai ensembles
  • Khong meng (ฆ้องเหม่ง) or khong kratae (ฆ้องกระแต) - small bossed gong used as a signaling device and in traditional parades with klawng yao
  • Khong rao (ฆ้องราว) - three bossed gongs (small, medium, and large) suspended vertically in a wooden frame; rare
  • Khong khu (ฆ้องคู่) - pair of small bossed gongs suspended horizontally in a wooden box; used in theater music and music of southern Thailand
• Khim (ขิม) - hammered dulcimer was classified as an idiophone
• Ching (ฉิ่ง) - pair of small, thick cymbals joined by a cord; used to mark time (*Play ching is an old slang for being lesbian. )
• Chap (ฉาบ) - pair of flat cymbals joined by a cord
  • Chap lek (ฉาบเล็ก) - smaller
  • Chap yai (ฉาบใหญ่) - larger

• Drums
  • Taphon (ตะโพน) or klawng taphon (กลองตะโพน) - sacred barrel drum; played with the hands and used in the piphat ensemble and it is an membranophone.

(The brown stuff we see in the trailer from Be On Cloud is probably cooked rice mixed with ashes that have been attached to get the desired sound.)

• • Taphon mon (ตะโพนมอญ) - large drum played with the hand, used in the piphat mon
  • Klong that (กลองทัด) - large drum played with sticks; usually played in a pair and used in the piphat ensemble

• • Klong chatri (กลองชาตรี), also known as klong tuk (กลองตุ๊ก) - same as klong that but smaller, played with sticks; used in the piphat chatri
  • Rammana (รำมะนา) - frame drum; played with the hand
  • Thon (โทน) - goblet drum; played with the hand
    • Thon chatri (โทนชาตรี)
    • Thon mahori (โทนมโหรี)

*Thon is on the left, and Rammana is on the right.

• • Klong thap (กลองทับ) - goblet drum used primarily in southern Thai folk music, also used to create a beat in southern that shows or Nora shows.
  • Klong khaek (กลองแขก) - barrel drum; played with the hands and generally played in pairs

• • Klong song na (กลองสองหน้า) - barrel drum; played with the hands
  • Klong yao (กลองยาว) - long drum; played with the hands

• • Poeng mang khok (เปิงมางคอก), or simply poeng mang (เปิงมาง) - set of tuned drums used in the piphat mon

• • Klong bantho (กลองบัณเฑาะว์) - smallest hourglass pellet drum, like the Damaru and Dhadd in India; used in the Royal Thai Brahmanism-Hinduism Ceremony or ritual about the Thai Royal Family

เครื่องเป่า Blowing

• Khlui (ขลุ่ย) - vertical duct flute made of bamboo, hardwood, or plastic

• • Khlui lib (ขลุ่ยหลิบ or ขลุ่ยหลีบ; treble); not commonly used
  • Khlui phiang aw (ขลุ่ยเพียงออ; medium)
  • Khlui u (ขลุ่ยอู้; bass); not commonly used

• Pi (ปี่) - quadruple- or double-reed oboe
  • Pi chanai (ปี่ไฉน) - possibly derived from the Indian shehnai
  • Pi chawa (ปี่ชวา) - used to accompany Muay Thai
  • Pi mon (ปี่มอญ; မွန်နှဲ) - large double-reed oboe with detachable metal bell; used for funeral music
  • Pi nai (ปี่ใน) - standard leading instrument used in the piphat ensemble
  • Pi klang (ปี่กลาง)
  • Pi nok (ปี่นอก)

There are mainly three types of Thai classical music: Khrueang Sai, Piphat, and Mahori Ensemble, each with its own sub-genre.

Tradition

It is a tradition that players must respect the instrument. Before and after playing, the player usually raise their hands to wai the instruments because Thai instruments are considered to have "Khru," which means that the instruments that we use and knowledge of Thai music is something we can only have because those before us have invented and passed it on, so we must respect them.

Wai Khru and Khrop Khru ceremony

a very important ceremony for people who study traditional Thai arts, whether they are music, dance, Khon or artisan.

• Wai Khru is to perform a ceremony to pay respects to the teacher.

There are many other different types of Wai Kru, such as Wai Kru in school, which is a ritual on Teacher's Day. Wai Kru Muay, which is a Wai Kru in the style of Thai boxing, as well as Krabi Krabong, Wai Kru before performing musical arts such as shadow puppets and Wai Kru in poetry, called "Asiravat," ect. The purpose is to commemorate the merit of Kru and ask for auspiciousness. Traditionally, a Wai Kru ceremony is held on Thursdays.

• Khrop Khru is to get approval to start studying at that stage.

There are different ways to do the Khrop Khru ceremony depending on what kind of Thai art it is for. As for music, it considers learning Piphat to be the most important, so the Khrop Khru ceremony for learning Piphat has more steps than for learning Khrueang Sai or singing.

The Khon head used in the ceremony consists of

1. Shiva's Khon The symbol of Lord Shiva, who is considered one of the great gods and is the god of destruction, When we set the mask or head, we must set it higher than the other masks.
2. Phra Narai's Khon symbol of Lord Narayana, which is considered a god who manages and heals the world. When we set the mask or head, it must be lower than Shiva.
3. Brahma Khon is a symbol of Lord Brahma, who is considered the god who created the world. When we set the mask or head, it must be lower than Shiva but always with Vishnu.
4. Indra Khon symbol of Indra, which is considered a god who will help the good people, the cause of the rain, to give succulence to the crops of the earth. When we set the mask or head, we must set it lower than Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma.
5. Ganesha Khon The symbol of Lord Ganesha, who is considered the god of knowledge, wisdom, and liberal arts, is supreme above all obstacles. He is a deity who is beyond the writings of books. When we set the mask, we must set it to be lower than other gods, but can be around the same level as Indra.
6. Vishnu Khon The Symbol of Vishnu, which is considered the god of construction workers and related to the Chatree drama, there is believed that his highness will come down to the pillar in the middle of the Chatree stage to protect against all dangers. When we set the mask, it must be lowered by Shiva, Narai, Brahma, Indra, and Ganesha.
7. Narada Muni Khon is the symbol of the Narada Muni, which is considered a Piphat teacher and the inventor of thai harp. He is the author of the Scriptures of Law, known as "Naratiya Thammasat". The head will be set up on the right side of the stage with the heads of various hermit monks.
8. Panchasikorn hermit's khon is the symbol representing Phra Panchasikorn, which is considered to be a teacher of harp and singing. When we set the mask or head, it will be located on the right side of the stage with the heads of various hermits.
9. Khon Phra Phirap, symbol of the Phra Phirap, is considered a powerful demon teacher, to whom the Khon-drama and Thai music artists pay their respects as teachers of music and dance. He is the god of death and calamity. At the same time, he is the god of luck, who can eliminate various diseases. We will place the mask or head on the left side of the stage, lower than Shiva but higher than other giant masks, and separate it from the gods or humans.
10. Kolaikodi hermit, Pharot hermit, Bull's Eye Hermit, Fire Eye Hermit Khon heads represent each of them, which are considered human teachers who take note of Shiva's dance moves and posture and convey them to us. Artists studying Thai traditional art must respect all of them, but the most frequently mentioned and worshiped is the Pharot hermit (Old Father), who is considered the direct teacher. When we set the mask or head, we will set them on the right side of the stage, separated from the gods or demons.

Source

The different Khrop Khru ceremonies for each type of music are as follows:

1. By cymbals

The cymbal is used in ceremonies for everything that is inconvenient to holding hands or any learners who do not learn what is classified as a Naphat song, such as those who play Khrueang Sai or sing. The teacher, who is the one to give approval for them to learn, will use cymbals in the ceremony.

2. By holding hands (for people who studying Piphat)

The details are as follows:

• First time

Students prepare flowers, incense, candles, and money to give to the teacher as a token of respect. Then the teacher holds the student's hand and guides them to play khong wong yai. Play Sathukan's (สาธุการ) song three times, and it's done. That student is considered ready to start studying Piphat.
They will start by learning the Sathukarn song from any teacher until they can play it from start to finish, and then learn all the songs in the homrong evening set (Song Naphat, primary stage), with the exception of the Tra homrong song, which one will need to receive the second Khrop Khru ceremonies before learning.
* homrong (โหมโรง) = The first song played before a performance to signal that the event has begun.

• 2nd time

When the student completes all the songs in the homrong evening set, and ready to learn the Tra homrong song, The teacher will do the ceremonies for them by holding their hands and guiding them to play khong wong yai, Tra homrong song, three times.

• 3rd time

Time for the homrong midday. The teacher will hold the student’s hand and guide them to play khong wong yai, trabong kan song, three times.

• 4th time

Started to learn high-level Naphat music. The teacher will hold the student’s hand and guide them to play khong wong yai, batsakuni song, three times.

• 5th time

In this step, the student will get to learn Song Phra Phirap, which is the song that is at the highest level.

The qualifications of the recipients at this stage are as follows:

1. That person has to go through the 4 stages of initial Khrop Khru ceremonies already. This means that the attendees must learn all the Naphat songs that are required in each Khrop Khru ceremony already.
2. must be at least 30 years of age, or have been ordained as a monk, or otherwise have to receive royal permission from His Majesty the King.

If it is considered that the learner has enough qualifications, then they will be allowed to learn the song Phra Phirap with the following steps.

1. Light incense, candles, and flowers to worship Phra Phirap before the beginning of the song.
2. The teacher who performed the ceremony held the students' hands and guided them to play khong wong yai to the melody at the beginning of the song 3 times.
3. They should study all the remaining parts of the song or review it on Thursday.

For the prosperity of both those who perform the ceremony and the participants in the ceremony, they must follow the steps and must remember the sanctity of ceremonies strictly.

Source

Chapter Text

First meet

Many faculty will have seniors (mainly 2nd year) arrange an optional meeting before the start of the semester for first-years to get to know each other and familiarize themselves with the location. It may have some games and activities also.

Dormitory

Student dormitories can be divided into inner and outer dormitories. An inner dormitory (หอใน:ho nai) refers to the dormitory provided by the university specifically for the students of that university, while an outer dormitory(หอนอก:ho nok) refers to the dormitory that is owned by outsiders who are not affiliated with the university.

The inner dormitory has the advantage of being in the campus, making going to class convenient and it is cheap, but the downside is that the dormitory is usually old, the gate has strict opening and closing times, and it is crowded. When I was in the inner dormitory, there were five people per room, all of whom were randomly assigned. Three regular beds and one bunk bed. Everything in the room is close together. Everyone has a bed, a table, and a locker, one each. Other than that, there will be only a narrow path. I mean, I live in the oldest dormitory, and it's the one they say is the worst, but it's really small.

For the outer ones, it varies, but most are more expensive, have better rooms, and since the number of people in the room depends on our own management, it is likely less crowded.

The inner dormitory has a clear division of male and female dormitories, while the outer dormitory usually does not, but some only accept female tenants as well.

In some universities, first-year students are required to live in the dormitory first (But some will pay for both the inner and outer dormitories and stay in the outer dormitory for most of the time.). Maybe for the convenience of doing activities that first-year students will have more than in other years or maybe for safety reasons. After that, everyone was free to move to whichever outer dormitory they wished. But, for those who wish to live in a dormitory after their first year at the university, they may not be able to stay if there is not enough room, as all first-year students will be prioritized since it is a requirement.

Oh! And I'm not sure if other universities are different, but for mine, all first-years in a faculty will be moved into inner dormitories at once on the same day with the help of their seniors (mostly 2nd year). You are on your own when it's time to move out, though.

+bonus

For some reason, inner dormitories often have ghost stories. And one of the popular ways students used to keep ghosts out of their rooms is by writing a sign telling them the room is already full and there isn't anything the ghost likes inside the room.

Example

Inner dormitory - Star in my mind

Outer dormitory - Bad Buddy, Theory of love

รับน้อง (rap-nong) to welcome first-year students/hazing ritual

When we say Rapnong, it can mean a fun game to get to know each other or a pathetic attempt to show off the power of a college kid who's just one to three years older than us. And, because the former can sometimes escalate into the latter, many people have attempted to eliminate the overall rapnong.

The common activities are: self-introductions among first-year, learning to sing college/faculty songs, making name tags, remembering information about college/faculty/friends, dancing and singing to songs like those in ch.10, hunting for seniors' autographs, playing games or doing whatever "test" the senior can think of.

After we pass the "test," there is often an attempt to create a touching atmosphere between seniors and juniors, welcome to the institute fraternity speech, tying wrist rap khwan ceremony, or something like that.

The duration of the event may be several days, It could be a continuous period or it could be several but short periods of time.

Example

Sotus

Contest

A Dao(star-girl) and Deun(moon-boy) contest is a beauty contest. Usually, it takes place around the beginning of the first semester. All entrants are first-year students. In some universities, trans people can enter the contest with cis people; in some, trans have a separate contests called Daothiam(satellite); and in some, trans people cannot participate at all. The Dao and Deun contest was the most basic one, but it is not the only one. There are other contests carried out at the same time too. What the contest is varies by university. For example, a comedy star contest.

All of the entrants will have to prepare for the contest and that needs quite some time. They usually have an overnight stay for a few days together at some point. They also might have to miss out on other activities that other first-year students attend a little in the process.

The winners of all these contests are responsible for publicizing various matters for the university.

These days, the contest has begun to be cancelled in some universities due to its association with beauty privilege and beauty standard issues.

Example

2Moons, Star in my mind

Volunteer-ish? activities (for society or university)

There are numerous volunteer activities in which the organizer anticipates that the participant will be a student, organizes specifically for students to participate, or organizes by students themselves. And while that could be because university is a time when we have both time and energy to give these new activities, or because it's a time when we can easily find friends to go with us, half the reason there are so many is that it's not actually purely voluntary.

At some universities, these activities are included in the curriculum. In order to graduate, students have to choose an activity that meets the college's requirements to complete and report to the university. In some universities where dormitories are in short supply, people with a history of participating in these activities may have the right to stay over those who do not. And in addition, some scholarships require recipients to undertake some service in order to make social contributions as well.

Trip

I will separate it into two types: a volunteer trip and a study trip. Sometimes one might get to go on a trip for their volunteer activities. Those are usually funded by whoever recruits people. And sometimes your department will get a budget, and so you get to go on a trip for learning purposes. But from my experience, you only need to have enough learning part for a report that someone will need to send in for a budget, so not really that much learning happens

.

Sports event

There are countless sports events if we count alluniversities in Thailand. For example, there is the Freshy Game, where freshies from each faculty get to compete. The University Games of Thailand are where a ready and voluntary university gets to compete. Isan relations sports event in which members of Thailand's Northeastern Student Union compete in folk sports. The Thailand University League is a football match between universities in Thailand. The CU–TU Traditional Rugby–Football Match is a competition between CU and TU teams to win the trophy given by the King or royal family member. This one is quite famous and even outsiders give it attention. CHEM ENG GMES, ATOMIC GAMES, ConneK DAY, and so on.

Cheer

Cheer is one of the sports that Freshy Game is likely to have, and it can be quite a high percentage of scores too. Unlike other sports, cheer is all about making a show. It has dancing, singing, a stage that we have to make pretty, a dress, a queue rehearsal and the like. People on the same team will have different responsibilities, which can be divided into four categories: cheerleaders, people on the stand, music, and props. On competition day, a cheerleader will dance in front of the stand, and people on the stand will sing, clap, and do a little dance in some cases.

Sai Rahat(สายรหัส)

Sai means line and Rahat means code. In many universities, each senior is assigned to take care of one junior at random. The senior will be called phi sai or phi rahat, and the junior will be called nong sai or nong rahat by other parties. Sai Rahat is what we will have when such an assignment is carried out continuously. Typically, each year does not exactly have the same number of students, so sometimes the line will get merged, two seniors for one junior. Or split into two, one senior for two juniors. And by doing that, you will get an indirect phi sai or nong sai.

At the beginning of the first semester, first year students will be assigned a senior or two as their phi sai, but they won't get to know who it is yet. They have to try to find that out by themselves first, and if they still didn't know when it was time to reveal, then they are considered to have lost the game and will get punished, usually by doing something embarrassing.

After that, each Sai rahat will usually pick a date to gather and eat together. The chance that everyone since the first generation can come in is really slim to none. It's kind of a tradition to make the oldest who come pay at least part of the youngest and possibly for others too. The older you are, the higher your chances of paying. The younger you are, the higher your chances of getting free food.

Example

Ink and Pa in Bad Buddy

Yiwaa, Mark and Nuea in Love Mechanics

Fake first year

We call them phi nian(พี่เนียน). Nian, in this context, means stealthy, blending in. It's quite a popular activity for other years and always gets many volunteers. The job is to pretend to be a first year in the beginning, when everyone just started meeting face-to-face, for First Meet, for example. The main aim is to help ensure that first-year students get along, make friends, and that overall activities can run smoothly.

Orientation

Most of the time, the university will host a large orientation for all new students once a year, and the faculty will have a sub-orientation for students in their own faculty in addition. The purpose is to welcome, Rap Khwan, and provide important information students must know.

Freshy Night

A party that starts at night. The activities vary, each university is different. Usually, there will be a Dao and Deun contest and a concert performed by actual professional artists.

Uniform

Most Thai universities, as seen in the series, have a uniform. However, whether we have to use it every day or not, and how strictly we have to dress according to the code, depends on the university and the faculty. But there are times when a uniform that follows the code to the tee is a must for everyone everywhere too. like, orientation and examination.

Wai Khru ceremony

I've already mentioned this ceremony a bit if you read the previous chapter. Usually the ceremony takes place on Thursday. For the Wai Kru in school like this, what we will do is chant, sing, and give flowers, incense sticks, candles, and Pan (พาน-a tray with a pedestal) that students help prepare to the teachers. Participation is voluntary. This is the only difference from elementary, middle schools, and high school, where participation is semi-compulsory. Other than this point, the rest of the ceremony is the same.

English exam

Many universities will require their students to pass an English exam (Their own exams or a certain score on widely accepted ones like TOEFL or IELTS.) before they can graduate, regardless of what their major is. So, if a person is given the opportunity to attend a university, it is reasonable to assume that they understand English to some extent, at the least.

*As you can see, the majority of the things I mentioned are activities for the first year, so many of them will happen around the same time and they can get kind of fused together.

**The participation of most of the activities is voluntary, but peer pressure is a thing, so....

Chapter Text

A way to call a class

I noticed that when I read about a class of students in English, it was called by the year that class graduated, which is different from how it is in Thai. In Thailand, we count a class based on the school they are in. For example, Pat and Pran from Bad Buddy are in Class 36th. That means there are students who have already graduated from this school in total 35th generation, and they are the 36th.

Education system

อนุบาล-anuban-Nursery

• 3 years 
• about 3-5 years old
• The class number is typically written as อ.year/room number or simply year/room number, with the assumption that anyone who will need to use the number is aware that they are for nusery. 
  
  • อ. is the abbreviation of อนุบาล-anuban-Nursery (ป. for prathom and ม. for matyom. Read aloud as Or, Por, and Mor, respectively.)
  • If you're in the third year, the first room, it can be written as อ.3/1

ประถม-prathom-Elementary school

• 6 years
• can be divided into 2 parts, 3 years each, prathom ton(ต้น-first) and prathom plai(ปลาย-last)
• about 6-11 years old

มัธยม-matyom-Secondary school

• 6 years
• can be divided into 2 parts, 3 years each, matyom ton and matyom plai
  • After matyom ton, one can choose to continue studies in matyom plai or switch to vocational classes. At present, the choice of vocational education is not very popular among families with wealth, and there is some negative bias.
• about 12-17 years old

มหาลัยวิทยาลัย-mahawitthayalai-University

• Usually 4, but this can vary depending on what you study.

*Most schools in Thailand have 2 semesters.

From nursery to secondary school, it usually like this:

• Semester 1 starts around mid-May and ends in late September or early October.
• Semester 2 starts around the beginning of November and ends in late February or early March.

At the university, it is usually like this:

• Semester 1 starts around September and ends in December.
• Semester 2 starts around February and ends in May.

But it may change if there is an announcement from the Ministry of Education.

*There are 9 years of compulsory education. From prathom to matyom ton.

Money

Thai Baht bank notes are divided into five denominations: 20, 50, 100, 500, and 1,000 baht, which are sometimes referred to by their colors: 20-green, 50-blue, 100-red, 500-purple, and 1,000-gray(1,000 baht banknotes are actually more brown than gray, but maybe because brown 10 baht notes were used before, or the 1,000 baht notes might have used to be grayish, they are called this way.) As for coins, we have 1, 2, 5, 10 baht and 1, 5, 10, 25, and 50 satang. One hundred satang is one baht. Satang is not used much, and if we do use it, we will mostly use only the 25 and 50 satang coins.

System of measurement

The metric system is the most popular. Other systems will be used if the topic requires it, such as using tea spoon and cup when baking or using Thai measurement for gold weight and land.

https://www.siam-legal.com/realestate/thailand-convert-rai.php

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_units_of_measurement

Meal

In Thai we have the word กับข้าว-kapkhao, which is things to eat with rice. When we eat it, it's commonly with many people, and we share it together, not somebody's in particular. At each meal, the kapkhao and the rice will be placed on the table for everyone to scoop up and put on their own plate. If you eat with someone you are not super close to, then you should have an extra utensil for scooping up kapkao and rice as to not make the other party uncomfortable. As for when you eat with friends, I would recommend using it also, but it is up to your group of friends' hygiene standards.

Grounded

Disclaimer:this is my perspective as a daughter of a family in Bangkok.

Getting grounded by one's own parents as a punishment is not a real concept here. I'm quite sure about that. Like, it's kind of redundant? Most of us already have to tell our parents all about where we go, when we will be back and with whom before we go out, and if they don't want us to go, then we don't. Plus, our public transportation wasn't that covered, so if a kid who still can't drive and lives far from it wants to go out, then having parents drop off and pick up after is kind of the only option. It's not like normally we are free to go out whenever.

Gap year

Taking a gap year wasn't the norm. It is often seen as a waste of time, and the people who did it might get gossip that they had to do it because they couldn't pass the exam.

Colors of the day

We have a color for each day, which came from an astrology belief, and it is common knowledge. Thus, when we want to color code something day-related, we use it and assume people will understand. A bakery company, Farmhouse, had been color-coding a bag sealer as a sign to tell what day their bread was put on shelves since 1987.

Sunday – Red

Monday –Yellow

Tuesday – Pink

Wednesday – Green

Thursday – Orange

Friday – Blue

Saturday – Purple

Year

We use both the Buddhist era (BE) and the Christian era. Sometimes we choose one to write down and sometimes we write them both side by side, Thai numerals for BE on one line and Arabic numerals for CE on another. But if it's an official document, it's more likely to be only BE. 

This year(2022) is 2565 BE.

Tip

Tiping is not part of our culture. Nowadays, some people have begun to start tipping due to the influence of other cultures, and there are both positive and negative opinions about that. Some say extra money is definitely a good thing, but some say if we started tipping people, the employer might see it as an opportunity to reduce their employee payment.

Chinatown

There are no words that translate directly into "Chinatown" in Thailand. Each neighborhood is usually called by its street name or landmark near it, and those Chinatown are that way too. The most popular one in Bangkok was called Yaowarat.

Move out

Not moving out of one's own parent's house is normal. Moving out is normal too, but from what I know, nobody will expect their kids to move out for no reason. Some families even dislike that very idea. Like, if you want to move out for no other reason than you just want to, there must be something wrong.

One of my friends who has a big family and really wants to try to live alone for once, but can't say so because her mother will surely be upset, is now planning to apply for something that requires her to stay somewhere else, so she can use that as the reason she has to move out.

Insect as a snacks

While it is a thing we do have, it's not that popular. Many have never eaten it before. Many eat it once just to try it and never again. There's a good chance that there's no one at all in a room full of people who eats fried insects on a regular basis. It's not exactly rare, but also not something that sells everywhere.

Don’t touch the head

Is something I heard many foreigners talk about Thai people, and I guess, while it might be something they were told by a Thai, it got exaggerated. Sure! You shouldn't go around touching strangers' heads. But that's just common sense, right? Why would anyone think they could touch any part of a stranger at all? For a close person, it's a completely different thing, and don't forget, everybody has a different and will have different boundaries!

Touching monks

It's not that women can't touch monks, it's that monks can't touch women, and we cooperate with them to make it easier for them to stay in the precepts.

Religion

The religion in Thailand consists of about 94% Buddhists, about 4% Muslims, about 1% Christians, and the rest are others. It can be seen that there are more Muslims than Christians, but Christians are mentioned slightly more in the entertainment media in my opinion.

Month

The name of the month in Thai can tell which month has how many days. Months with 30 days end with "Yon(ยน)", months with 31 days end with "Kom(คม)", and February ends with "Phan(พันธ์)".

Christmast

Although Christians are not the majority in Thailand, we do have some Christmas celebrations. The mall will play some Christmas songs and sell decorations or other Christmas-themed items, for example. It might not be that big, but it's there.

My mother says that we Thais will take every chance to have a festival and a celebration. Lol

Dishwasher

Dishwashers aren't a popular household item. I don't know the reason.

Age

Age of majority

• In Thailand, one will reach their majority at 20 years old, but you can become majority before 20 after your lawful marriage, which can occur with legal guardian permission at 17 or older, or, in a special case, when you are younger than 17 but older than 15, and there is a reasonable cause for marriage and the court grants the permission.

Age of consent

• Doing something indecent to someone who is under the age of 15 is illegal, regarding that person's consent. As for someone who is more than 15 but still under 18, it will need both that person and their legal guardian's consent to be legal. If one of them gave consent, it is still illegal. If both parties are under age, then they are both in the wrong and can both be sued by each other's parents.

Driving license

• The applicant for a temporary personal motorcycle license must be at least 18 years of age, but if it is for a motorcycle with a total cylinder of not more than 110 cubic centimeters, it must be at least 15 years of age.
• A temporary car driver's licensee must be at least 18 years of age.
• Public-car and public-tricycle licensees must be at least 22 years of age.
• A public motorcycle licensee must be over the age of 20.
• A road roller, a tractor, and other driving licensee under section 43 must be at least 18 years of age.

Floods

Floods are the most common natural disasters in Thailand.

Transportation

In Bangkok, there are a few choices for in-town transportation. such as Bts, Mrt, buses, mini buses, taxis, tuk tuks, motorcycles and boats. As for travel between provinces, there are trains, tour buses, vans, and airplanes. Once arriving in other provinces, public transport options vary from area to area but are often more limited than in Bangkok.

Insect screens

Typically, windows are equipped with insect screens. They can be hinged, sliding rails, or something else, but they are usually there.

Apparently, in some places, they are not typically installed. I'm a bit culture shocked. Do you usually have it or not? If not, could you tell me what it is like?

Social media

Facebook currently has some reputation for being an old people's platform but is still popular.

Twitter is also quite popular.

Line is the most popular one for chat apps. It is something you will need to have if you need to communicate with a lot of Thais. Many people complain about how it's not a good way to send files for work or that it makes it hard to separate between private time and work time, but it still maintains its status as being the main means of communication in offices and universities.

Tiktok is gaining many new users during the quarantine.

COVID 19

I searched in English for a bit and think you could find information such as daily cases or any regulations easily enough. As for the Thai people's opinion in general, we can sum it up by saying that many of us have no confidence in our government.

and here are some details:

• We have worn a mask for PM 2.5 since before COVID-19 broke out and many will likely still wear it until we are sure there is no COVID left.

• Vacine distribution is not very consistent and thorough. So, at the same time, there is someone who gets their third vaccination and someone who hasn't gotten their first yet. 

• After COVID-19, no-contact deliveries have become extremely popular.

Y

The first queer media that gained popularity in Thailand were Japanese manga and anime. So we adopt the Japanese term "yaoi" for BL and "yuri" for GL, and that is the reason why we usually call queer series "series Y" in Thai.

Birthday

We normally know what day of the week we were born on. And we also know what day of the week (some of) our royalty were born on. Both King Rama 9 and 10 were born on Monday, which is why their colors are yellow.

Chapter Text

You may have noticed before that there are some variations in the family vocab, and the thing is, it can tell you if that family has Chinese roots. It doesn't really tell you much since there are a lot of us who have not used any even when it's 100% true that they have some Chinese ancestry, and even if they do use it, it's not going to mean anything big either, but here is a list of what is Thai and what is a Teochew loan word. To give you some examples.

• • There are also loan words from Hokkien, but they are used even fewer. As for loan words from other cultures, in my opinion, they are either so old that we didn't really register them as loan words or so new that they are not yet part of the Thai language, ya know. Also, this chapter is for family terms, and there aren't any other widely used terms for family that I can think of in the others.
  • The Thai nickname for Google is "ah gu," which is identical with a word for uncle from the mother side.
  • For step-parents, add the word liang(เลี้ยง) which means raise, nurture at the back. Oh, and sometimes it was mai-ใหม่-new instead, like, he is your new dad and your bio one is an old one. And for adoptive-something add buntham(บุญธรรม) which means adopted (child) at the back. Like, Porliang, Porbuntham, for example.
  • You could add the word "khun" in front of those common words for more politeness. I wouldn't recommend adding it to words for people of the same age and younger, though. It can create a weird tone you might not want.
  • There are a lot of words for "father," but there is one specific word that sometimes means sugar daddy. That word is ป๋า(pa).
  • I was going to talk about other words for sugar daddy, but I suddenly remember that one time I read a really weird placement "pa" in a sentence and blue screen for a bit. So let's talk about why using transliteration might not be the best choice sometimes. As you can see, this word for dad is a letter "p" and a letter "a" when transliterated into English. P and A. like ภา(pa)-Pat's sister. like ป่า(pa)-forest/also protagonise of 2moons. like ป้า(pa)-aunt. And many, many other words. I mean, there are, like, at least three letters that are frequently written with P when in English, and we have five tones that have no way to tell the difference when in English. So sometime, to avoid confusion, it might be best to just don't use unnecessary transliteration words.
  • Using both common words and loan words is very normal, and I don't mean just using the common ones when talking about your relatives to other people. If your father's side used the loan words but your mother's side used the common words, then you might use ta and yai for grandparents on your mother's side and ahgong and ahma for grandparents on your father's side. Use only some of the loan words for a certain person in your family, but using common words for all the others is a common practice too. I didn't fill in all the loan words for that very reason, many people(including me) can't even remember all the words, let alone use them.
    • Here's an example: the father refers to himself as Pa, while the mother refers to herself as Mae.

Chapter Text

Swear words and metaphor

*Some words may have more meaning than what I mention.

ไอ้ Ai and อี ee = words to be added in front of other words (a name or swear word), showing contempt or closeness (in a rude way).

• Ai is masculine and ee is feminine, but nobody actually cares at this point.

เหี้ย hia or เชี่ย shia = Varanus salvator

• These two words are the same. Hia is an original, and shia is a word that is born from distorting the voice in order to reduce vulgarity. It's kind of like referring to an f-word with any other word starting with f. We also used many other words that mean "Varanus salvator" as a sensor version of the "hia" swear word. little crocodile or chicken eater, for example.
• They can also be used to empathize by adding to the end one or two times, for example, "super cool" would be "cool hia hia".
• Tbh, whenever I read in English and see the word "hia," I always think of this word before a word that means "older brother." And to make it worse, the placement of both of them in the sentence can be exactly the same. Sometimes it took me an embarrassingly long time to realize the writer intended it to be an older brother.

สารเลว saraleo = miscreant, bastard, swinish, vile, caitiff, rascally

• If you are 2gether fan, this is the word Tine calls Sarawat.
• There are many similar words, such as
  • rayam-ระยำ-wicked, disgusting, inauspicious
  • chanrai-จัญไร-vile, unfortunate, ruined, crush
  • chatchua-ชาติชั่ว-lowlife

เสือก sueak = to meddle in matters that are not their own; to meddle in other people's affairs

ห่า har = infectious disease (cholera), pestilential disease (plague), and the evil spirit responsible for disease epidemics. 

สัตว์ sus =animal

พ่อง pong=your father

แม่ง maeng =your mother

• They are shorten from por(father)/mae(mother) mung(you)

ดอกทอง dok thong=whore

• This word sounds like a golden flower, but it's just a coincidence as far as I know.

ส้นตีน son teen=heel=lowest point of your body

ควย kyua=cock

หี hee=vagina

สันดาน san dan=in-born traits

• as in bad inborn traits. The "bad" is omitted on the assumption that everyone understands.

ตอแหล tor lear=liar, fake

• -->sato (สตอ-Crudia chrysantha Schum)-->strawberry

เปรต pret=The hungry ghost, frequently described as a very tall monster with a needle-sized mouth. = tall(negative meaning) or a bad person

อ้อย oi=suger cane=อ่อย oi=attempt to entice something or someone to be caught (typically used by a woman seducing a man).

• For example, a cane truck has overturned here.=Someone here is trying really hard to seduce someone.

งิ้ว ngiw=bombax anceps (thorn-covered tree)

• In the story, when sinners go to hell, the adulterer must climb this tree naked.
• Mark from Love Mechanics asks on Facebook how hurtful it would be to climb a ngiw tree after having sex with Vee, implying that he is at least interested in someone who is not single.

Gold fish=short memory

Tiger=flirtatious person who is good at getting who they want (typically a guy)

• A tiger with faded stripes=old tiger=someone who used to be flirtatious but is no longer. 

Dog can be alot of things depent on the context but usually a bad things.

• "Dog with a rotten head (หมาหัวเน่า)"  means someone nobody wants to get close to or interact with.
• If someone looks just like a dog, that means their current state is bad. Too drunk = like a dog. Crying too much = like a dog.
• Giving someone dog food means making someone, usually your friends, a dog. Used when you complain about your love life to someone, ask them for advice and they tell you to leave your current partner since the partner is being awful to you, you say so! Then you turn around and reconcile with your partner. So now your friend is a bad guy whom your partner won't want you to associate with anymore because they incite you to be at odd witn your partner.
• Temple's dog (หมาวัด) = low status, usually used for a low-status man who likes a high-status woman who would be called ดอกฟ้า(dokfha) which translates directly to "sky flower." Use something like, "You are a temple's dog yet want to pluck a sky flower, you should know your place!"
• A dog that serves someone means someone who only cares about serving their boss (who is a bad person) and nothing else, like morals or other people. A lackey

Bird(quite a new slang) = Can't get what you want, typically means someone you want as a lover.

• Phonix = immortal bird = repeatedly failing to get what you want *We do use phonix as a poetic expression too, not just for this meaning.

Buffalo = idiot/fool. 

• You can say A is putting horns on B when A is cheating on B; this means A makes B an idiot for believing in A.
• When you fail your exam, you might say that these days you eat grass instead of rice (like a buffalo).
• There is a saying that goes like this: "*One who remembers when they get hurt (and leaves or does something to not get hurt again) is a human; one who is willing to endure it is a buffalo." If you put up with something you shouldn't, you are a buffalo.

*เจ็บแล้วจำคือคน เจ็บแล้วทนคือควาย

Pig

• fat
• weak/easy to win against

Fox

• Cunning
• Sedusing

catfish,termite=ugly

rhinoceros=Someone who tries to steal someone else's lover or just acts inappropriately in general according to the traditional feminine standard. Originally, it was only used to call women, but it is no longer the case.

barking deer=gay man

gibbon=woman

• It was originally used by trans women to refer to cis women. can be seen as rude, but like many other words, many people don't actually take offense if it is used playfully. These two words, "barking deer" and "gibbon," are usually used together.

The reason why a character does not always know information stated in the subtitle

Gender of someone

• The Thai language, for the most part, is gender-neutral. The she or he in the English subtitle usually has to be chosen by the translator.

Who/what the speaker is talking to/about

• Many times, sentence structures in spoken language won't require a subject or object. I guess when that gets translated, it looks weird, so the translator has to pick something to add in. In a lot of situations where I am not sure how to address my interlocutor, I can simply avoid doing it, but when I'm writing in English like this, I have to pick something, right?

When

• There are no tenses in Thai the way there are in English. We have words for determining whether something happened in the past, present, or future, but you can say something without using any of those and it will be just fine.

Rice

When someone asks if someone has eaten rice(ข้าว-khao) yet, the word rice usually means meal/food and not strictly rice. The word rice can mean food in general a lot of the time.

Polite words

There are a lot of words that mean the exact same thing but have a different degree of politeness. You may already have noticed it with the way there are so many words that mean you or I. You may also notice it when you watch alot of any Thai series. Like, how when a character says "eat" in the subtitle, there are some varied sounds, such as daek(แดก-rude), kin(กิน-common), than(ทาน-a bit more polite-shorten from rapprathan), rapprathan(รับประทาน-polite).

Synonym 

We also have a lot of synonyms that are not for the different levels of politeness. A huge chunk of them sound pretty similar to each other, but there are a lot that sound completely different too.

Some variations of words are commonly used in daily conversation, while some others will only be found in poetry or something like that. Many of the 'for poetry' category are used as names. (Not that the commonly used in daily life won't get used as name.) (What am I trying to say? I don't know, lol.)

Example:words for moon

ดวงจันทร์/พระจันทร์ probably is the most common. But all the words below also all mean moon.

กลา, กัษษากร, จันท์, ตโมนุท, ตโมหร, นิศากร, นิศานา, นิศาบดี, นิศามณี, นิศารัตน์, บริมาส, บุหลัน, ปักษธร, พิธุ, มนทก, มา, มาภา, มาส, รชนีกร, รัชนีกร, รัตติกร, ราศ, วิธู, ศศธร, ศศพินทุ์, ศศลักษณ์, ศศิ, ศศิกษัย, ศศิขัณฑ์, ศศิธร, ศศิน, ศศิมณฑล, ศศิวิมล, ศศี, ศิตางคุ์, ศิวเศขร, สะสิ, สะสิน, สิตางศุ์, สีตลรัศมี, สุมะ, อรรธจันทร์, อินทุ, เขน, เดือน, เดือนค้างฟ้า, แข, แถง, โทษากร, โทษารมณ์, โสม

Meaning of polysyllabic words

Some polysyllabic words, when each syllable is separated, still have a meaning, but their meaning may not be consistent with the meaning of that polysyllabic word. So even when you recognize the meaning of each syllable, the meaning of the polysyllabic word you deduce from it may not be correct. I mean, if we look deeper, we should be able to make it make sense, but yeah.

For example, the word "witch" in Thai is mae mod(แม่มด). Mae means mother or something you can used to indicate that a word it is in refers to a woman and Mod means ant when it's a separate word, but when combined, they mean witch. Or for the word whose meaning is more similar to the words used to create it, the word khun nhu(คุณหนู), which means "young master/mistress." used for address the child of the boss, when sperate khun is a prefix to show politeness or respect, and nhu means mice or a word used for calling children. You can see that while some of the single-syllabic words are arguably related to the meaning of the polysyllabic word, some aint so much.

I hope this explanation doesn't make you more confused.😅 But if it is, do tell me. I will try to do better.

Thai alphabet

Our letters are named after words they used to spell. Like, both letters ญ and ย sound the same(yor), but the word woman (หญิง-ying) uses letter ญ and the word giant (ยักษ์-yak) uses letter ย, so letter ญ is named yor ying and letter ย is named yor yak.

Think of it like if A's full name is "A apple".

wiki on the variety of languages in Thailand⤵️

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_Thailand

I think it would help a lot if you had some idea about the level?? of language(ระดับภาษา) in Thai language, and this is the only thing I can find that mentions the topic⤵️

https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/253489/1/PL-A67.51.pdf

These two seem to cover a lot of areas⤵️

https://www.mustgo.com/worldlanguages/thai/

https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/123363/

Chapter Text

Depending on what we want to talk about, we can divine it in a variety of ways. Now that we're talking about culture, I'll use the one divided into four sections, as shown in this map. 

These four are Northern, Northeastern (Isan), Central, and Southern.

The majority of the series are set in Bangkok, which is in Central Thailand, so that is what you usually see. 

Language

Our official language is Central Thai, but we have quite a lot of others. Northern Thai (Khammueang) from the north, Isan from the northeast, and Southern Thai from the south are the most popular in each area If we don't count the official one.

• Kham Muang has a similar grammar, only a little different from the Central Thai language, but uses different vocabulary. Originally used in conjunction with the Tham Lanna script, which is the alphabet of the Lanna Kingdom that uses the Mon alphabet as a model, Kham Muang can be divided into Western Lanna accents. (in Chiang Mai, Lamphun, and Mae Hong Son) and an Eastern Lanna accent (in Chiang Rai, Phayao, Lampang, Uttaradit, Phrae, and Nan), which are partially different.
• The Isan language, or Isan Lao language, is a local development of the Lao language in Thailand. Local speakers still think of it as Laotian. The Thai government recognizes this language as one of a Thai language.
• Southern Thai has a high concentration of language speakers in the fourteen provinces of southern Thailand. Some are scattered in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province. Tanintharyi Region in Myanmar and around Kedah State, Perlis State, Penang State, and Perak State in northern Malaysia. There are about five million native speakers, and about 1.5 million use it as a second language. These include Chinese, Peranakan, Malay, Uraklavoi, and Mani ethnic groups.

They each have their own subset of accents and dialects.

• We also have "copper language(ภาษาทองแดง)," which the Dictionary of Southern Dialects B.E. 2525(1982) mentions as a way to speak where the speaker is "speaking a central Thai language mixed with a southern language or speaking distorted," which includes anyone who uses the Thai language in a way that deviates from the standard set, not limited to being a person in any region or province.
  • I've heard a lot of stories about people from an area that doesn't use Central Thai that have misunderstand some sentences as being in the actual Central Thai language. But it's actually not, and it just contains Central Thai words, but not in the same way that people in Central Thailand would understand them as Central Thai. So when they moved to Central Thailand for any reason, they'd use them and expect Central Thai people to understand them a certain way, and they had to find out in an inconvenient way. 
    
    • EX:pai song ไปส่ง
      • Central = to take someone to their destination but not stay with them after doing so.
      • Northern = to take someone to their destination, stay with them throughout whatever activity they intend to do there, then go back together.
• As I said at the beginning, Central Thai is our official language, so that is the language that is taught in school. Other languages are usually taught by unofficial means, so it is not uncommon for the new generation to not be able to speak them fluently even when they come from a household that does. But sometimes everyone in the area speaks the other language, so even the teacher in school who is supposed to teach kids central Thai is not that fluent in it. It can be that case too.
• As a person who only knows Central Thai, I can recognize some popular words in the others and understand some words that sound just a bit different, but if someone truly speaks in those languages, I will likely be unable to follow the conversation.

In the clip below, they use a word play with Isan and Central. Kha (ค่า) means worth, while Kha (ข่า) means galangal. In a Central Thai accent, these two words will have different tones, but in an Isan accent, Kha (ข่า) will sound just like Kha (ค่า) in Central Thai.

Food

• Most northern dishes have a mild flavor. Fermented soybeans are commonly used in cooking. There are many types of chili paste. The carbohydrate sources are mainly glutinous rice.
• Isan food has a distinctive taste that is salty from fermented fish sauce, spicy from fresh and dried chili, and sour from local vegetables such as tamarind. Isan people use pickled fish as a seasoning for almost all kinds of food, such as bamboo shoot soup, om, mok, and various chili pastes, as well as papaya salad, for example. The menu focuses mainly on seasonal vegetables. The carbohydrate sources are mainly glutinous rice.
• The central region has long been a trading center and has been in contact with foreign countries for a long time, causing food to be influenced by many nations. And, as the King's residence during various reigns, the recipes have been developed to be meticulous. The taste of food will not focus on any particular flavor. It must be salty, spicy, sour, and sweet together to be considered good,  variety of flavorings are used to achieve that. Coconut milk is used in many foods. The carbohydrate sources are mainly rice.
• The southern region is the region with the most coastal areas. There is seafood as the main food. It is cooked with herbs to mask the fishy smell, especially turmeric. The taste is quite strong, and many dishes have vegetables to eat along with it to reduce the spiciness. The carbohydrate sources are mainly rice.

Geography

for geography, we usually divide it into six parts.

North

• Most of the terrain consists of mountain ranges interspersed with plains and valleys.
• The most important mountain ranges are Luang Prabang, Dan Lao, Thanon Thong Chai, Phi Pan Nam, Khun Tan, and Phetchabun Mountain Range.
• Cities located in the basin area, such as Chiang Mai, are often facing serious air pollution problems.
• The highest peak in the north and in the country is Doi Inthanon.
• It is the headwaters of Thailand's four major rivers, namely the Ping, Wang, Yom, and Nan.

Central

• It is a river plain. It is split into upper and lower central sections.
• The upper central region has a high- and low-Undulating Plain landscape.
• The Ping River and Nan River flow together at Pak Nam Pho, which is the source of the Chao Phraya River.
• The lower central region is a wide plain formed by river sediments, suitable for cultivation.

Northeast

• The terrain is mostly plateaus and mountain ranges.
• There are Dong Phaya Yen Mountain Range, Phetchabun Mountain Range, Phanom Dong Rak Mountain Range, and San Kamphaeng Mountain Range.
• It has the Chi and Mun rivers, which are important rivers that flow into the Mekong River.

Eastern region

• The terrain consists of river plains and coastal plains.
• There are Khao Banthat and Chanthaburi mountains in the middle of the region.
• There are lined islands such as Koh Chang, Koh Kood, Koh Sichang, Koh Lan.
• Prachinburi Province and Sa Kaeo are not connected to the sea. The region's other provinces all have seaports. 

Western Region

• The terrain is mountainous, with alternating plains and valleys similar to those in the north.
• Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan are connected to the sea.
• Thanon Thongchai and Tanaosri are significant mountain ranges.
• It is the origin of the Kwai Noi River (Sai Yok) and Khwae Yai River (Si Sawat), which converge to form the Mae Klong River in Kanchanaburi before flowing into the sea.

South

• The terrain is mountainous along the peninsula.
• The important mountain ranges are the Phuket Mountain Range, the Nakhon Si Thammarat Mountain Range, and the Sankalakhiri Mountain Range.
• It is a natural border between Thailand and Malaysia.
• Most of the rivers are short. The longest line is the Tapi River.
• There is an open lake (lagoon), Songkhla Lake. It is one of the largest in Southeast Asia.

A few random examples for Tradition, Superstition, and Art.

Northern

• If you remember the Yi Peng Festival in Chapter 6, it is a Northern tradition.
• Tan Tung(ตานตุง)
  • Tan is to offer/dedicate
  • Tung is a kind of flag
  • Tan Tung is a form of merit making. A Buddhist ceremony. The flag that will be hung is the most noticeable difference from other region ceremonies. 
  • 
• Spirit
  • In the north, there are many spirits worshiped in a culture that people in other regions just not do.

    • Phi Arak(อารักษ์-guard) has a duty to protect the country and the community.

    • Phi Khun Nam(ขุนน้ำ-stream from a top of mountain) is responsible for providing water to the fields.

    • Phi Fai(ฝาย-weir,dam) is responsible for protecting the city of Weir.

    • Phi Sop(สบ-meet) Nam(น้ำ-water) or Phi Pak Nam(ปากน้ำ-estuary, mouth of a river) are responsible for protecting the area where two rivers meet.

  • The word "phi(ผี-ghost)" has a negative connotation in central, but in the north, it refers to all spirits, including the sacred spirit or god. 
• Life Prolonging Ceremony
  • It means to make one's life auspicious, to live comfortably and free from all diseases, and to prosper forever.
• If you want to search for their traditional dance, ฟ้อน (Fon) is the word.

Northeastern (Isan)

• Phaya Tan(พญาแถน)
  • Phaya Tan is a word for gods in the Isan region. The highest Tan is called Tan Luang and is believed to be Indra in other regions.
• Naga
  • Naga is a prominent figure in Isan. I have been repeatedly told that many Isan people believe in Naga existence.
  • The Boon Bang Fai, or Rocket Festival, is a large festival held to honor Phaya Tan, with an origin story involving Naga.
    • People from Isan considered the time this festival occurred as a time they should return home and meet with their family and friends in their hometown.
  • There are glowing balls that occasionally rise from the Mekong River that people call Naga fireballs. They are believed to be fireballs that Naga spits out from under the river.
• หมอลำ-Mor lam is a type of music from Isan that is a big genre of music in Thailand.
• If you want to search for their traditional dance, เซิ้ง (Serng) is the word.

Southern

• Nang Talung-หนังตะลุง is a type of shadow play, one of the local performing arts of the South.

• Nora โนรา
  • 
  • Nora dance, in my opinion, is both an art and a superstition. I'm not sure where it came from, but I've heard about how some Nora practitioners treat it like mediumship, saying that if they are chosen by the spirit, there is no way to say no (to the way of living as a Nora performer). 
• In Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, and Satun, as well as parts of Songkhla and Chumphon, the majority of the population is Muslim. Because Thai Muslims and Thai Buddhists have some cultural differences, there are some noticeable differences in the area where Thai Muslims are more prevalent when compared to the rest of the country. However, even when they are a minority in other areas, they are still dispersed throughout the country, with the largest number of residents in Bangkok, so I would say that the culture in those areas will likely still be familiar enough to most people.
• In the south, saltwater fisheries are much higher than in other regions due to the geographical location that is adjacent to the sea on both sides. This has resulted in differences in eating culture and other aspects of daily life in the South.

Most of the things you see in the series and from me are based in central Thailand, so I will skip it.

Example :

• The protagonist of Siew Sum Noi is from Isan, as is Vee from Love Mechanics.
• Country Boy takes place in the north.
• Sky in Your Heart and A Tale of a Thousand Stars begin their story in Bangkok and then move the location to the north.
• I Told Sunset About You is set in the South.

Chapter Text

Some words to call your lover

Sweet and polite

• คุณ-khun or เธอ-tur with ฉัน-chan, เรา-rao or ผม-phom(offically this one is for men, but it did get used by women) are words that can be used with people who are not your lovers but are considered to be quite sweet to call your lover that. I already mentioned it in Chapter 4. Chan and tur are very popular choices for song lyrics.
• ที่รัก-thirak straight up call a person "someone you love". Rak is love, so if we want it literally, it would be beloved or something along those lines. I never saw anyone actually use it seriously before. Just a parody of something, or like I do, to tease a friend. EDIT:My friends actually use it. Or, if we count, I think I've heard a mom call her child "mom's thirak" before. We could add สุด-sud in the front, sudthirak, make it mean "someone you love most."
• แฟน-faen Boyfriend/girlfriend but non-binary. If used as a pronoun, then it usually comes with those Thai sounds khrap/ka at the end. You probably need to draw the word out for good measure too. Its sound is the same as how the word fan in "fan club" is pronounced in Thai, so there are a lot of fan club or faen khrap puns/jokes used with actor shipping situations.
• คนดี-kondee Khon is a unit of human in Thai, and dee is good. เด็กดี-dekdee Dek is a child, and dee is the same as dee in Khondee. I feel like both Khondee and Dekdee have a bit of a patronizing feeling. But not always in a bad way, though. Is that a thing? Like, if you used those words with someone sincere, you probably felt the urge to take care of them at least a little bit. You probably feel like they are a precious, cute little thing. Something like that The fact that Im 100% sure parents used dekdee with their children might factor into it. As for Kondee, I'm about 90% sure.
  • Dek means kid, but we use it quite loosely, so twenty-somethings get called Dek all the time, and if it were by an elderly person, then the Dek in question might as well be a mother of two.
• พ่อ แม่-por and mae As in father and mother. Usually, it starts when a couple becomes parents. A fur baby will do too for some.

Insulting words as a pet name

• เด๋อ-der clumsy, foolish, silly, awkward, stupid, dull, dump_ Those things mix together, but like, in a soft version. Usually used with something add to the front, such as ไอ้-Ai, เด็ก-dek, or some Thai's sound for tone indicator(?) to the back, or both.
• อ้วน-uuan fat, chubby—อ้วน can actually be a parent-given nickname too. I know some women around my mom's age range whose nickname is that. Personally, if it says it in a particular way, I find it really cute.
• เหนียง-niang double chin
• เถิก-terk go bald,the description of a hair line that starts to recede.
• ลุง-lung Uncle (the one that is older than the father) aka old man. Usually used by a noticeable younger person. Not that they actually date someone older than their dad, or do they?👀
• เด็กโง่-dekngo Stupid child, but like, an endearingly stupid, childish person.
• ดื้อ-due _Not obeying, refuse to comply_ often used to describe a child. I saw ดื้อ  get translated to stubbon a lot, but personally, I find that not quite fitting (not that I have other words in mind). It might just be a me thing, though.

Probably a full-on PDA couple, act cute to each other 24/7

• เล็ก-lek Small,tiny
• ใหญ่-yai Big,giant

This two are a pair. Sometime it will have something added to it, ตัว-tua which means self/person/body, for exemple.

• Animal + small or pi/nong/por(dad)/mae(mom) + animal Something like, cat, bear, pig, dog

Ex:Pi Muu(pig)/Nong Miao(cute alternative way to call cat)/Miao lek(small)/Por Mee(bear)

• บี๋-bie Short from baby
• Repeating a syllable of a nick name two times for a lovey-dovey pet name is also a thing.
• ไอ้ต้าว-ai tao Tao is a meaningless sound that was derived from a word that was a prefix "เจ้า-Jao." It is used to express that the speaker thinks the person being mentioned is cute/childlike. They most likely appear with a strangely sweet voice. Sometimes used for friendly mocking of someone for being childlike.

Eng sub-cute dimples = Ai tao dimples

• หนู-nhu Nhu is something that is used with children, but it also can be for a lover. Can be innocent or quite sinful depending on the context. (This one is already mentioned in Chapter 4 too)
• เค้า Kao and ตัวเอง Tua-eng are a pair. Kao is for calling yourself, and Tuaeng is for calling your lover. What is of interest is that Kao typically refers to the third person, and Tuaeng refers to "oneself." It kind of gets perceived as something silly that people in love do. There are some words that are born from distorted "tuaeng" that you can use for a lover too, such as using only the first word "tua", shortening the "tua" sound to make it sound like 'ta-eng, or combining the two sounds to make it sound like "teng". The "Kao" might be replaced by other words such as Rao, and it might help lower the silliness, or not? Lately, I have seen some traders (usually women small business owners) call their customers Tuaeng to make them feel closer to them. Not Kao, tho. I have yet to see any shopkeeper use Kao for "I.".

Kind of a little roleplay, but not really?

• ป๋า-pa Dad as in father or 💰Daddy💰 as in sugar daddy.
• An overly respectful way to call someone or use a title that the receiver doesn't actually own is also something I see and think is pretty cute.

Legal prefix

เด็กหญิง-dek ying 

• abbreviation - ด.ญ.
• For those who were assigned female at birth under the age of 15
• Translate to - none

เด็กชาย-dek chai

• abbreviation - ด.ช.
• For those who were assigned male at birth under the age of 15
• Translate to - none

นาย-nai

• abbreviation - none
• For those who were assigned male at birth, from age 15 onward
• Translate to - Mr.

นาง-nang

• abbreviation - none
• For those who were assigned female at birth and marriage (optional since 2008),
• Translate to - Mrs.

นางสาว-nang sao

• abbreviation - น.ส.
• For those who were assigned female at birth, from age 15 onward
• Translate to - Ms.

Some words/phrase that relevent to love life.

• เพื่อนคู่คิด มิตรคู่ใจ-phuea khukhit mit khuchai This is a phrase that describes a marriage partner as a friend ( phuea = friend) who will help you think ( khit), a trusting ally (mit ), and your best friend who you can rely on. I find it to be very romantic.
• คู่ชีวิต-khu chivit life partner
• คนรู้ใจ-khon ru jai person who knows your heart
• ศีลเสมอ-syn samoe (like the name of a character from Cutie Pie)
  • ศีล Syn = precept
  • เสมอ samoe = same,equal
  • "Syn samoe" is a figure of speech that is probably roughly equivalent to "birds of a feather flock together." It is a concept that in order for one to be able to associate with others with ease of mind, one needs to hold the same moral code and values. If a person only holds on to one of the precepts, not killing, they wouldn't be suited to be with someone who also does not steal, not only as a lover but also as a close friend or someone close in general. And also the reversal, which is that if you can be close with someone, then you must be on the same level as that person, good or bad.
• คนคุย - khon kui Person (you) talking to If A is Khon Kui of B, then they are getting to know each other with romantic intentions, but nothing is serious yet.
• กิ่งทองใบหยก - king thong bai yok - jade leaf gold branch A very suitable match, used for those who are about to get married.
• ผีเน่าโลงผุ - phi nao long phu - rotten ghost, decayed coffin When a couple is a very suitable match, but it's because they both are bad
• ทองแผ่นเดียวกัน - thong phaen diao kan - the same gold sheet To become one piece of gold is to be connected by marriage. Ex: These two families are going to become the same piece of gold soon = someone from each of their families is going to marry the other.
• ข้าวใหม่ปลามัน - fresh rice, creamy(?) fish A word to call a newlywed couple. Anything new is good, so in a period of newlywed bliss, everything will be good in your eyes.
• ถ่านไฟเก่า-old coal Old flame, ex-lover who still might get back together
• โซ่ทอง-gold chain A child is parents' gold chain that will link parents' hearts together forever. Basiclly, it is a concept that by having a child, the couple will be more committed to each other. Kind of scary if you ask me.
• จีบ-jeeb _woo, flirt, spark, spoon, court, bind around_ I saw this translate to flirting most of the time, but while flirting is not serious, จีบ can be.
• หยอด-yort is to put or pour it little by little in a narrow place; in some contexts, it means to drop in sweet words when you talk to someone, aka flirt.
• อ้อน-oon is to plead, to implore, to cajole, to wheedle, to whimper. 
• กัดก้อนเกลือ-kat kon kluea-to bite on a cube of salt Is to be poor. usually mean when your financial situation is likely to be better than it is if not for your choice of partner.
• ป๋า pa - เสี่ย sia - เด็ก dek pa/ dek sia When these words are used together, pa or sia is an (usually) older, wealthy (this one is a must) man, and dek, which translate directly to child or young, is a (usually) younger person who got financial benefit from being in this relationship. Pa or Sia is a sugar daddy, and Dek is a sugar baby, basically. 
• คบ-kob Is mostly used to mean dating, but it can also mean "associate" or "friend with", and it has been used for a variety of ambiguous speaking scene in drama and novels.
  
• ชง-chong-brew It's kind of like creating an opportunity for someone else to say a pick-up line. Say things in order to push your friend toward the one you think your friend will like (whether the assumption is correct or not). Say a pick-up line or flirt with someone for the other person. GMM actors do it to other shipping pairs all the time. I find it quite funny, lol.
• เพื่อน=friend But it can also mean accompany if you say it in some way. You could say that you want someone to go somewhere with you as เพื่อน and that would mean that you want them to accompany you, not that they are your friend exclusively. You can say it to anyone. friend, family member, lover, co-worker, etc.

Here Ayan say that he thanks Akk for นอนเป็นแฟน instead of นอนเป็นเพื่อน. 

• • นอน=sleep 
  • เป็น=as ,are, be, become, have, constitute, be able to 
  • แฟน=lover 
  • เพื่อน=friend
  • นอนเป็นเพื่อน=to go to bed with someone and keep them company
  • เพื่อน can also mean co-worker, school mate, 
• เย็ด-Yet Yet is fuck. Very rude. I was quite upset the first time I encountered English's "yet". It sounded so vulgar to me at that time (and also for quite some time after that).
• เพื่อนเล่น เล่นเพื่อน phueanlen and lenphuean Phuean is a friend, and Len is to play, to do something for fun and not serious. Phueanlen means playmate, and Lenphuean is to commit lesbianism, or, in the modernized sense, to like your friend romantically and act on it. There is a song from Tilly Bird called "Just being friendly." Its Thai name is Phueanlen don't lenphuean.
• Football If football is mentioned out of the blue, it could be a dirty joke. Sometime ago, there was a test for general knowledge, and on the topic of health education, there was a question that asked something along the lines of "What should you do when you feel horny?" and the correct answer was "Go play football." So, yeah.

slice-of-thai.com, thai-tones.com, [Learn Thai] Five Tones in Thai (Pronunciation Practice) <--Some of the links for the Thai 5-tone explanation.

I think it would help in the next part (and with the Thai language in general) if you could remember what tone is what.

The mid one, number 1, had no mark, and the other is as you can see in that orange band.

อา, อ่า, อ้า, อ๊า, and อ๋า is probably going to be the same when spelled in English (unless we make something up, like, อา=ah, อ่า=aah) but in Thai, you can see that the mark on top of them is different.

There are also a bunch of things that are relevant, like the way each type of Thai alphabet has its own base(?) tone in itself, making tone marking affect them differently. Ex: low consonant + dead syllable + short sound = rising tone (5) Even though it is written with no mark tone and so looks like it should probably be a mid tone (1), but we are not here for an actual Thai lesson, so you just need to remember that different tone is a thing and different tone = different mening.

Sounds that we use to indicate the tone of the sentence

****This topic isn't really an official and well-organized thing, plus my knowledge and ability to explain are quite limited, so maybe don't see it as a fact but something subjective?

If I put a check mark in the example column, it means it makes sense to put the sound in that row in the blank. Well, at least to me, it makes sense.

• A sentence that has some polite words in it doesn't mean that it is in fact polite or that the speaker is being polite and proper. So while Khrap and Ka are polite, people still can and have used them to end a sentence that is so impolite you will get customers yelling for your manager to fire you for saying it.
• Some of those sounds can also be paired with other too. For example, Na(4) and Si(2) can be paired with Ka(4) and Khrap(4), as well as a few others, and include each other.

Chapter Text

Let's start with some genres that are probably not known internationally.

เพลงลูกทุ่ง -phleng luk thung-country music

• Phleng = music, song, melody, composition
• Luk = child
• Thung = field

Originated in 2480 B.E./1937 A.D.

Luk Thung is a modernized version of Thai country music. It has quite a distinguishing feature, both in the way people sing it and the instrument itself. It has a sibling called Luk Krung, which, unlike Luk Thung, is not a popular genre any more. Luk thung is a popular genre. There is a time when BlackPink is trending worldwide and at number one on many charts but still loses to a Luk Thung singer, Monkaen Kaenkoon, in terms of view count in Thailand. So, yeah, Luk Thung is popular. It’s not considered trendy, tho. Probably because we have a pretty classist society and Luk Thung's target group isn't, like, the elite or the wealthiest.

What the song's lyrics usually are about -Life, specifically the life of the poor. And love—I'm pretty sure love is the most popular topic in everything, whether it's tragic, funny, or touching.

Dancers - The dancers, specifically their outfits, are one of the highlights of the Lukthung show. It needs to be showy and eye-catching. Glitter and feathers are frequently featured. Even if you don't recognize the music as Lukthung, you would probably recognize an army of dancers clad in a very striking outfit as a part of a Lukthung show.

Example

From series

This one is a rearranged, cover of a rock song.-_-_-The og from Silly Fools

_-_-_

This one is a cover of Got Jakrapun’s, aka King of Luk Thung's, song.

Some singers

Got Jakrapun - he was also a producer of the New Country project before he parted ways with GMM - Stand by หล่อ aka that donut song, is part of his project

A play list

Stand by หล่อ

Pumpuang Duangjan - Queen of Lukthung, unsurpassed to this day.

A play list

Monkaen Kaenkoon - As previously mention

A play list

Maithai Jaitawan - one of War Wanarat's favorite songs, ดาวมีไว้เบิ่ง, is from him

A play list (The song ดาวมีไว้เบิ่ง is the first song on it)

ดาวมีไว้เบิ่ง with War

Kratae R-Siam

Song with BounPrem

Paowalee Pornpimon

Mike Phiromphon

Takkatan Chollada

Tai Orathai

Yui Yatyer

Ble Patumrach

Kong Huairai

เพลงลูกกรุง - phleng luk krung

• Phleng = music, song, melody, composition
• Luk = child
• Krung = city, capital, metropolis

Originated in 2474 B.E./1931 A.D.

As previously mention, Luk krung and Luk thung are kind of sibling terms. But unlike Luk Thung, Luk Krung is not a popular genre any more. Every once in a while, someone will pick an old song to cover, but there isn't much of a new one, if at all.

Well, actually, since the definition of this genre is so vague, a lot of songs would technically count, but when the word Luk Krung is mentioned, people do have a certain expectation in mind, and it's pretty much "when grandma is still young". I doubt this term would ever be used to describe any new song that does not actively go for a retro vibe.

The Suntaraporn Band - Suntaraporn Band is a very old band and has produced many Lukkrung songs. They were the first ones to start producing what is considered Lukkrung music, actually. It was born in 1939 and is still active to this day.

Example

From series "I Will Knock You" - The song in the background is an original version, and this series also uses a rearranged version as an OST.

This playlist is not from a series but from the novel "I Will Knock You". They are songs that were mentioned in the novel.

Some singers

Gun Napat -He also sings many other genres. To be honest, he actually didn’t sing Lukkrung song that much. But he’s great at doing it. You may recognize him as the one who sings A Tale of Thousand Stars OST. He also plays a supporting role in a movie, After Sundown, with Zee and Nunew as the main leads.

Tham bun duai arai (What do you make merit with?) by Gun Napat

Charin Nuntanakorn -He has done a lot of things and has a lot of songs, including the one he begged a song writer to write so he could sing it to his now-wife. That song and its background story sounded like peak romance when my mom told them to middle school me.

The song ->

Orawee Satchanon

เพลงเพื่อชีวิต  - phleng phuea chiwit

• phleng = music, song, melody, composition
• phuea = for
• Chiwit = life

Songs in this genre are about the lives of people, especially those of the lower class, and talk about the difficulties of being taken advantage of, as do songs calling for democracy and political satire. Songs are considered to be in this genre based on their lyrics content, not their music style. Many songs in this genre are also Lukthung genre.

Example

Commoner Band - This band is formed purely to express political opinion, which is mainly disapproval for coups and people who gain from them.

Pongsit Kamphee

TaitosmitH

Caravan Band - one of the first phuea chiwit band

This one isn't the band’s original song, but it's quite a symbol. Its lyrics are from Chit Phumisak’s, an activist’s, poem.

Singers who are also actors and have acted in a BL series

Kob Songsit

-Theerapanyakul dad from KinnPorsche

-Botkawee's dad from Be My Favorite

-Older Songpol from 55:15 Never Too Late

-He's done some musicals too, and they're great.

A song in A Tale of Thousand Stars is his song from a musical he stars in, Thawi Phop(ทวิภพ) The Musical.

Here a full song with English sub

A playlist of his song

Nok Sinjai

-Older Jaya Janiya from 55:15 Never Too Late

- She has been in many dramas and musicals. She and Kob Songsit have done some musicals together before.

A playlist of her song

Nat Sakdatorn

-Kit(Chopper’s dad) from Never Let Me Go

-Sam from Friend Zone 2: Dangerous Area (2020)

-He is not really known as a professional singer, but he stars in the same musical with Kob Songsit and Nok Sinjai, and I love that musical’s songs.

So, here is the musical I mentioned. It's called บัลลังก์เมฆ (banlang mek- cloud throne) the musical. This version is kind of the cut version, so the story line is quite rushed, but the songs are all there.

Nok Sinjai as Panrung, the protagonist

Kob Songsit as Kuea, Panrung’s second husband

Nat Sakdatorn as Pakon, Panrung’s youngest son

The story is about Panrung, who should have a smooth sailing life, but due to her horrible decision-making and being an asshole and dictator-mom, she ruins her own life and also makes her children's lives a disaster.

The characters consist of Panrung, her two ex-husbands, her current husband, her four children, her ex-friend, who is also her current husband's ex-wife, and their son.

The songs are good. The theme song is iconic. The plot is....

Jeep Wasu

-Older Seksan from 55:15 Never Too Late

-His other nickname is Jeep Ror Dor(จิ๊บ ร.ด.) from his famous song with the same name.

Ror Dor-ร.ด.-รักษาดินแดน-Territorial Defense

If Thai men do not want to be conscripted, they can choose to apply to be trained while they are still students. Those trainees are called ร.ด.

Amarin Nitibhon

-Older Amonthep from 55:15 Never Too Late

Lookwa Pijika

-Gun's mom from My School President 

Mos Patiparn

-Kiao's friend from Past-Senger

-He also plays a musical

Pamela Bowden

-Kiao's friend from Past-Senger

Nicole Theriault

-Kiao's friend from Past-Senger

Intira Jaroenpura

-Our favorite BL mom

-Thun's mother from He's Coming to Me

-Vanika, Thana's Wife, from 3 Will Be Free

-Her movie, Nang Nak(นางนาก 1999), made me relocate a Buddha image to under my pillow to maximize protection.

-Her half sister, Mai, is a big-name singer.

Yui Pattamawan -Pat's mother from Bad Buddy

Leo Put -Pat's father from Bad Buddy

Some more Thai singers and bands

Bird Thongchai - If you watch anything from GMM regularly, then you've heard his song before.

For example, The Gifted 2 uses his song as background music, and the Never Let Me Go pilot trailer uses one of his songs and Our Skyy series name and the theme song are from the song, which was originally his too. Many of the songs that randomly came up in variety shows are his, both the songs the staff edited in and the songs people sing or make jokes with.

He started his career as a singer in 1983 and is still active to this day. He has been a household name since I can remember. His voice is very unique, and he is always open to new things.

Here is a bit of his concerts throughout his life. I'm not sure if Netflix in your country will have his concert, though.

His new MV. It’s a cultural promotion campaign.

An old song

A play list of his hit songs

Palmy

-Palmy's songs are never boring, and Palmy herself is also an interesting person.

-Friend Zone movie OST is originally her song.

-This song plays with the concept of losing Khwan and even has an explanation about a ceremony to call it back at the end of the MV. There is no English subtitle for that, tho.

A Playlist

Paper Planes

-They are relatively new

-For some reason, a song of theirs is a big hit among small children. Like, real small, kindergarten attendee, toddler, infant. Through the song “Bad Boy,” they gain a lot of“ milk-tooth teenagers” fans.😆

Joey Phuwasit

Nont Tanont

Bodyslam

Tattoo Colour -This band’s name is a pun! Tattoo in Thai is Sak(สัก) and colour is Si(สี). Together, สักสี sound like ศักดิ์ศรี which means prestige, honor, fame, or honour.

Three Man Down

Tilly Birds

BOWKYLION

F oreign media in Thai

Music

Thais have a large K-Pop fan base. My best friend has been a fan for more than a decade now, and the fan base seems to have only grown bigger since. J-Pop and C-Pop are not as popular, but I have personally known a few fans, and there is one in my timeline every once in a while, so I assume their popularity is steady.

And there are, of course, those big names: Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Rihanna, Ed Sheeran, etc.

Animation

There is Japanese anime, of course. Japan is pretty popular in Thailand in general, whether in culture, products, or media. Anime, manga, novels, or even nonfiction books are getting translated all the time and are very easy to find.

China’s animation has started to gain popularity these past few years.

And there are American animation like Cartoon Network and Disney.

Books

Chinese books are always around, I think? In my understanding, (modern?) Wuxia genre market has its peek in Thai around 2500  B.E. or 1957 A.D., not that I would say it not popular anymore, but like, around that time there are some big translator that to this day people will still adopt their translation of idiom from them, so like, they are BIG. In present, Chinese books often has its own section in book store. If you are a Danmei fan like me you might notice before that there are a lot of official translation in Thai, it is a bless really. I would be reading a random unofficial translation on the internet, the translation not even half way, I was dying to know how it gonna be next, and before I know there is an official, complete translation I can get.

Japanese book also often has its own section in book store too. I would say that in a main stream book store the amount of Japanese book are less than Chinese but there are niche book store that sell  Japanese books exclusively, and that is something. Those type of store will mostly cater to anime fans, so the book I talk about are usually something that has an anime adaptation or was adapt from anime, it will also have other merch.

Korean books are getting translate to Thai quite often but less than Chinese and Japanese for sure.

Books in English also get translate often too and books in English as it is are usually the biggest section in the books in foreign language(non-translation) category.

Usually if it is a classic or famous enough it likely to be translate at some point, no matter what language its original from.

Tv show- series/verities

US, UK, Korea, Japan, China, and India drama are what I know for the fact that there are a certain amount of avid fans out there. For verities, for Korea and China, I saw fans make a fan sub for their favorite group, but for Japan, there is an official sub and dub for quite a few programs, last I checked. Does that mean Japan verities are more or less popular in Thai?

In conclusion, it's usually the US, UK, Korea, Japan, and China. 

Chapter Text

The link below is to the Wikipedia page for Himmaphan. In there, there are also links to some of the himmaphan's creatures too.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Himavanta

This mythology is pretty famous and known across many regions, so there are a lot of resources in English already. So I think, just after a short introduction, anyone who is interested will be able to get more information quite easily.

There may be some differences between each region's version of it, but from what I saw, the differences are not that great. Especially if we look at only the character characteristics and not the entire epic.😆👍

นาค  naga

Naga is, in short, a big fantasy snake. There are quite a few types or ranks of them. They have four ways that they can be born. Opapātika, born and grows up immediately. Sansetcha, born from ashes and accumulated matter. Chalapucha, born from the womb. And āṇṭhāca, born from an egg. Water is their element.

Personally, I suspect that some of Nega's tales are of different origins from Himmaphan's tale but got mixed up when cultures merged. And that is the reason why there are so many more tales about them than about other mythical beings. But right now, I'm too lazy to actually drive in and try to verify that theory.

• ordain บวชนาค
  When a man wants to ordain, there will be a short period during the ordain ceremony when the will gets called naga. The story involved is that back then, when Gotama Buddha was still alive, there was a naga that wanted to be a monk, but, in the end, as one of its requirements was to be human, he couldn't. So we incorporated this into the ceremony to honor him. There is a step in the ceremony where the person who is ordain has to confirm that he is, in fact, a human, too.
• Water amount
  There is a belief that rain and water come from nagas, and the amount of water we get each year is determined by how many nagas are in charge of giving it. The more naga, the less water, because when there are more nagas, they start to be unwilling to do the work and want to push the burden on others. The maximum number of naga is seven per year.
• Nakee is a pretty iconic drama about Naga. I never fully watched it, but if you are interested in Naga, this drama might be a good choice.

ครุฑ  Garuda

Garuda's appearance is part bird, part human, with a human's torso and arms and a bird's head, wings, and legs.

Garuda is a sibling of a different mother of Naga and an enemy. Their mothers are also siblings and enemies. In fact, the reason why Garuda and Naga are enemies is because their mothers made it that way. There is a lot of family conflict in this story. Garuda also eats Naga.

Garuda is one of the king's symbols. Culturally, the king is an avatar of Narayana, and Garuda is Narayana's vehicle.

(I tried to translate the word for this concept, สมมุติเทพ, but it seems like there isn't any word in English that fits.)

• Queen Kakati กากี

Garuda Is one of the important characters in a famous tale about Queen Kakati. The story is that Garuda disguises himself as a man and goes to play a game with a king, and when he sees the king's wife, Queen Kakati, he wants her. So then he kidnaps her and brings her to his Chimplee Palace.

He slept with her there, and then one other guy also slept with her there. So the name Chimplee occasionally got used to hint at sexual things.

The name of the heroine also gets used for slut-shaming.

Just a warning if you want to read the whole thing. The story is heavily victim-blaming. All the guys in this story are trash, at least in the Thai version.

กินนร -kinnon

Kinnon is described as a half-bird, half-human creature, or a creature with a human-like body but with detachable wings and tail.

Kinnari and kinnara are words that are also used to refer to the same mythical creatures.

We have a lot of variant words for each Himmaphan's creatures, actually. I think it's for poetry.

• Suthon and Manora

Suthon and Manora is one of the stories that features Kinnon. Manora, the female protagonist, is a kinnari. She got captured one day when she removed her wings and tail during her bath with her sisters. After that, she met and fell in love with Prince Suthon. But later, Prince Suthon's family wronged her, making her flee back home. This tale is linked to the other tale. It says that Suthon and Manora's past lives are Phra Rod and Meree.

ปลาอานนท์  Anon fish

A giant fish that can cause an earthquake when it turns over.

นารีผล  Nariphon

Naripon is composed of two words: Nari (woman) and Phon (fruit). It is a fruit that resembles a beautiful girl. They have 7 days before they rot away.

คนธรรพ์  Gandharvas

Heavenly musicians and singers. Servant of a greater deity. They are pretty flirtatious beings and like to take a ripe nariphon for themselves.

I feel like they are always the asshole in every tale they feature.

นกหัสดีลิงค์  Hatsadiling

It looks mostly like a bird, but its beak looks like an elephant's trunk. The Hatsadiling is often used for decoration in cremation ceremonies because it is believed that it can carry the soul of the deceased to heaven.

There is evidence of the use of the Hatsadiling-shaped crematorium in the Lanna and Lan Chang cultures. But in Ubon Ratchathani, there is a specific tradition where they will have a person act as Sita performs the traditional Hatsadiling bird-killing ceremony.

There are a few versions of the tale that influence this tradition, but the highlight is that the woman named Sita kills a hatsadiling that has been causing trouble via arrow.

มอม  mom

The Mom creature looks similar to a mixture of many animals, including dogs, cats, geckos, lizards, monkeys, tigers, etc. It has long arms and a long, stretched body similar to that of a reptile. The color of the body will vary depending on the artist. This creature is prominent in Lanna art.

มกร  Makorn or Makara

<-the head that is biting naga

It's statue is usually in a state of spitting something out of its mouth. It's look pretty similar to Hera. Often got mixed up with Hera. Some sources say that it IS the same creature as Hera, just an alternative name. 

เหรา   Hera

A mix of naga and (Chinese?) dragon, or a crocodile-like creature. It has four feet, and its face has both fins and a crest. It is sometimes described as a different mix, like with Garuda or a horse.

It's tale is that it tries to eat a naga but fails....

There is a statue of Mom and Hera that went viral awhile ago. It's an amateur DIY cement stair railing by a monk. It came out looking very adorable. they even got fan art and goods.

<--Mom<--Hera

<--The good in question.

สิงห์  lion

There are four types of lion-like creatures in the Himmaphan universe. (Not included the lion mix with other creatures.)

• Kraisorn Rajasribody is white like conch shell. Mouth, belly, and feet are red like it is painted with cinnabar mixed with mercury and sulfur dissolved in lac water. Live in a gold or glass cave. It is faster than sound and has a voice as loud as thunder.
• Kala Sriha is black and despises being a lion-like creature. It is an herbivore. Not that it is harmless, though.
• Tinna Sriha has a red body like the legs of a pigeon and is as big as a bull. Also an herbivore. Tinna means grass.
• Bantu Rajasribody is like the color of a yellow leaf. This one is carnivorous.

We use them in government logos, and some of the universities (4) have them as Faculty of Political Science logos. Each university uses a different one.

I found this website when I searched for the English spelling of Kraisorn Rajasri, and it is amazing. So this chapter ends here, lol.

http://www.himmapan.com

And this website is for art that was created for the King Rama 9 funeral.

https://phramerumas.finearts.go.th/group-items.php?grpID=15

^ from the Fine Arts Department

https://www.thailandfoundation.or.th/culture_heritage/thai-mythical-creatures-where-to-find-them/

^ from the Thailand Foundation

Chapter Text

What is Songkran?

Songkran is the Thai new year. Throughout history, the dates that count as "new year" have been changed a couple of times. Songkran is one of them (the date of 'Songkran' was also changed before) and is the one that still celebrates to this day, despising not being the official new year anymore. That is now January 1st, like the rest of the world. The 1st of January is called ปีใหม่-pi mai. ปี is year, and ใหม่ is new. While Songkran is Songkran-สงกรานต์.
Songkran is one of the most anticipated holidays, as it is the time of year when people agree everyone should get a break. A time everyone should get to go home and spend time with family.
The date of Songkran would be calculated and announced each year by a royal astrologer, but for practical reasons, it is officially on April 13–15 every year.
Like many Thai traditions, it has a lot of Brahmanism influence, and like many Thai traditions, it has many aspects that involve Buddhism, as Buddhism is the most prominent religion in Thailand, with more than 90% of Thai people being Buddhist. But please keep in mind that while it has a lot of Buddhist-related activity happening, it is because Thai and Buddhism are tightly intertwined. And not that Songkran is specifically about Buddhism. 
 

This is UNESCO's video about Songkran. It covers all the bases.

A short video on a tradition called รดน้ำดำหัว-Rod Nam Dam Hao

Thai Thamrong, OA130458 15, pours water tradition to show gratitude to the elders on Songkran Day.(English sub on Nekocap)

https://nekocap.com/view/biLKBPaM76

Vlog “What have we done in a provincial during songkran?” by ChawbanDoo. (English sub on Nekocap)

https://nekocap.com/view/F4tN4cSdry

Lady Songkran and Prediction | Point of View (English sub on Nekocap)

https://nekocap.com/view/b7ld6thGkx

This is an announcement that will be made every year. The details change depending on the date and time of Songkran.

Songkran announcement 2567 Buddhism era
From Brahmin astrologers from the Royal Ceremonial Division of the Bureau of the Royal Household.

(Translated by me. There are a lot of uncommon words. There probably mistakes in there.) 

• ปีมะโรง (เทวดาผู้ชาย ธาตุทอง) ฉอศก จุลศักราช 1386 ทางจันทรคติ เป็น ปกติ มาสวาร ทางสุริยคติ เป็น อธิกสุรทิน

Year of great snake (male angel, gold element) 1386 Thai minor era.

The lunar cycle is a Poktimat-wan (a normal year where the even months have 15 days of waxing moon and 15 days of waning moon and the odd months have 15 days of waxing moon and 14 days of waning moon, the total days in a year are (306+296) = 354 days).

The solar calendar is a leap year

• วันที่ 13 เมษายน เป็น วันมหาสงกรานต์ ทางจันทรคติตรงกับวันเสาร์ ขึ้น 5 ค่ำ เดือน 5 เวลา 22 นาฬิกา 24 นาที

April 13th is the Maha Songkran Day.

On the lunar cycle, it falls on Saturday, the 5th waxing moon of the 5th lunar month at 10:24 p.m.

• นางสงกรานต์ ทรงนามว่า “มโหธรเทวี” ทรงพาหุรัดทัดดอกสามหาว อาภรณ์แก้วนิลรัตน์

Lady Songkran named Mahothorn Devi. Wearing a bracelet. Behind her ear is water hyacinth. Robed in blue sapphire.

• ภักษาหารเนื้อทราย พระหัตถ์ขวาทรงจักร พระหัตถ์ซ้ายทรงตรีศูล เสด็จไสยาสน์ลืมเนตรมาเหนือหลัง มยุรา (นกยูง) เป็นพาหนะ

Hog deer is her food. Her right hand holding a “chakram” gear wheel and her left hand holding a trident.

Her Majesty lay on the back of a peacock as a vehicle with her eyes open.

• วันที่ 16 เมษายน เวลา 02 นาฬิกา 15 นาที 00 วินาที เปลี่ยนจุลศักราชใหม่เป็น 1386 ปีนี้ วันอังคาร เป็น ธงชัย, วันพฤหัสบดี เป็น อธิบดี, วันจันทร์ เป็น อุบาทว์, วันเสาร์ เป็น โลกาวินาศ

April 16 at 02:15 minutes 00 seconds, changed to the new Thai minor era, 1386. Tuesday is Thongchai (type of auspicious day according to astrology). Thursday is Athipbodi (auspicious day). Monday is Ubat (a type of day according to astrology). Saturday is Lokawinat. (inauspicious day).

• ปีนี้ วันอังคาร เป็นอธิบดีฝน บันดาลให้ฝนตก 300 ห่า ตกในโลกมนุษย์ 30 ห่า ตกในมหาสมุทร 60 ห่า ตกในป่าหิมพานต์ 90 ห่า ตกในเขาจักรวาล 120 ห่า นาคให้น้ำ 7 ตัว

This year, Tuesday is Athipbodi of the Rain causing 300 showers of rain. Falling into the human world 30 showers of rain. Falling into the ocean 60 showers of rain. Fell on the Himmapan forest 90 showers of rain. Fell on Mount Meru 120 showers of rain. 7 Nagas give water (also a prediction about the amount of rain. Mean that there will be little water).

• เกณฑ์ธัญญาหาร ได้เศษ 5 ชื่อ วิบัติ ข้าวกล้าในภูมินาจะเกิดกิมิชาติ จะได้ผลกึ่ง เสียกึ่ง

The grain criteria gets 5 fractions. The name is Wibat (catastrophe) The rice seedlings in the rice field will be born with beetles or various insects. The results will be half good and half bad.

• เกณฑ์ธาราธิคุณ ตกราศีวาโย (ลม) น้ำน้อย

Tharathikhun’s criteria fall under the zodiac sign of Wayo(wind). There will be little water. 

Link to some of the article about Songkran

Thailand’s Songkran Festival: its origins, history and modern day observance

Traditional Thai New Year | Songkran Festival

Thai scented water and White clay filler

Songkran Festival

Modern and Traditional Ways to Celebrate Thailand's Songkran Water Festival!

Some more Songkran-related content that has an English sub

Tawan the wanderer ep.6

Nisamenee.Nutt's Lady Songkran costume photo shoot

• 2021
• 2022
• 2023 (Traditional costume with buffalo)
• 2023 (New interpretation)
• 2024

Nisamenee.Nutt's Songkran+birthday party

Golf pichaya Songkran vlog

SpriteDer SPD-3,000$ Songkran Youtuber Thailand

Battle Trip | 배틀트립 – Ep.93 Songkran Water Festival VS Thingyan Festival
^Korean variety show

Mark Siwat-ก็มาศิวัช EP.1 เมื่อศิวัชเล่นมุขเสี่ยวเที่ยวสงกรานต์

This is a playlist consisting of songs that the writer wrote specifically for Songkran.
https://youtu.be/mGLCUdgAsgM?si=kQyQEiXi4lgsGfrp

And these are playlists consisting of any song the maker thinks is a good song to dance to during Water Fight.
https://youtu.be/mGLCUdgAsgM?si=kQyQEiXi4lgsGfrp
https://youtu.be/tznKBdKcak0?si=vQaoxYxOa06SaZ2p
https://youtu.be/x5MKr7oKZCY?si=UhwrmpjcmAhWAJgM

A remix that was made to be used during 2020 Songkran.
https://youtu.be/lLXgOdYVZIg?si=Fmv80PGgu3kP6R7L

K-pop songs are also popular, at least in Bangkok.

I only know of three series that included Songkran in the story. There is Thai Cherry Magic, the 1000 Year Old the series and 23 point 5 the series. If there are more, please inform me.

Chapter Text

I actually touched on this topic a bit before in Ch. 5 (beliefs about merit, sin, and karma), Ch. 7 (Buddhism ceremony), and Ch. 13 (percentage of each religion), but I think this chapter will be where I put all the Buddhism-related topics in from now on. 

There are five religions in total that are officially recognized by Thai law as religions. Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Brahmanism-Hinduism, and Sikhism.

The biggest religion here is Buddhism.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism_in_Thailand
 
According to the National Statistical Office, in 2018 there are about 93% of the population who are Buddhist, about 5% are Muslim, and about 1% are Christians.
 
As you may know, Buddhism and Thai culture are tightly intertwined, but what you may not have known before is that, at the same time, Thai people are not a religious bunch. 

The most basic thing Buddhism asks people to do is follow five precepts. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_precepts
 
Don't kill, don't steal, don't commit sexual misconduct, don't lie, don't use alcohol or intoxicants. 
 
Most of us are Buddhist. very few of us actually strictly follow that very basic request Buddhism asks. 

Kill some ants or mosquitos, drinking, gossiping, lying. Is it bad? Yes. Do people do it all the time? Yes.

Many would also casually get into other beliefs while at the same time not renounce their Buddhist status. 
 
Someone could say they are Buddhist but also worship Hindu gods, random ghosts, Shinto gods, Greek gods, or whatever at the same time, and no one will bat an eye.
 
The reason why it is like this, in my own personal opinion, is due to the nature of Buddhism itself. 

Buddhism is pretty loose on how one should live their life. 

Islamic teaching is pretty clear about how things should be done on a daily basis, right? (Let me know if I'm wrong😅) 

Buddhism teaching is pretty much like, Here are some principles you SHOULD learn and do. Go study it and see for yourself if it's good. Interpret it yourself. You don't want to? Ok, it's up to you. How should you live your life? You are the only one who can decide.

And while there are things that are said in Buddhism as good or bad, there are no punishments from Buddhism. 

There are social judgments. There are laws. There are effects of it on your body, your mind. And that's about it.

There are no real incentives for people to practice Buddhism either. Other than it would be good for your mental health, there are no rewards. Heaven could be real, or it could be just a fairy tale. 

There are no gods or deities out there that will give something to you. They might or might not exist, and that is irrelevant anyway. You still have to do everything yourself.

If you do something good, then you probably get something good, and if you do something bad, then you probably would get something bad, all because of some kind of logic. 

The concepts of the afterlife, heaven, and hell are there but not reinforced by society as a whole as something that really exists. 

Different from other popular religions, Islam or Christianity, for example, where there are rules from God. What Buddhism has is some guy's teaching. 
 
He is a great guy that we believe in, of course. But he is a teacher who already passed away 2567 years ago, not a god or some powerful being that will personally come at you for doing something or not doing something. The pressure isn't that much.
 
If we can follow his teaching, then it would be great for our own self. But if we don't follow his teaching, then we don't follow his teaching. We might end up where we regret it deeply, or maybe we won't.
 
It's kind of like when you know you should exercise but still choose not to, you know?

Ok, now let's talk about Buddha's lore. 

 
Here is the Wikipedia page. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_mythology

And if you want something else, I'm sure you could find some out there.

 
Here is a short version by me.
 
There is a prince who one day becomes aware of the fact that life has an inescapable suffering built in with it and wants to find a way to stop the suffering. He left everything behind and went searching for the way, trying many ways from many beliefs that already existed and still couldn't find it.
 
Eventually, he finds the way himself and becomes a buddha. (The inescapable suffering is still inescapable. We just have to know how to deal with it when it eventually happens.) After that he spends his life teaching that knowledge to people.

There are many miracles in the story. But most people regard that aspect of the story as a fiction rather than a fact. Some may even go as far as to say everything in the story is fictional. (For Buddhism, that is not as controversial as saying that the Bible is entirely fictional. As a Buddhist, you shouldn't believe something just because anyway. See: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kesamutti_Sutta)
 
It's not important, though. Whether the lore is true or not is irrelevant to the point of Buddhism. 

While Buddhism lore is part of Thai culture, Thai society, the core of Buddhism, is about one's relationship with themselves, what we choose to do, what we don't, what we think, and not whether or not those miracles ever occur.
 
And because it's not important. How much and what a Buddhist believes about our own lore are pretty varied. Some people believe heaven and hell are actual places that we can go to. Some believe that they are all metaphors.

My mom believes in rebirth until one achieves enlightenment but not that heaven and hell exist. I believe in none. I believe that heaven, hell, and enlightenment are all states of mind, and after death there will be no mind at all. 

We are close. We talk every single day, but I didn't share her opinion. In fact, I only know her opinion about this now because I just asked her now because I was writing this. Why is that? Because it doesn't really matter. It just isn't. 
 
Next topic. As a queer series enjoyer, some of you may wonder about Buddhists' views on queer people.
 
Is being queer a sin? According to some beliefs (not a core teaching. Many beliefs that are popular among Buddhists are labeled by a smaller number, but still quite a few other Buddhists, as superstitious and not true Buddhism.), being born as something is due to karma from your past life. 

Being born misfortunate is due to bad karma (sin). 

Being born as a queer person, which makes your life more difficult, would be due to your past life's bad karma but not a sin in itself.

There are rules about ordaining that prohibit gay or trans people from being ordained. That is a fact. Interpret it as you will. 
 
Personally, I take that it is for the sake of maintaining order between monks. Also, there is a rule that a monk is prohibited from touching a woman to be absent from lust. It's probably about the same principle. 

Many of the rules and traditions are about society and not about Dharma teachings. 
 
To be honest, some of them are straight-up just there because of patriarchy and no other reason.

For a specifically Thai version of Buddhism lore (world building, not the Siddhartha Gautama Buddha's life story), you may want to search up ไตรภูมิพระร่วง (Trai Phum Phra Ruang)—Three Worlds by King Ruang.

Here is a link to a site that talks about it.

https://tibetanbuddhistencyclopedia.com/en/index.php?title=Cosmology_as_Described_in_the_Trai_Phum_Phra_Ruang