Читать книгу Geek in Thailand - Jody Houton - Страница 6

CHAPTER 1

THAI HISTORY AND CULTURE

How did ancient Siam come to be the colorful country of contemporary Thailand? Here, we will discover some of the most famous, influential and controversial Thais, both past and present. Religion, Nation, Monarchy are at the heart of Thai culture and are where, as geeks in Thailand, we will begin.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THAILAND

The ancient kingdom of Siam—from the Sanskrit word Syama, meaning ‘dark’ or ‘brown’—was renamed Thailand in 1948.

This was, in fact, the second time the country’s name had changed. Siam was first renamed Thailand in 1939, at the onset of World War II, by then Prime Minister Field Marshal Luang ‘Plaek’ Phibunsongkhram who believed the name change would whip up much-needed ultra-nationalist spirit to unify or at least inform the approximately 50 ethnic groups resident in the country that it was a land for ‘Tais’, the dominant ethnic group at the time.

Although Thailand’s hosting of Japanese forces and perceived alignment with the Japanese in World War II was retrospectively deemed to have been ‘under duress’ as opposed to being ‘allied’ (Thailand was ‘occupied’ by 150,000 Japanese troops), it was decided to revert to the pre-war name Siam at the end of the war, in 1945.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

The word Thai in the Thai language means ‘independence’, leading many to believe the choice of name refers to Thailand’s ability to resist attempts at Western colonization, the only Southeast Asian country to successfully do so. Others believe the name refers to those who were to become the country’s most populous and dominant group of people—the Tais. The Tais were initially an ethnic group hailing from southern China, who migrated into the Chao Phraya River valley in central Thailand around AD 1000, an area already inhabited by two main Austro-Asiatic groups speaking Mon and Khmer. Present-day Thais are the product of the assimilation and fusion of these three groups.

In recent years, some Thai scholars, including historian Charnvit Kasetsiri, have called on the country to revert to its original name, Siam. Although the widespread practice of Theravada Buddhism has promoted racial harmony, Charnvit points out that it was only when the country became known as Thailand—’a land for Tais’—that its 50 other ethnic groups currently residing alongside the Tais, including Yuan, Lao, Malayu, Karen, Hmong, Chinese and, most recently, farang (people of European descent), were discriminated against and dissuaded from expressing their customs, dress and language in favor of a unified Thai existence or Thai-ness. Charnvit believes that a return to the name Siam would be the first step in signaling that not only the country’s past but also its present is made up of many different ethnicities and ideologies, and is the only way to bring about reconciliation of its mosaic of peoples and cultures.

Field Marshal Plaek was subsequently forced out of office and put on trial for war crimes, but was acquitted owing to strong Thai public support. In 1947, he led a coup and once again became prime minister. The following year Siam, for the second and final time, became Thailand.

THAILAND’S FOUR KINGDOMS

Thailand has gone through a myriad of changes and been exposed to numerous influences throughout its history. The existence of a number of separate, distinct and often co-existing Thai kingdoms has been largely responsible for the formation of the multifaceted Thailand we know today.

Sukhothai The Sukhothai kingdom of Thailand (1238–1448) is considered to be the ‘Golden Age of Thailand’. As the first independent Thai state following the decline of the Khmer empire in the early 13th century, it is also believed to signal the beginning of modern Thai history.

The Sukhothai kingdom was a prosperous and plentiful place for the country and its people, one where ‘rivers were full of fish and fields of rice’. It was also a time of relative peace, with good relationships with neighboring countries. During the Sukhothai period, it was believed that kings would keep bells outside of their palaces. If any subject had a grievance, he would ring the bell and the king would come to the gate and dispense justice accordingly. This leadership style was later to become known as ‘father governs children’ and is still relevant today, not only in the palace but also in the hierarchy of Thai companies and organizations.

Although its authenticity has subsequently been questioned, the Thai alphabet was created by King Ramkhamhaeng during this period, evidenced by the discovery of an inscribed tablet, the Ramkhamhaeng Stele. In the script, the king speaks of his benevolent leadership style. King Ramkhamhaeng’s ‘paternal rule’ and the culture and traditions of Sukhothai were later to take on further significance during the 1932 pro-democracy revolution, when scholars argued that it was the ‘Golden Age of Thailand’ that, in fact, had given birth to what was to become a peculiarly Thai style of democracy.

Ayutthaya The Ayutthaya kingdom (1350–1767) is perhaps the best-known ancient Thai kingdom as its capital is still resplendent with historical buildings and artifacts. This period of Thai history witnessed huge economic growth as well as the establishment of relations with foreign traders, especially the Portuguese. With great power came great change and during the Ayutthaya period Thai society became distinctly hierarchical, with the large majority of Thais working as slaves or serfs for landowners, nobles and officials. Unlike the paternalistic rule of the Sukhothai period, the kings of Ayutthaya had absolute power and were perceived as incarnations of gods.

The Ayutthaya period was integral in developing the Thai arts where all members of society, from court officials to artisans and scholars of Buddhist learning joined together to make and decorate the area’s temples and palaces.

But this period in Thai history was also fraught with wars and battles with Burma, which led to the ultimate sacking of the city in 1767 and subsequent destruction of a large number of records, palaces and temples. Despite this, for a long period during the Ayutthaya reign the kingdom was largely considered to be the strongest power in mainland Southeast Asia.

Lanna Much like the Sukhothai kingdom, the Lanna kingdom, which ruled from the 13th to 15th century in northern Thailand, had an incredible influence on Thai society and culture and is still nostalgically regarded.

The Lanna kingdom co-existed during the Sukhothai and Ayutthaya kingdoms, and at its height its power and influence were said to have rivaled Ayutthaya’s with whom it had repeated battles and skirmishes. It was during this period that Lanna’s culture and traditions of what is widely considered as the cultural capital of Thailand, Chiang Mai, were developed and firmly entrenched in Thai culture. Lanna architecture, woodcraft and masonry are easily identifiable and revered today. The kingdom eventually fell to the Burmese in 1558 but returned as a vassal state of Siam in the latter part of the 18th century.

Thonburi and Rattanakosin King Taksin the Great of Thonburi managed to reunite the country the following year, which gave birth to Thailand’s shortest reigning kingdom, the brief age of the Thonburi kingdom (1768–82). The capital of Siam was moved to Thonburi and located on the opposite side of the Chao Phraya River where Bangkok now stands. As a result of numerous internal political problems, King Taksin was reported to have succumbed to stress and was subsequently ordained as a monk, disappearing from sight.

Because of its more advantageous position, Bangkok was then chosen as the new capital city, and in 1782 King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke (Rama I) took over and became the first Chakri (royal ruling house) king in the Rattanakosin kingdom—the dynasty that presently encompasses Thailand.

SIAMESE TWINS

Chang and Eng Bunker (1811–74), who were joined at the sternum, were perhaps the first two Siamese men known to the larger world. Commonly known as the ‘Siamese Twins’, they toured the world as an exhibit of interest before settling and marrying two sisters in North Carolina, USA. Owing to their Chinese ancestry, they were known as the ‘Chinese Twins’ in Siam.

King Rama V, widely considered one of the greatest kings of Siam.

King Rama IV, who provided the inspiration for the play and movie, The King and I.

ROYALTY IN THAILAND

The monarchy in Thailand is highly revered and staunchly protected by the lèse-majesté law. The current King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), is the world’s longest serving monarch and is dearly loved by the people of Thailand.

A testament to the Thai people’s love for the king and the royal family, past and present, is the sheer number of royal portraits in premises throughout the Thai social structure, including homes, factories, offices and roadside garages.

Whether Thai or not, you are expected to show the utmost respect for the Thai royal family, and on occasions that demand it, such as before movie screenings and football matches, stand for the Thai national anthem, which is also played at 8 am and 6 pm every day. In public places, such as busy train platforms or market places, where the anthem is often broadcast through loudspeakers, it is remarkable to see everybody come to a halt.

Color of Love According to both Thai and Khmer astrology, each day of the week is associated with a particular color. As King Bhumibol was born on a Monday, which is associated with yellow, the most loyal of royalists can be identified by their choice of yellow clothing on Mondays. Blue garb is also a popular color to wear on Fridays out of respect for Queen Sirikit’s birthday.

The King’s Predecessors Another much-respected member of the monarchy from the Chakri dynasty was King Rama IV or King Mongkut. Reigning from 1851 to 1868, he was known as the ‘Father of Science and Technology’ for embracing Western technologies and innovations, effectively beginning Thailand’s modernization process. He also hired English and American missionaries to teach the princes English, and Western mercenaries to train Siamese troops.

King Mongkut’s son, Chulalongkorn the Great, otherwise known as King Rama V (1868–1910), was also a hugely popular king. He is credited with abolishing the slave trade in Thailand, (depicted on the back of the B100 note), building railways, introducing electricity and through various reforms in the Thai feudal system and his influence in ‘modernizing Siam’, continuing to save the country from Western colonization.

The Man Who Brought Democracy

One Thai who has had immeasurable influence on modern Thailand is former prime minister Pridi Banomyong. He was one of the leaders of the 1932 Pro-Democracy Coup that saw the end of absolute monarchy and the adoption of the current and more popular constitutional monarchy. Pridi helped draft a new constitution and was, and still is, seen as a controversial figure in Thai history. He spent his remaining years in exile in France. After a generation overseas, his grandson, Ariya Banomyong, has returned to Thailand and is the current manager of Google in Thailand.

Making Siam ‘Civilized’

Another influential but controversial figure among Thais is Field Marshal Luang ‘Plaek’ (Strange) Phibunsongkhram, who is also a former prime minister of Thailand. Phibunsongkhram was charged with inculcating a sense of nationalism among Thai people during his time in the National Assembly and Thai military. Through various mandates, he ordered the Thais to learn the national anthem, salute the flag in public and communicate in public only in the Thai language.

Phibunsongkhram was also responsible for promoting the use of forks and spoons instead of hands for eating and adopting more Western attire. Indeed, up until a 1940 Thai Cultural Mandate, the common traditional costume for women, especially in rural areas, was a wrapped sarong and little else. Despite being the son of a Chinese immigrant, he was also responsible for the launch of numerous anti-Chinese policies and the closing down of Chinese schools all over Thailand. Many older Thai people remember him for his simple and easy to remember mandate of ‘Wear a hat and become civilized.’

Like his political nemesis Pridi, Phibunsongkhram died in exile, his final years being spent in Japan.

Field Marshal Luang ‘Plaek’ (Strange) Phibunsongkhram

THE COLOR OF POLITICS

Thaksin Shinawatra is a former prime minister of Thailand (2001–6) who remains both revered and disliked. After courting previously neglected rural Thai voters, he won two landslide election victories and arguably changed the face of Thai politics forever. Many of his policies, including providing universal affordable health coverage and low-interest agricultural loans, were hugely effective and consolidated his support base among the poorer classes.

Thaksin’s emerging power and popularity unsettled the élite, the middle classes and Thailand’s traditional establishment who had, almost exclusively, been in the political driving seat for decades.

Thaksin is also controversial for leading Thailand’s ‘War on Drugs’, which saw around 2,275 drug traffickers and addicts killed over a three-month period in 2003. The government claimed that only 50 deaths were the result of police actions, the rest being assassinations and revenge attacks by drug dealers and gangs. In 2006, the telecommunications billionaire was stripped of his family fortune of $1.4 billion by the Supreme Court after being found guilty of corruption. Since then, half has been returned. He lives in self-imposed exile in Dubai following protests led by the conservative royalist People’s Alliance for Democracy (its supporters known as Yellow Shirts), which overthrew his government in December 2006 while he was abroad—one of 19 military coups and attempted coups since the founding of the constitutional monarchy in 1932.

After Abhisit Vejjajiva from the People’s Alliance for Democracy replaced Thaksin as prime minister, supporters of Thaksin, made up of mostly poor and rural Thais, known colloquially as Red Shirts, have clashed many times with the Yellow Shirts. During the tenure of what the Red Shirts consider the illegal, undemocratic and unlawful appointment of Abhisit, there have been numerous Red Shirt protests. The most notable occurred in 2010, when hundreds of thousands of Red Shirt protesters took to the streets. Violent clashes between the protesters and the military left 92 dead and more than 2,000 injured.

A protestor waves a flag at the popular pro-democracy site, the Victory Monument, in Bangkok.

Thousands gathered every day in the capital, listening to speeches, attending rallies and mainly blowing whistles.

Many of the protesters in 2013–14 were unified in their anti-Shinawatra sentiments.

In 2011, Thaksin’s sister Yingluck Shinawatra, leader of the Pheu Thai party, was elected prime minister. One of the populist policies on the Pheu Thai party’s agenda for 2013 was to pass a blanket amnesty bill which would have retroactively exonerated political criminals from crimes they had committed. This would have allowed her exiled brother Thaksin Shinawatra to return to Thailand without fear of charges. Needless to say, the Thai people opposed and supported the plan in equal numbers.

Support for Sale

The Red Shirts and Yellow Shirts are not officially aligned with any political party. Rather, they are independent supporter groups. Many believe that the two high-profile supporter groups could one day officially launch their own political parties.

WHAT TO DO BUT LAUNCH A COUP

When Yingluck Shinawatra, the leader of the Pheu Thai Party, won a landslide victory in the 2011 elections, many Thais were prepared to give her a chance despite the fact that she was the sister of the deposed Thaksin Shinawatra. For others, old wounds heal slowly and allegations came swiftly that she was merely a puppet for a political party that Thaksin would still be controlling.

The final straw for the non-believers came in November 2013 when Yingluck attempted to pass a broad amnesty bill that would, in effect, allow Thaksin to return to Thailand where he would not face any charges nor serve the two years in prison that he was sentenced to in absentia, and, most controversially, have all his seized assets returned. Anti-government protests quickly formed up and down the country, especially in Democrat stronghold areas like Bangkok and Phuket, with pockets of protesters traveling to Bangkok to join the street marches. Their aim, as seen on various items of merchandise made quickly available, was to Shut Down Bangkok in order to Restart Bangkok.

SUTHEP STEPS UP

Former Democrat Party Secretary-General Suthep Thaugsuban quickly became a figurehead and spokesperson for the anti-government protesters, and later formed the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC). Fearing that the present government was so corrupt that any elections or attempted reforms would be rejected or dealt with unfairly, he called for Yingluck to be ousted in favor of installing an unelected people’s council. His aims were dismissed, mainly by outside foreign and international observers, as fanciful and unrealistic. Despite this, Suthep and the protesters, clad in merchandise emblazoned with the Thai flag, continued marching every day, whistles blowing. Donations were collected, often by Suthep himself, which went to cover the cost of providing food and water for the faithful. Protesters set up camp on the streets and even in Lumphini Park and there were regular concerts and speeches to boost morale.

In December 2013, Yingluck dissolved the House of Representatives and scheduled a general election for February 2014. She ignored plans to step down in the interim, maintaining that it was her duty to continue to lead the country as a caretaker prime minister.

DON’T VOTE FOR DEMOCRACY

In the run up to election day, February 2, anti-government protesters called on the Thai people not to vote and on the day itself blocked many polling stations, preventing people from voting. They feared that despite all their whistle blowing, the vast majority of Thais (in the rural north of Thailand at least) would go ahead and vote in a party that was sympathetic to the Red Shirt (Thaksin Shinawatra) cause and all the marching and blowing of whistles would have been for nothing. It was a minor victory for the PDRC but not for democracy, as the elections were nullified in March. This enraged pro-government supporters and there were numerous Red Shirt protests held in retaliation, mainly in the north. As the weeks progressed, there were also mounting rumors that the protesters might be heading to Bangkok. In the meantime, skirmishes between protesters and riot police in the capital had turned violent, leading to 28 deaths, including those of two child protesters. Each group blamed the another and accused the police of siding with the opposing faction.

IT’S NOT A COUP (REALLY...)

Something had to be done. In May 2014, following six months of protests, Yingluck and nine other ministers were removed from office by the Constitutional Court. A few weeks later, martial law was imposed under a law promulgated by King Rama VI almost a hundred years earlier to the day.

Like many generals before him, General Prayut Chan-o-cha, Commander of the Royal Thai Army, launched a coup d’état against the caretaker government. The junta was known as the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO).

From the outset, General Prayut was quick to point out that what was taking place was not a military coup in the traditional sense of the word and there would be no violence. In fact, he stated that the coup was launched to prevent the kind of violence that was being seen at that time in Ukraine. Many Thais and visiting foreigners seemed to agree, with some posing for pictures with bemused soldiers holding machine guns.

HAPPINESS FESTIVALS

Throughout the month of June 2014, the Royal Thai Army staged a number of ‘Happiness Festivals’ in the capital, including at the highly symbolic site of the Victory Monument, popular with protesters past and present, with the aim of restoring happiness to the people. Activities included music concerts, free movie screenings, a petting zoo, free haircuts, free meals and even a sexy coyote performance.

Apart from a few tourists intent on obtaining a soldier selfie, there were many more who were wary of the political situation in Thailand and visitor numbers plummeted.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand hit upon the idea of promoting Martial Law Tourism, stating that, in fact, the country was now safer than ever, what with soldiers, machine guns at the ready, guarding the streets.

Following the murder of two British backpackers in late 2014, the Thai Tourism Minister stated that she had another idea to ensure the safety of the country’s visitors: every single one of them would be asked to wear a wristband containing a serial number that corresponded with their ID, which would work much like a sort of rudimentary tracking device. It was met with a mixture of incredulity and ridicule and the idea was soon dropped. A curfew for tourists was another idea that was quickly dismissed.

From July 2014 onwards, the sight of soldiers in the streets became less and less common and life returned to as normal as it has ever been for the Thai people.

Despite the ‘it’s not a coup’ claims, a curfew was swiftly imposed from 10 am to 5 pm, which quickly had the desired effect of removing the protest camps that were sporadically placed throughout the capital and elsewhere in the country, regardless of color.

BACK TO ‘NORMAL’

Once the coup was imposed and the country was, for the twelfth time, under military rule, Thailand began to return to a sense of military normalcy that almost every generation since 1932 had experienced at one time or another. Suthep shaved his head, joined the monkhood and disappeared from public view for the next few months, while Yingluck went abroad to catch up with her brother. Towards the end of the year, however, she began to be spotted at glitzy events in the capital. The good times weren’t to last, however. In January 2015, Yingluck, despite no longer being in office, was impeached and banned from participating in politics for five years.

The NCPO had cleared the streets and seemed to have been successful in reminding the two warring factions about what really mattered. All that remained was to try to convince the general public that they were doing the right thing. And so began the Happiness campaign in June 2014.

HARDLINE POLITICS

Although the NCPO initially said that it was their ultimate intention to hold elections in the latter part of 2015, when Prime Minister Prayut would step down, the former general also hinted on a number of occasions, especially on his weekly Friday night TV address, Kuen Kwam Suk (Returning Happiness), that this would only be the case if he thought that the government and Thai society were in a stable enough position for him to do so.

Although martial law was finally lifted in April 2015, it was quickly replaced with the invocation of Article 44 from the interim constitution. Commonly referred to as ‘dictator law’, it gave Prayut absolute power to override any branch of government as long as such actions were done in the name of national security.

Prayut, Suthep and Thaksin were front page news for much of 2014 and 2015.

Protestors changed tack, from anti-Shinawatra to anti-coup, in 2014.

THE LAND OF PLENTY

Once touted as a land of plenty because of its rich, varied and abundant agricultural products, Thailand is still able to make such claims, albeit in a slightly more corporate and less romanticized rural way. It continues to have one of the lowest levels of unemployment in the world.

The story of the Thai economy really began to change pace, along with its main characters, when King Rama V, in an attempt to sidestep the sort of bloodshed seen during the American Civil War, abolished slavery and serfdom in 1905. From then onwards, opportunities were available not only to wealthy landowners and noblemen but also to a new wave of entrepreneurs and merchants. Soon after, the export of agricultural products, including most significantly rice, became paramount in the steady growth of the economy and Thailand’s inclusion in the global market.

A cultural and economical hangover from Siam’s reliance on serfdom is, arguably, still present in Thai society. As such, living like a king or a queen, or at the very least a master, is relatively achievable, at least for the middle and upper classes. Taking taxis everywhere, eating out every day, having regular massages and employing gardeners, maids and cleaners is not seen as particularly indulgent for a large percentage of the kingdom’s residents. Of course, this is only made possible by Thailand’s huge socio-economic disparity, its ingrained, clearly defined hierarchical structures and its slew of servile jobs. In Thailand, there are whistle-blowing car park attendants, guards who appear to be guarding little more than their plastic seats, well-dressed doormen employed solely to salute customers at shopping malls, and countless other subservient jobs that have disappeared from many a developed country’s workplace.

Gender inequality is another remnant of traditional Thai culture that hasn’t dramatically changed over the years. Although women can be found on construction sites, collecting trash and generally doing any job that men do, they also tend to earn, on average, 81 percent of what men earn for doing the same job. Thai women have to compete with very traditional, stereotypical and downright sexist views, both inside and outside the office. At home, they are expected to take care of the children and perform all domestic duties, all of which are done with virtually no governmental assistance.

Most Thais work long, hard days, the average being from 8 am to 6 pm, five days a week, often with a half or full day on Saturday.

Although rice fields can still be found in the countryside, many rural Thais have migrated to the cities to find work.

WHEN DISASTER STRIKES

As long as Thai workers have not been fired or have left their position without due cause, they are eligible for up to 15,000 baht (US$450) unemployment benefit per month, depending on the amount of social security contributions they have made. Although this may not seem like a huge amount, the minimum wage in Thailand is just 300 baht a day ($9), so 15,000 baht a month is actually a well above average monthly amount.

Any Thai who earns less than 150,000 baht (US$4,500) per year is exempt from paying tax, meaning, in effect, that a huge percentage of the Thai population and workforce do not pay taxes or make any social security contributions whatsoever. This includes Thailand’s street vendors, fruit sellers, DVD merchants, tourist touts, illegal taxi drivers, and all those employed in cash-in-hand industries. A downside of this seemingly kind concession is that should disaster strike and they find themselves unable to sell pineapples, or without customers, then they will invariably find themselves on their own, unable to receive any help from the state. In Thailand, one must be part of and pay into the system to benefit from it.

Foreigners in Thailand who find themselves in a similar situation are also rarely entitled to any financial support despite the significant tax and social security payments they may have made. This is because a foreigner’s residence and status as a non-tourist in Thailand is usual dependent on having a work permit. Once that is taken away, so too are the majority of a foreigner’s rights to aid.

It is fortunate, therefore, that at least statistically Thailand enjoys one of the lowest unemployment rates in the world, standing at around 0.8 percent.

THE NEW THAILAND

A walk around any Thai supermarket or shopping mall, where an unbelievable number of smartphone-using staff are sitting down and chatting, is testimony to the unnecessarily high level of employment in Thailand. From the spare tire store worker whose only duty appears to be glancing slightly over the shoulder of an unattended customer to the staff who monitor and wield flashlights while commuters walk through metal detectors at train stations, many of Thailand’s shops, stores and industries seem to employ around a third more workers than a foreigner is normally used to. Indeed, it often appears that Thailand creates a job and employs somebody to complete a task that only needs doing because it wasn’t done by the relevant person in the first place.

Do not make the misguided assumption, however, that this increase in numbers of staff correlates with an increase in productivity or efficiency. Asking the whereabouts of an item in a Thai store merely results in an extended game of Chinese whispers. Salaries being so low, combined with staff numbers being so high, often results in either an unwillingness or an unrequited ability to think or perform a duty outside the very narrow remit of a job.

The flip side of the 100 baht note depicts King Rama V freeing slaves.

CAN I HELP YOU?

Appearances are doubly deceptive, with many economists suggesting that Thai employment figures probably aren’t as rosy as they first appear. A significant percentage, they suggest, are merely not officially unemployed or are working fewer than 20 hours per week. There are also many Thai workers, especially in the tourist industry, who suffer from off-season unemployment.

As millions of Thais are not required to pay tax, the knock-on effect contributes to the woefully inadequate welfare system, which often means little or no help when Thais get down on their luck and really need it.

Like many welfare programs in Thailand, child care, and even a knowledge of it, is mainly only available to those within the system and those who have made social security contributions. For those who have, a pilot child welfare program was launched in 2015 that equates to, on average, around 400 baht (US$12) a month for children up to one year old. After that, parents are on their own. In contrast, the Thai government is more accommodating towards senior citizens, regardless of whether they have paid social security during their lifetime. They qualify for a state pension of 600 baht per month in their sixties, 700 baht in their seventies and so on.

Some 40 percent of Thailand’s work-force is engaged in the agricultural sector, 40 percent in service industries and 20 percent in manufacturing. The combined success of the manufacturing and service industries, alongside Thailand’s strong, steady industry of agricultural exports, has resulted in a reduction in the number of people living below the poverty line from 65 percent in 1988 to 13 percent in 2011. According to the World Bank, Thailand is one of the great development success stories of the 20th century.

Long commutes to work are often part of the daily slog.

Four hands are not necessarily better than two.

THE THAI LANGUAGE

With seemingly lax one-size-fits-all rules regarding tenses, relatively simple sentence structures and mainly monosyllabic words, the Thai language appears to be one of the easier constructed languages.

Once you dig deeper, however, you will learn that the tonal language of Thai, with its subtle nuances, is incredibly difficult to master. There are also different dialects depending on region, and particular words, sentence structures and phrases that are only used in certain circumstances. There are even different registers, including Religious Thai and Royal Thai. There are also masculine and feminine versions of some Thai words. Krab for men and ka for women, as polite particles to end sentences, are the most commonly used.

The spoken language of Thai is purported to have originated from the border of Vietnam and China and has similarities with the languages of Laos, Myanmar and northern Vietnam. In fact, around 70 percent of the words from the Thai dialect of Isan (bordering Laos) and the Lao language are the same, as is the sentence structure. Despite these similarities, however, there are still enough differences to mean that someone who speaks only Thai, Thai Isan or Lao will not necessarily be able to understand other languages.

‘THAI ONLY’

The majority of residents of the rural Thai area of Isan are ethnic Lao and as such are bilingual. Although Thai is now taught and used in schools, as decreed by Field Marshal Plaek through his process of ‘Thaification’, a mixture of Thai and Lao is used in the social environment. ‘Thaification’ was also imposed on the Chinese community in Thailand, resulting in the teaching of Chinese being banned in favor of the Thai language.

HARDER THAN IT LOOKS

On paper, it gets harder, with written Thai at first, second and third glance resembling little more than a series of squiggles. It is believed to have been introduced during the reign of the third Sukhothai sovereign, King Ramkhamhaeng, in 1283. Written Thai was based on the pre-existing Pali, Sanskrit and Indian writing systems and has remained largely unchanged since its inception.

One of the most difficult aspects of the language is that unlike English and other European ‘alphabet languages’, Thai is a tonal (phonemic) language. This means it contains a much greater degree of variation in the pronunciation of its syllables. There are five lexical tones in Thai (low, mid, high, falling, rising), which makes for a very melodic but consequently hard to decipher language. For example, the word mai means ‘new’ if said with a low tone, ‘no’ if said with a falling tone, ‘silk’ if said with a rising tone but creates a question if used at the end of a sentence.

Thai people have a great love of puns and double entendres as heard in the sometimes risqué molam (country music) lyrics, which adds to the complexity.

HEARING THE DIFFERENCE

The Thai written language uses a phonemic alphabet of 44 consonants and 32 vowels. Perhaps because of the diversity and range of sounds, most Thais carry all their lives a school-learned mnemonic picture association with every consonant, for example, gaw gai (chicken), taw tao (turtle), law ling (monkey). In fact, tones are so important that quite often a Thai speaker will add extra sounds when speaking a foreign language. This is most noticeably done when an extra vowel is added between two consecutive consonants. ‘Steak’ becomes ‘st-ay-ke’ and ‘stamp’ becomes ‘sa-ta-m’. Sometimes the Thai speaker may just decide to omit sounding one of the consonants altogether.

Believed by some, but not all, to be the first example of Thai writing.

Easy as A, B, C. Most start off by learning the Thai alphabet.

Although many signs are also in English, there is no guarantee you won’t get lost.

GRUNT LIKE A LOCAL

All manner of grunts, exclamations and interjections pepper Thai conversation. Here are some of the most common you’re likely to hear:

Aow! Used to show either surprise or disappointment.

Hoh! Used to show admiration or astonishment.

Ore! Used to show sudden realization, understanding.

Eh! Used to show confusion.

Oie! Used to show anger or frustration.

Uh! Used to show acknowledgement that the person you’re speaking to has finally understood.

The characters are written left to right, and spaces are only used to indicate the end of a sentence, not to separate words. The Thai language also has its own set of Thai numerals based on the Hindu Arabic numeral system, but nowadays the standard Western system is more common. Thai numerals can, however, still sometimes be seen, especially at places employing a dual pricing system.

Scholars fear that more letters, sounds and, of course, cute accompanying pictures will be lost to future generations as younger Thais seek new, quick and easy ways to communicate in text-speak.

In Thailand, a popular way of showing the ‘efficiency’ of the large smartphone screen is by showing a young Thai texting quickly on the ‘large-enough-screen’ that can accommodate all of the Thai letters, consonants and vowels.

Learning TINGLISH

Anybody who stays in Thailand for an extended period, even if they make little or no effort to learn Thai, will find they will begin to possess a rudimentary level of ‘Tinglish’—a hybrid of Thai and English based on existing Thai rules of grammar and cultural practices.

Tinglish tends to omit pronouns and the verb ‘to be’ as these are not necessarily used in the Thai language. For example, instead of saying “We don’t have...,” a cashier might say, in Tinglish,“No have,” as this is the most accurate translation from the Thai for Mai mee.

Walk past any taxi driver in the kingdom and the likelihood of him enquiring in Tinglish “Where you go?” is not necessarily rude and intrusive but merely a direct translation of the common Thai greeting/enquiry Bai nai? (“Go where?”)

Also quite common in Tinglish is the addition of a Thai particle, for example, ka/krab/na, at the end of a perfectly well-constructed English sentence to indicate polite conduct, as these particles are always used to end a sentence if the speaker wishes to speak formally. I hope you understand krab.

Other common mistakes made in Tinglish include:

I am boring = I am bored

Although it may initially seem like a refreshingly honest statement, it is likely that the Thai speaker merely wishes to convey their lack of interest in a particular activity. This misuse of the present continuous is simply a result of not understanding or remembering the difference in use and meaning. The Thai equivalent of bored (beau) and boring (naa beau) is created in a totally different way.

I play Internet = I go on/use the Internet

This is simply a case of first language interference, as in Thai the verb len (play) is used in conjunction with all games, including football and computers. In Thai, to work is associated with making money, while to play is any activity that doesn’t involve making money.

Same, same = Similar/the same

The doubling up of ‘same’ is, again, a result of direct translation. In Thai, one way of saying ‘similar’ can be deeokwan deeokwan or khlai khlai gap.

After a few months of living in Thailand, do not be surprised if some bad grammatical habits start to form. As there are no articles (‘a’, ‘an’, ‘the’) in Thai, and pronouns are largely omitted, new arrivals may suddenly find themselves speaking a rather neanderthal version of English, with utterances like “Want beer”.

There is also no Thai equivalent of ‘some’ or ‘any’, and when forming a question in Thai, the subject normally begins the sentence. This means that once the feckless foreigner masters the modern art of Tinglish, he will probably begin constructing sentences like “Beer have?” It’s not all bad though, as he is likely to also add krab on the end of every sentence.

THAILAND’S MOST IMPORTANT RELIGIOUS SITES

Many of the most stunning and historically significant Thai wat (temples) are located in the cities of Ayutthaya, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and, of course, Bangkok. Thai temples are often used for multiple purposes and are therefore central to Thai life.

Some Thai temples act as rehabilitation centers, while others serve as festival venues. Some host huge annual temple fairs, complete with funfair rides, games, contests, live music and an obligatory Thai market. Entry to temples in Thailand is free for Thais but there may be a small entry fee for foreign visitors.

Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn) is located on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok. This iconic riverside structure is breathtaking and when viewed from the water the temple’s reflection makes for a truly memorable experience, especially at sunset or sunrise. This beautiful structure is further characterized by its two central prang (spires), decorated with multicolored ceramic, that seem to stretch right up into the sky.

Wat Arun is a particularly beautiful Bangkok temple, especially when viewed at sunset. Although more like a theme park than a tranquil place of contemplation, the Grand Palace attracts thousands of visitors every day.

Another popular temple site is Wat Phra Mahatat in Ayutthaya. The temple ruins are in a similar state to other sites in Ayutthaya. However, it is the spectacular Buddha image embedded in a tree trunk that prompts many to visit. Theories vary as to its existence. Most Thais believe that Burmese ransackers had tried to steal the head, failed because of its weight, dropped it and that trees had subsequently grown around it.

Wat Pho

As its name suggests, Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha) contains a 151 ft (46 m) long gold leaf-covered reclining Buddha statue. It is the biggest temple complex in Bangkok and is home to the Thai Traditional Medical and Massage School, where weary travelers can revive their aching feet, shoulders and body with a traditional Thai massage for a very reasonable price. Aspiring masseurs can even take a Thai massage course.

A patron receives a traditional Thai massage at the Wat Pho Thai Traditional Medical and Massage School.

Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) is perhaps the most important temple in the whole of Thailand. Situated within the grounds of the Grand Palace, the exquisite structure contains a Buddha image dating from the 15th century, raised high upon a platform.

Wat Saket (Temple of the Golden Mount) in Bangkok dates back to the Ayutthaya kingdom. The Golden Mount refers to the manmade mound upon which the temple sits. To reach the top of the mount, worshippers and visitors have to climb 300 steps. The crowning glory of Wat Saket is the wonderful golden chedi (stupa).

Wat Suthat is not only one of the largest temples in Bangkok (it covers around 10 acres/4 ha) but also one of the oldest. A huge red teak arch at the entrance is all that remains of a giant swing that once welcomed visitors to the complex. Inside the complex are wonderful murals, numerous pagodas and a 25 ft (7.6 m) tall bronze Buddha image.

Wat Benchamabophit

Wat Benchamabophit is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful temples in Thailand. Designed by Prince Naris, a brother of the king at the time, it stands out from the majority of temples in Bangkok as it uses the finest Italian marble. This major tourist attraction draws huge numbers of visitors who come to marvel at the majesty and beauty of the temple and its 52 Buddha statues that decorate the exterior.

Wat Rakhang

Wat Rakhang (Bell Temple) is a popular temple for visitors who wish to ring in good fortune to their lives. The ringing of the temple bell is a common practice for those wishing to bring positive influence in their life. Wat Rakhang is also well known for its artistic exterior design.

Housed in Wat Traimit in Chinatown, Bangkok, is the world’s largest golden-seated Buddha. Carved in solid gold, the 5 ft (1.5 m) high statue, which weighs around 5 tons, is believed to date back to the Sukhothai period. It is well worth a visit if only to learn more about the interesting story of the structure.

Wat Ratchabophit is a temple designed in rather a unique manner and is well worth a visit. Although its layout includes a traditional Thai circular courtyard, complete with golden chedi, the interior design of the temple was heavily influenced by the gilded Italian architecture of the time. There is also a royal cemetery in the temple grounds.

The otherworldly design of the interior of Wat Paknam is strikingly beautiful. Unlike other traditional Thai temples, the ornate décor is colored with unconventional light blues and reds, and unusual shapes and hues. The temple is also well known for its meditation lessons, and monks here instruct in Buddhism and meditation in both English and Thai and therefore attract many visitors each day.

Another Thai temple worthy of mention is Wat Rong Khun (White Temple) in Chiang Rai. As its name suggests, it is a completely white structure (representing purity) that would not look out of place in a Lord of the Rings movie. The unconventional temple was designed in 1997 by Chalermchai Kositpipat, who once said that it would never be finished in his lifetime. He plans to build—or have someone build—another nine dream-like structures and aims to have them all finished by 2070.

OTHER PLACES OF WORSHIP

Thailand is also home to some beautiful Christian churches. Increasingly of late, more and more Russian Orthodox churches have sprung up around the kingdom. One incredible structure, built in a classic cross-shaped plan and topped with a gold onion-shaped dome, is the Church of the Holy Trinity Church in Phuket.

Because of the relatively large Muslim population in Thailand, there is understandably more than a fair share of spectacular mosques in the kingdom. A stand-out mosque is the Pattani Grand Mosque, situated in the troubled south of the country. Easily the largest mosque in Thailand, the Pattani Grand Mosque, opened in 1963, is also widely regarded as one of the hundred most beautiful mosques in the world, with the large dome in the center and four smaller surrounding ones often drawing comparisons with India’s Taj Mahal.

The best-known Sikh temple (Gurdwara) in Thailand is located in Bangkok. The structure that stands today, the Siri Guru Singh Sabha, was originally built in 1933. Located in the Phra Nakhon district, known to the locals as Little India, this six-story temple, trimmed in gold and topped by a gold dome, is steeped in Sikh culture and heritage.

Owing to the sizable Nepalese community in Thailand, there are also a number of Nepalese temples in the country, including Phuket. A temple stands at the top of Patong hill and is immediately recognizable and distinguishable from Thai Buddhist temples owing to the use of more vibrant and mixed colors and, of course, the representation of the multitude of Hindu gods.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THAI BUDDHISM

If you’re an early riser in Thailand and regardless of whether you’re in the metropolis of Bangkok or the smallest village in Surat Thani, it is likely you will see orange-robed monks walking through the neighborhood giving blessings and receiving alms.

Around 95 percent of Thais are Buddhists, the highest percentage of Buddhist nationals in the world. The Thai version of Buddhism is chiefly derived from the Theravada or southern school of Buddhism, which originated in Sri Lanka, but over time has incorporated elements of Thai myths and folk stories and, owing to the large Thai Chinese population, various Chinese gods. Thai Buddhism has also been heavily influenced by Hinduism.

In 2013, following the death of Kanchanaburi born Supreme Patriarch Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara, who was also Sangha Leader of the Buddhist World as bestowed by the World Fellowship of Buddhists, King Bhumibol ordered a 30-day national mourning period.

The importance of Buddhism in Thailand cannot be understated. Around 50 percent of Thai boys and young men typically enter the monkhood or become ordained at least once in their lifetime. King Mongkut himself was a monk for 27 years. In days gone by, the king of Thailand was seen as a protector of the religion. Kings, queens, princes and princesses therefore take part in religious ceremonies, attend services and make merit each year.

MAKING MERIT

Thai people ‘make merit’ (do good things as prescribed through religious doctrine), whether giving alms to monks or visiting temples on birthdays, significant dates and religious holidays. They make merit to bring inner happiness, become successful, gain guidance and cease earthly desires.

It is quite common for a Thai home to have some sort of Buddhist shrine, complete with Buddha image, to which family members pray, meditate or make merit. Outside homes and places of business, daily food offerings are made to the spirits and ancestors in a bid to appease them.

MULTIPURPOSE MONASTERIES

Many Buddhist temples in Thailand double up as retreats or places of rehabilitation. Each year, thousands of young Thai offenders are dispatched to their local temple for guidance, instruction or therapy. Treatment often involves taking an alcohol or drug vow against the use of either for a certain period of time. Attendees also purge themselves regularly and drink herbal concoctions that make them vomit into large trough-like areas in the temple.

A much-revered monk, who ran the country’s largest drug rehabilitation program at Wat Thamkrabok in Saraburi province, was former police officer Phra Chamroon Panchan. His treatment of those suffering from narcotic addiction was internationally recognized. In the 1970s, at the end of the Vietnam War, the temple also became a shelter for up to 30,000 hill tribe (Hmong) refugees from Laos. Controversy has, however, surrounded the temple since it was first used as a rehabilitation center in 1959, and in 2003 the Thai military sent hundreds of troops to the temple to investigate accusations that the temple was being used as a base for drug and arms trafficking. As a result, the Hmong were fenced into the temple grounds for more than a year. The fencing has since been removed.

Novice monks accept morning alms at Amphawa Floating Market.

Monks set out to get their daily food donations.

MONKEY BUSINESS

Although Buddhism in Thailand is arguably as strong as it ever was, there is a gradual sense that many, especially among the younger generation, are becoming somewhat disillusioned. The year 2013, especially, was not a good one for Thai Buddhist monks, with many being caught on camera carrying Louis Vuitton bags, shopping for iPhones and even endorsing air humidifiers. Such ‘vulgar’ displays of consumerism and earthly objects are strictly against the principles of Dharma (law of nature) and, as such, were met with much condemnation in Thailand. According to the National Office of Buddhism, there are around 61,000 monks in Thailand.

The disgraced, disrobed Luang Pu Nen Kham.

Phra Chamroon Panchan died in 1999, aged 73, but the temple still offers help to Thai and foreign addicts who wish to experience a Buddhist approach to drug rehabilitation. There have been a number of famous Westerners who have completed treatment at Wat Thamkrabok.

ISLAM IN THAILAND

Islam is Thailand’s largest minority religion and is practiced by around 7.5 million people, or about 12 percent of the population. The majority of Thai Muslims are ethnically Malay, and speak Malay as well as Thai, but there are also many of Middle Eastern, Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Cambodian origin.

Although Thai Muslims and mosques are scattered throughout the kingdom, the highest concentration of Thai Muslims is in Bangkok while 18 percent live in the southernmost provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala, and Satun bordering Malaysia. The former Islamic sultanates of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat were handed to Thailand by British Malaya as part of the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 that defined the modern border between the two nations.

In many areas of Thailand, Muslim communities live peacefully side by side with Buddhist communities. However, there is serious and very real unrest in southern Thailand, with an increasing level of fighting between Muslim military insurgents and the Thai army in the three main Muslim provinces. The conflict has seen almost 6,000 people—Muslims and soldiers—killed since 2004. A large percentage of residents in the majority Muslim areas in the south feel they are under-represented at a political level and would like to have independence from Thailand, and insurgents are therefore fighting for autonomy.

Thai Muslim girls enjoy a cold drink.

Bang Tao Mosque.

OTHER RELIGIONS IN THAILAND

Despite a relatively small number of followers, Hinduism has had a huge impact on Thailand’s culture and its interpretation of Buddhism. The clearest example of the religion’s influence is the adoption and adaptation of the Hindu epic Ramayana into the Thai version, the Ramakien, which came to be used as inspiration for Thai theater productions, dances, songs, art, and even modern-day Thai soap opera plots.

There is also a small community of Sikhs, mostly engaged in the business sector in Thailand, with high numbers in the larger cities of Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket.

Christianity was introduced to Thailand by European missionaries as early as the 1550s and the missions played an important role as agents for the transmission of Western ideas, such as medicine and education. Soon after, King Narai ordered the building of St Joseph’s Church in Ayutthaya for the use of missionaries and foreign religious workers and local converts, mostly Chinese. There are currently around 500,000 Christians in Thailand.

Attendees dress up to celebrate a Hindu festival in Phuket.

The White Church in Samut Songkhram.

GHOSTS IN THE VILLAGE

Tales of ghosts, spirits and un-earthly beings are not just reserved for Halloween in Thailand. It is quite common to see shrines, better known as spirit houses, erected in a prominent spot outside homes, offices, hotels and other buildings in order to provide an appealing shelter to wandering spirits. Offerings must be presented regularly at these spirit houses.

Many ghost stories have their origin in traditional Thai folklore and animism but have also become intertwined and adapted by traditional Buddhist mythology. The omnipresence and continued popularity of the Thai spirit world can also be seen in the recurring theme of both good and evil ghosts in Thai movies and Thai soap operas. In 2013, Thai ghost movie Pee Mak became the highest selling Thai movie of all time.

Villagers in the northeast and rural communities of Thailand still believe in black magic and ghosts. They will sometimes wear bracelets made by monks to protect themselves from harmful ghosts. One of the most common ghosts terrorizing rural communities is Pee Mae Mai, a lonely widow, who is believed to prey on the men of a village. If a large number of men die or disappear from a particular community, Pee Mae Mai is believed to be responsible and is thought to be lurking about. Villagers will rush to make basic puppets of men, often fashioned from sticks with coconuts on top, to hang outside, along with a sign that reads ‘No men inside’ in a bid to throw Pee Mae Mai off the scent.

Another feared ghost is a female witch called Pop, who uses black magic to destroy or haunt people, make them fall in love or get sick. By day she could be the rice seller at a popular restaurant, but at night she becomes a ghost and exists to haunt villagers. It is believed that a tell-tale sign of a Pop is somebody who eats raw, live meat or perhaps a whole chicken. Even today, it is quite popular for villagers to organize witch-hunts to seek out and kill a village Pop.

Spirit houses are highly visible outside public buildings and private residences.

A teenager reads a Thai ghost comic.

THAI FOLKLORE

The importance of myths and folklore and how they interweave and are relevant to Thai cultural thinking is not to be taken lightly. Stories of spirits and of mythical creatures are to Thailand what fairy tales and superheroes are to the West, and are similarly used as cautionary tales and to entertain successive generations.

The fact that so many Thais still carry charms, wear amulets, make merit and choose particular phone numbers is a clear indication that myths and folklore are still an influential part of everyday Thai life, if not perhaps as widespread and staunchly believed today.

Some Thais choose auspicious dates to buy cars to avoid accidents. Some don’t point at rainbows to avoid losing their finger and many don’t have their hair cut on a Wednesday to steer clear of bad luck. All have their origins in Thai mythology and folklore.

Even today, Thai TV shows featuring fortune-tellers and clairvoyants or people recounting their experiences with ghosts and spirits is a common staple. Each year there are tales of hauntings, possessions and things that go bump in the night, which are, in a cyclical manner, given credence and reaffirmation with the regular coverage. As Thai belief decrees that a premature death often results in ghosts haunting the area in which someone died until they are given an official and religious send-off, news of ghostly sightings following the 2004 Thai tsunami became commonplace in newspapers and on TV shows, with one story in particular quickly cementing its placement as a modern Thai myth.

A ‘lucky’ 20 baht fish.

STORIES BECOME MYTHS

Apparently, a few weeks after the tsunami, a Phuket taxi driver was flagged down by four tourists who asked to be taken to the airport.

On the journey there, they all chatted freely until they arrived at their destination. Upon turning around to inform his passengers that they had arrived, the driver found that his cab was empty. As a result of such tales, and in order to encourage ghost-fearing visitors back to the island post-tsunami, hundreds of monks took to the beaches to perform cleansing ceremonies and allow the restless spirits to be able to depart this world.

In 2013, upon apparently seeing the ghost of an old lady in the sleepy beach-side town of Khao Lak, near Phuket, 21 schoolgirls and one schoolboy were taken to hospital, checked and treated for fear of mass possession.

A Thai cultural theme show, like Siam Niramit, is a great place to go for a crash course in Thai myths.

In the past, but to a lesser extent today, mor duu (fortune-tellers) occupied the same cultural space that psychiatrists, careers advisers and doctors do in the West. Some Thais also go to mor phi (witch doctors) for help with invisible spirits, to avoid difficulties, to remove bad luck or even to place a curse on an enemy.

CAN I HAVE YOUR NUMBER?

Many Thais believe the number nine is an incredibly auspicious and lucky number and go to great lengths to get number plates and phone numbers bearing as many nines as possible. King Bhumibol is also Rama IX in the Chakri dynasty, which earns him an extra special place in people’s hearts.

At the other end of the scale is the number 25, or, more specifically being 25. Thais consider this a particularly precarious stage of life, where one is more likely to get involved in accidents or be a victim of misfortune. In order to counter bad karma, many 25 year olds make merit and visit temples in the hope of banishing bad luck.

Considering Thais’ preoccupation with the meaning behind numbers, it is not surprising that the only legal form of gambling in Thailand is the lottery. Interestingly, the ‘underground lottery’ (based on the last two or three digits of the government lottery) is much more popular. Except for a few government sanctioned arenas, gambling at every other event is illegal.

THE SPIRIT OF BUDDHISM

Before the introduction of Buddhism, Thais believed in animism, along with other forms of what is commonly referred to as folk religions. They worshipped spirits, practiced magic and used talismans. Over time, the main tenet of animism—that natural entities, including plants, animals and even inanimate objects like shrines and statues, contain spiritual souls—became intermingled with Buddhist and Hindu philosophy and tales. Contemporary Thai Buddhist spirituality, therefore, is quite an eclectic mixture of superstitions and beliefs. Ghosts and mythical characters remain popular in Thailand, especially the ones that take on animal forms or have a grounding with their natural surroundings.

The ghost of Pee Nang Takian, for example, haunts Takian trees (Hopea odorata), and it is believed that if such trees are ever felled she will haunt the area and bring great misfortune to the person(s) responsible.

Although over time Thais’ reliance on the land and its animals, and by extension their relationship with nature, waned, the beliefs evolved to become superstitions, and it is still therefore common to see various animal-inspired talismans adorning the walls of Thai businesses, for example, a spider, which helps trap passing custom in the traders’ proverbial webs.

Even the Thai national emblem is a half man/half eagle character called Garuda hailing from the Himaphan Forest that features in Hindu mythology. It has been used as a symbol of Thai royalty since King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) in 1911. As ancient kings and their subjects believed in divine king-ship, Garuda, in his role as vehicle for the god Vishnu, became synonymous with royalty and its image thus came to be used as a royal seal. The powerful Garuda is omnipresent and can be seen everywhere, perched high above government gates and on banknotes, passports or any official document.

Another hugely influential mythical creature in Thai culture is that of the legend of Kinnaree, a half female/half bird character that lives among other mythical creatures in the mysterious Himaphan Forest. Kinnaree is believed to belong to a group of perfectly beautiful sisters who have wings and tails and can fly between the human and mystical worlds. Throughout Thai history, in its literature, poetry and art, Kinnaree has always reflected the ideal of Thai beauty and quality and is often used as the symbol for femininity.

The most popular of myths featuring Kinnaree is called Manora and is about a Kinnaree who was kidnapped from the Himaphan Forest to marry a prince. This story is also retold in various famous Thai traditional dances.

What could be a more fitting symbol and character for Thailand’s Tourism Awards (Kinnaree Awards) than the Kinnaree? Beautiful, mythical and gentle, she is the essence of Thai grace.

A typical half human/half bird Kinnaree commonly seen at Thai temples.

Men, masks and merriment at the Phi Ta Khon festival.

STARTED WITH A MYTH

The majority of Thai festivals can be traced back to a particular myth, for example, that of Paya Nark (Great Naga). This giant snake appears in many Thai and Buddhist tales, and images of it can be seen in temple architecture, boat designs and Buddhist sculptures. Some Thais still believe in the Great Naga, with cracks and damage to roads often blamed on the giant serpent tunneling underneath. Every year, thousands even await its appearance in the Mekong River around the end of October. Its visit is usually accompanied by a bang fai paya nark (naga fireball), a collection of sparkling circles that come from the river or from fireworks, depending on perspective, and float in the air.

An often dangerous, even deadly, festival is Boon Bang Fai (Rocket Festival), held in Isan every March. During the three-day festival, people make merit and pay respect to the spirits that they believe provide rain. They do this by launching huge bottle rockets filled with gunpowder into the sky.

At the annual Phi Ta Khon ghost festival held in the mountains of Loei province in Isan, male residents dress up in colorful garb and masks (khon) and wield wooden phalluses (palad khik) in homage to a party that was once held to welcome the return of Buddha, a party that was so raucous it woke the dead.

Characters with links to the mystical world or who are well versed in magic are often the protagonists in Thai literature, both past and present, with Phra Apai Manee, a 30,000-line epic written by Sunthorn Phu, perhaps the best known. A popular, handsome and charming prince, Phra Apai Manee was skilled in both magic and battle. The story follows the young prince’s adventures after being sent from the palace to learn about the world, armed with just his magic flute and winning smile. Adapted from folklore, the story is taught in schools and has been sold in book form for generations and made into countless movie adaptions.

Most Thais are also familiar with the characters from the epic poem Khun Chang Khun Phaen, a story about a charming, talented soldier who is also proficient in magic. This story is also told in schools, and it is believed that wearing a Khun Chang Khun Phaen amulet brings good luck in both love and battle.

Locals turn out in droves for the Boon Bang Fai (Rocket Festival).

REFLECTIONS OF SOCIETY

Thai myths present unwavering examples of ideals of masculinity and femininity, where women appear as symbols of delicate beauty while men are presented as strong, charming and talented in some way, usually with magic. The symbolism in Thai mythology reflects Thailand’s ever-present social, gender and class hierarchical structures, and also the very patriarchal, polygamous and often hypocritical Thai society of yesteryear.

Phra Apai Manee and the male characters from Khun Chang Khun Phaen are talented men who, as was the case with Thai men of status in the past, have several wives along their journey.

Meanwhile, Wanthong, the female protagonist in Khun Chang Khun Paen, is executed at the end of the story, partly for being unable to choose between her two suitors. The legend of Wangthong continues to this day, with the commonly used Thai idiom “Nang Wanthong song jai”, which translates as “Wan-thong who has two lovers at the same time”, being a shorthand slur for a woman with loose moral values.

THAI ARTIST AND MYTHS

Chakrabhand Posayakrit, a Thai National Artist in Visual Arts (Painting), is a celebrated portraitist and painter whose themes are mainly taken from Thai dance theater and literature, including mythological characters such as Kinnaree.

Chakrabhand has also participated in mural restoration work at Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) and created new, yet traditional themed murals at Wat Trithosathep in Bangkok and Wat Khao Sukim in Chantaburi.

THAILAND’S ROYAL PALACE

The Grand Palace has been the official royal residence for the Thai monarchy since it was built for King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke (Rama I) in 1782. The building of the Grand Palace, as the official residence of the new king, signified the metaphorical and literal transfer of power from the city of Thonburi, the capital during King Taksin’s reign, to the new capital of Bangkok.

Encompassing an area of 60 acres (24 ha), the Grand Palace comprises numerous buildings, temples, structures and courtyards and was, until 1925, the home of every ruling king of Thailand in the Rattanakosin era.

During Thailand’s period of absolute monarchy, the Grand Palace was also the seat of the government, where the government’s decisions were made and at one time housed thousands of guards-men, ministers, servants and concubines. As the Grand Palace was seen very much as a city within its own right, special laws were also drafted to govern the inhabitants.

After the current king, King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), took up residence at Chitralada Palace, which is also located in Bangkok, the Grand Palace was used more as a location for official events and worship.

Although it is also a hugely popular tourist attraction because of its many beautiful temples, buildings and architectural splendor, certain sections of the Grand Palace are out of bounds as it is still technically a ‘working palace’ with many senior royal officers having their offices there.

As the complex stands today, the Grand Palace is divided into four areas separated by walls and gates, namely, the Outer Court, the Middle Court, the Inner Court and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.

THE OUTER COURT

During the absolute monarchy period of Thai history, the Outer Court was the seat of royal government and was occupied largely by government agencies and officials. Even today, the area has a distinct business and administrative feel, with many buildings inside used for official meetings. Visitors may also be interested in a small museum called the Pavilion of Regalia, Royal Decorations and Coins.

THE MIDDLE COURT

The Middle Court is arguably the most important and oft-visited section of the Grand Palace. It houses all the Grand Palace’s residential buildings, many of which have been designed with an eye-watering level of beauty and detail. Here you will find the various former residences of the most influential people of the kingdom. Although it is no longer used as an official residence for the Thai monarchy, it still has its fair share of armed Royal Guards, who stand sentinel throughout the day.

The wonderfully decorated Royal Barge Procession.

The Grand Palace.

THE PHRA MAHA MONTHIAN GROUP

The Phra Maha Monthian group refers to a number of interconnecting buildings situated within the Middle Court. This walled structure was where the actual abode of the king was located. All Royal Coronations now take place here. This was also where all foreign missionaries and ambassadors were received and granted audiences with the king.

THE INNER COURT

The Inner Court, situated adjacent to the Middle Court, is closed off to the public. Whenever a king of Thailand was resident in the Grand Palace, this area would house the royal consorts and female attendants. The section was completely forbidden to outsiders and to all men.

The Royal Family

Bhumibol Adulyadej was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, in 1927 and was installed as the King of Thailand in 1950, making him the longest reigning monarch in the world. If assets managed by the Crown Property Bureau are included, he is also believed to be the world’s richest monarch, with an estimated net worth of $30 billion. Queen Sirikit has been King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s wife and royal consort since April 1950 and they have four children.

The name Bhumibol loosely translates as ‘Strength of the Land’. King Bhumibol is also widely known as the ‘Development King’ owing to his numerous charities, rural development programs and attempts at making villages sustainable and self-sufficient. In fact, many members of the Thai royal family, both past and present, are well known for their philanthropy and are associated with specific charities and causes.

The royal family of Thailand on the occasion of King Bhumibol’s 85th birthday in 2012.

Besides attending numerous annual religious and royal ceremonies, such as the Royal Barge Procession and the Changing of the Robes of the Emerald Buddha, members of the Thai royal family have many other official duties to perform, including the awarding of degree certificates during the majority of graduation ceremonies.

Most years, generally on auspicious dates, including the King’s birthday and most recently Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s birthday, there are also Royal Pardons, which are entirely up to the discretion of King Bhumibol. In 2015, to coincide with the Princess’s 60th birthday, for example, 38,000 prisoners were released early and 140,000 prisoners had their sentences commuted.

Every evening at 7 pm, most Thai TV channels run a nightly program featuring the latest happenings and royal news. Footage may show a member of the royal family visiting a school or perhaps inspecting the new facilities at a museum.

With the much-loved King Bhumibol now in his late eighties, and considering the hugely pivotal role that he has played in stabilizing the country and in Thailand’s political affairs, the prospect of succession to heir-apparent Prince Vajiralongkorn, who in 2014 divorced his third wife, remains a delicate and contentious subject. Although very unlikely, there are some who believe that the King’s daughter, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, who is unmarried and without child, may even become the ruling monarch. Discussion on such matters, however, is restricted in the kingdom amid fears of contravening the lesè majesté law.

The debate is fueled further and given extra significance by a well-known old prophecy that the Chakri dynasty would last only nine generations.

What will become of Thailand once the reign of King Bhumibol comes to an end remains a sensitive issue.

ROYAL PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

Numerous royal holidays are observed and celebrated with much gusto throughout the year. For example, Commemoration Day, a nationwide public holiday, is held on May 5 to celebrate the coronation of the King in 1950.

Queen Sirikit’s birthday, which has subsequently come to be known as Mother’s Day, is celebrated on August 12. On this day, Thai people celebrate the Queen’s birthday as well as their own mother’s.

Likewise, King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s birthday is celebrated on December 5 and is known in the kingdom as Father’s Day, where Thai people not only celebrate the King’s birthday but also their own father’s.

October 23 is another public holiday with royal significance. This holiday is known as Chulalongkorn Day and commemorates the birthday of the much-loved King Chulalongkorn (Rama V).

The coronation of King Bhumibol Adulyadej in 1950.

King Bhumibol is loved and revered like a god in Thailand.