taab (ตาบ)
Thai. A decorative neckpiece sometimes worn by Thai dancers
and -in the past- by some warriors.

taak (ทาก)
1. Thai for snail, a slow-moving gastropod mollusc that
lives on land and has a spiral shell. Its scientific name is achatina fulica and
it belongs to
the genus achatinidae. Its pink caviar-like eggs
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2. Thai for slug, a small shell-less mollusc with the
scientific name limax and of the family limacidae. It eats leaves and thus often
destroys plants.
3. Thai for leech, a bloodsucking, worm-like, invertebrate
and hermaphrodite
animal living on land and with the scientific name haemadipsa interrupta, of the
family hirudinae. Bloodsuckers are commonly found in Thai rainforests and will
cling to passer-bys, people and mammals alike, and suck their blood. Its bite is not painful
but the leech will inject an anti-haemostatic agent that prevents the blood from
curdling and enables the leech to suck blood without difficulty. Bloodsuckers
usually stick to their host until they are full and then let go and drop off by
themselves. To remove them sooner one could spray them with salt or burn them
with a cigarette. To prevent leeches from attacking, locals often smear a
mixture of saliva and tobacco on their exposed skin, but one may also spray
insecticide or a mosquito repellant containing diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET).
Leeches were in the past often used medically, for bloodletting. Akin to
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taan (ฐาน)
See tahn.
taanbat (ฐานบัทม์)
See tahnbat.
taanphrakon (ธารพระกร)
Thai. Royal stick or
sceptre, part of the Thai regalia or kakuttapan.
It represents the king's power over his subjects to lead them in the
right directions, yet under the
totsaphit rajatham
or ten royal virtues, ruling with
righteousness for the benefit and happiness of the Thai people.

taanphraphuttarup (ฐานพระพุทธรูป)
See tahnphraphuttarup.
taban fai (ตะบันไฟ)
A lighter made on the principle of the
fire piston. It consist of two parts, that is: a cylinder called krabok
taban and a compressor named look taban.
This primitive fire starting device was
widely used by several primeval tribes in the jungles of Southeast
Asia, as was observed by British explorers already in the mid 1850's.
Unlike other primitive fire starting methods such as the bow or hand
drill, the fire saw, flint and steel, the fire piston operates by
compression, a principle later adopted by the diesel engine invented
by Rudolf Diesel. It is believed that the idea of the primitive fire
piston may have inspired him.
The tool may be made from buffalo horn, elephant tusk or hardwood, which is turned into a hollow
round, cylinder-like rod or bar with a lathe. It is about 8 to 12
centimeters long. The end of the
krabok taban is
often made into
a pointed shape to allow the insertion of a pointed piece of metal to
scrape out the ashes. The compressor is usually made from the
same material as the cylinder but a little longer and with a good grip
to make it easy to handle and avoid hurting your hand when the
compressor is pressed down the cylinder
to ignite a spark. At the end of the compressor a concave is
drilled out to store the kindling or fueling
agent, such as
kapok.
The taban fai is a lighter that will ignite a spark
by rushing the compressor down in the cylinder. This causes
an explosion
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taen (แตน)
See toh.
taeng (แตง)
Thai.
General name for plants of the family cucurbitaceae, of which many are grown in
Thailand, such as taeng kwa (a small cucumber), taeng rahn (a large cucumber),
taeng thai (a melon), taeng moh (the watermelon), etc.
taeng moh (แตงโม)
Thai for the
watermelon, of the genus citrullus and with the scientific name citrullus
lanatus. There are numerous varieties, differing in size, shape, coulour of skin
and flesh. The watermelon belongs to a large and distinguished family of vines,
which includes gourds and cucumbers, many of which names in Thai start with the
prefix taeng.
While some of these vines are climbers, the watermelon with its large and heavy
fruit spreads across the ground. Its sweet succulent flesh is usually red, but
may also be yellow. Its seeds too are edible and roasted these are a popular
snack throughout Southeast Asia.
tahn (ฐาน)
Thai. Base or pedestal for a statue. Also transcribed taan. See also thaen.
tahnbat (ฐานบัทม์)
Thai. Base or pedestal
for a Buddha image in the form of an upside-down lotus (fig.). Also transcribed taanbat.

tahn singh (ฐานสิงห์)
Thai. 'Lion base'. The foot of a pedestal in the form of a lion's paw.

tahnphraphuttarup (ฐานพระพุทธรูป)
Thai. Base or pedestal for a Buddha image, often in the form of a lotus (fig.),
but also in other forms such as elephants (fig.). When the pedestal has outward turned legs in the shape of a lion's
paw, it is called tahn singh. Regularly pedestals may have a pah thip,
an ornamental cloth hanging from the bottom
of the Buddha image, in front of the pedestal (fig.). Also spelt taanphraphuttarup.

Tai
An animist people in Southwest
China (Sipsongpannah),
though not ethnically Chinese, who from the
9th century began to migrate southward, little by little, into parts of
Southeast Asia and the fertile Chao
Phraya valley. They settled down in
an area that nowadays would cover Burma, Laos and Thailand.
They are the predecessors of the present day people of the Thai race
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tai
chi (太极)
Chinese. Martial art and system of calisthenics with
slow controlled movements. It is practiced each morning in Bangkok's Lumphini Park by both young and old, though usually by people with a
Chinese background. Its full name is tai
chi chuan.
tai
chi chuan (太极拳)
Chinese. 'Great ultimate boxing'. Full name for tai
chi.
Tai chi tu
See
Taijitu.
Taijitu (太極圖)
Chinese. 'Diagram of the supreme Ultimate'. Name for a Chinese
symbol (fig.)
which represents the principle of
yin
and
yang,
and therefore often mistakenly
called
yin-yang. Also spelled Tai chi tu.
Tak (ตาก)
Name of a province (map)
and its capital city on the eastern banks of the Ping river in North Thailand, 426 kms north of Bangkok with a population of
approximately 21,000. This province is home to the first outpost to which
king Naresuan and his army went on their return from the battle. Its places of interest include
the Bhumipol water dam (fig.)
and Thi Loh Suh waterfall, one of Thailand's most impressive
waterfalls. The
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tak baat (ตักบาตร)
Thai. To put food in the alms bowl (baat)
of Buddhist monks in the morning.
Compare with bintabaat.
Ta Keo
Khmer. 'Tower of crystal'. Temple in Angkor dedicated to Shiva and built in the late 10th to early 11th century AD, under the auspices of Jayavarman V.
takhob (ตะขบ)
Thai name for the governor's plum, genus flacourtier.
This tree has tiny white flowers and bears small round edible date-like berries which
turn red and acidulous sweet when ripe.
takkataen (ตั๊กกะแตน)
Thai. 'Grasshopper' or 'mantis'. Straight winged insect of
the genus mantis with long strong hind legs, that enable it to jump far. There
are many different species occurring in diverse sizes. A particular larger
species is eaten by some Thai people and can be seen for sale at many food
markets throughout the country. Its taste is told to be nutty. Commonly seen is
the large praying mantis (fig.),
a predatory insect that holds its forelegs like hands folded in prayer. In Thai
this species is called takkataen
tam khao, which translates as 'rice crushing
mantis'.
takkataen tam khao (ตั๊กแตนตำข้าว)
Thai. 'Rice crushing mantis'. Name for the praying mantis, a
predatory insect of the genus mantis that holds its forelegs like hands folded
in prayer. They appear in brightly green to brown colour and may
grow up to a length of about 25-30 centimeters. See also takkataen.

takoh (ตะโก)
A Thai name for persimmon.
takraw (ตะกร้อ)
1. Thai. Traditional game played over a net, similar to
volleyball, but with a rattan ball (fig.). There are two teams of three players and
each team has to try to score by making the ball touch down on the field of the
opposite team. Players may use any part of the body except their hands and
forearms. The game is recognized as an official sport in Asia. On the street one
often sees youths in a circle practicing takraw (fig.),
but officially the sport is
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2. Thai. A basket made from rattan with a long handle,
used for picking fruit from trees.
takro (ตะกร้อ)
See takraw.
takrut (ตะกรุด)
Thai. A charm of rolled gold or silver strips, or of a
bullet shell filled with 108 herbs blessed by a monk, providing immunity from
physical assault to those who wear it strung around the neck or the waist. It is
usually an alternative for those who want supernatural protection against
bullets but
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Taksin (ทักษิณ)
Thai. 'South' or 'southern'. The wind direction guarded by
the lokapala Phra Yom.
See also Udon, Isaan, Burapah, Ahkney, Horadih, Prajim and Phayap.

Taksin (ตากสิน)
General from Uttaradit who after the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767 assembled an army in Chanthaburi to chase out the invading Burmese from Thailand, and
afterward became king of Siam making Thonburi the new capital. He was executed in 1782
by order of general Chakri for megalomania and beaten to death according to the prevailing protocol under a red satin cloth with a sandal wood club. His official title is King Borom
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takuad (ตะกวด)
Thai
name for a
monitor lizard
of the species varanus bengalensis.
talaat nahm (ตลาดน้ำ)
Thai. 'Water market'. A floating market where people trade from boats. These are found
throughout the country, and on the Bangkok canals, the most
visited is Damnun Saduak in the province Ratchaburi. Less touristy are the floating markets in Samut Songkhram, including the daily talaat nahm
'amphawaa', and the talaat nahm 'tha kha' and talaat nahm
'bang noi', which open only a few times per month, on dates
determined by the traditional lunar calendar. Also talaat thong nahm.

talaat thong
nahm (ตลาดท้องน้ำ)
Thai. 'Market (talaat) in the middle (thong) of the water (nahm)'. See talaat nahm.
talaew (ตาแหลว)
Thai. Strip of bamboo pleated into a star shape with five or seven points,
found mainly in northern Thailand. The hill tribes, place them at the entrance
to their houses or villages to keep away the spirits of the deceased. Similar
items are placed in paddy fields during the rice growing season (fig.) as a protection
for the offers made to Poh Sop (fig.).
It may also be used as a charm on a pot containing a potion, or as
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talapat (ตาลปัตร)
Thai. Originally a feather fan or like the pad bai laan (fig.)
made of a palm leaf. It has a long handle and is
used by Buddhist monks to hide their face when preaching or chanting before an audience. Nowadays
it is often made from other materials such as cloth (fig.). Also pad yot.
talisman
An object which it is believed to bring good fortune to its
holder. The counterpart of an amulet.
tam
(ธรรม)
Thai name for dhamma.
tamarind
An evergreen tree that grows to 25 meters and has the Latin
name tamarindus indica. Its fruits have an
elongated form similar to pea pods. The sticky
sweet-sour fruit with shiny brown seeds is lose in the peel, held together by
inedible fibres. It can be eaten both unripe and ripe, fresh or
dried. It is slightly laxative and is processed as an ingredient for
phad thai,
chutney and curries, as well as in drinks. In Thailand called makhaam (fig.)
and is grown widely in Phetchabun province. See also
makhaampom
and
makhaamthet.

tambon (ตำบล)
Thai. 'Rural
administrative sub-district'. A subdivision of an amphur administered by a kamnan
and consisting of several
mu ban
or villages. Thailand has a total of 7,255 tambon.
tamboon
(ทำบุญ)
Thai. Offering or merit making for religious purposes to
gain advantage either for oneself or for a third person. This may consist of
temple offerings (fig.),
the feeding of mendicant monks (sai baat),
a temporary stay in a temple, a prayer (fig.),
etc.

tamboon sai baat (ทำบุญใส่บาตร)
Thai. To perform a good deed or to make merit (tamboon)
by giving an offering into (sai) the alms bowl (baat)
of a Buddhist monk. Sometimes in temples several alms bowls are arranged in a
long row in which small coins, usually 25 satang (fig.) are offered. This form of tamboon may occur in combination with Buddha
images as in the phra
prajamwan system (fig.).
See also sai baat.

tammaht (ธรรมาสน์)
Thai. A pulpit in the form of an elaborately carved seat.

tamnaay laksana
(ทำนายลักษณะ)
Thai. 'Personality prophecy'. Refers to a scene in Buddhism where the reusi Kaladevaila honoured the newborn prince Siddhartha causing the latter to
perform his first miracle by placing himself on top of the turban of the sage (fig.).
On the fifth day after his birth king Suddhodana invited eight brahman priests
to foretell the future of the prince. Seven of them proclaimed that he had the
auspicious signs of a monarch or a buddha, depending on whether he
would strive for a secular or religious career. The eight brahman confirmed that
if he denied a worldly life he
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tandava
Cosmic dance of the Hindu god Shiva.
See also Nataraja and kalachakra.
tanka
Pali for thangka.
Tan Khun Khun Luang
(ท่านขุนขุนหลวง)
Thai. The next title in ascending line after a Khun or Khun Luang, now obsolete. Also the
popular name for a Khun.
tanta
Sanskrit. 'Tusk'. An attribute of Ganesha (fig.)
and refers to his broken tusk that he uses as a divine weapon to destroy
obstacles. In Thai called nga tih hak, literally 'broken off tusk'.
Tantima
Mythological bird holding a staff in both hands, usually
seen in pairs guarding temple gates in Thailand.

tantra
A collection of sacred texts and practices associated with
Tibetan Buddhism. There are also tantric texts in Hinduism. The central theme of the tantra
is the divine energy and creating power symbolized by the female characteristics
(shakti)
of a god, personified in a goddess.
Tantrism
A late form of Brahmanism, a Hindu doctrine in which the
worship of demons, in particular Devi,
plays an important role, as well as a mystical form of Vajrayana Buddhism. Important in Northeast India after the 8th century AD, and still
practiced in Mongolia, Tibet and Nepal. It expanded the Buddhist pantheon and
emphasizes the worship of shakti,
whilst placing greater importance on the esoteric practices based on
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tao (เท้า)
1.
Thai for 'foot' or 'pedestal'.
2.
Thai for 'to lean on'. In this regard it can be used as a prefix for
the name of deities or gods, on who one leans in need. It can than be
written with a capital letter
in English.
Tao
(道)
Chinese. 'Right way'. The all embracing, ultimate and
primordial principle of Taoism.
tao hoo (เต้าหู้)
Thai for tofu.
Taoism
An influential philosophy in China probably founded in the
4th century BC by Lao Tzu (fig.)
and advocating humility and religious piety.
The Tao-te Ching forms the basis of Taoism, in which Tao is the
comprehensive ultimate and primordial principle. Its objective is to become one
with the Tao by comprehending the universal law that everything returns to its
source.
Taoist
Follower of Taoism.
Tao Maliwaraat (ท้าวมาลีวราช)
The distinguished old man who came from his abode in the Himalayas to arbitrate the differences between Ramachandra and the demon king.
tao rahng (เต่าร้าง)
Thai
name for the
fishtail palm.
Tao Samon (ท้าวสามล)
The old king with seven daughters from the story of Santhong.
Also known as king Benares.
tao tawaan (เตาตาหวาน)
Thai. The oven stoked up to heat the pans used to process
sugar from the bud of the coconut palm (fig.).
'Tao'
means oven, 'ta' is the bud of the tree that produces the fruits and 'waan' sugary or sweet.

Tao-te Ching
(道德经)
Chinese. 'Book of the way'. Book that forms the basis for
the philosophy of Taoism and is attributed to its founder Lao Tzu.
tao turiang
(เตาทุเรียง)
Thai for a kind of kiln used in Sawankhalok.

tapioca
Starch gained from the thickened root of the manioc. Also tapioca starch and cassava.
In Thai paengman.
tapioca starch
See tapioca.
tapohn (ตะโพน)
Thai. A drum with a double drum head, horizontally placed in
a holder and played with both hands whilst sitting on the floor.

Ta Pu Yie
See Anek Kusala Sala.
Tara
1. Sanskrit. 'One who enables crossover'. In Vajrayana Buddhism there are five goddesses named Tara, corresponding to the
five jinas or transcendental buddhas. They are the consorts of the
five great bodhisattvas who were created by the jinas and hold the rank of a bodhisattva. In
Tibetan Buddhism
there are 21 forms of Tara, each with a different colour, posture, and attribute. They can have either peaceful or wrathful
appearances. The most frequent forms are Green Tara and
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2. Wife of the monkey king Valin in
the Indian epic Ramakien.
taro
See pheuak.
Tarut (ตรุษ)
Another pronunciation for Trut.
Tatakot (ตถาคต)
Thai. Term for a buddha or Buddha,
derived from the Sanskrit word Tathagata.
Tathagata
Sanskrit word meaning a buddha or Buddha.
In Thai Tatakot.
tat molih (ตัดโมฬี)
Thai. 'Cutting the hair tuft'. In religious context the term
refers to prince Siddhartha who cut his hair after the Great Departure,
thus giving up his secular life to start his spiritual existence. See also Pittih Kohnjuk.

tattoo
See sak.
Tavatimsa
The heaven of 33 gods presided over by Indra.
It's a place on the summit of the mythical
Mt. Meru and one of the heavens that can be reached by accumulated merit. The Buddha spent one rainy season there preaching to
his mother who had died shortly after his birth. The Buddha descending from Tavatimse
heaven is often portrayed in Southeast Asian art and was the starting point
for the creation of the walking Buddha image that originated in
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tawaai (ถวาย)
Thai. 'To present, to dedicate'. Term used when the
receiver is a prince or monk,
as in tawaai phra traipidok. If the
recipient is a
king, the correct term is toonklaw
tawaai or nomklaw tawaai.
tawaai naet (ถวายเนตร)
See paang tawaai naet.
tawaai phra traipidok
(ถวายพระไตรปิฎก)
Thai. To present (tawaai) a volume of the Tripitaka (traipidok)
to a monk, as a form of tamboon.

Taxila
An ancient Buddhist
centre of learning in present day Pakistan, nowadays in ruins.
tazaung
Burmese. Small
pavilions located within Buddhist temple complexes in Burma.
tea
See cha.
teak
Tropical hardwood (fig.).
Due to its good quality it is used for furniture as well as art (fig.),
especially for making very detailed reliefs (fig.). According to some sources it is the tree under which Siddhartha was born (fig.) and of which Maha Maya holds a branch standing
during the delivery, a scene often depicted in art (fig.). Other sources however state that Maha Maya reached out to pick a flower of the Ashoka blossom
when the prince was born. In Thai mai sak and sometimes called djatiwood.

teak tree
In Thai ton mai sak.
See teak.
teakwood
In Thai mai sak.
See teak.
temple
See wat or araam.
temple tree
Nickname for the frangipani tree, often grown in temples grounds.

temple drum
Large drum
in temples and monasteries usually kept in the drum tower or ho klong (fig.).
The most common is called klong aew.
termite
Name of a small tropical antlike social insect of the genus isoptera called macrotermes.
They live in large colonies inside a termite mound. In Thai called pluak.

termite mound
Home to a small tropical antlike social insect called termite (fig.).
Termites live in large colonies and do not feed on wood as is
commonly believed but on fungus, as they lack enzymes in their
intestines to break down wood cellulose. Inside a termite mound
there are several chambers, including a nest chamber and humid food
chambers used to cultivate fungus. These fungus gardens are supplied
with wood fiber, hence the confusion with regard to their
nourishment. Termites are heavily preyed upon by other insects,
reptiles, birds and even larger mammals, such as the pangolin and
some bears. Worker termites build and maintain the chambers as well
as a labyrinth of tunnels leading to them. Soldier termites have the
important task of defending the termite mound from enemies and for
that reason have enlarged jaws. Unlike ants termite workers may be
of either sex, but only one male and female in the entire colony
reproduce: the queen with her distended abdomen produces eggs and
the king fertilizes them. At certain times, often at sundown during
the rainy season, the nest will send out large swarms of winged
offspring to
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terracotta
Italian. 'Baked earth'. Hard orange brown clay
used in architectural decorations, sculpturing and pottery.
Sometimes spelled terra-cotta.
tetrahedron
Greek term for a building with four gable ends. See also jaturamuk.
thaan (ถ่าน)
Thai. 'Charcoal'. Burnt wood used as a fuel. The process of
carbonizing the wood takes place in a oven underneath the ground and takes
several hours. Charcoal is mainly used by street vendors using a small charcoal
brazier for cooking food on, and in foundries.

thaat (ธาตุ)
See that.
thablang (ทับหลัง)
Thai for lintel.
thabthim (ทับทิม)
1. Thai for pomegranate, the name of a tropical tree and its
fruit, of the genus punica. The fruit has a thick and tough rind, and inside it
has many seeds with a reddish pulp varying in colour from deep crimson to pale
rose, hence its name which derived from French means 'many-seeded apple'. The
reddish-pink flesh covering the seeds is translucent and juicy and tastes either
sweet or sweet and slightly sour. The tree fruits during the rainy season.
2. Thai name for ruby, a rare transparent precious stone
varying in colour from deep crimson to pale rose.
thaen (แท่น)
Thai. Base, pedestal or altar. See also tahn.
Thahng
Chang Peuak (ทางช้างเผือก)
Thai. 'Path of the White Elephant'.
Thai name for the Milky Way.
Thahng Rot Fai Mareutayu (ทางรถไฟมฤตยู)
Thai for Death Railway.
Thailand
Thailand is a unified kingdom, previously known by the name Siam.
It was officially established in 1238 AD, the traditional founding date. The
kingdom is the only Southeast Asian country never to have been colonized by a
European power. It is located in Southeast Asia, southeast of Burma, bordering the
Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, and covers an area of 514,000 km², whereof
511,770 km² is land and 2,230 km² is water. Of 4,000 km water ways 3,701 km are
navigable throughout the year by b