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1. Thai for hang hongse. 2. Thai. 'Swan's tail'. An epithet for the hibiscus schizopetalus. Hadj (الحجّ) Arabic. Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, known as the 'third pillar' of Islam, which every devout Muslim seeks to make at least once in his lifetime. Thai. 'Elephant'. See Asian Elephant. Also hadsadin. Thai. Another name for hadsadie. Thai. Another word for an elephant, as in yutthahadtie, war elephant. Compare with hadsadie. Chinese-Thai. Name of a Chinese snack made from pure shrimp and similar to hoi jaw hong kong.
Name of an tropical fever transmitted by the mosquito aedes aegypti which is itself infected by the dengue virus. It is characterized by fever and severe headaches accompanied with a rash and in a progressed condition causes bleeding from openings in the body. Its name is derived from the Greek words haima (blood) and rhegnumi (burst), due to ruptured blood vessels. In Thai called khai leuad awk. Also hemorrhagic fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever. See pahng hahm samut. See pahng hahm yaht. See Liu Hai. Sanskrit. 'Born from the Himalayas'. One of the benevolent forms of Devi, Shiva's consort. Name for the asana or 'seated position' in iconography, in which the right foot rests on the left thighbone and the left foot is placed under the right thigh. Buddha images with a bhumisparsa mudra in Thai style are usually seated in this pose, whilst Buddha images with the same mudra in Burmese style are usually seated in full lotus position (fig.). Sometimes also called yoga position. See also virasana (fig.).
An important Hindu centre founded in the 14th century which was for more than two hundred years the seat of the Vijayanagara Empire. Today vast ruins are still found on the right bank of the river Tungbhadra in South India. hamsa (हंस) Sanskrit. A sacred goose, gander or swan, and the mount of the Hindu god Brahma. Its flight indicates the connection between the aquatic world and the heavens. Frequently seen in Buddhist iconography.
Thai-Sanskrit. 'Swan's tail'. The antefix on some Buddhist temples in Thailand generally at the lower end of a bai raka curling upward like an ornamental tail. Most temple rooves show a combination of a chofa and bai raka with a hang hongse (fig.). In Thai haang hong.
Thai for hong bao. People in Yunnan related to the Akha in Thailand. Hanuman (हनुमान्, หนุมาน) 1. Sanskrit-Thai. Monkey from East India. 2. Sanskrit-Thai. The son of Vayu, the god of wind, in Thai known as Sawaha and Phra Phai. He is the albino half-god monkey who assisted Rama in his battle against Ravana in the Indian epic Ramayana. He is depicted with a white complexion and has a diamond in the middle of his palate. He is the king of the monkeys and a general who has magical powers and whose yawn could produce moons and stars. His personal weapon is a diamond trident which he uses to combat important adversaries. He appears in the Thai Ramakien, for one. Also Wayubud.
Hara (हर) Sanskrit. A name for Shiva. Name given to an early civilization that existed in the Indus valley between 2300 and 1750 BC, derived from its most important city Harappa. Other important settlements were Mohenjodaro and Kalibangan. Its most significant surviving artifacts include miniature stone sculptures and numerous terracotta and bronze figurines. Women's lodgings in a Muslim residence. Hari (हरि) Sanskrit. A name for Vishnu. Harihara (हरिहर, หริหระ) Sanskrit-Thai. A Hindu deity that derives its name and characteristics from both Vishnu (Hari) and Shiva (Hara), and is a combination of these two gods. Usually depicted with Vishnu's crown on one side of his head and Shiva's plaited hair on the other. He also holds the main attributes of both gods.
Haripunchai (หริภุญไชย) 1. Thai. Name of a Mon city in northern Thailand (now Lamphun), founded in 661 AD by Buddhist devotees. In 1281 it was conquered by king Mengrai and incorporated into the kingdom of Lan Na. MORE ON THIS. 2. Influential art style between the 11th and 13th centuries AD, named after the Mon city Haripunchai in northern Thailand. See Golden Temple. Thai. 'Mouse ear mushroom'. Name for a white sponge-like mushroom with a structure of ear-shaped frills. In English it is known as Jew's ear, a translation from its scientific name auricular-judae. In Thai also known as hed hoo noo khao, white mouse ear mushroom.
hed lin jeu daeng (เห็ดหลินจือแดง) Thai-Chinese. 'Red lin jeu (lin zhi) mushroom'. Name for the reishi mushroom, a high-priced brownish-red mushroom (fig.) with the scientific name ganoderma lucidum. Dried and cut into slices it is used as a herb in Chinese traditional medicine. People in the Orient have used it for over 2,000 years to increase longevity and to boost the immune system, as well as for various other health stimulating effects. It reportedly also induces a non-narcotic feeling of well-being. It is traditionally used fresh or dried in teas and soups. The dried mushrooms have a nice-looking varnish-like appearance and are sometimes used in dried flower and seedpod arrangements. Its inside has a somewhat woody structure. In China it is called ling zhi, 'mushroom of immortality'.
Latin. Tropical plant with bracts in bright exotic colours enclosing the relatively small flowers. The bracts can be red, yellow or orange, or scarlet red with a yellow or green rim, or with bright red or bright yellow. The flowers occur both pendant and growing upward and the plant has long spoon shaped leaves with a length of up to 1.8 meter. The different species include the heliconia rostrata or 'fishtail heliconia' (fig.), the heliconia bihai, nicknamed 'large lobster claw' and also known as heliconia humilis or 'firebird', the heliconia caribea, the heliconia collinsiana or 'hanging heliconia', the heliconia psittacorum or 'parrot flower', the heliconia stricta or 'small lobster claw' (fig.), and the heliconia wagneriana or 'rainbow heliconia'.
See narok. See ming bi. Memorial in Kanchanaburi built by the Australian Government's Department of Veteran's Affairs and dedicated to those Allied prisoners of war (POWs), Australian and other, as well as the Asian labourers who suffered and died in the Asia Pacific region during WW II, especially those working on the construction of the Thailand-Burma railway. The memorial features a museum and 4.5 kms of walking trail. The name is derived from Konyu Cutting, a place where POWs and Asian labourers worked punishing hours well into the night cutting a pass through earth and rock; the flickering bonfire light on the withered workers gave the place its name. The museum is situated around 80 kms northwest of Kanchanaburi town. In Thai Anuson Satahn Chong Khao Khahd. See also Thailand-Burma Railway Centre and Death Railway.
See ming bi. Thai-Chinese. '(Be) fortunate, lucky'. Term to describe the custom of hitting products or goods for sale (or sometimes other things or people) with banknotes, usually received from a first (or very lucrative) sale of the day, to invoke good luck in business. Often witnessed on markets.
Mythological monster often seen at the end of an arch. It has the body of a naga and its teeth meet its nostrils whilst often another creature, flower or flame-like motif emerges from its open mouth. The sisters Chan and Muk (fig.), officially known as Thep Krasatri and Sri Sunthon, who in 1785 safeguarded Phuket island against a Burmese invasion. Both women were born in Thalang as the daughters of the local governor Thongkham. When he died his post was taken by Phakphuthon, who was married to Chan and with the office of governor became a Phraya. However, in 1785 Phakphuthon suddenly died and before Bangkok could appoint a new governor, king Padung from Burma sent a fleet with an army of 3,000 men commanded by Yiwun to besiege the island. Without a ruler Chan and Muk took command and protected their city. After a battle of more than a month the Burmese troops were unsuccessful in conquering Thalang and when they started running out of supplies they retreated. For their courage both heroines were bestowed with the title of thao by king Rama I. According to a legend Chan and Muk ordered all women to cut their hair, dress in male clothes and make hit drums loudly, which gave Yiwun, the Burmese commander, the impression he was facing a superior number of troops and so called off the invasion.
Sanskrit. A protective god in Tantric Buddhism with the rank of a buddha. He has eight heads, sixteen arms, and two or four legs, and a third eye. In Cambodia and Thailand he is usually depicted in a dancing posture with his left leg crushing a demon and his right leg bent with the foot touching the left leg above the knee. See also Nataraja. Thai name for
a
Latin name of a shrub with exquisite flowers of which several species exist, the most commonly seen in Thailand being either the hibiscus rosa-sinensis or Chinese hibiscus and the hibiscus schizopetalus or Japanese hibiscus, which is also known by its epithet Japanese lantern. A rather distinguished variety is the hibiscus sabdariffa or roselle, of which a refreshing drink high in Vitamin C can be made by soaking its seed heads in boiling water. Depending on the variety it has different names in Thai, including cha baa for the rosa-sinensis, phu reua hong (phu rahong) or hang hong for the schizopetalus and krajiab daeng for the sabdariffa. In the Ayutthaya period any man or woman, who was caught in acts of infidelity or adultery, both that man or woman and his or her lover were put to shame 'by the plough', that is to say, both were tied to a yoke and made to plough paddy fields for three days. In this the woman was made to wear red hibiscus flowers behind both ears, as well as a garland of red hibiscus flowers on her head. Malaysian Borneo has taken the hibiscus as its symbol.
Arabic. Term for a 'cover', its root meaning 'to veil, cover, screen' or 'to shelter', and it refers to the covering of both the head and body of Islamic women. In Islamic theology however, the word is given a much wider meaning and refers to modesty, privacy and morality, whereas the word for headscarf or veil used in the Koran, is khimar (fig.).
Arabic. 'Migration'. The flight of the prophet Muhammad and the first Muslim community from Mecca to Medina in 622 AD, the year from which the Muslim calendar is dated. The mountain range of the Himalayas. They are often mentioned in Buddhist stories as well as in the Ramayana and other texts. Himaphan (หิมพาน) Thai. A mythical forest located in the Himalayas, below the heavens of the gods. It is often mentioned in Buddhist literature and inhabited by both real and mythical animals. Also called Himavat (Himawat), Himavan (Himawan), Himavah (Himawah), Himavaat (Himawaat), and Himavaan (Himawaan). Shortened Thai name for cashew nuts and their tree of the genus anacardium occidentale, which in full is called ma muang himaphan. See Himaphan. See Himaphan. See Himaphan. Himavat (หิมวาต) See Himaphan. Sanskrit. 'Lesser vehicle'. A term used for Theravada Buddhism after the origin of Mahayana Buddhism, the 'greater vehicle'. The Hinayana school of Buddhism is closest to the original teachings of the Buddha. At some point were several different sects of Hinayana Buddhism but today only the Theravada school remains. It is practiced in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, and uses Pali as its language. 1. Follower of Hinduism. 2. Adjective meaning 'of Hindus' or 'of Hinduism'. The main religion and social system in India. Followers, called Hindus, share a common belief in the law of karma, the transmigration of the soul, and the universal spirit or brahman. Its religious practices include the veneration of several deities, and its religious writings are the Vedas and the Ramayana. A mythical bird in Burma. Hill tribe people (fig.) in North Thailand (fig.) who are originally from Tibet or Mongolia and belong to the Sino-Tibetan language group of the Miao-Yao-Pateng family which has several dialects. They established in Thailand more than a century ago and are now around 90,000 mainly divided in Blue Hmong in the West and White Hmong in the East of northern Thailand. Also called Maew (Miao). MORE ON THIS.
Miao. 'Green Hmong'. A subgroup of the Hmong, in the West known as 'Blue Hmong'. MORE ON THIS. Miao. 'White Hmong'. A subgroup of the Hmong. MORE ON THIS. Art style from Champa in Vietnam, during the first half of the 9th century. Thai for minaret. hoi jaw hong kong (หอยจ้อฮ่องกง) Chinese-Thai. Name of a Chinese snack made from a mixture of crab meat and shrimp. Similar to haegun.
Thai name for mother-of-pearl. See also kreuang muk. Thai. The drum tower in a wat. Sometimes in combination with a ho rakhang (fig.). The drum is used to call the monks together for prayer and -at eleven o'clock in the morning- to indicate the beginning of the last hour in which they may have their last meal of the day.
Hok Lok Siw (ฮก ลก ซิ่ว) Thai-Chinese. Three Chinese gods who in art are usually depicted as a trio with long beards (fig.). They are generally known as Hok, Lok and Siw, Thai-Chinese names that represent Happiness, Wealth and Longevity respectively. In Chinese they are named Fu Lu Shou and in English sometimes referred to as the Three Star Gods, due to their correspondent stars in ancient Chinese astronomy. Unlike the order of their names, the god Hok (Fu) is traditionally placed in the center and is easy recognizable by his distinctive headdress. Siw (Shou), the god of longevity always carries a staff with a dragonhead and the Peach of Immortality in his hands, and has a semi-bald, oversized, abnormally high forehead. He is sometimes shown to carry a nahm tao bottle gourd. Lok (Lu) also wears a hat, but a smaller one, and carries an imperial scroll with him.
Sanskrit. Festival associated with the Hindu god Krishna. Thai. To cover the shoulder or body with a piece of cloth; the application of a saffron cloth to Buddha images.
Thai name for hongse. Chinese. 'Red package'. Red packages or red envelopes are traditional monetary gifts in Chinese society which are given during festivals and on special occasions, such as new year, weddings, etc. The red color symbolizes good luck. The amount of money in the envelopes, also called lishi, should be of even numbers, as odd numbers are associated with cash given during funerals and considered bad luck. However, since the Chinese word for four (sì) is a homophone for to die (sĭ), any amount of cash with this number should also be avoided, whereas the number eight (bā) is associated with wealth and good fortune, and is therefore commonly found in the red envelopes. During Chinese New Year, hong bao are customarily given by the elderly who already have an income to the younger who don't yet work, but in some places it are the married that give to the unmarried, regardless of age. The tradition of the monetary envelopes goes back to when elderly Chinese would tie coins together with a red string for protection against sickness and injuries (fig.). These money strings, called yasui qian, were gradually replaced by red envelopes when printing presses became more widespread. The hong bao are today still referred to as yasui qian. In Thai called hang pao.
Thai name for Pegu, capital of the Mon before annexation by Burma. Sanskrit. 'Swan'. In Thailand a mythical swan often depicted in art and architecture. See also hang hongse and hamsa. In Thai hong.
Thai. 'Golden swan'. Another name for Suphanahongse, a golden hong. Thai term for shark fin. Although illegal in many countries it is considered a delicacy by some Chinese and can be found in a number of restaurants in Chinatown where it is made into shark fin soup, for one. Due to its uniqueness shark fins are sold rather expensive, with prices ranging between 30,000 to 50,000 baht for a single fin, depending on its size and quality, or up to 100 US$ for a single bowl of soup in a Hong Kong restaurant. The consumption of shark fin soup is however purely a fashion, as due to the cooking processes which includes drying and bleaching, all the taste and nutritional value is lost, so that the soup has to be flavoured with chicken broth or some other stock. Besides this sharks are often pulled from the water to have their fins sliced off whilst still alive and are then thrown back into the ocean to slowly die. All this has made many countries declare a ban on shark fins.
1. Thai. 'Southwest' or 'southwestern'. The wind direction guarded by the lokapala Nairitti. See also Udon, Isaan, Burapah, Ahkney, Taksin, Prajim and Phayap. 2. Thai name for the southwestern wind. Also known as phat taya. Thai. The belfry in a wat. The bell is rang to call the monks and novices to the ubosot. Sometimes the belfry in a temple is combined with the ho klong, the drumtower (fig.). The drum however is beaten for other reasons, that is, either to call upon the laity to come and make merit (tamboon) in the temple on Buddhist holy days (Wan Phra), or in honor of the Buddha. But if both the drum and bell are beaten alternately, it is to tell the time.
Large bird with the scientific Latin name rhyticeros plicatus. Of these birds thirteen different species live in the woods of Thailand, of which seven are listed as endangered species. They get their name from the horn or 'helmet' on top of their beak. During the breeding season the female will stay in a nesting hole high up in a tree. The opening of the hole is largely closed with a mixture consisting of mud, food remains and droppings, with just a small opening kept to collect the food carried up by the male bird. The best place to see these birds is Khao Yai National Park. The bird can have a length of up to 130 cms and is sometimes called large hornbill, and by some 'Buddha bird', since its morning call will wake up the monks and gathers them for morning prayer. Its call, sounds like a repeated 'gok, gok, gok' followed by a scream that sounds like 'gahang' or 'gawa'. In Thai nok ngeuak and nok hang.
Name of a prehistoric crustacean with a stiff pointed tail and a carapace in the form of a horseshoe, hence its name. It belongs to the family of merostomata and is related to the scorpion. Horseshoe crabs feed mostly at night and burrow for worms and mollusks. They will, however, feed at any time and can go a year without eating. They swim upside down and can endure extreme temperatures and salinity. An horseshoe crab has ten eyes and can see UV light. Some extracts of its blue, copper-based blood as well as from certain properties of its shell, are used medicine. In Thai it is called maengda talae and its scientific name is limulus polyphemus.
See nahm phu ron. Thai. The library building in a wat containing the scripture cabinets that hold palm leaf
Buddhist manuscripts. Generally built on poles in a pond or water basin
(fig.) to prevent crawling insects
and
Museum established by the Cultural Affairs Association to show how simple life was in days of yore. Although the edifice is not in the older style stepping inside takes you back into the past. The objects on display vary from old utensils and paraphernalia to sepia photographs and maps of Thailand from way back. The seat or saddle on an elephant's back, usually made from wood and sometimes covered with a hood. The howdah of a wealthy person is often made from precious materials, such as ivory. It is commonly seen as interior decoration in e.g. hotel lobbies (fig.).
See xian. Burmese. An ornamental part in the form of a lacy umbrella crowning the spire of a Buddhist stupa in Burma. See also chattra. Thai. A basket used for steaming foodstuffs, such as glutinous rice, sesame, nuts, beans, etc. But more popular than anything else it is used for steaming glutinous rice (fig.) It is generally woven from thin bamboo strips. Its form is somewhat cone shaped with a tapering bottom and a wide mouth. Besides its use in cooking it is also used to be made into Phi Tah Khohn masks (fig.).
Thai. 'Head of stone' or 'rock head'. Beach resort town in Prachuap Khirikhan province, 220 km from Bangkok. The town has a long white sandy beach lined with a range of accommodations, from bungalows to 5-star hotels and resorts. The beach with its tranquil atmosphere runs from a rocky headland (hua hin) which separates it from a tiny fishing pier and gently curves for some 3-4 km to the south where it ends at the foot of Khao Takhiap, a hill with a large standing Buddha statue. From the hilltop a birds eye view of Hua Hin can be enjoyed, a delightful view, both at night and during the day. Its places of interest include its railway station, one of the nations oldest train stations with an unique architecture. Its most striking feature is the royal waiting room constructed in the jaturamuk style. Originally, during the reign of king Rama VI, it was part of the Sanam Chan Palace in Nakhon Pathom province. Later, in 1968, the room was relocated to Hua Hin to become the royal waiting room at the local trainstation. Another feature in Hua Hin is the Klai Kangwon Palace, the permanent summer palace of king Rama IX and which name in translation means 'far from worries'. The palace consist of three Spanish style mansions facing the sea. It is constructed to the north of town under royal command of king Rama VII. Today it is the permanent summer residence of the king who often comes here to sail. It is open to the public but prior to a visit a permit must be obtained from the Royal Household Office. See khai yiew ma. Chinese name for the dragon fruit which in Thai is known as kaew mangkon. Thai-Chinese. A foreign person, from the viewpoint of a Chinese. Also huan nang. Chinese. 'Happy Buddha'. Popular name of a Buddhist figure who is also known by the Chinese name Budai (fig.). He is the interpretation of the bodhisattva Maitreya, the future buddha predicted to succeed the Sakyamuni Buddha. He is the god of happiness and wealth. His image is based on an unconventional Chinese monk who lived in the time of the Liang Dynasty and is usually depicted as a deity of satisfaction and abundance, often holding a cloth bag full with precious items or gold, and other attributes, such as a water jar, gold coins, a ruyi (fig.), a gold ingot, a pagoda, etc. He has integrated into Buddhist, Taoist and Shinto culture, and is commonly represented as an obese smiling or laughing figure, hence his nickname. It is believed that rubbing his belly brings forth happiness, wealth, good luck and prosperity. He is therefore often worshipped as an informal Chinese wealth god. Variously called 'laughing Buddha', 'smiling Buddha', Mi Le Fo and Hotei. In Thailand he is often confused with Phra Sangkatjaai (fig.).
See huan. Vietnam's political capital from 1802 to 1945 AD. One of the cultural, religious and learning centers of Vietnam. Chinese name for calabash, in Thai called nahm tao. Also transcribed hoo loo and sometimes wu lou. Thai. A puppet theatre in which the puppets are manipulated from below, rather than with a string from above. See also krabok.
hun lakon lek (หุ่นละครเล็ก) Thai. A kind of puppet theater usually performing scenes from the Ramakien.
Latin name for spider lily. An architectural term used to define a columned hall. It is often the outermost and most impressive part of a temple complex. Hypostyle literally means 'formed by (the basis of) columns'. |
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