See mai kaan haab. See Garnboon. Thai. 'Sea trousers'. Name for the traditional Thai fisherman pants worn by the Chao Le, a lightweight and oversized pair of trousers, somewhere between a sarong and a pair of culottes. They are made very spacious and need to be wrapped around the waist and then tied with a string from the back, to form a belt. They are popular as casual wear at home and on the beach, and are usually made from cotton or rayon, one size fits all. Due to its wide trousers legs sometimes referred to as elephant leg pants.
Thai. 'Heavenly toad'. Name of an auspicious animal from Chinese mythology. Also called kop sahm kha which means 'three-legged frog'. It is often portrayed with red eyes and flared nostrils, sitting on a pile of traditional Chinese money, often with a string of ancient Chinese coins on each side of its body. It has the power to attract fortune and richness as well as to protect property, but needs to be activated by placing a coin in its mouth. It is said that the heavenly toad lives on the moon and its powers increase visibly during a lunar eclipse. According to a Chinese legend there once was a lady who was the wife of one of the Eight Immortals, who heaven had bestowed with the amrita, the elixir of immortality. This lady loved gold and money but was still a mortal. Thus, she stole the amrita but got caught and punished for it by heaven. She was cursed and changed into a toad with only three legs, and banished to, or vanished into, the moon (leaped into it, and escaped). It is believed that whoever finds the three-legged frog will also find a pile of silver and gold, as it still is its nature to treasure these things. Hence the three-legged frog became the auspicious animal from heaven that drives away evil and assists in bringing great wealth to peoples homes. It needs to be placed facing the entrance of a home or shop to invite money in, but at night it should be turned backwards to prevent the daytime earnings from disappearing again. It is the traditional pet of the immortal Liu Hai (fig.), an informal Taoist god of wealth, whose toad would convey him to any place he wishes to go, but occasionally it would escape down a well, and he would then lure it out with a line baited with gold coins. In Chinese it is called chanchu, with chan also meaning 'moon' in both Chinese and Thai. In English it is also referred to as Lucky Money Toad, Moon Frog and Three-legged Money Frog.
Thai. Name for a sedan chair or litter. 'Kaan' means to carry something with both hands and 'haam' means a sedan chair. Also saliang. See also palanquin, yahnamaht and yahnumaht.
kaan jad dokmai (การจัดดอกไม้) Thai. 'Flower arrangement'. This art form is very traditional, especially in the making of puang malai, flower garlands made from jasmine and other colorful flowers, including orchids. These are thread on a wire with a long needle. Also the arrangement of bouquets using tropical species is very popular (fig.). See also fruit carving.
Thai for education. Thai for Kapilavatthu. Thai. To fulfill a promise by making a votive offer. Often in the form of a paid dance performance near an important shrine, where one earlier prayed or asked for a good result from an event or occasion. Also transcribed gaebon.
Thai. A mouth organ. A traditional Thai reed wind instrument with the sound like an organ, mostly played by the people of northeastern Thailand (fig.).
Name of a kind of red curry with plenty of coconut milk, what makes it milder and thicker than regular red curries. It is made with little shreds of kaffir lime leaf, sliced red chilis and bite-size chunks of either beef, pork or chicken, naming the dish after the meet, e.g. kaeng phanaeng moo (pork) for the dish with pork, kaeng phanaeng kai (chicken) for the dish with chicken, etc.
Thai. Carving of vegetables into sculptures following tradition. See also fruit carving. kae salak ponlamai (แกะสลักผลไม้) Thai. The artistic carving of fruit into sculptures or reliefs following tradition. See also fruit carving. Thai. 'Dragon fruit'. Tropical, turnip-like fruit of some species of cactus (fig.), including sevaral kinds of genus, such as the genus hylocereus, stenocereus and selenicereus. The different varieties have either a pink peel and white flesh (the Vietnamese dragon fruit - fig.), a dark pink to red peel with red flesh (the red dragon fruit - fig.) or a yellow skin with white flesh (the yellow dragon fruit of the genus selenicereus megalanthus), whilst a newly cultivated variety is the green dragon fruit. Whatever their colour, all have their flesh dotted with small black seeds. The fruit usually grows around fifteen to twenty centimeters in size and can weigh up to 1.5 kilograms. It has a slightly sweet taste, disputably comparable to that of the kiwi fruit. It came to Thailand from Vietnam, where it is called trai thanh long. It is genarally also known by the name pitaya and in China they are called huo long guo.
Pali-Thai. The robe of a Buddhist monk. See also traijiewon and pah kahsahwapad. Kailasa (कैलास) Sanskrit. A mountain in the Himalayas, the dwelling place of Shiva and Parvati. In Thai Krailaat and in Sanskrit also called Kailash. 1. Thai. Thai Royal regalia (fig.) consisting of the Crown (fig.), the Sword of State (fig.), the Royal Staff (fig.), the Fan with Yak tail (fig.) and the Golden Sandal (fig.). 2. Thai. Royal insignia or emblem, as well as the regalia or royal signs of royal privilege. Kayang name for a female dragon. kala (कला) 1. Sanskrit. Term used to express time and energy, death and creation, as well as the destruction of the universe. Personified as Mahakala, a form of Shiva, and as Kali or Mahakali, a form of his consort Devi. Both represent the terrifying destructive aspects of time. 2. In Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia, term for kirtimukha. kalachakra (กาลจักร) Sanskrit-Thai. 'Wheel of Time'. Associated with the dance of time and eternity performed by Shiva. See also Nataraja. Sanskrit name for Kalewin. kalae (กาแล) Thai. V or X shaped, often flame like ornament at the top of traditional gabled roofs (fig.) in North Thailand. 'Ka' literally means to cross, and 'lae' means to look or to keep an eye on something. The origin is disputed, but possibly goes back to the crossing of the slanting side beams at the ridge of gabled roofs (fig.), as can still be seen in simple huts today (fig.). 'Ka', however, also means crow, a possible reference to the chofa, that according to some is a highly stylized form of the garuda or hamsa. Also transcribed galae.
See kirtimukha. Term from Cham religious architecture referring to a sanctuary in the form of a tower. kalasa (कलश) 1. A water pot alleged to contain the amrita. It is frequently seen as one of the attributes of Padmapani, Kuan Yin, Maitreya, and Kubera.
2. In Hindu and Buddhist architecture the term used for the peak that crowns a stupa.
Thai-Pali. 'Black river'. The capital of Kalasin province (map) in Northeast Thailand, 519 kms Northeast of Bangkok. The province has fourteen amphur and four king amphur.
The reusi who paid homage to the newborn prince Siddharta and to whom the infant showed his first miracle by placing himself on the turban of the sage. Other texts, however, mention a hermit with the name Asita. In Sanskrit Kaladevaila.
1. Sanskrit. In Vedic times the name meant 'the black one' and was associated with Agni, the god of fire, who had seven tongues with which he licked the offerings of butter. Of these seven tongues Kali was the black, terrifying tongue. 2. Sanskrit. The horrifying form of Devi, the consort of Shiva. She is sometimes depicted with a terrifying face with tusks and smeared with blood, and four or more arms, one of which holds a weapon and another sometimes the head of a giant dripping with blood. Her ornaments include snakes, skulls, and figures of children. See also Mahakali (fig.).
3. Sanskrit. Fourth and last of the four yugas, and the present time cycle according to Indian cosmology. For more see Kali Yuga. Kalidasa (कालिदास) Sanskrit. 'Servant of Kali'. Name of a renowned poet in India (app. 550 AD) and author of the Sakuntala, a drama in Sanskrit which was translated into Thai by king Vajiravudh. By some called the Indian Shakespeare. Thai name for Kalikdasa. Kaliya (कालिया) The serpent king with five heads which was subdued by Krishna, when he was a mere child. It lived in a whirlpool of the river Yamuna, polluting the neighborhood with its poison, until it was removed by Krishna. This scene is often depicted in art as the young Krishna dancing on the head of the snake. Sanskrit. The present era or time period and the most depraved of the four yugas, the cycles of creation. This cycle began in 3,102 BC and will last 432,000 years, according to Brahman beliefs. Thai name for Kali Yuga. Kalkin (कल्किन्) The tenth, still to appear avatara of Vishnu in the form of a white horse. Riding this horse he will destroy all evil with a blazing sword and restore the innocence in the world, at the end of the present Kali era. Sometimes called Kalki. kalpa (कल्प) Sanskrit. The duration of a cosmic period equaling 4,320,000,000 years for mortals, but just one day and night for Brahma. kalyanamandapa (कल्याणमण्डप) Sanskrit. 'Mondop of good fortune' or 'auspicious mondop'. A hypostyle hall used for the symbolic marriage of the temple deity. Thai for karma. kama (काम) Sanskrit. 'Love' or 'desire'. In Hinduism personified by Kama. In Buddhism kama refers to both the senses and visible phenomena. Kama (काम) The god of love and desire, portrayed as the most handsome of all gods. He carries a bow and arrows, and is also known as Manmatha. The apsaras are his servants. See also kama. Also called Kamadeva. The ancient Khmer people. They are the supposed descendants of Kambu Svayambhuva, their eponymous ancestor. The name is still in use in Cambodia. Thai-Rajasap. Meditation in the Buddhist manner, leading to Enlightenment and tranquility of mind. Thai. An elected official who oversees the general welfare of the people in a tambon. kamphaeng kaew (กำแพงแก้ว) Thai. 'Jewelled wall'. A decorated wall built in a temple or palace compound to separate a specially sacred area. Thai. 'Jewelled wall'. Historical capital of a contemporary province (map) of the same name in North Thailand. The city has app. 24,000 inhabitants and is situated 358 kms North of Bangkok. The city was once an important outpost of Sukhothai, and a buffer against attacks from Burma. Its places of interest include the remains of the old city wall (khampaeng), a historical park and a national museum. The region is known for the cultivation of gluay khai, a banana (kluay) shaped like an egg (khai). The province has nine amphur and two king amphur.
Thai name for Cambodia. Thai. Something profound, sacred manuscripts, the bible. Thai name for the Vedas. kampiewehttahng (คัมภีร์เวทางค์) Thai name for Vedanga. Thai. Classifier used to indicate the 'number' of 'sermons' (thet). Thai. 'City of gold'. A provincial capital of app. 37,000 inhabitants in West Thailand, 128 kms from Bangkok, in a province (map) of the same name and initially founded by Rama I as a first defensive buffer against attacks from Burma. Famous for its bridge over the river Kwae Yai (fig.) and the construction of the railway connecting Bangkok with Rangoon, built during WW II by the Japanese occupying forces with the aid of forced labour namely POWs and native workers. Because of the high death rate during construction -it is said one life for each sleeper- the railway was named the Death Railway (fig.). A number of the victims were buried locally in the cemeteries Don Rak (fig.) and Chong Kai. In this jangwat (fig.) there are plenty of places of interest, including the temples Wat Tham Seua, Wat Tham Khao Noi, the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre (fig.), the Hellfire Pass Memorial, a Thai History and WW II Museum (fig.), Khao Laem reservoir (fig.), the town of Sangkhlaburi (fig.) with the country's longest wooden bridge (fig.) and the Three Pagoda Pass. There are also several National Parks and waterfalls including those of Erawan National Park, Sai Yok NP and Sri Nakharin NP, and different historical places, such as Prasat Meuang Singh and Ban Kao. This province has 13 amphur and both the city and province are also known by the short name Kan.
Sanskrit for 'elephant goad'. See also kho chang. The Thai name for Ganesha. Also Phra Kaneht. A general Thai name for macaques. Kayang. Name of a traditional religion as practiced by the Kayang (Kayan) people of Burma and Northern Thailand. Its doctrine asserts that the world was created by the eternal creator Phu Kabukathin assisted by two other deities, that is Ti who created the earth and La Taon who created man and the animals. Kan Khwan belief trusts that all components of the Universe are linked together by a giant spider's web, embracing the earth, the moon and all the stars. In the beginning the land of the earth was fluid, so, the god Phu Kabukathin planted a small post in the ground. As the post grew the earth also grew into seven outer and inner layers and it became firm. The post was named Kan Thein Bo, meaning 'the means of formation of earth' and is today an important part of their religious worship. Kan Khwan belief is in practice since the Kayang people emigrated from Mongolia during the Bronze Age. 1. Thai-Sanskrit. 'Gold' or 'golden', as in 'kanok nakhon' (golden city). 2. Thai. A flame-like design consisting of double curves. See also kranok.
Thai. General name for sweets and sweetmeats. The term is both used generally, and as a prefix with other names to define the type. Thailand has a large variety of sweetmeats, many made on basis of rice flour and sugar.
Thai. Name for a very ancient sweet which original recipe came from India and was brought to Thailand by Indian brahmins in the Sukhothai period. It consists of a small crispy pancake made from ground green gram or mung bean flour, baked onto a hot plate and finished with various toppings, such as whipped cream made from coconut juice and sugar; golden threads made of either duck egg yolk (light orange) or of minced shrimps mixed with a saffron (dark orange) colouring agent; long scraps of shredded coconut (almost ripe) and some coriander. When ready they are folded. It has been around for more than 2,000 years making it the oldest known sweet in existence. An ancient legend tells the story of Gosiya, a contemporary of the Buddha. He was a very rich but stingy man who loved eating kanom beuang pancakes. To avoid having to share them with anyone he told his wife to make the sweets upstairs, away from public eyes, so he could eat all by himself. When the Buddha found out about the man's behaviour he sent Mogallana to visit Gosiya during his bintabaat alms round and told him to beg for kanom beuang as an alms offering. Gosiya, although unwillingly, couldn't decently refuse the monks request thus came up with the idea to offer only a very small pancake. However, each time his wife put the dough onto the baking plate it miraculously swell until it had the size of the hot plate itself. After several attempts to make just a small kanom beuang, he gave up his efforts and eventually became a generous man. Also transcribed kanom bueng, khanom bueng and khanom beuang.
Thai. Name for a sweet made from the flesh of a young coconut, mixed with pounded lotus seeds (fig.), beans and taro (fig.). It is named after the leaf of the nipa palm (fig.), called bai jahk (fig.) in Thai, where it is wrapped and baked in.
kanom jah mongkut (ขนมจ่ามงกุฏ) Thai. 'Master's crown'. Name of a small cake-like candy made of wheat flour, a chicken egg, egg yolk, sugar, the thickest part of coconut milk and watermelon seeds. Its bottom resembles a miniature tart which is filled with an orange coloured candy made of egg yolk, sugar and coconut cream and which is flanked by peeled watermelon seeds. The whole resembles a small crown (mongkut).
Thai. Savoury sweetmeats made of thin sheets of rice or wheat dough enclosing minced meat and steamed in small round bamboo baskets called kheng (fig.). The dough wrapping is usually either light green or beige and they come in a variety of different tastes, including pork, crab and shrimp mincemeat. Some varieties are topped with a small piece of carrot as garnishing.
Thai. 'Chinese pastry'. Noodles made from rice flour, produced by pressing rice flower paste through a sieve, into boiling water. Kanom jihn is served mixed or topped with curry or condiments. When mixed with bean curry it is called kanom jihn nahm phrik (a spicy-sweet peanut-like sauce), if mixed with a catfish curry it is called kanom jihn kaeng plah dook (catfish curry), if topped with meat curry it is called kanom jihn kaeng neua (meat curry), if mixed with a fish soup it is called kanom jihn nahm yah (herbal sauce), when eaten with powdered shrimps and pineapple slices, coconut and krathiam (garlic) it is called kanom jihn sao nahm (stirred juice). The dish is especially popular in Southern Thailand where it developed its own culinary genre.
Thai. 'Mortar sweets'. A kind of Thai sweetmeat consisting of tiny bowl-shaped pancakes. They are made on a specially designed griddle with small curved-in cavities, comparable to a wafer iron but with round hollow spaces and without a lid. They are prepared from sticky rice flour, sugar and coconut milk. When ready they are usually topped with some chopped spring onion. In English sometimes referred to as coconut-rice pancakes and in Thai also called kanom krok boraan. The Thai word krok means 'mortar' and refers to the fact that the sticky rice needs to be ground in a mortar in order to make it into flour, whilst the word boraan literally means 'ancient', but could in this context be translated as 'after the old fashion' or 'in the old manner'.
Thai. Marzipan-like sweets (kanom) made from a paste of steamed green beans mixed with thick coconut milk, sugar and water moulded into miniature tropical fruits or vegetables and coated with a thin layer of jelly, applied by dipping (chub). These gracefully created sweets can be found on food markets as well as at buffets in hotels and restaurants, as a dessert. The term look is a classifier for fruits and vegetables, used in Thai language to express a unity or quantity.
Thai. A kind of orange coloured sweetmeat made of egg yolk, sugar and rice flour. It is traditionally eaten on special occasions and ceremonies. There are many kinds, each known by its specific name e.g. kanom foi thong (fluffy gold sweet), kanom thong yib (picked gold sweet), kanom met kanun (jackfruit seed sweet), kanom thong yod (oily gold sweet) and kanom thong phlu (rocket gold sweet). Thong means gold and refers to its orange colour.
Kanthaka (कण्टक) Sanskrit. 'Rebel'. The snow-white horse of prince Siddharta, born on the same day as its master. After carrying the prince away from the palace during the Great Departure, the horse died of sorrow. Also Kantaka.
Kanthakumara (कण्टकुमार) Sanskrit. 'Rebel prince'. Son of Uma or Devi, the shakti or consort of Shiva. Also Subramaniam and in Thai usually called Phra Kanthakuman. Sometimes transcribed Kantakumara.
Kayang. 'The means of formation of earth'. Name of a kind of totempole worshipped by the Kayang people of Burma and Northern Thailand. It is said that after the creation of the earth all land was fluid and Phu Kabukathin, the eternal creator, therefore planted a small post in the ground, enabling earth to grow and the land to become firm. This eventually enabled the Kayang people to settle down. Every year between March and April, the Kayang erect a new pole, if possible, made from the eugenia, the first tree said to ever been created. The pole comprises of the sun, at its peak; the sanctuary, a place where the deities reside; and the streamer, a ladder that connects earth with heaven, with at the top a spider's web that humans need to pass to go to heaven. See also Kan Khwan.
Thai. A chapter in the jataka. See also kan and thet. Thai term for an eave bracket. Thai name for the artocarpus heterophyllus (fig.), a large fruit (fig.) and its tree, of the genus artocarpus which also includes the breadfruit tree, and has the western nickname 'jackfruit'. The fruits have a dark yellow and very sweet flesh (fig.) which sit like small bags around the thumb sized seeds in an an enormous browngreen husk with short, hexagonal, blunt prickles. The Thai name for the tree is ton kanun. Its fruiting season is from January to May.
Thai. See sake. See ganya. Thai. 'Chestnut'. Name of a glossy hard brown edible nut, a seed of the tree bearing it. Roast chestnuts or kaolad kua have a oily sweet taste and are considered a real delicacy. The tree has a Chinese character and roast chestnuts are widely sold at Yaowarat Road in Samphantawong, Bangkok's Chinatown. Also transcribed gaolad.
In the Ramakien the wife of the mythological king Totsarot of Ayutthaya, and mother of Rama. MORE ON THIS. Pali for Kapilavatthu. Sanskrit. The empire in nowadays southern Nepal (formerly India) where king Suddhodana, the father of the historical Buddha ruled, and consequently the birthplace of prince Siddhartha. See also Lumbini. In Pali called Kapilavasthu and in Thai Kabinlaphad. Thai-Malayu. Name for a traditional kufi-like hat worn by male Muslims in southern Thailand, especially in the deep southern provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat, near the border with Malaysia, where it is called kopiah. Sometimes transcribed as kapiyo, kapio or kapiyoh.
Name
of a tropical tree of the order malvales and the family malvaceae. Its
scientific name is ceiba pentandra and previously it was separated in
the family bombacaceae. There are many different species and it is
also known as ceiba, silk-cotton tree, Java cotton or Java kapok. In
Thailand the tree is of a medium size and grows up to 15 meters but
some species may grow as high as seventy meters tall with a very
substantial trunk up to three meters in diameter and
karaoke (カラオケ) Japanese. 'Empty orchestra'. Entertainment in nightclubs, bars, saloons, roadside shops, etc. Customers sing to a backing track whilst the song text appears on a video or computer screen. In Thailand this form of entertainment has become so popular causing the spread of so-called karaoke booths, solitary enclosures with a private coin-operated VCD player, microphone and screen where one chooses a listed song by typing in its code, jukebox-style (fig.). Karaoke-equipment can even be found in some Bangkok taxis allowing customers to spend their time in traffic jams in a relaxing manner.
Sanskrit. A mythical creature half human and half bird. See also Garuda. Thai. The common name for the kradang nga ngaw. Also transcribed karawek. With around 265,000 the Karen are the largest hill tribe in Thailand. They have lived in the region for many centuries and are divided into several subgroups. In Thailand, the most numerous are the Sakoh (Sgaw), Pwo and Kayah, besides the Kayang and Paduang, both Long Neck Karen. The word 'Karen' is not known to the different subgroups themselves and the Thai call them Kariang and Nyang. The term is however generally used by anthropologists when referring to certain tribes who speak closely related tongues and who are not that related to the languages of other hill tribes. They are therefore placed in a separate category within the Tibeto-Burman family of the Sino-Tibetan language group. MORE ON THIS.
Thai name for Karen. Sanskrit for 'elephant'. karma (कर्म) Sanskrit. The law of cause and effect, in which one's present state is the result of actions from the past, either in this life or in former lives. Karma ends when one attains nirvana and the cycle of death and rebirth is broken. Karma is closely linked with samsara and transmigration. In Thai kam. 1. Thai for curry. 2. Thai slang for a prostitute. Karttikeya (कार्तिकेय) The god of war, leader of Shiva's troops and usually considered to be the son of Shiva and Parvati. He is often represented with six heads and six arms, holding a double thunderbolt, a sword, a trident, and riding a mayura. In art from Champa his mount is a rhinoceros. In South India he is known as Subrahmanya. As the son of Shiva he is named Kumara, meaning 'prince'. He is also known by the name Skanda. Also transcribed Kartikeya. Thai-rajasap meaning 'king', 'raja', 'ruler', 'potentate' and 'monarch'. Its is an abbreviation of the Thai word kasatriya which itself is derived from the Hindi word Kshatriya. Thai-rajasap meaning 'king', 'raja', 'ruler', 'potentate' and 'monarch'. Its is derived from the Hindi word Kshatriya. It is generally used abbreviated (kasat), whereas the full word appears only in compound words, called kham samaht. Thai. Meditation of the four elements, but in general also used as a term for any form of meditation. 1. A buddha of the past, a precursor of the historical Buddha. 2. The monk who succeeded the Buddha as leader of the Sangha. In mural paintings usually portrayed as an old man accompanied by the young monk Ananda, the Buddha's nephew and his most important disciple. Also Maha Kassapa. Thai term for a verse in Pali or the text of a thet or sermon. Thai name for gada. Name of a Indian-Tamil kind of nat.
Thai. The period of one month following the rainy season or 'pansa', when pious laymen bring gifts and robes to all the monks of a temple, usually in the month of November. For this ceremony people will collect money on a small leafless tree by going around or by placing it in their business or at the temple to which anyone can makes a donation (tamboon) by attaching a banknote to its branches. On a certain day, or when this money tree (fig.) is considered full, it will be offered to the monks, often together with monk's robes. This tradition goes back to the assignment the Buddha gave to his first disciples to find their own robe, rather than buying one. He pointed to pieces of cloth hanging from tree branches in the forest, torn off from passer-by's clothes. These could easily be used to make a robe by stitching them together and then dying it. This is one reason why a needle is one of the things (borikaan) Buddhist monks are allowed to posses. See also kathin phra racha thaan, kathin luang and thod phah pah. Also thod kathin. kathin phra racha thaan (กฐินพระราชทาน) Thai. The kathin ceremony performed by the king or a state dignitary in name of and representing the king. Also kathin luang. See also Royal Barges.
See kathuy. Thai for transvestite. In Thailand the term refers usually to men who dress as girls or act girlish. In most large cities, many cabarets are performed by those so-called 'lady boys' and draw large crowds of curious tourists from all over the world. Sometimes called the third gender. Also kathoy.
Kauravas (कौरव) Descendants of the Lunar king Kuru, a royal family branch in the Indian epos Mahabharata. See also Pandava. A magical gem that surfaced during the churning of the Ocean of Milk and is worn on the chest by both Vishnu and Krishna. Kawila (กาวิละ) Ruler of Lampang and Chiang Mai in the beginning of the Chakri dynasty. See Chao Kawila. A subgroup of the Karen in Thailand. Name of one of the subgroups of the Long Neck Karen, in Thai called Kayang. One of the subgroups of the Long Neck Karen in Thailand, originally from Burma. They live mainly in the provinces of Mae Hong Son and Chiang Rai, close to the border with Myanmar. The name also refers to their language. Their women's traditional costume includes the wearing of brass coils. After 1000 AD the Kayang people dealt economically and socially with the neighbouring Shan and the women were often seduced by these outsiders. Then the Pwo from the Thaton region alerted the Kayang about atrocities the Burman people had inflicted upon them, so the Kayang started to look for a solution on how to avert these threats. Since they are descendants from Lan Nan Htu Su and Ka Kwe Bu Pe, they decided to institute a status symbol for their women. According to folklore, when the girls Mu Don and Mu Dan visited their grandmother, the lady dragon, they were presented with gold bars when they left. They then started to decorated themselves by winding gold coils around their wrists and necks. As gold was rare the need for brass arose. This was obtained by exchanging silver with the Shan traders, mainly provided by those of the Satoung village. Since 1070 AD the Kayang women have worn brass coils. There are several reasons for wearing them e.g. to avoid an unwelcome advances by the Shan and Burman chiefs; as cultural identity to distinguish themselves from other ethnic groups and to protect the women from intermingling with other races; and as a status symbol, as they are descendants of the mother dragon they adorn themselves in her likeness, with the idea that how longer the neck is, the more graceful the looks are. The Kayang Long Necks start wearing brass coils from the age of four. From then onward the rings are changed about twice until the age of fourteen, with loops being added to the spiral about every three years, as the girl grows and ages. Brass coils for adults usually consist of multiple parts that is, a main coil of 16-22 windings, with at the base a separate 5-6 coil winding, onto which a smaller coil of 62 mm diameter with 5 loops is attached perpendicularly, at the back (fig.). Each set of brass rings is made in one piece from a single brass rod and a total set of rings for adults can easily weigh up to 8 kilos, depending on the number of coils. The men prepare the brass rods but it are the women who fix the rings. Brass is a tough metal and the winding is done manually by any strong woman with exceptional talent, called a fixer. MORE ON THIS.
A subgroup of the Karen hill tribe whose women are typified by their long earlobes. MORE ON THIS.
A spherical drinking vessel, usually with a bulbous spout. Thai. Architectural term for a house with a Chinese style roof. Ketu (เกตุ) 1. Sanskrit-Thai. The lower part of Rahu that represents his tail and is considered the personification of comets and meteorites, whilst the upper part of Rahu travels through the universe in a chariot pulled by eight black horses. The demon Rahu was cut in two by Vishnu using his chakra for secretly lining up among the gods and receiving a portion of the amrita. Ketu is one of the nine gods worshipped in the phra prajam wan system of the Hindus, lined up in the northwestern corner, facing South. The Rahu name also appears in the Buddhist Phra prajam wan geut system as the pahng pah leh laai Buddha pose, corresponding with Wednesday after sunset.
2. Sanskrit-Thai. Name of the planet Neptune. Sanskrit. The earthly paradise that the bodhisattva Maitreya will preside over when he descends from Tushita heaven as the future Buddha. Ruler of the northern kingdom of Lan Na from 1355 to 1389. In 1369 he invited the Ceylonese monk Sumanathera to come to Chiang Mai with a relic of the Buddha which was later placed in the chedi of Wat Doi Suthep (fig.).
Thai. Ancient Thai unit of linear measure. In the past it represented 12 inches (30.48 centimeters), but nowadays it is fixed at 25 centimeters. 1. Thai name for the 'Thai ginger' of the genus alpinia. Also called galingale and galangal.
2. A hill tribe of the Mon-Khmer race living in the North of Thailand and the Shan States. Another tribe with the same name belongs to the Malay race. Thai. 'Shivering fever'. A name for malaria. Also khai pah. Thai. 'Egg rice'. Name of a dish consisting of a fertilized egg with a nearly full-developed embryo inside which is boiled alive and then eaten. Originally from China, where they are called maodan (毛蛋) or 'furry eggs', they are popular all over Southeast Asia and in the Philippines it is a national dish called balut. In Vietnam they are called trung vit lon or hot vit lon and in Cambodia pong tia kohn.
Thai. 'Bleeding fever'. Thai name for haemorrhagic fever. Thai. 'Eggs of red ants'. Pupated larvae of weaver ants, in Thai known as red ants. These white, roughly one centimeter long larva are found in the ants nests (fig.), high up in the trees (fig.). The local population of Isaan and North Thailand consider them a real delicacy. Uprooting these nests is not easy, due to the painful but harmless bite of the red ants.
Thai. 'Jungle fever'. A name for malaria. Also khai jab san. Thai for dengue fever. Thai. 'Samphao egg' or 'Chinese junk egg'. Another name for khai yiew ma.
Thai. 'Horse urine egg'. Name of a preserved egg, usually a duck's egg, prepared by soaking it in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, quicklime and rice straw for several weeks to months, depending on the method of processing. The process turns the yolk into a dark greyish green to black colour, whereas the egg white becomes a dark brown, transparent jelly (fig.). The transforming agent is alkaline and after the process is completed the egg will have a strong odor of sulfur and ammonia. In English it has several names, including century egg, hundred-year egg, thousand-year egg or simply preserved egg. The Thai name refers to an old myth that claims century eggs once were prepared by soaking eggs in horse urine, but this is not plausible. The myth may have arisen due to the ammonia smell that sometimes is released during certain production processes. Century eggs originally came from China, where they are called either pidan (皮蛋), meaning 'leather egg' or 'skin egg', or sonhuadan (松花蛋), what translates as 'pine-patterned egg'. The origin of the latter is not clear. It might be due to either a snow crystal or pine branch-like pattern near the surface of the albumen with some century eggs, or due to the fact that the eggs in China were originally preserved in large ceramic pots with patterns of pine trees. Since the Chinese first came to Thailand often in junks, the egg is in Thai also called khai samphao, meaning 'Chinese junk egg'. Today China is the world's largest producer of century eggs. It is popular all over Southeast Asia and in Vietnam it is called hot vit bach tao. On markets in Thailand they are easy recognizable by their pink coloured egg shells.
Thai. Northern Thai dialect. Typical is the slow rhythm of its speech, much slower than the other three main dialects in Thailand. Thai for a compound word or a combination of words. Thai. A bowl, cup or basin possibly placed on a pedestal called phaan (fig.), like a betel-set. See also khantoke. Thai. A kris-like dagger (fig.), one of the regalia of kingship. Also Phra Khan and Phra Saeng Khan Chai Sri (fig.).
Thai name for a betel-set. khantoke (ขันโตก) Thai. A small round floor table (toke) in Lan Na, usually made from rattan and sometimes painted with lacquer, on which a typical northern Thai meal is served in a set of small bowls (khan). The diners sit on the floor around the table and share a number of dishes. Also khantohk.
khantohk (ขันโตก) See khantoke. Thai for 'mountain' or 'hill'. Thai word for rice. Generally also used for 'grain' and 'food'. See also rice. Thai for millet or sorghum, a genus of numerous species of grasses, some of which are raised for grain. It is a tropical cereal plant bearing small nutritious seeds that pop like corn when roasted. Some kinds are used as fodder plants or pasture, since it belongs to the family of grasses. It is sometimes similar to look deuay.
khao kha moo bohraan (ข้าวขาหมูโบราณ) Thai. 'Rice with pork leg in the old style'. A dish consisting of stewed pork leg with a sliced up egg boiled hard in soy sauce and some steamed vegetables served over rice. This dish is usually sold at roadside food stalls and in the coupon style mass restaurants of large shopping malls.
Thai. Sticky rice grilled in a bamboo cylinder called krabok. The sticky rice is mixed with sweet coconut milk and other ingredients, such as corn, Thai custard, beans, etc. It is eaten by hand after the cylinder is peeled opened like a banana (fig.), and is ideal to take as a snack on hikes or, as is often seen upcountry, when going to work in the fields.
Thai. Shredded rice grain. Nearly mature rice which is harvested just before it has fully ripened. It can be either glutinous or non-glutinous unhusked rice which is roasted (kua) and pounded until it is flat and can be eaten uncooked as well as prepared. When popped it is called khao mao rahng, when fried and mixed with bean curds and dried prawns it is called khao mao mih.
Thai. 'Entering the rainy season'. The beginning of the rainy season in Thailand. It is the start of a three month period when Buddhist monks retire to their temples to study and meditate, and in which they refrain from travelling. At the start of this festival people perform a thaksinahwat (fig.) in the temple and young men and boys are ordained as monks or novices for a short period of time. Other lay people hold celebrations in and around the temple and many make vows they will try to keep during this period, such as -temporary- refraining from drinking alcohol and smoking tobacco. This period in the middle or at the end of July is the start of the Buddhist Lent , that ends about three months later with ouk pansa, literally 'leaving the rainy season'.
Khao Phra Wihaan (เขาพระวิหาร) Thai. 'Temple mountain' or 'sanctuary on the mountain'. A Khmer temple built between the 9th and 12th centuries AD, on one of the most spectacular sites of the ancient Khmer empire, in the present day Thai province of Sri Saket. Its was constructed over a period of nearly 300 years. It straddles the border with Thailand and Cambodia with its entrance clearly on Thai soil. This has caused a long standing dispute about its ownership, until the International Court in Den Haag in 1962 eventually allocated it to Cambodia. The complex lies at 657 meters above sea level in a sandstone mountain range but ends abruptly on an overhanging cliff. Because of this the temple can only be entered from the North on Thai territory.
Name of a northern Thai dish of thin flat egg noodles that are poured with a curry-like broth made of chicken, beef or pork and topped with the same noodles fried crisp, some small red onion slivers and cuts of pickled Chinese lettuce. Fresh lemon and a sauce of dried chilies fried in oil are used to spice up the dish.
1. Thai. A round platter-like basketwork or crate made of bamboo, used to pack or transport fish. It is used for packaging pla tu for one, each kheng usually containing two or three fish (fig.). 2. Thai. A small or sometimes large (fig.) round bamboo basket used to steam kanom jihb and dim san (fig.). They are designed to be easily stacked upon each other and single or top baskets might be covered with a chequer plaited lid.
3. Thai. An indefinite unit of capacity roughly equivalent to a basket. Thai. 'Domain' or 'zone'. Term used for the division of Bangkok into different zones. Thai. A stringed instrument of Chinese origin, constructed on a similar principle as the piano and played with two percussion sticks.
Arabic. Term for 'veil' or 'headscarf', as used by Islamic women. Compare with hijab.
khing (ขิง) Thai for ginger. Thai word for red ginger (fig.). 1. The inhabitants of Cambodia. From the 7th to the 14th centuries AD they established a powerful kingdom based at Angkor from where they expanded their empire to rule over much of Indochina, until the Thai king Phra Ruang rejected their sovereignty. They were present in Thailand's central river basin as early as the Dvaravati period, mixing with the local Mon who were already there. Their 7th - 11th centuries conquests brought cultural influence in the form of art, language and religion, and due to their political domination triggered the decline of the Dvaravati culture. They made Lopburi their central outpost and it became a religious center. MORE ON THIS. 2. Architectural style and art style from the Khmer period, in Thailand especially present between the 7th and 13th centuries AD in Central and Northeast Thailand. Its characteristics can however still be found later, mixed with other art styles. The Khmer style architecture found in Thailand positively resembles that of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Thai name for angusa. Also kho chang. Thai. 'Elephant hook'. Instrument used by mahouts to drive elephants. Also an attribute of Ganesha (fig.) symbolizing control or the possibility to steer someone in the right direction. Ordinary elephant hooks usually have a simple wooden handle, but others may be made of expensive materials such as ivory whilst some are elaborately carved or decorated (fig.). In Thai also kho and in Sanskrit angusa or sometimes kandara.
1. Thai. A member of the ancient Khmer race. 2. Thai. The Cambodian script, used in religious books in Pali (fig.). 3. Thai adjective for Khmer or Cambodian. Thai-Khmer. 'Ground submerging Cambodian'. Name for the Khmer envoy who was sent to arrest Phra Ruang. According to legend, he was able to travel underground by using magic powers. However, when he emerged to deliver the Khmer King's message, legend says he was turned into stone by Phra Ruang. khon (โขน) Thai. Classical dance theater with themes from the Ramakien, performed by dancers dressed in rich embroidered brocade (fig.) costumes, each representing a character from the Ramakien. The human characters wear either a mask (fig.) or a chadah (fig.), and the dancers representing demons or monkeys wear masks in a variety of colors and shapes according to their character. A singer called phu phaak khon recites the story in verse while the show is proceeding on the stage. By means of a complex combination of mudras (fig.) and positions of the body, different situations, thoughts and feelings are expressed. Every hand position has, in combination with the position of the body, an exact defined meaning. The Sanskrit word 'mudra', usually translated as 'hand position' and also applied in Buddhist iconography, literally means 'seal' or 'print'. Only experienced khon adepts are able to distinguish the many gestures and their nuances. In khon, officially all roles including the female parts are played by men. The complete version of the Ramakien consists of 311 characters and an uninterrupted performance would last more than a month. Miniature models of khon masks are a popular souvenir (fig.). Pronunciation 'khoon'.
The wise counsellor and clever strategist in the story Three Kingdoms. Khongkha (คงคา) 1. Thai name for Ganges. 2. The goddess of the waters, rivers and canals, in Thailand. She is worshipped in the annual festival of Loi Krathong and her mount is the makara. Her name is etymologically related to the Indian word Ganges. Also Mae Khongkha. Thai. 'Core (or heart) of the tree-stump'. A university town and large provincial capital in the heart of Isaan, 449 km from Bangkok. With a population of around 130,000 inhabitants it is the fourth largest city in Thailand. The city and province name are the same and were derived from the Sanskrit-Thai name 'That (ma-)Khaam Phanom', 'hill of the tamarind relic', the name of a relic shrine that was built earlier in the area over the dead stub of a tamarind tree, that miraculously came to life after a group of travelling monks spent the night there with a relic of the Buddha. Later a chedi was built covering the initial shrine and it was named Phrathat Kham Kaen. The province's places of interest include an ancient Khmer temple situated on the border with Maha Sarakham province and known as Prasat Puey Noi or Ku Puey Noi, and locally called That Ku Thong. This province (map) has twenty amphur and five king amphur.
khon saai khao wat (ขนทรายเข้าวัด) Thai. 'To carry sand into a tempel'. Annual practice during Songkraan in which sand is brought back to the temple in order to replace all the sand that has been carried out from temple grounds sticking to visitors feet, as it is not considered good to take anything away from a Thai temple, even unwillingly. Figuratively it also means to do something for the general good. Nowadays the sand is often used to make sand chedis, a local form of folk amusement called ko phra chedi saai (fig.). 1. Thai. A non-hereditary title or bandasak of the lowest rank, just under a Luang. 2. Thai. A title given to a prince or king of a region, before the integration of Thailand. Also Khun Luang. Familiarly called Tan Khun Khun Luang, the next title in ascendant lineage, now in disuse. The comic but faithful husband from Khun Chang Khun Paen. Khun Chang Khun Paen (ขุนช้างขุนแผน) A classic of Thai literature written in verse by king Phra Phutta Leut La, the second monarch of the Chakri dynasty. The story relates an eternal love triangle involving Khun Paen, the dashing lover and skilled warrior, Khun Chang, the comic but faithful husband, and Wanthong, the bigamous heroin who vacillated between true love and respectability. Thai. A title given to a prince or king of a region before the integration of Thailand. See also Khun. The dashing lover and able warrior from Khun Chang Khun Paen. Thai name of the now disposed opium warlord who in the sixties fought in the region of the Golden Triangle for control of the local opium trade and who in the early eighties retreated to Burma to operate from there. He was born from a mixed marriage having an Unnanese father and a Shan mother. He graduated from a college in Tong Khi (Myanmar) and became chief of the Myanmar Intelligence Unit before being appointed a colonel in 1963. Due to his powerful position he was able to benefit from the local production of opium and heroin, as well as from the trade in jade, gemstones and ivory. Being a freedom fighter for his people the money gained from their skills in the above mentioned trades was used in their battle for an independent Shan state. In 1966 Khun Sa was captured by the Burmese and imprisoned in Myanmar for seven years. He regained his freedom after his friend Fa Lan (Chan Xu Chien) took two Russian doctors, who were sent to Myanmar in an international aid project, hostage in exchange for the release of Khun Sa. After this he rejoined the United Shan Army and later founded the Meuang Tai Army which grew to become one of largest armed forces in existence in that period. Well aware of the harm drugs do to people worldwide, he stated that he regretted this but said it was a necessary evil for the sake of the freedom of his country, the Shan State. In 1986 however, he finally laid down arms and surrendered to the Burmese. He went to live in Rangoon where he continued to benefit from the profits of his many trades. He was nicknamed the King of Opium and is also known as Chang Xi Fu.
See muay thai. Name for a creature of Chinese fables. In Chinese it is called khiling, a compound word consisting of the prefix khi and the suffix ling. Khi stands for a male kilen, whereas ling represents a female kilen. They are therefore often depicted in pair (fig.). In traditional iconography the kilen has a scaled, dear-like body, with on its back short curly manes and a bushy tail; legs with hoofs like those of a horse; and the head of a dragon with one dear-like horn. But in popular iconography (fig.) it usually depicted with a scaled body with long manes on its back; a bushy tail; legs with the paws of a wild dog; the head of a dragon, but somewhat resembling that of a lion; and two dear-like horns. Besides this other varieties with slightly different features may also occur. Sometimes transcribed as kilin, kylin, kirin or qilin.
Thai. In Buddhist theology the term for an unwholesome thought that causes unhappiness and barring the way to bliss, metaphorically depicted as the demon kiletsamaan. Thai. Name of a demon who bars the way to bliss. The name is formed by merging the term kilet and the name Maan (Mara). Thai. 'Subdistrict'. A sub-amphur, an administrative district equal to an amphur. Thailand has a total of 81 king amphur. Thai for chameleon. Thai for millipede. Epithet for the durian, the mangosteen being the 'queen of fruits'. Thai. The male form of a Kinnon. See also Kinnara. Kinnara (किन्नर) Sanskrit. Originally a mythical creature with a human body and the head of a horse, or the other way around. In later times it became a combination of a bird and a man (Kinnara) or woman (Kinnari), with a human torso and head, and the wings and legs of a bird. In India the Kinnaras were a subgroup of the gandharvas. It is similar to a Theppaksi (fig.) but its lower arms have a winged section with feathers, whereas its counterpart does not. In Thai Kinnon.
Kinnari (กินรี) Sanskrit-Thai. The female form of a Kinnon. See also Kinnara and Kinnaburut. Thai. Other name for Kinnari. Kinnon (กินนร) Thai. Name for a race of beings that are half-bird half-human. The male species is called Kinnaburut, the female species Kinnari or Kinnarin. kirtimukha (कीर्तिमुख) Sanskrit. 'Face of glory'. Indian term for a mask-like creature above some temple doors, usually represented as a face with two horns, round bulbous eyes, the nose of a human or lion, a wide mouth with teeth, often without a lower jaw. In both Buddhist and Hindu mythology this creature is intended to drive away evil and protect the devout. In Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia it is called kala.
A popular pastime in the beginning of the hot season. Done for fun as well as for contests or kite flying fights. Thai kites have been recorded to exist since the Sukhothai period. A fascinating kite is the so-called 'singing' tui-tui. In Thai called waw and chak waw.
Traditional contests played with two teams in which each team has to try and knock out the kite of the opposite team by pulling it over a line. During the reign of King Rama V kite flying became a popular sport and competitions were held with awards as well as blessings from the king. On 3 April 1983 a revival of the Thai Kite Flying Competition was held at Sanam Luang, a large field in front of the Royal Palace Phra Rachawang in Bangkok. Contests are played with a small diamond shaped female kite called pak pao (fig.) against a much larger pentagonal male kite, nearly two meters in length and called chula (fig.). Competitions are nowadays usually held at the beginning of the hot season at Sanam Luang. See also tui-tui. Thai. Name of an implement with a short handle and a curved blade, used for reaping rice. Similar to a sickle, but serrated.
Thai. The remaining tuft of hair on the shaven head of a child, comparable with the juk. Nowadays out of fashion. Hill tribe children often have their heads shaved leaving a small lock of hair in front (fig.).
Thai. 'Giant wave'. Term for a tidal wave or tsunami. See also yak. Thai for antefix. klieb kanun prang (กลีบขนุนปรางค์) Thai. The antefix on some prangs in Khmer style.
Thai. 'Middle drum'. A large temple drum with a single drum head. It is the largest drum in Thailand, with a length of roughly three meters and a diameter of approximately fifty centimeters. Its name refers to the middle of the drum which is tapered. Originally from Burma where it is called ozi. The drum is used to gather the monks and to call the villagers to certain ceremonies, especially during festivals such as Songkraan and for the ordination of young monks during Khao Pansa. A smaller version of a similar drum that can be carried hanging from the waist is called klong yao.
Thai. 'Victory drum'. Drum used to announce victory with the features of a Malay drum but shorter and more bulbous. Thai. 'Guest drum'. Tall standing drum with hides on both drumheads. It is tied with rattan strings stretching from one drumhead to the other.
klong mahorateuk (กลองมโหระทึก) Thai. A metal drum used in ceremonies of state. Formerly it was used to give warning signals or to greet someone with music. Also mahorateuk.
Thai. Name of a large temple drum (fig.)
which is beaten at eleven o'clock in the morning to mark the hour
between eleven and twelve in the morning, when Buddhist priests have
their last meal of the day. The drum will call the monks and
novices together to start their last meal and it is usually
kept in a tower called
klong sabat chai (กลองสะบัดชัย) Thai. A large flat drum held on two horizontal poles by two carriers whilst the drummer plays it with his hands and elbows as well as with his knees, moving about in a ceremonial manner. It is usually accompanied by the beat of small handheld gongs. Features especially in the North.
Thai. A drum with a double drum head. This kind is used in the mahori and orchestras consisting chiefly of the ranaat ek.
Thai. A drum resembling the klong thad but smaller.
Thai. 'Drum circle'. Percussion instrument consisting of several drums with different tones hung in a circular structure.
Thai. 'Long drum'. Drum with a single drum head carried hanging from the waist and played by hand. It looks like a smaller version of the klong aew, the long narrow temple drum.
1. Thai. State umbrellas, held by an attendant over the king, queen and the crown prince on state occasions to protect them from the sun and rain. See also chattra. 2. One of the permitted possessions or borikaan of monks and novices. It is an umbrella used to meditate under and to sleep under in the forest when they go out on thudong.
Thai. 'Banana'. Fruit of the banana plant (fig.), of the genus Musa of which there are many different species. See gluay. kluay pad (กล้วยพัด) Thai. 'Banana fan'. Evergreen tree that grows up to 10 meters. Distinctive are its large paddle shaped leaves on long stalks, resembling those of a banana plant (kluay) but spreading like a fan (pad). Since rainwater collects easily between its leaves and can be used in emergencies to quench one's thirst, it got the nickname traveller's palm or traveller's tree. Its Latin name is ravenala madagascariensis. Also transcribed gluay pad.
Thai name for an ox or bull, and often used as a prefix for Nondi. Also the Cambodian word for an ox. In Buddhist art a white ox is the vehicle of the Buddha.
Thai name of a fabulous animal from the Himaphan forest, similar to a lion but with a trunk and tusks like an elephant. Also transcribed kotchasih. In Sanskrit-Pali called gajasingha (fig.). It is the symbol and logo of the Thai Ministry of Defense.
kohm fai (โคมไฟ) See kohm loy. Northern Thai speech for kohm kwaen. Thai. 'Hanging lantern'. A kind of Lan Na style lantern used for decoration at night. Its shape is usually either round, square, hexagonal or octagonal. It is made of a wooden frame covered with cellophane (fig.), paper, glass or any other material that allows light to shine through. Inside is a lamp or another light source that won't a cause a blaze. It is mostly used in Northern Thailand, where it is called kohm kahng.
See kohm loy. Thai. 'Floating lantern'. A lantern made from paper similar to a hot air balloon with a candle or fuse supplying the heat (fig.). They are usually white but also coloured ones exist (fig.). It is a tradition of North Thailand that dates back to the Sukhothai period when these lanterns were launched by its kings. During the festival of Loi Krathong in Sukhothai hundreds of lanterns are released simultaneously, lighting the sky spectacularly. Also called kohm fai (fire lantern), and also transcribed as 'kohm loi'.
See Confucius. See takong. Thai. Collective term for gongs, which have many forms and shapes. Gongs are often found hanging between two tusks of an elephant, or in a krajang (fig.) structure. They are suspended from the rim and this is called chat, after the several layered royal umbrella.
kong dap phleung (กองดับเพลิง) Thai. 'Fire brigade'. Protective work and fire control in Thailand are in existence since the Ayutthaya period. Somewhere in the early 16th century AD a team was set up whose duty it was to watch over dangerous threats. This included placing guards on 40 meter high watchtowers that were set up at key locations with a good view within the city walls and were used to detect possible assailants who for example might try to set the city ablaze in an act of sabotage. These watchtowers had drums that were beaten on moments of calamity as well as on other occasions. The drums were explicitly used to tell the time, especially to announce dawn and nightfall over the city; during enemy attacks or riots and revolts within the city; and in case of fire. When a fire occurred within the city walls the drum was hit with three beats after one another and for fires outside the city walls it was beaten with an invariable pattern of sounds, until after the fire was extinguished. In the Rattanakosin period these three types of drums and drumbeats were replaced by new ones, until the use of this kind of drums was abolished completely during the reign of Rama V. When on 4 August 1913 Marshal Phra Chao Worawongse, a Krom Luang (see Krom Phra Nakhon) took office as commander of the Department of Military Operations he informed king Chulalongkorn that he wanted to establish a new army and defense system, emphasizing the importance of a new department, independently trained to prepare for and actively and solely deal with fire fighting. This newly founded Fire Brigade was separated from the other troops, stationed locally in the different tambon and became a division of the local police. However, in 1937, due to several occurrences, the Police Department placed the personnel of the Fire Department under the authority of the city municipality of Bangkok and all its officers became government employees, with all benefits and duties of Thai officials and as stipulated by royal decree.
Thai term for registered men of pre-military age who have been listed for military service but are nor yet officially called up. At the age of twenty every Thai boy is summoned to come and draw a lot of which the colour determines if one is conscripted or let off: if the colour is red, one is drafted; if black, one is exempt. Volunteers however may join the military at the age of 18. Thai for police. See Royal Thai Police. See gong de. Thai. 'Army' or 'military might'. Under direct command of the Ministry of Defence the kingdom has about 314,000 armed forces, consisting mainly of conscripts. Men reaching the age of twenty-one are subject to two years of compulsory military service and conscription is determined by lot. At the age of twenty every boy is summoned to come and draw a lot of which the colour determines the outcome: if the colour is red, one is drafted; if black, one is exempt. Volunteers may join up at the age of 18. The military includes three branches: the Army with about 190,000 staff, the Navy with around 79,000 personnel (including naval aviation personnel and members of the marine corps), and the Air Force, estimated at 45,000. Reserve forces total about 200,000 recruits. The king is the rightful head of the armed forces. Also called saenyahkon. See also the ranks of the Thai military.
Thai. 'Gong circle'. Percussion instrument consisting of several small gongs with different tones hung on a circular structure.
kon tamleung thong (ก้อนตำลึงทอง) Thai for a Chinese gold ingot. It has a boat-like shape that resembles a smile (fig.) because it helps those who find it to be happy. It is therefore an attribute of the Smiling Buddha (fig.) who is also known by the names Budai (fig.), Mi Le Fo and Huan Xi Fo (fig.). Besides this it is also held by many other Chinese deities, in particular by the Chinese wealth god, Cai Shen. It is often decorated with Chinese symbols or characters, e.g. old Chinese coins, the character fu or a picture of a bat (fu), amongst others. In Chinese temples and shrines it is found in paper form and used as a burn offer in the Chinese ritual gong de (fig.). In feng shui, replica Chinese gold ingots are placed in the wealth area, i.e. is the southeast sector, of homes and businesses to attract fortune and abundance. See also tamleung.
Thai Yai. Name of a typical farmer's hat worn by the Shan people of Mae Hong Son province. See also ngop.
ko phra chedi saai (ก่อพระเจดีย์ทราย) Thai. 'Building a sand chedi'. Name of a kind of local folk amusement which is derived from the religious rite of khon saai khao wat, the practice of bringing sand back to the temple in order to replace all the sand that has been carried out from temple grounds sticking to visitors feet, as a form of tamboon. Also called ko sang phra chedi saai.
Arabic. 'Recitation'. Sacred scriptures of Islam. A collection of oral revelations received by the prophet Muhammad, considered by Muslims to be the words of Allah. Also Quran. Korat (โคราช) Thai. Popular name for Nakhon Ratchasima derived from the Plateau of Korat, the gateway to the plains of Isaan. See mahout. Kosala (कोशल) The empire of king Dasharatha, the father of Rama. Also transcribed Koshala. ko sang phra chedi saai (ก่อสร้างพระเจดีย์ทราย) See ko phra chedi saai. 1. Thai. A pair of -usually bean-shaped- pieces of wood used to foretell ones fortune. They are tossed onto the floor and from their position ones fortune can be derived. They are often seen in temples, especially those of Chinese origin (fig.). See also siamsih. 2. Thai. A pair of hand-held pieces of wood used as a rhythm instrument, somewhat like castanets. Thai. East Indian water buffalo. See also kwai and carabao. A Thai word for 'sword'. Thai. 'Sword(s)'. Town with a population of around 18,000 inhabitants and capital of Krabi province (map) in southern Thailand, about 814 km from Bangkok. The province covers an area of 4,708.5 km², has eight amphur and a total population of around 344,610. Its former name was Pakahsai or Karobi. It lies at the Andaman See and borders Surat Thani in the North, Nakhon Sri Thammarat in the East, Trang in the Southeast and Phang Nga in the West. After dating stone tools, ancient coloured paintings, beads, pottery and skeletal remains found in the province's many cliffs and caves, it is thought that Krabi has been home to homo sapiens since the period 25,000-35,000 BC, making it possibly the country's oldest continued settlement. Its main rivers are the Krabi and the Khlong Pakahsai, and the highest mountain is Phu Khao Phanom Benjah, with an altitude of 1,397 meters and meaning 'five-tiered pedestal'. Natural forest consists largely of mangrove and cassia trees. Krabi is situated on the periphery of a limestone mountain range, offering stunning views of steep cliffs rising from the sea, as well as of scenic sandy beaches. Rai Le Beach is well-known for its rock climbing and the bay of Ao Nang has some 84 small islands and a limestone cave. Other places of interest include Koh Phi Phi (fig.) and Koh Lantah National Marine Parks, Koh Poda, Koh Thap and Chicken Island. Subject to tropical monsoon weather Krabi has just two seasons: the hot season from January to April and the rainy season from May to December. The people's main occupations consist of rubber tree tapping, mango, coffee, coconut and oil palm cultivation, fishery and rice farming.
Thai linear measurement. A quarter of an inch (6.35 mm). Thai. 'Sword(s) and club(s)'. Thai martial art with hand weapons, namely swords (krabi) and clubs (krabong). This ritual combat is solemnly taught according to a 400 year old tradition that originated in Wat Phutthaisawan in Ayutthaya. The elite bodyguard of the Thai king are today still trained in this martial art.
A short bamboo cylinder roughly forty centimeters long and when sealed can be used as a water reservoir or for grilling rice, as with khao laam (fig.). See also bong and hun krabok. Thai. 'Club' or 'staff'. See also gada, katha and bong. 1. Thai. A jeweled club, usually with miraculous powers. 2. Thai. A cactus of the genus simaroubaceae. Thai. A coconut shell dipper, scoop or ladle. The bowl is made of the shell of a female coconut or a part without the three so-called 'eyes' (germination pores), whereas the handle is made of wood. They are often decoratively carved (fig.). If used for scooping water from water containers, like those in a ban nahm (fig.), they are also called nahm buay. See also tawak.
Thai. Root of the genus kaempferia belonging to the family of gingers and used as a traditional remedy for a number of gastrointestinal disorders.
kradaat sah (กระดาษสา) Thai. Paper made from bark of the paper mulberry tree, which in Thai is called ton sah.
kradang nga ngaw (กระดังงางัว) Thai. Local name for a kind of hard and large creeper with the scientific name artabotrys siamesis and belonging to the genus of annonaceae, the same family as the kradang nga songkla and noi nah. At the top the branches have small spikes. A young vine will have green branches but when older it is brown. The kradang nga ngaw has a dense foliage consisting of single leaves that grow in alternate order on the branches. The leaves are bottlegreen and slightly rippled with a paralleled rim and oval-round in shape. Each leaf has a short leafstalk and is pointed at the bottom and towards the end. Its edge is smooth, without jags or splits. It bears single flowers that bloom near the bottom of the leaves. At first a flower is green but gradually becomes yellow over time. Each flower has a corolla of 3 petals which are sheltered by 3 similar sepals. The oval-shaped flowers are rather small, thick and strong, with tapering leaves that hold several pistils as well as stamens within. The flowers have a very strong scent, especially during the evening and at night. The kradang nga ngaw is used as an ornamental shrub that gives plenty of shadow and bears flowers year round. Its flowers is used to make perfume and a single flower is sometimes given as a welcome or souvenir at restaurants. They are also often found as part of the puang malai. Its common Thai name is karawak. kradang nga songkla (กระดังงาสงขลา) Thai. Name of a tropical tree with the Latin name cananga odarata and belonging to the genus of annonaceae, the same family as the kradang nga ngaw and noi nah. It can grow up to 24 meters high and has yellowish green flowers that are used in the perfume industry as they have exceptional scent. In Malaysia called ylang ylang.
Small temple bells, often of increasing size, that hang from the spire of a chedi or from the roof of a temple building to tinkle in the wind. They are usually made from brass, nicely decorated and have a heart-shaped metal plate that dangles from its clapper to catch the wind. The mountain Phu Kradeung in the province of Loei is named after them, as it is told that many people heard the sound of bells jingling in the wind coming from this mountain on Buddhist holy days or Wan Phra.
Thai. A round, flat winnowing basket, used to fan the chaff from the grain. Large-sized baskets are called 'kradong mon'. Due to its shape the victoria regia (fig.), called bua kradong in Thai, is named after it.
Thai. A large-sized kradong. Officially a winnowing basket, but more often used to contain (fig.) or dry food, such as chilies, in the sun.
Thai. 'Indigo, blue, aniline blue'. Name of a plant that flourishes especially during the rainy season and is utilized to extract a blue colour, used for dyeing seua mo hom (fig.). Besides this it is said that pharmaceutically the leaves are an effective cure against fevers and bronchitis. Its botanical name is baphicacanthus cusia and in Northern Thailand it is known as hom and in Nan province by the name hom meuang. Thai. Collective term for trees of the genus ficus, such as the ficus concinna (fig.). Grows from India to the Salomon Islands and Australia. Thai name for the mountain on which the Hindu god Shiva dwells, in Sanskrit named Kailasa. A Thai classical story about a crocodile named Chalawan. It is a love story and originated in the province of Phichit (fig.). Thai. 'Water chestnut' or 'water nut'. A nut-like fruit of the genus trapa with a moustache shape (a curved V-form with its ends curled up) in a black peel.
Another name for tawak. 1. Thai. A design used in carving; leaves arranged in the shape of two outstretched arms. 2. Thai. A cornice structure with a decorative design consisting of leaves, arranged in the shape of two outstretched arms, found on wooden furniture.
Thai for roselle, a flower of the genus hibiscus. From its seed heads (fig.) a refreshing drink high in Vitamin C can be made (fig.) by soaking them in boiling water. Also hibiscus sabdariffa and in Thai also krajiab daeng.
Thai. 'Red krajiab'. See krajiab. Thai. Name of a plant of the genus curcuma domestica and belonging to the family of zingiberaceae, the same family of the galingale, which it resembles. The plant bears a flower at the top (fig.) and the flower bud is fit for consumption. In the Northwest of Thailand it is called dok aaw. kranok (กระหนก) Thai. A characteristic Thai design in decorative art resembling tongues of fire. See also kanok.
Thai. 'Fish entrails'. Name of a Chinese crispy savoury made of the entrails of fish. It is served in a soup cooked with rice whiskey (lao khao) or as part of a spicy salad called yam krapo pla and consisting of sliced tomatoes and onion, cut pieces of dried squid, chilies, cashew nuts and some green celery-like vegetable (fig.). It is ubiquitously sold around Bangkok's Chinatown and is somewhat high-priced at around 500 baht per kilo.
Thai name for a shuttle used in loom weaving (fig.) to make the weft, the threads woven across a warp, the lengthwise threads in a loom, to make fabric. It is made of wood and the head and tail are pointed, a little bit similar to the shape of a small boat. In the middle is a hole to place the reel with yarn. In Thailand at least two kinds of shuttles are used in loom weaving. The first one, called a flying shuttle (fig.), can usually hold two reels of woof yarn and is launched back and forth through the shed, the area between upper and lower warp yarns, by pulling a string that propels the shuttle from one side to the other. The ends of the flying shuttle are reinforced with metal tips to protect the wood and absorb the shock when it is launched and lands. The second type of shuttle is used with a handloom and is passed back and forth through the shed by hand (fig.). It therefore has enlarged ends that function as handles, facilitating an easy grip when pulling the weft thread between the warp threads by hand. The latter holds just one reel of yarn.
Thai for incense burner, usually a large brass vessel filled with sand and a bed of dropped off ashes in which joss sticks are placed. They are often elaborately decorated with dragon motifs, large handles or handles in the shape of Bi Xie heads, and sometimes even with a small roof (fig.). Occasionally they are made of stone (fig.). Before burning joss sticks the person offering them will first perform an athitahn. Also called toobbaat.
Thai. 'Chinese rabbit'. A tool for grating coconut, formerly having the form of a low, often long, stool with a circular steel serrated knife. Nowadays a grinding machine (fig.) is more often used, which has a board studded with pins and a rotary worked by a motor. The coconut is grated for its juice, which is used as an ingredient in several Thai curries.
kratha thong daeng (กระทะทองแดง) Thai. Name for a large copper kettle in which the Yommabaan in hell (narok) boil sinful people as a punishment (fig.). Thai for garlic, a plant of the onion family with a pungent bulb. It is widely used in Thai cookery and can be found in different form on local markets nationwide. Whole garlic preserved in salt and water is known as krathiam dong or pickled garlic.
Thai. 'Gaur'. The largest known wild bovine animal with the Latin scientific name bibos gaurus. It lives in the hilly woodlands of India, Burma, Thailand and Malacca. The animal has an enormous thrust power and the in Thailand manufactured vitamin drink Krathing Daeng (red gaur), which gained international fame under the name Red Bull, has as logo in fact two red gaurs rushing towards one another, to show the power of its product. Within the scope of its wildlife conservation activities Wildlife Fund Thailand offers a gaur watching programme in Khao Paeng Ma, at Wang Nahm Khiauw district in Nakhon Ratchasima. It is also the name of a freshwater fish and of a tree. Thai. Name of a fruit tree and its bulbous, yellowish green tropical fruit with a thick husk, known by the western name santol. Also known by the epithet wild mangosteen and by its scientific name sandoricum indicum. Its season is June to September.
krathong (กระทง) Thai. Floating flower arrangement. The trunk of a banana plant is cut in slices (fig.) that are used to form the basis of the krathong which is then decorated with the folded leaves of a banana plant, flowers, candles and incense sticks. Because of its folded leaves it resembles an open lotus flower and is able to float. During the festival of Loi Krathong these are placed in the water and pushed away to worship the goddess of the water, Mae Khongkha. Nowadays often less environmentally friendly materials such as polystyrene foam are used to make the base of the krathong. The origin of the krathong can be traced back to Nang Nophamat, the daughter of a brahman priest and a lady at the court of king Phra Ruang of Sukhothai. She is said to have wanted to please the king by 'creating a new style of lotus flower in different forms which were to be floated on the streaming waters at night during the water festival'.
Reinforced villages in strategic locations from which local rulers reigned ancient Indonesia. Thai. A Chinese sweetmeat made of rice flour, nuts and sesame, cooked with sugar into a kind of caramelised cereal bar (fig.). It is particularly eaten during the saad festival when the sweetmeat is traditionally moulded into more fun shapes such as puppets and animals.
Thai. Offerings to a god.
Thai for incense. kreuang kanthet (เครื่องกัณฑ์เทศน์) Thai. Offerings to a monk after his sermon. See also kan and thet. Thai. Decorative objects made in lacquer. Thai. A stamping mill used to pound or grind things. See also krok tam khao. kreuang krabeuang (เครื่องกระเบื้อง) Thai. Collective term for different kinds of pottery, earthen ware, ceramics, porcelain and tile work. Thai. 'Tractor'. Although four wheel tractors do exist, most farmers use an engine on two wheels with long handlebars for ploughing rice paddies. The tyres of those can be taken off the wheels which are serrated and function as rotating ploughs. It can be hitched to a cart or wagon and used for transporting goods and people. This type of tractor is nicknamed 'Japanese buffalo'.
Thai. Name for decorative objects ornamented with mother-of-pearl. kreuang pradap langka wat (เครื่องประดับหลังคาวัด) Thai. 'Temple roof decoration'. Roof fittings usually made of ceramic and often depicting guardian figures such as dragons, yaksahs, thevadas and nagas. They are generally crude in manufacture. Compare with Chinese Imperial roof decoration.
Thai. 'Food ingredients'. A set of small lidded cups or glass bowls with a tiny spoon, placed on either a platter or a steel rack and containing spices used for seasoning a dish according to ones personal taste. It is part of the usual tableware at roadside noodle restaurants, especially those selling guay tiyaw noodle soups. Dressing flavours include nahm phrik (salty fish sauce with sliced chilies), nahm som phrik (vinegar with sliced chilies), nahm tahn (sugar) to counter spicy flavours and prik pon (ground dried chilies). In addition also thua pon (ground peanuts) may be available.
Thai. Rajasap for 'food'. kreuang thao thang si (เครืองท้าวทั้งสี่) Thai. 'Offering to all four'. A ceremony in North Thailand in which six baskets with food are offered to the protecting gods of a certain place. Firstly these are the four lokapalas from Buddhism guarding the four directions; but next also to Indra, ruler of the Tavatimsa heaven and in Hindu cosmology a lokapala himself; and to Phra Mae Thoranee, goddess of the earth. Despite the name 'offering to all four' actually six baskets are used, thus offering to all directions of the compass as well as vertically.
kreuang thuay chaam (เครื่องถ้วยชาม) General Thai name for china, crockery and porcelain. Also thuay chaam.
Thai. Name for decorative objects made from niello. Thai. 'Insignia of rank'. Court uniform or dress for state functions in Thailand. Thai name for a pedigree, a genealogical table or family tree. A recorded line of descent or systematic list of ancestors. MORE ON THIS. Sanskrit. 'With the face of an elephant'. A name for Ganesha. Javanese-Malay weapon similar to the Thai khan. A kris is a long, bayonet-like dagger or short sword with a straight or curved, double-edged blade ending in a sharp point. It was an important weapon in ancient Malay and Indonesian warfare. The handle of a traditional kris is usually highly ornamented.
Sanskrit. 'The dark one' or 'dark blue'. The eighth and most popular avatar of Vishnu, with a blue complexion. He is first mentioned in the Mahabharata where he delivers the world the Bhagavad Gita, a religious poem of great significance in which he reveals himself as a supreme being. Although an avatar of Vishnu, Krishna is worshipped as a god in his own right and is as such the most celebrated god of the Hindu pantheon. In Thailand called Phra Kritsana.
Krita (कृत) Sanskrit. First of the four yugas. Thai name for Krishna, the eight avatar of Vishnu. krodha (क्रोध) Sanskrit. 'Anger'. A feature of certain Buddhist and Hindu gods intended to fend off foes and protect the devout. The Thai word kroht is derived from it. Thai. 'Anger'. Word derived from the Sanskrit word krodha. It is a characteristic of certain Buddhist and Hindu gods, intended to ward off foes and protect the devout. Thai. A mortar with a pestle called saak.
Thai. A large mortar used for pounding paddy with the foot to separate the grain from the chaff. See also kreuang klohk.
Thai. A mortar for pounding betel nut.
Thai. A former title for a prince or princess of royal descent appointed to rule over a certain province. There are five gradations with the highest title being Krom Phraya, followed by Krom Phra, Krom Luang, Krom Khun and Krom Meun. Thai. Highest rank of a Krom Phra Nakhon, formerly a prince or princess of royal descent appointed to rule over a certain province. Thai. A cell, dungeon or hole inside a pagoda, usually filled with relics and images of the Buddha. kruh (ครู) Thai. 'Teacher, tutor or master', derived from the word guru. Also spelt kroo. See also phra kruh and Wan Kruh. Thai. Abbreviation of the Thai name for Bangkok. In full this is: Krung Thep Maha Nakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit, or 'City of Angels, Great City, Immortal Jeweled City, Impregnable Fortress of the god Indra, Capital of the World, Decorated with Nine Jewels (fig.), Dwelling place of Happiness and Provided with Enormous Palaces not inferior to the Heavenly Dwelling Place of an Incarnated god, Gift of Indra, Built by Vishnukam'. Sometimes Rattanakosin is translated as 'Residence of the Emerald Buddha'. Thai name for the Garuda. It is Thailand's royal symbol and indicates the connection between the Thai monarch as the protector of the nation, and the mighty Hindu god Vishnu, protector of the universe.
Sanskrit. 'Supremacy' and 'dominion'. See Kshatriya. Kshatriya (क्षत्रिय) Hindi. The warrior or ruling class in India, the second in the pecking order of India's four traditional classes or varna. The term is derived from the Sanskrit word kshatra, meaning 'supremacy' and 'dominion'. But, although the political power lay with the Kshatriyas, the brahmins as keepers of religion enjoyed more prestige and advantages. The Thai word for king (kasat) is derived from Kshatriya. Thai. 'To roast' and 'to pop', as in roast chestnuts and pop corn. Chinese for 'chopsticks'. The first word kuài (筷) is actually a compound word consisting of the phonetic part kuài (快) meaning 'fast', 'quick' or 'swift' and the semantic part 'zhù' (竹) meaning 'bamboo'. In Traditional Chinese the old word for chopsticks is 'zhù' (箸) which has the same pronunciation as another word meaning 'to dwell, to reside' or 'to stop' (住). The use of the word zhù thus became taboo on ships for obvious reason and was replaced by a word with the opposite meaning, i.e. 'fast'. This over time became the new word for chopsticks and later the semantic part for 'bamboo' was added. The latter word zi (子) is a noun suffix and can be understood as a classifier, in this case used for 'small things'. In Thai called takiab. Thai. 'To mix, to stir'. Name for a method used to preserve fruits by boiling and stirring until they have a jam-like runniness which is cast into an edible form and dried. Also the name for all kinds of sweets made of fruit in this manner, e.g. kluay kuan, ma muang kuan, etc. They are sometimes covered with sugar and often nicely packed as souvenir gifts (fig.).
Chinese. 'Blade of Kuan'. Name for a type of traditional Chinese weapon consisting of a heavy, serrated blade on a 1.5 to 1.8 meter long pole. The shape of the deeply curved blade somewhat resembles a human hand. It has a spike at the back and usually also an indentation at the spike's upper base to catch an opponent's weapon. It is a defense weapon rather than an offensive one. Its purpose is to disarm an enemy and ward off his strikes rather than to attack. To this end, a large sash or veil cloth is often attached at the joint of the pole and blade, to confuse opponents. Also transcribed guantao and kuantao, but properly called yan yue dao, literally 'falling moon knife'. In literature it is often referred to as 'reclining moon blade' or 'crescent blade' and when held by the Tiger General Kuan U it is called the Green Dragon Crescent Blade (fig.), Qing Long Yan Yue Dao in Chinese, since its blade is decorated with the motif of a dragon. According to legend, Kuan U was the inventor of the kuandao, hence the name, but there is no historical proof of this.
Kuan U (กวนอู) Thai-Chinese name for Guan Yu (AD 160–219), the Tiger General of Shu (fig.) and blood brother of Liu Bei, the warlord under whom he served during the late Eastern Han Dynasty. He was a fearsome fighter, yet famous for his virtuousness and loyalty, a brave and faithful warrior in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. He is posthumously worshipped as the deity who teaches righteousness and is traditionally portrayed as a warrior with a red face and a long lush beard (fig.). In ngiw, Chinese opera, the colour red represents loyalty and righteousness. He is also often depicted in combat atop his horse Sek Tao (fig.) holding the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, a type of traditional Chinese weapon, called kuandao and which consists of a heavy blade on a long, usually wooden, pole. Kuan U has a fierce looking aide-de-camp who is known as warlord Chou Tsang (fig.) and a son named Kuan Ping (fig.). He is also known as a Cai Shen, i.e. the Chinese warrior god of wealth and in Buddhism he is identified with the bodhisattva Sangharama, the guardian of the dharma.
Chinese goddess of mercy, in Japan known as Kwannon and in Thailand as Phra Mae Kwan Im. As a lady, she is the female form of the male bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the personification of compassion, from Mahayana Buddhism. As the female form of Avalokitesvara she also wears the portrait of Amitabha in her headdress (fig.), and she is sometimes depicted with several arms (fig.), like the Radiating Avalokitesvara (fig.), a representation referred to as the thousand hands (fig.). Also spelled Kwan Yin. Compare with yin.
See guay jab. See guay tiyaw. Kubera (कुबेर) The god of wealth in both Hinduism, Jainism and Mahayana Buddhism. He is a half-brother of Ravana who defeated him and usurped his throne. He is often represented as a obese figure carrying a money bag and a water jar, and accompanied by seven treasures or a mongoose vomiting coins and jewels. He is guardian of the North and in Hinduism rules over the yakshas and kinnaras who guard his treasures. Also Kuvera. In Sanskrit Vaisravana and in the Thai Ramakien called Kumphakan. Compare with Phra Sangkatjaai. kuh bahn kuh meuang (คู่บ้านคู่เมือง) Thai. A national institution or symbol, usually referring to an important local edifice, statue or image. It is used and intended locally, thus most cities and villages have their own kuh bahn kuh meuang. Chinese. 'Chief star'. Name for the god of examinations in Chinese mythology. Kui Xing was a brilliant student and outstanding scholar, but was awfully deformed. After passing the Imperial examinations with remarkable success he was supposed to have received the golden rose from the emperor, but due to his disfigured appearance the emperor was so shocked that he dropped the golden rose and it broke into pieces, or according to another source, was so repulsed that he refused to give it to him. In despair Kui Xing then either drowned himself and his spirit drifted to heaven, or according to another source, he fell or jumped into the water from a boat and was rescued by a sea dragon that escorted him up into heaven, where he became the deity of scholars who took imperial examinations, as related by both sources. He is often depicted standing on one leg and holding up a Chinese writing brush. Chinese has a number of words pronounced the same but with different ideographs which has led to a combination of meanings, e.g. the word Kui can also be translated as 'one-legged monster'. It is suggested that his name before deification was Zhong Kui (Chung K'uei - fig.), although this might also be another god, as mythological characters with similar backgrounds or service functions are sometimes blended together and are spoken of as if they are a single entity. It is therefore unclear if Chung K'uei actually ís Kui Xing or if he is yet another character from Chinese mythology. Also transcribed K'uei Hsing.
1. Thai. Name for a pentagonal kite, sometimes called chula. 2. Thai. Name for a foreigner, especially a Burmese who works ruby mines in Thailand. Thai. 'Golden prince'. Often seen figurines of a young prince. The most popular one being a figurine of the prince holding a purse in one hand while making a kwak gesture with the other. The figurine is said to bring good luck and fortune. The feminine form is called kumarithong. See also Sangthong.
Kumara (कुमार) Sanskrit. 'Prince'. A name of the god of war Skanda, as the son of Shiva. Kumari (कुमारी) Sanskrit. 'The maiden'. A name of Parvati, before she became the consort of Shiva. Thai. 'Golden princess'. The feminine form of kumaanthong. Sanskrit name for Kumphakan. Demon from the Thai Ramakien. He is the regent of Longka and the younger half-brother of Totsakan. He has a green complexion and wears no headdress. He is asleep most of the time because of a curse by Brahma. In Sanskrit called Kumbhakarna and in the Ramayana referred to as Kubera.
Thai. A devil, demon, giant or monster. See also yak.
Sanskrit. 'Earring'. Ornaments worn as talisman to protect against evil. The size and material used would indicate the status of the wearer. Elongated ear lobes, like those of the Buddha, originated from wearing heavy golden earrings and indicated royal descent. Chinese. 'Virtuous man'. Originally, the term Kung Fu (gōngfu) referred to a process of training and any achievement through great effort. It combines the word gōng (功) meaning 'meritorious deed' or 'skill', and fū (夫) which translates as 'man' (note that tone of the second word becomes neutral when combined with the first word, originally of the same tone). The Chinese word for gōng (功) is itself actually a compound word of two other characters, that is gōng (工) and lì (力), of which the first means 'work' and the latter (lì) 'strength', 'ability', 'power' or '(physical) force'. Over time, Kung Fu became a term used in reference to Chinese martial arts, said to have derived from Shaolin. Thai. 'Dancing shrimps'. The name of a dish consisting of small fresh water shrimps mixed with several spices whilst still alive. The shrimps jump (dance) like a fish out of water, giving the dish its typical name. A local dish from Phayao.
Kunti (कुंती) Daughter of Shura and mother of the Kauravas. She is an important figure in the epic poem Mahabharata. Previously she was named Pritha. Kurma (कुर्म) Sanskrit. 'Tortoise'. The second avatar of Vishnu who supported the churning stick during the churning of the Ocean of Milk, thus preventing it from going in the soft soil. It thus became a symbol of stability. Kuru (कुरु) A king of the Lunar race, who ruled over Kurukshetra, a region near Delhi in northwestern India, that was supposedly the battle scene of the war between his descendants the Kauravas and the Pandavas, described in the epic poem Mahabharata. Kusa (कुश) One of Sita's two twin sons in the Ramayana, neither of whom were recognized by their father Rama until they were fifteen years old. The other son was Lava. Also spelled Kusha. See Kusinagara. Original name of Kusinagara. Place in North India where the Buddha died and where his remains were cremated and divided up among eight kings. Originally known by the name Kushinara, it is one of four important Buddhist place of pilgrimage. Also Kushinagara. kuti (กุฏิ) Thai. The lodgings or living quarters of Buddhist monks in temples or monasteries.
Demon in the form of an elephant, who was sent out by Kansa to kill Krishna, his nephew. See also Arishta. See Kubera. Kwahm Suk Muan Ruam Pai Nai Phrathet (ความสุขมวลรวมภายในประเทศ) Thai for 'Gross Domestic Happiness (GDH)'. See Gross Domestic Happiness Index. Kwahm Suk Muan Ruam Prachachaht (ความสุขมวลรวมประชาชาติ) Thai for 'Gross National Happiness (GNH)'. See Gross Domestic Happiness Index. Thai for deer. Thai. 'Water buffalo'. Collective term for the East Indian water buffalo (fig.). Although buffaloes are increasingly being replaced by small tractors called Japanese buffaloes (fig.), the animals too are still being used for ploughing paddies and for transportation. There exist two varieties: one with curled horns, the other with sickle-shaped horns, both of them occasionally occurring as albinos, with a pinkish hide. The term kwai is often used disparagingly to emphasize the animal's stupidity. An ancient legend says the buffalo was sent down to earth by the god Indra to teach people how to eat rice, ordering it to tell them to eat rice only once every three days. The buffalo descended to earth but forgot what it was ordered to say and got the message confused. It explained the people the had to eat three times a day, instead of once every three days. On its return to heaven Indra was enraged over this, saying there would not be enough food for every one. He thus punished the buffalo by sending it back to earth ordering it to go and help the people with their cultivation of rice by ploughing paddies. In Hindu mythology the buffalo is the mount of the Vedic god Yama and Nondi, mount of the god Ishana is said to be a buffalo, although other sources mention Nondi as being a bull. In the Ramakien Torapi is a black buffalo and son of Torapa, an albino buffalo that would later be killed by his own son. In Chonburi a buffalo race takes place annually on a day before the full moon of the 11th lunar month, concurrently with the end of the Buddhist Lent. The term kwai is also used as a derogatory name for stupid people. Also krabeua and carabao.
Thai. To raise the arm and move (the hand) as a summons, to gesture or to beckon, as in maew kwak and nang kwak. Also kwak meua. Thai. To raise the arm and move the hand (meua) as a summons, to gesture or to beckon, as in maew kwak and nang kwak. Also kwak. Thai. The tuft or circle of hair at the back of the crown of the head, metaphorically the seat of someone's spirit, especially the guardian spirit with children. According to ancient Thai phrenology it shows the character of a person, and two such circles would indicate a scoundrel nature. It can also be translated as heart, moral, courage, and confidence. See also juk. Thai for mahout. See Phra Mae Kwan Im. See Kuan Yin. Japanese goddess of mercy, in China known as Kwan Yin (Kuan Yin - fig.) and in Thailand as Phra Mae Kwan Im. She is the female form of the male bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the personification of compassion in Mahayana Buddhism. Burmese. A temple, monastery or school in Myanmar. See kyi-zi. Burmese. 'Bell plate'. Name for a small to medium-sized Burmese, brass, plate gong or chime, usually with elaborate upward curved side corners and sometimes with engraving (fig.). Its early use is related to religious ceremonies and the smaller bell plates are at present still used by some Burmese Buddhist monks on alms round (fig.). The monks will hit them to ring three times in succession as a symbol of the Trairat. They come in different sizes and shapes, but are always flat. The most commonly found form is triangular and somewhat resembles a krajab water chestnut (fig.). These metal plate gongs can be found in temple compounds and monasteries all over Myanmar, as well as in some Thai temples, usually near the Burmese border. Some small kyi-zi may also be used as percussion instrument in an ensemble. Also transcribed kyeezee and nicknamed Burma bell.
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