Cabbage White
Common name
for a butterfly in the family Pieridae, and with the scientific
designation Pieris brassicae.
READ ON.
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cacao
See
cacao tree.
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cacao tree
See
ton kohkoh.
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Café Amazon
Name of a chain of
Thai coffee shops founded in 2002 and owned by the PTT Group, formerly
known as the Petroleum Authority of Thailand, and the largest
corporation in Thailand. Hence, Café Amazon shops are typically found at
PTT fuel stations, though they are also found at shopping malls, in
airports, entertainment venues, and so on. Today, there are reportedly
well over three thousand Café Amazon shops located around the world,
with its first international flagship store in
Singapore's
Jewel Changi Airport (fig.)
at
Changi Airport
(fig.), which opened in April 2019 as part of its new wave of expansion
to develop a global presence. It is currently the sixth largest coffee
chain by number of outlets worldwide. The brand's name drives from the
idea that Brazil is a large producer of coffee, as well as the land of
the Amazon forest, the world’s largest natural rainforest. Café Amazon
extends this unique identity and concept to its coffee shops and its
logo, aimed at creating a jungle-like style. Whereas the logo features a colourful Macaw against a background of palm leaves. This large,
long-tailed parrot, which is endemic to the Amazon, became the chains
mascot, whilst its stores are typically designed with a shady, natural
forest-like atmosphere, abounding with the charms of nature, plants,
trees, streams and wildlife, creating a relaxing, cozy oasis in which
one is in many a location surrounded by real trees, water and
waterfalls. These usually outdoor gardens are often inhabited by real
Macaws and koi fish.
See also TRAVEL PICTURES (1),
(2)
and
(3), and
WATCH VIDEO.
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Cai Shen (财神)
Chinese.
‘Wealth god’, ‘money spirit’ or ‘mammon’. There are numerous distinct
Chinese wealth gods, differentiating between formal and informal, as
well as civilian and military wealth deities.
READ ON.
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Cai Qing (采青)
Chinese.
‘Plucking
the Greens’.
Name of a Chinese tradition associated
with the lion dance (fig.),
conducted as a fundraising event in a door-to-door parade to bring good
luck and ward off evil spirits. During this event, lion dance performers
collect donations while local community members hang lettuce at their
shop entrances or homes, concealing money within. The lion grasps the
lettuce with its mouth, retrieves the money kept as a reward, and
symbolically spits out the greens to spread prosperity. The parade is
accompanied by rhythmic drumbeats and cymbals. Spectators and locals may
also contribute by offering money in red envelopes or placing it
directly in the lion's mouth to support the performers and temples.
WATCH VIDEO.
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caitya (चैत्य)
1.
Sanskrit. ‘Sanctuary’. An assembly hall for meditation and teaching.
Originally an apsidal hall housing a
stupa, or a funerary mound enshrining sacred relics of
the
Buddha, or objects used by him. It is the
precursor of the Thai
chedi. Also transcribed
chaitya.
In Pali
cetiya.
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2.
Sanskrit. A particular style of arch and window construction as
found in early cave temples in India. Also transcribed
chaitya.
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calabash
See
nahm tao.
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Caladium
Generic Latin name for any of the tropical plants, which in Thai are
called
bon.
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Calliandra
Latin. Generic
botanical name for large shrubs that belong to the family Fabaceae
and the subfamily Mimosaceae, and with flowers that are often
confusingly similar to those on trees and shrubs of the genus
Albizia. They are originally from the North
of South America and have typifying tassel-like
flowers, usually white and pink or red, that grow on top of the branches. Within this large genus, there are two comparable
species, i.e. Calliandra surinamensis
or
Pink Tassel-flower (fig.),
and Calliandra
haematocephala or
Red Powder-puff
(fig.),
the latter which is also commonly called Blood-red
Tassel-flower and Pink Powder-puff. In Thai, Calliandra surinamensis
is called
jamajurih
(จามจุรี), whereas Calliandra
haematocephala is called
phu jomphon (พู่จอมพล), phu naay phon
(พู่นายพล), and phu chomphu (พู่ชมพู),
with the latter name also being used for the comparable Persian Silk Tree (Albizia julibrissin). In
addition, the Thai name jamajurih is also used for a large tree in the same
family and with similar flowers, and which is commonly seen in
Thailand
(fig.).
To differentiate between the two, usually the prefix
ton
(ต้น) is added when referring to
the tree, whereas the prefix phreuk (พฤกษ์) is used for the shrub.
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Calling Crab
See
piyaw.
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Cambodia
Thailand's neighbouring country to the East, roughly between
Vietnam
and
Laos, bordering the Gulf of
Thailand. The official name is Kingdom of Cambodia and the capital
is
Phnom Penh. Its covers a land area of 181,040 km² and has a total
of 2,572 km of boundaries with Laos, Vietnam and Thailand. Its
coastline is 443 km long and its highest point is Phnum Aoral, with
an altitude of 1,810 meter. Natural resources are timber, gemstones,
some iron ore, manganese and phosphates. The currency is the Riel
(រៀល), a name that literally means ‘Small Fish’. Besides the often
silver colour
of
fish,
akin to that of coin money, the term likely derives from the
country's former bartering system, i.e. a mode of payment by
exchanging goods for food, especially fish, that was commonly used
in the past in the many fishing communities, that today still exist
around Tonlé Sap (fig.), the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia (fig.).
Cambodia has a population of just over 13 million, of which 90% are
Khmer, the rest Vietnamese, Chinese
and others. With 95% the majority of the people are
Theravada Buddhist. The official
language is Khmer, but also French and English are spoken. Following
a five-year struggle, Communist Khmer Rouge forces captured Phnom
Penh in 1975 and ordered the evacuation of all cities and towns.
Over 1 million displaced people died from execution or enforced
hardships (fig.). A 1978 Vietnamese invasion drove the Khmer Rouge into the
countryside and touched off almost 20 years of fighting.
UN-sponsored elections in 1993 helped restore some semblance of
normalcy as did the rapid diminishment of the Khmer Rouge in the
mid-1990s. A coalition government, formed after national elections
in 1998, brought renewed political stability and the surrender of
remaining Khmer Rouge forces in 1998. Apart from its well-known
recent past, the country is perhaps best known for
Angkor Wat, an
ancient Khmer temple
(fig.)
and one of the seven Wonders of the World,
which is also depicted on the current national flag of Cambodia (fig.). In Thai called
Kamphucha. See also
Thailand's Neighbours & Beyond.
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Cambodian Lascar
Common name for a species of butterfly, with the scientific
designation Neptis tiga. It has a wingspan of 4 to 5 centimeters, and
the upper-wings have a dark brown ground colour with orange markings (fig.). On
the forewings, these markings consist of broad orange streaks, whilst
the hind wing has two orange bands, the one on the top broader than that
in the lower area. It is very similar to the Common Lascar (Neptis
hordonia), which has a blackish ground colour on the forewings rather than dark brown, a
distinction which –depending on the light– is not always easy to
differentiate in the field.
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Camellia
A genus of flowering plants in
the family Theaceae, that are found in eastern and southern Asia,
with around 200 described species, and known in Thai as
ton
cha,
i.e. ‘tea
plant’, since the leaves of the variety Camellia sinensis are
processed to make tea. See also
cha
and
Camellia amplexicaulis.
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Camellia amplexicaulis
Botanical name of an unusual species
of
Camellia native to northern
Vietnam, that has purplish-pink to
purplish-red flowers, with massive clusters of yellow pollen in the
centre. It’s flower buds, after which the plant is sometimes dubbed Pink
Bubblegum (fig.),
develop over a long period of time. Due to this, it is not uncommon to
have many different size flower buds on a single stem, and which allow
it to bloom all year if conditions are right. The plant has huge, glossy
leaves, that are serrated, may grow up to 28 centimeters in length, and
that –in mature plants– are dark green in colour. When the
plant was introduced in northern Thailand, it was called yih hub/yee
hoob (ยี่หุบแดง), i.e. ‘red
coconut magnolia’, which is a
rather misleading name as it has nothing to do with the Magnolia. The
name however refers to the unopened flowers of the Coconut Magnolia,
which –like those of the Camellia amplexicaulis- somewhat resemble
small coconuts.
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Camellia sinensis
Botanical name of an evergreen shrub or
small tree native to East Asia, known for producing
tea. It has
glossy, dark green, oval-shaped leaves and small, fragrant white
flowers. The two main varieties are Camellia sinensis var. sinensis,
used for green and white teas, and Camellia sinensis var. assamica, used
for black and pu-erh teas. The plant thrives in tropical and subtropical
climates with well-drained, acidic soils. Young leaves and buds are
hand-picked for quality and processed to create various types of tea.
Rich in antioxidants like polyphenols and catechins, these leaves offer
health benefits, including improved cardiovascular health and boosted
metabolism. See also
cha.
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Camouflage Tree
Common name for
a tall species of
eucalyptus tree
found in northern Thailand with a peeling bark of a
striped army
camouflage colour and pattern.
READ ON.
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Camphor Tree
Common designation of a large,
broadleaf evergreen tree, with the botanical name Cinnamomum camphora,
and which is also commonly known as Camphorwood and Camphor Laurel.
READ ON.
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can (蚕)
Chinese for ‘silkworm’.
See also
Can Shen.
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Canda (चन्द)
1. Sanskrit-Pali. Name of the
bodhisatta,
i.e. a former
chaht of
the
Sakyamuni
Buddha,
born as a
Kinnara,
who
lived in the Canda mountains of
Himavah,
together
with his spouse
Yashodhara,
who was born as the
Kinnari
Candah. Their
story is
described in the
Canda Jataka.
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2. Sanskrit-Pali. Name of a
mountain
range in
Himavah (fig.), as
described
in the
Canda Jataka,
where it is described
as the residence of
Canda and
Candah, a
Kinnara and
Kinnari,
and former incarnations or
chaht of
Siddhartha
and his
shakti
Yashodhara.
In the
jataka,
it is described as a
silver mountain and is also referred to as Canda-pabbata, i.e. the
‘Mountain
of the Moon’.
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Candah (चन्दा)
Sanskrit-Pali. Name of a former
chaht or
incarnation of
Yashodhara,
when she was born as a
Kinnari.
See also
Canda and
Canda Jataka.
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Canda Jataka (चन्दजातक)
Name of a
jataka as told by
the
Sakyamuni
Buddha
and which describes
one of his
former
chaht or
incarnations, when he was born as a
Kinnara,
called
Canda.
He lived in the Canda mountains of
Himavah,
together
with his spouse
Yashodhara,
who was born as the
Kinnari
Candah. One day, while the inseparable
lovers were enjoying themselves near a stream,
Anuruddha Thera (fig.), the
king of Benares (fig.),
was out hunting and saw the couple. He immediately fell in love with
Candah.
Hence, he took his bow and shot Canda with an arrow, killing him
instantly. When Candah wept aloud at the sight of her dead husband, the
king revealed himself and offered her his love, as well as his realm.
Candah ridiculed the offer and instead protested to the
devas
for allowing the tragedy to take place, praying for a miracle to happen. Hence
Indra,
the chief of the devas,
who in
Burma
is associated with
Thagyamin
(fig.),
Lord of the
Nats,
descended from
Tavatimsa
heaven in the
guise of a
brahmin priest and
resurrected Canda (fig.).
Compare with
Shin Mway Loon nae Min Nandar
(fig.).
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Candakumara
Name of a
jataka,
which describes
one of
the
former incarnations of the
Sakyamuni
Buddha,
when he was
was born
as Candakumara.
READ ON.
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candi
Indonesian. General term for
all ancient temples, both of Hindu and
Buddhist.
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Candi Prambanan
See
Prambanan.
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Candle Festival
See
Wax Candle Festival.
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Cangjie (仓颉)
Name of
an official
historian of the
Yellow Emperor
(fig.),
who is usually
accredited with the invention of the Chinese
characters, known in Chinese as Han zhi (汉字) and in Japanese as Kanji
(漢字, i.e. the traditional Chinese script). Though he is not always
considered a historical figure, legend has it that he lived around
2650 BC. He may also not
be the sole inventor of Chinese writing, and
Fu Xi
is often
mentioned as the inventor of Chinese characters alongside with Cangjie.
According to legend, after unifying the country and to replace an
earlier unsatisfying method of recording information, the Yellow Emperor
commissioned Cangjie to create a script that could be used to embrace
all Chinese languages and dialects. Inspired by an object that fell from
the beak of an overflying
phoenix
(fig.),
and which turned out to be an impression of a distinctive hoof-print
belonging to a
Bi Xie (fig.),
different from the hoof-print of any other animal alive, Cangjie set out
to create the new script by capturing in a pictogram the special
characteristics that set apart each and every thing on the earth, and
thus compiled a long list of characters for writing, according to the
special characteristics he found in everyone and everything. According
to the myth, when Cangjie revealed his invention, the gods
cried and the skies rained
millet.
The Cangjie method, a Chinese character input method, is named after
him. In Wade-Giles,
transliterated
Ts'ang-chieh.
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Canna Lily
Common English name for a flowering
plant, which is known in Thai as
Phuttaraksah.
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cannonball tree
Epithet for the
sala tree, from its large
cannonball like seeds.
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Can Shen (蚕神)
Chinese. ‘Goddess of the silkworm’. Nickname of
Leizu, the wife of the Yellow Emperor, Huang, who discovered
silk at the age of fourteen and is said to have invented the silk reel
and silk loom. Also known as the Chinese goddess of silk.
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canting
Indonesian term for a pen-like tool
to draw wax lines and dots on cotton fabrics in order to make
batik.
It consists of a wooden or
bamboo handle with a small copper vessel. The
vessel is filled with wax and heated over a flame to make the wax fluid.
At the bottom of this vessel is an thin exit spout that resembles a
blunt, hollow needle, through which the wax can flow and controllably be
applied on the cloth (fig.).
Also spelled tjanting.
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Cantonese vegetable
See
phak kwahng tung.
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Cao Dai (Cao Đài)
Vietnamese. ‘Highest Power’. Name of
a monotheistic religion that was officially established in 1926, in the
city of Tay Ninh (Tây Ninh), in southern
Vietnam.
READ ON.
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capital
Architectural term for the uppermost, usually decorated part of a
column, pillar or pilaster. See also
cornice.
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carabao
Spanish. Term
that derives from
a local word in the Philippines and which is
used for the East Indian tame
buffalo, commonly known as
water buffalo and in Thai
referred to as
krabeua. Carabao is
in Thailand also used as the brand name
of a well-known Thai rock band.
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cardamom
The
seeds of an aromatic Southeast Asian plant, used as a spice
and known in Thai as
kra-wahn.
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carnivorous plant
See
ton mai kin malaeng.
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Carpenter Bee
Common
name for any of the large bees in the subfamily Xylocopinae, of which
there are some 500 species, and that are also known as borer bees,
deriving their name from the fact that most species make their nests by
tunneling into dead wood. They does so by vibrating their bodies while
scraping theis mandibles against the wood.
Though
usually solitary, the females of some species
form social groups of cohabiting mothers and daughters. Whereas female
carpenter bees have a stinger, males do not. Somewhat similar to
bumblebees, carpenter bees can be distinguished by the fact that their
often
beetle-like bodies are naked and shiny,
rather than veiled in dense hair. They have large compound eyes, which
in most species are larger in males than in females.
See also
WILDLIFE
PICTURES
(1)
and
(2),
and
WATCH VIDEO.
回
cashew nut
Fruit of a tree with the scientific name Anacardium occidentale. The
shape of the cashew nut (fig.)
resembles that of a
mango, resulting in the Thai name
ma muang himaphan, the
Himaphan
‘mango’. A cashew nut tree bears its nuts at the far end of an
edible ‘fruit’ that resembles the
rose apple (fig.).
Although edible this ‘fruit’ is seldom consumed. Cashew nut shells
contain urushiol, a toxin that may cause skin irritation and which
must be removed by shelling the nuts before the seed inside is
processed for consumption. This is a manual process done one by one with a large
nutcracker (fig.),
a slow, labour-intensive and because of the toxin- a somewhat hazardous
occupation, hence the relatively high price of cashew nuts. Afterwards the nuts are
cooked, roasted or fried, making any possible remainders of the
toxin non-noxious. Additionally, they may be salted or coated with a
seasoned crunchy layer. The different varieties are then sorted and
packed, which also is done by hand, which allows for a final quality
check (fig.). In Thai also shortened to
himaphan.
Cashew nuts are a common ingredient in Thai cooking, such as in the
dish kai pad med ma muang, ‘fried chicken with cashew nuts’.
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cassava
Starch from the thickened root of the
manioc plant, which is hence also referred to as the
cassava plant (fig.).
From it
tapioca obtained which in Thai is
known as
paengman. It is the basic
ingredient to manufacture
monosodium glutamate (MSG),
but also an ingredient in many a food product, especially in the
form of starch. In addition, it is also used as fodder and to
produce bio-fuel.
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cassava plant
See
manioc.
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caste
Term
derived from the Portuguese word casta, meaning ‘breed’, ‘kind’ or
‘race’, and which is used to define the four
varna or
social classes that form Indian society, i.e. the
Brahmans,
the learned class;
Kshatriya,
the royal or warrior class;
Vaishya, the class of traders; and
Shudra,
the agricultural and serving class. In
China, the four social classes as
defined in Maoism and represented in the republic's flag (fig.) are somewhat different, also in order of importance,
with the highest class of people being the scholars and officials, who
were given examinations to determine government positions; the second
class and largest group of people were the farmers, who were considered
to be the economic backbone of the country; only then came the artisans,
who were considered skilled in crafting things; and finally fourth and
lowest class, i.e. that of merchants, who were considered parasites, as
they made their living off other people without any valuable skill of
their own. Members of any of three upper castes are also called
considered
Dvija,
i.e. ‘Twice-born’. See also
chaht.
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cast net
A type of circular net used for
fishing and with a weight around its edge, usually a metal chain. Its is
cast by hand (fig.)
in such a manner that it
spreads out on the water (fig.) and
sinks due to the weight. When the net is
hauled back the chain sinks to the middle and fish are trapped in
between. It is also referred to as a throw net and net casting is still
a popular way to catch fish in most Southeast Asian countries. See also
pramong,
chonsae
(fig.),
soom pla (fig.),
shamuak (fig.),
and
cormorant
fishing (fig.).
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Castor Oil Plant
Common designation for a
long-lived perennial shrub with the
botanical name Ricinus communis which in suitable conditions can grow to
the size of a small tree. It has
large glossy leaves that grow on long-stalks and may develop up to 45
centimeters in size. The greenish immature fruits are spiny capsules
that contain highly poisonous bean-like seeds, from which highly toxic
castor oil can be extracted which is used in toiletries, cosmetics and
as biodiesel.
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Cat Ba Langur
Common name for a
species of Leaf Monkey with the scientific
name Trachypithecus poliocephalus and
also commonly known as Golden-headed Langur.
READ ON.
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Cathay
English. Archaic term used to refer to
China or the peoples of
China. It comes from the
medieval Latin word Cathaya, which in turn is derived from Khitai, the
name of a nomadic tribe in northern China. This term was commonly used
by Europeans in the Middle Ages and during the Renaissance period to
describe the lands beyond the Silk Road, especially during the time of
Marco Polo's travels.
Today it occurs in the name of Hong Kong's international airline Cathay
Pacific. The name Cathay, which as mentioned earlier refers to China,
with Pacific, referencing the Pacific Ocean. So, together, the name
evokes a sense of connection between China and the broader Pacific
region, reflecting the airline's aim to link Asia with destinations
across the Pacific and beyond. Note that in the Chinese the name for
Cathay is Guó Tài (国泰), whereas Tài Guó (泰国), means Thailand. Hence, the
word order is reversed. Literally, Tài (泰) translates to
‘great’
or ‘peaceful’,
whilst Guó (国) means
‘country’
or ‘nation’.
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cathedral
Christian church which contains a
cathedra, i.e. the throne or seat of a bishop, which in Greek is known
as a kathédra (καθέδρα). An example of a cathedral in Southeast Asia is
the St. Joseph's Cathedral in Hanoi (map).
See also
basilica.
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Cattle Egret
Common
name of a white, heron-like bird with the scientific name Bubulcus ibis.
This bird is often seen associating with cattle (fig.),
especially water
buffaloes, from which it removes ticks and flies, a trait
referred to in both its English and Latin names, with the word bubulcus
meaning ‘herdsman’. Though officially listed amongst the wading birds,
it actually prefers grasslands to marshes or mudflats. There are two
geographical races, i.e. the Western Cattle Egret and the Eastern Cattle
Egret. They are sometimes each classified as a species in its own right,
with the latter being given the scientific name Bubulcus coromandus. The
non-breeding plumage of Cattle Egrets is almost completely white, and
they have a relatively short, thick neck and a hunched posture (fig.).
They have long, greyish legs and a sturdy, yellow bill. The positioning
of its eyes allows for binocular vision during feeding (fig.).
Its diet consists mainly of terrestrial insects, though it can
occasionally be found in shallow waters foraging on aquatic prey. During
the breeding season (fig.),
adults have
some buff colouring (fig.),
which is darker in colour in the Eastern Cattle Egret. In addition, the
bill of the latter is yellow near the tip and orange towards the base,
its facial skin is purplish, its legs reddish, and the feet are dark grey (fig.). In
Thai Cattle Egrets are known as
nok yahng kwai.
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cao lau (cao lầu)
Vietnamese. Name of a culinary specialty from Hoi An.
READ ON.
回
Cau Thach Han (Cầu Thạch Hãn)
Vietnamese. ‘Thach Han Bridge’. Name
of a bridge over the Thach Han River in Hai Lang (Hải Lăng)
District of
Vietnam's Quang Tri (Quảng Trị) Province, located alongside the historically important
Cau Quang Tri
(fig.),
a railway bridge which during the Second
Indochina War
saw some fierce fighting.
READ ON.
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Cau Quang Tri (Cầu Quảng Trị)
Vietnamese. ‘Quang Tri Bridge’. Name
of a historically important bridge over the Thach Han River in
Hai Lang (Hải Lăng) District of
Vietnam's Quang Tri Province,
in the North Central Region and which during the Second
Indochina War
saw some
intense
fighting.
READ ON.
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Cave Dwelling Snake
A
snake with the scientific names Elaphe taeniura ridleyi and Orthriophis
taeniura ridleyi, that occurs in southern Thailand and northern
Peninsular Malaysia. It lives in or near limestone caves and preys
primarily on
bats. The top of its head is
grey-blue with large, dark patches behind the eyes and an almost white
throat. Its neck is orange-brown and gradates into beige toward the
middle of its body, whilst a creamy-yellow vertebral stripe gradually
appears, which usually gets darker and more visible as it progresses
towards the tail. From the middle onward, the flanks become gradually
black, whilst its underside also becomes creamy-yellow. This attractive
snake may grow up to 2.5 meters long. Also called Cave Dwelling Rat
Snake (Ratsnake) and Black-tailed Rat Snake (fig.), and in Thai known as
ngu kaab mahk hahng nin.
See also WILDLIFE PICTURE
and
WATCH VIDEO.
回
Cavendish banana
See
gluay hom.
回
Cave Swift
See
nok naang aen.
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cavitation
A phenomenon that occurs
when fast objects travel through fluids.
READ ON.
回
cavitation bubble
See
cavitation.
回
cayenne
Cayenne pepper or red pepper. A popular spice used as an ingredient
in many a Thai dish, as well as in
kaeng and in Thai curries, made of
chili
paste (fig.)
mixed with
coconut milk. In Thai
prik pon. Also named chili pepper and Spanish pepper.
See also
TRAVEL PICTURES (1) and
(2).
回
celadon
Earthenware with a blue-green to gray glaze, named after L'Astrée, a
shepherd in the 1610 play by Honoré d'Urfé, who wore a green cloak
with grey-green ribbons. Its colour is usually green and sometimes
blue, but the hue may vary from pale to dark depending on the clay
used, the glaze, and the temperature in the kiln. Modern celadon's
finishing is finer (fig.),
but the name is also often misused for pottery with a chemical glaze
in which copper or lead are used. Originally it was produced in
China where it was called ‘green-wares’, and later in other
countries, including Thailand, where it first existed as a specialty
of
Sawankhalok, and in the beginning of the 20th
century it was reintroduced by the
Shan from
Burma. Since celadon glaze is hard to
control as it melts at a critical point under extreme temperatures,
it was often not completely applied to the base, to avoid it
sticking to the baking tray.
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celery cabbage
See
phak kahd khao. 回
cella
Sanskrit. Temple chamber housing the image or symbol of a god.
回
Celosia
Generic name for a small genus of ornamental plants in the family
Amaranthaceae.
READ ON.
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cenotaph
Monument for someone who is buried elsewhere.
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centipede
Hundred feet. Name for an invertebrate arthropod belonging to the class
of Chilopoda. It has an elongated flattened body that consists of
several segments with each segment bearing a single pair of legs and
with each a dorsal and a ventral plate.
READ ON.
回
centipede tongavine
One of several common
designations for a
kind of climber or ivy often found on tree trunks and
with the botanical name
Epipremnum pinnatum
(fig.).
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Central Plaza (CentralPlaza)
Name of any branch of Central Department Store,
which itself is a brand of
Central Group,
i.e. a Thai family-owned multinational
conglomerate active in Asia and Europe, and consisting of subsidiaries
in retail, property development, brand management, hospitality, and food
and beverage sectors, holding shopping centers, department stores,
restaurants, and hotels. It was founded in 1947 by Tiang Chirathivat (เตียง
จิราธิวัฒน์), a Thai of Chinese descent, and owns more than 100
department stores and shopping malls. Whereas some branches of Central
Department Store
operate in Thailand under the name CentralPlaza, many are known as just
Central, typically with its location added in a suffix, whilst one
location in
Bangkok is called CentralWorld.
WATCH VIDEO (1)
and
(2).
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century egg
See
khai yiew ma.
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Cereal Leaf Beetle
Common
name for a tiny beetle with the scientific names Lema subapicalis.
It is largely black, with a buffish-orange head and neck. Though attractive and small, it is much feared by farmers as its larvae
are capable of destroying entire harvests. It is very similar to other
leaf beetles, such as Luperomorpha pryeri; Aulacophora nigripennis; Lema
diversa, which is known in Japan as the Red-necked Narrow Flower Beetle;
Oulema duftschmidi; and Lema melanopus or Oulema melanopus,
commonly known as the Red-throated Cereal Leaf Beetle or Barley Leaf
Beetle, and which has a black head.
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Cetasika (चैतसिक)
Sanskrit term referring to the mental states
or mental factors, which in
Buddhism
are identified within the teachings of the
Abhidhamma.
READ ON.
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cetiya
Pali
for
caitya.
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Ceylon
Old
name for modern Sri Lanka.
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Ceylon Ironwood
Common name for a
slow-growing tree
with the botanical names Mesua nagassarium
and Mesua ferrea,
and named after the heaviness and
hardness of its timber. It is
also commonly known as
Cobra Saffron and
in Thai it is called boon
naak (บุนนาค), with
naak being the Thai term for the
naga, i.e. a mythical serpent with
characteristics of a
cobra,
that in legend
is the guardian of the
Buddha
and protector of the earthly waters.
This ornamental tree is the national tree of Sri Lanka and grows to a
height of over 30 meters. It has a grayish-green foliage with a
beautiful pink to red flush of drooping young leaves, and large white
flowers. The flowers are have four white petals and a center of numerous
orange yellow stamens, whilst the fruit is spherical capsule with one or
two seeds. It is one of the various
bodhi trees under which some
of the
buddhas
known to
Theravada
Buddhism attained
Enlightenment.
See also POSTAGE STAMPS (1)
and
(2).
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cha (ชา, 茶)
Thai-Chinese. ‘Tea’. Name of a small tree of which its dried leaves
are soaked in hot water to make the beverage tea.
READ ON.
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chaab (ฉาบ)
Thai.
Name for round, cup-shaped cymbals, similar to
ching,
but larger, thinner and not joined by a cord. Instead, they have a
separate handgrip each, often a colourful tassel. There are two sizes,
i.e. chaab lek (ฉาบเล็ก) and chaab yai (ฉาบใหญ่),
with chaab lek measuring 12 to14 centimeters in
diameter and the larger ones usually about 24 to 26 centimeters (fig.).
To play, each cymbal is held in a hand, one in the right the other in
the left hand, and both are then struck together, once with an outward
sliding movement, then straight on, producing alternately a high-pitched
pealing sound and a dampening blocked sound. The
Thai name is an onomatopoeia,
i.e. it mimics the sound of the instrument when the cymbals are brought
together with the outward sliding movement that produces a muffled
sound. In Thai, chaab may also refer to any other type of cymbal and
hence, the traditional handheld type is also referred to as chaab ku (ฉาบคู่),
i.e. a ‘pair of cymbals’. Also transcribed chaap, chahb or chab.
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chaam (ชาม)
See
cham.
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Chaamphoowaraat (ชามพูวราช)
Thai.
A monkey soldier
in the
Ramakien,
on the side of
Phra Ram. He
transformed himself into a bear in order to bite through a large tree,
making it fall and thus disrupting
Indrachit's
(fig.)
poison arrow ceremony. Sometimes transcribed Chahmphuwaraht,
Champhoovaraat or Champhuvaraj.
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chaba
(ชบา)
Thai name for the
Hibiscus,
especially of the type
rosa-sinensis, but also used as a
prefix to other types of Hibiscuses,
as in
chabanu,
used for the
Sleeping Hibiscus.
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chabanu
(ชบาหนู)
Thai designation for the
Sleeping
Hibiscus,
an up to 1.5 meter tall shrub with the botanical name Malvaviscus
arboreus Cav. var. drummondii and also commonly known as Turk's
Cap and Wax Mallow. It was one of seven types of
dok maijan,
i.e.
sandalwood
flowers, used in the royal cremation ceremony of King
Rama IX, in
October 2017, and is
said to represents the heartfelt condolences of the people and a symbol
of all in paying their final tributes to the late King.
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chabathip (ชบาทิพย์)
Thai designation for one of the
seven types of
dok maijan,
i.e.
sandalwood
flowers, used in the royal cremation ceremony of King
Rama IX, in
October 2017, and
described as a newly created
Hibiscus
(chaba)-like
flower that represents
demise and divinity, and offered to pay a final tribute to the late King.
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chabu (ชาบู)
Thai name for a kind of
Japanese-style soup-like hotpot with thinly sliced meat and vegetables
boiled in water or a broth.
As the dish originated in Japan, the name derives from the Japanese term shabu-shabu, an onomatopoeia for the sound that it makes when the
ingredients are added to the cooking pot and stirred. In full, it is in
Thai also referred to as chabu chabu, akin to the Japanese shabu-shabu.
In Japan, this dish is usually served with a dipping sauce. As the soup stock is often of a dark colour, it may in Thai be referred
to as chabu nahm dam (ชาบูน้ำดำ), i.e. ‘black water shabu’.
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Chachengsao (ฉะเชิงเทรา)
Name of a province as well as the
capital city of this province (map)
in East Thailand, 82 kms to the East of
Bangkok.
READ ON.
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Chachungsao (ฉะเชิงเทรา)
See
Chachengsao.
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chadah (ชฎา)
Thai. Golden conical shaped ornamented crown, as worn by Thai
monarchs and the royal characters in classical
Khon
performances. Compare with
radklao.
See also
THEMATIC STREET LIGHT.
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chadok (ชาดก)
Sanskrit-Pali-Thai. Each of the in total 547-550 incarnations that every
soul needs to take before it is able to be born as a buddha.
Generally, it stands for the former life stories of the Buddha. In Thai
tradition the last ten incarnations of the Buddha are the most
important and are called
Totsachat. See also
chaht and
jataka.
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chae im (แช่อิ่ม)
Thai. ‘Soaked to saturation’. General name for a method used to
preserve fruits in syrup, or for the preserved fruits themselves, if
prepared in this manner. Sometimes the word chae (to saok) is used
in combination with the Thai name of the processed fruit, e.g.
farang
chae, soaked
guava
or syrup-preserved guava. A suffix may be added to refer to the kind
of syrup used, e.g.
farang chae buay (green
syrup-preserved guava -
fig.),
farang chae krajiab (guava
soaked in a
krajiab or
roselle based syrup) or farang chae
strawberry (red syrup-preserved guava), etc. Other traditional
methods of preserving fruits include
kuan
(boiling
and stirring),
cheuam
(boiled in syrup) and
dong (pickling).
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chaht (ชาติ)
Thai term that derives from Pali and which means ‘life’, ‘incarnation’,
and ‘birth’, but also ‘caste’
or ‘race’, as well as ‘nationality’. See also
Totsachat.
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chai (ชัย)
Thai
for
‘victory’. It often appears as a name or as
part of a name, e.g.
Chainat,
Chaiyaphum,
Wat Chaiwatthanaram,
Mahachai,
etc. With words in or derived from
Sanskrit, it is sometimes
pronounced chaya, as in
maravichaya.
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Chainat (ชัยนาท)
Thai. ‘Echo of victory’ or ‘celebrated victory’.
Province and provincial capital in Central Thailand (map),
194 kms to the North of
Bangkok.
READ
ON.
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chai pattana aerator
Name of an invention ascribed to King
Bhumipon Adunyadet and used to transfer
oxygen to bodies of still water. Since it can be used to solve water
pollution problems in natural water sources it is also referred to as a
waste water aerator. Research for the aerator was done by the Royal
Irrigation Department whilst the Chai Pattana
(‘Victorious Development’) Foundation assisted with providing the
budget. On 2 February 1993 the Department of Intellectual Property
presented the king with a patent for the chai pattana aerator model
RX-2, the first ever given to any monarch worldwide. In 2007 a sculpture
of the chai pattana aerator (map
-
fig.)
was raised in the King
Rama IX Royal Park in
Bangkok, on the occasion of the 80th
birthday of this monarch. In many aspects the device is similar to the
floating paddle wheel surface aerators (fig.)
that are found on fish, shrimp and other aquatic products farms
nationwide, and which are used to improve the water quality and odour,
and reduce algae and harmful dissolved gases, in order to enhance the
health and growth of the aquatic creatures that are being farmed. In Thai
the chai pattana aerator is known as
kang han nahm chai pattana.
See also POSTAGE STAMPS (1)
and
(2).
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Chai Sing (ไฉ่ซิง,
ไฉ่สิ่ง)
General Thai-Tae Chew name for any of the
Chinese wealth gods,
which in Mandarin are known as
Cai Shen.
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Chai Sing Ihya (ไฉ่ซิงเอี๊ย, ไฉ่ซิ้งเอี้ย,
ไฉ่ซิ่งเอี๊ย)
Thai-Tae Chew
name for the
Chinese wealth god
Tsai Shen
Yeh.
He comes in two guises, i.e. in a
benign appearance,
known as bountiful Cai Sing
Ihya, where he is depicted
holding
gold riches and a
ruyi
(fig.),
and
provides good fortune, money, wealth and prosperity to his worshippers;
and a fierce manifestation (fig.)
known as the belligerent Tsai Shen Ye, who befits worshippers in terms
of debt collecting or debt clearing, by making them afraid to cheat. He is known by a variety of other names, including the Chinese
designations
Zhao Gong Ming,
Chao
Kung Ming,
etc.
In Thailand, he is known as
Phra
Thonbodih
and
Thao
Wetsuwan,
and associated with Thao
Kuwen.
When worshipped as one of
the
Three Star Gods
(fig.),
he is referred to as
Foo.
Also transcribed
Cai Shen
Ye (fig.)
and
Tsai Shen Yeh.
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Chai Sing Ihya Boo (ไฉ่ซิงเอี๊ยบู๊)
Thai-Tae Chew
name for the Chinese deity
Zhao Gong Ming (Chao
Kung Ming),
the military
Chinese wealth god,
who is typically portrayed either seated
(fig.)
or with his foot on
a
tiger,
his mount that swallows all evil. In Thai-Tae Chew he is also called
Uh Chai Seun Yeh.
Also transcribed
Cai Shen
Ye Bu (fig.).
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chaitya (चैत्य)
See
caitya.
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Chaiya (ไชยา)
One
of the oldest and historically most significant settlements in
southern Thailand where a number of sculptures dating from the
Srivijaya period (7th -13th century) were found,
many showing
Mon and Indian influences. As a port Chaiya played an
important role in the trade between the peninsula, India and
China. The name is possibly derived
from Siwichaiya, the Thai pronunciation for Srivijaya.
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Chaiyaamphawaan (ไชยามพวาน,
ไชยามพวาร)
Thai name of a monkey-warrior
character from the
Ramakien.
READ ON.
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Chaiyanta Mongkon (ไชยันตมงคล)
The birth name of
Mahison Rachareuthay. Sometimes
transcribed Jayanta Mongkol.
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chaiyaphreuk (ชัยพฤกษ์)
Thai.
‘Tree of victory’. Name for the Javanese cassia, a kind of
pink cassia
tree (fig.)
with the scientific name Cassia javanica, in the order of Leguminosae
(family of plants with seeds in pods). It is sometimes referred to as
the apple-blossom cassia. The names chaiyaphreuk and
rachaphreuk are in Thai
literature however often muddled up, using one for the other and visa
versa, sometimes referring to the cassia agnes (a pink cassia tree) as
rachaphreuk. The name is also often confused with another pink cassia
tree, i.e. cassia bakeriana or
kalapaphreuk. The official
botanical list used by the Thai
government as well as several prominent books on the subject however,
tend to list both the cassia renigera (a subspecies of the cassia
javanica which has pink flowers) as chaiyaphreuk, the cassia fistula
(with yellow flowers) as
chaiyaphreuk (khoon) and the cassia
agnes (a pink cassia) as the rachaphreuk.
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Chaiyaphum (ชัยภูมิ)
1. Thai. ‘Field of victory’ or ‘victorious land’. The name of a
province (map)
and its capital, in
Isaan.
READ ON.
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2. Thai. ‘Field of
Victory’. The name of a deceptive forest at the entrance to
Lanka,
created
by
Phanuraat,
a
demon or
yak
in the
Ramakien,
under orders from the giant
demon king
Totsakan (fig.).
This enchanted forest was designed to ensnare
Phra Ram's
(fig.)
army, with Phanuraat lying in wait underground, ready to bury
Rama and his soldiers alive
by overturning the land. However, through the intervention of
Phiphek
(fig.)
and
Hanuman
(fig.),
the scheme unravels,
Phanuraat is
discovered, and he is ultimately beheaded.
See also
LIST OF RAMAKIEN CHARACTERS & PLACE NAMES.
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chakra (चक्र, จักร)
1.
Sanskrit-Thai. ‘Disc’, one of the
attributes of the Hindu
god
Vishnu. In
the
Ramakien the chakra
is incarnated by
Phra Phrot. In Thai, it is
pronounced chak. See also
THEMATIC STREET LIGHT.
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2.
Sanskrit for ‘wheel’, representing the Buddhist
Wheel of Law, symbol of the setting in motion of the
Buddhist doctrine when the
Buddha gave his first sermon, and symbol of the
eternal cycle of birth, death and rebirth. One of the marks of an
enlightened being. In Thai pronounced chak.
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3.
Sanskrit. Centre of spiritual energy in the body and symbol of the
sun. In Thai pronounced
chak. Compare with
Shakra.
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Chakraphad (จักรพรรดิ)
1. Thai. Term for an emperor. Usually in combination with the prefix
Phra Chao.
Sometimes transcribed
Chakkraphat,
Chakrapad, Jakrapat and Chakraphati.
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2. Thai. Name of the
demon ruler of
Maliwan, a city or kingdom in the
Ramakien,
who had the title of
Thao.
His sons
are
Nonyuphak,
Banlaichak,
and
Suriyapop (fig.).
Also transliterated Chakkraphat.
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Chakraphong Phuwanaht (จักรพงษ์ภูวนาถ, จักรพงษภูวนารถ)
Thai. Name of the 22nd son and 43rd
child of King
Rama V,
with the title Prince of
Phitsanulok.
He was born on 3 March 1883 and died on 13 June 1920, aged 37. In his
youth, he was sent to study at the Page Corps of Tsar Nicolas II in
Russia, to be trained as a military cadet. After his graduation, he
returned to
Siam
with a Russian wife
named Catherina, with whom he later had a son, i.e. Prince Chula
Chakraphong (จุลจักรพงษ์).
Field Marshal
Prince Chakraphong Phuwanaht went on
to serve as Chief of Staff of the Royal Siamese Army and −together with
his half-brothers Field
Marshal Prince
Jiraprawat Woradet (fig.)
and General Prince
Burachat Chaiyakon (fig.)− became
instrumental in the early development of aviation in Siam. In 1911, he
and his half-brother Prince Burachat took a ride as a passenger (fig.)
in the airplane Henri
Farman
(fig.)
of the Belgian pilot
Charles Van den Born
(fig.)
during his flight demonstration at the
Royal Bangkok Sports Club's (fig.).
His name is also transcribed
Chakrabongse Bhuvanarth
or
Chakrabong Bhuwanath,
with
chakra being a
disk-like weapon (fig.)
typically held by gods and rulers and part of the logo of the Chakri
Dynasty
(fig.)
while the
bong
or
krabong is a
club, i.e. a weapon typically held by door guardians (fig.).
Both weapons make up the family logo of
the House
of Chakraphong.
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Chakravartin (चक्रवर्तिन्)
Sanskrit. ‘Emperor’ or
‘universal monarch’. Indian royal term used for the
Buddha as the spiritual ruler of the universe.
He who ruled with a
chakra,
i.e. the weapon of
Vishnu,
considered by many to be the supreme deity of the
Hindu
Trimurti.
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chakrawahn (จักรวาล)
Thai for
‘cosmos’. In
both
Hindu and
Buddhist cosmology,
it describes the planes and realms in which all beings can be reborn and
consists of a vertical cosmology and a horizontal cosmology. The former
is divided into three realms, known as
the
Triloka, while the latter, also
known as sahasra, describes the grouping of these vertical worlds.
Mt. Meru,
the
mythological
and sacred golden mountain, is believed to be the centre of this
universe. At its pinnacle is
Tavatimsa
heaven, the abode of the god
Indra
and the 33 gods. It is allegedly located in the
Himalayas
and from its summit the
Ganga
river flows to earth, divided into four streams each directed towards
the four cardinal points. In architecture this is generally represented
as a
quincunx,
but also in the usually colourful pyramidal frustum-shaped rooftops of
Hindu temples, that are typically decorated with images of the gods and
goddesses that dwell on
Mt. Meru
(fig.).
Many temples in Thailand, such as
Wat Chaiwatthanaram
(fig.)
in
Phra Nakhon Sri
Ayutthaya
and
Wat Arun
in
Bangkok (fig.),
as well as many temples in other Buddhist countries of Southeast Asia,
such as Hsinbyume Pagoda in
Myanmar (fig.),
Borobudur
in Indonesia, and
Angkor Wat in
Cambodia
(fig.),
are built to mirror the three main levels of Buddhist cosmology, with
the pinnacle in the centre symbolizing
Enlightenment; the surrounding lesser
stupas
the smaller
surrounding
mountain peaks; the enclosing walls,
the mountains at the edge of the world; and the surrounding moat, the
oceans beyond.
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Chakrawat (จักรวรรดิ)
Thai. Name of a
giant or
yak
character in the
Ramakien.
He has a white
complexion
and is described as having four faces and eight arms (fig.). In Thai
iconography,
he is hence depicted wearing a
chadah-like
crown, with an additional three small white faces, and either with
two or more arms. The peak of his crown is shaped like a thick giant plume that
bends toward the back (fig.), and which is usually referred to as a cockerel's
tail.
He is the ruler of Krung
Maliwan and a comrade of
Totsakan (fig.).
He joined
Phainasuriyawong, a son of Totsakan, to
restore Langka City, capturing
Phiphek
(fig.)
before he had started his enthronement ceremony, and appointed
Phainasuriyawong as the new ruler instead, whilst renaming him
Thao
Totsaphin (ทศพิน). The event thrickered
Phra Phrot to
attack the city and recapture it, while extending the battle to
Maliwan
City, though without being able to defeat Chakrawat. This then resulted
in a longlasting war, until Phra Phrot finally terminated Chakrawat with
his bow, his lethal arrows hitting him in the chest, arms and legs.
Thus, peace returned to the city. In
Wat Phra Kaew,
Chakrawat is one of the gatekeepers, who stands at the first of the
three western gates, together with Thao
Atsakammalah.
His name is also transcribed Chakrawati and Chakravarti, and is related
to the Sanskrit term
Chakravartin.
See also
LIST OF RAMAKIEN CHARACTERS & NAMES,
MORE ON THIS,
and
TRAVEL PICTURE.
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chakrayahnyon (จักรยานยนต์)
Thai. ‘Motorbike’ or ‘motorcycle’.
READ ON.
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Chakri (จักรี)
1.
Thai. The dynasty that has reigned in Thailand since 1782 and was founded
by General
Chao Phya
Chakri who was crowned King
Phra Phutta Yotfa Chulalok, known to westerners as
King Yot Fa. During the reign of King
Phra Nang Klao, the third King in the
Dynasty, a new
royal title system was established giving all the kings the crown
title of
Rama. His predecessors were posthumously given the titles
Rama I and
Rama II, whilst taking the title
Rama III for himself. All successive kings of the dynasty (fig.)
have since ruled with the crown title Rama, including the present
King,
Rama X. With Rama being the seventh
avatara of the powerful Hindu god
Vishnu, the preserver of the universe, the link
can be seen to the Thai monarch as the preserver of the nation. The
Thai royal emblem is likewise the mythical bird
Garuda, the vehicle of Vishnu. Note that there
have been nine avataras of Vishnu with the tenth yet to come, as
there have been nine Chakri monarchs, the tenth also yet to come.
The coat of arms of the Chakri Dynasty is a
trisun (trident) encircled
by a
chakra (disc), the weapon of
Vishnu. In the centre of the trident is sometimes also a small depiction of
Narai (the Thai designation for
Vishnu), riding on the Garuda (fig.).
The
Chakri Throne Hall
(map
-
fig.)
is the main
palace building of the Chakri monarchs,
located within
the compound of the
Grand Palace in
Bangkok
(fig.)
and its
central
spire
contains parts of the ashes of the Chakri Kings of the past (fig.). See also
list of Thai kings.
MORE ON THIS.
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2. Thai. In
the
Ayutthaya,
Thonburi
and early
Rattanakosin
Periods, the
title or
rajatinanaam
for a military commander in service of either a
governor of a principality or the King, the equivalent of
Commander-in-Chief.
The word is related to the
chakra, an
attribute and weapon of several
Hindu
gods, including
Vishnu
and
Brahma, and a symbol showing on the
ensigns of the Royal Army and Navy today (fig.).
The rank of Chakri was the highest military position at that time and
carried the
bandasak of
Chao Phraya.
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3. Thai name for a style of female
national dress of Thailand, fully known as Thai Chakri, and in 1972
depicted on a Thai postage stamp (fig.).
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Chakri Day
Thai
public holiday on April 6, on which
Phra Phutta Yotfa Chulalok, the founder of the
Chakri Dynasty is remembered. In Thai
Wan Chakri.
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Chakri Nareubet (จักรีนฤเบศร)
Thai. ‘Chakri
the Brave’. Name of
Thailand's first and only aircraft
carrier.
READ ON.
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Chakri Throne Hall
The
largest of the palace buildings of
Phra Rachawang, the Grand Palace,
which consists of a main facade building, visible to
the public and
in Thai called
Phra Tihnang Chakri Maha Prasat,
and a number of other palace
buildings built in the back of it and that are part of
it. Collectively, this group is referred to by the same name of the
facade building, i.e.
Phra Tihnang Chakri Maha Prasat
Group (fig.).
Besides the main building,
the
group includes Phra Thihnang Moon Sathaan Borom Aht
(พระที่นั่งมูลสถานบรมอาสน์), Phra Thihnang Sommathi Thewaraat Uppabat
(พระที่นั่งสมมติเทวราชอุปบัติ), and Phra Thihnang Borom Ratchasathit
Maholaan (พระที่นั่งบรมราชสถิตยมโหฬาร).
The Chakri Throne Hall was designed by the British architect John Chinitz and shows a
combination of Thai and European style architecture. The central
mondop-like multi-tiered spire on
the roof of the facade building enshrines the ashes of each of the Kings of the
Chakri
Dynasty, whilst the flanking spires house the ashes of princes who never
inherited the throne. Today it is the place where royal banquets are
held in honour of royal guests. The Chakri Throne Hall at is watched
over by a honour guard provided by the ceremonial unit of the King's Own
Guard (fig.),
whose former barracks are located within the same compound (fig.). Also known as the Grand Palace Hall.
See MAP.
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chak waw (ชักว่าว)
Thai
for ‘flying a kite’, ‘kite
flying’.
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chalaam (ฉลาม)
Thai for ‘shark’, a species of fish of
which there are many varieties. They are characterized by pectoral fins
that are not fused to the head and multiple gill covers known as slit
gills and found also in rays. Most sharks have eight fins, a feature
known in Thai as
hoo chalaam
(fig.) and
considered a delicacy in Asian cuisine. One of the more commonly seen
shark species off Thailand's coast are reef sharks, such as the
Blacktip Reef Shark
(fig.). Also
pla
chalaam.
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chalaew (เฉลว)
See
talaew.
回
Chalawan (ชาละวัน)
Name
of a
crocodile in the Thai classical story
Kraithong, a love story that originated in the province
of
Phichit (fig.).
Also
Chalawankumphih
and sometimes transliterated Shala One.
See also POSTAGE STAMP. 回
Chalawankumphih (ชาละวันกุมภีล์)
See
Chalawan.
回
Chalermchai
Kositpipat (เฉลิมชัย โฆษิตพิพัฒน์)
See
Chaleumchai Khositphiphat.
回
Chalerm Phrakian (เฉลิมพระเกียรติ)
See
Chaleum Prakian.
回
Chaleumchai Khositphiphat (เฉลิมชัย โฆษิตพิพัฒน์)
Thai. Name of
a renowned Thai artist known for his work in art and architecture,
particularly for creating
Wat Rong Khun
(fig.)
in
Chiang Rai.
Chaleumchai was born on 15 February 1953, in Chiang Rai. He graduated
from Chiang Rai Technical College and
Silpakorn University
(fig.)
in Bangkok, majoring in painting.
After that, he worked as an artist and architect with prominent and
well-known works both in Thailand and internationally. Wat Rong Khun is
Chaleumchai's most significant work, which began construction in 1998
and continues to develop. The temple is notable for its predominant use
of white and its intricate decorations with mirrors that create an
exquisite and stunning appearance.
Hence, it is in English often referred to
as the
White Temple (fig.).
His name is also transliterated
Chalermchai Kositpipat and
Chalermchai Kohsitphiphat, or similar.
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Chaleum Prakian (เฉลิมพระเกียรติ)
Thai-rajasap.
‘Honour’. Term often used when referring to structures built or projects
initiated in honour of the King, e.g.
Chaleum Prakian
80th Anniversary Lighthouse (fig.).
Also transliterated
Chalerm Phrakian, Chaleumprakian Chalerm Prakian, Chalermphrakian,
and Chaleumprakian.
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Chalky Percher
Another common name for the
Ground Skimmer.
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chalom (ชะลอม)
Thai. A small round basket made of
bamboo strips called
tok
(fig.), with
the vertical strips at the top left unwoven, in order to tie the
basket shut. It is used to vend bulked
food in at markets. Nationwide, vendors at natural hot springs sell
quail's and chicken's eggs in them, to enable visitors to easily
cook them. There is a legend of a
Sukhothai king, which tells that this ruler was so fast and skilled,
that he could even transport water in chalom baskets.
See
also POSTAGE STAMP and
THEMATIC STREET LIGHT.
回
chalong phra baht (ฉลองพระบาท)
1.
Rajasap. Footwear for a king.
回
2.
Thai. Footwear in the form of golden sandals which
are a part of the Thai royal regalia or
kakuttapan.
回
chalong phra ong (ฉลองพระองค์)
Rajasap. Term for
royal clothes, i.e. clothes for a king or for a member of the royal
family.
回
cham (ชาม)
Thai. Bowl or
rice
bowl, or a deep plate. Also written chaam.
回
Cham (Chăm)
1.
Vietnamese. The inhabitants of central (map
-
fig.)
and southern
Vietnam since ancient times,
probably of Indonesian origin. In 192 AD, they founded the Indianized coastal
Kingdom of
Champa
which consisted of a collection
of independent Cham polities that extended across the coast of what
is today central and southern
Vietnam until it in 1832 AD was
absorbed and annexed by
Nguyen Emperor Minh Mang.
Between the 4th and 14th centuries
My Son
was Champa's religious centre
(map
-
fig.).
The Cham produced a unique style of architecture
and sculpture, known as Cham art, much of it which is now housed in
the Museum of Cham Sculpture
in Da Nang (map
-
fig.)
and to a lesser extend in the
Vietnamese National History
Museum in Hanoi (map
-
fig.).
In 1177 AD the
Cham invaded the Khmer Empire and
stayed in
Angkor
until they were
defeated in 1181 AD (fig.)
by the Khmer King
Jayavarman
VII (fig.).
Afterward,
they were briefly annexed and controlled by the
Khmer,
between 1181 to 1220 AD.
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2.
Vietnamese. Art style with a unique genre of architecture and sculpture
(fig.) between
the 7th and 17th centuries AD, made by the Cham people (fig.) of
Champa.
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Cham
Tibetan. ‘Masked dance’. Name of a lively ritual associated
with some sects of Buddhism and performed to exorcise evil. The ceremony and
local variations of the festival were once practiced in Tibet, Ladakh, Nepal,
Sikkim, Bhutan, China and Mongolia, and consists of a series of sacred dances,
in which the dancers dress up as demons or deities in a ferocious form, such as
Yamantaka (fig.), wearing ornamented
costumes and wraithlike masks, usually decorated with miniature skulls and some
even made in the form of a genuine human skull (fig.). Because Chinese officials have in the past prohibited the festival,
and still discourage participation, performances in Tibet are now rare and Cham
masks have mostly become collectables. Also spelled Tsam, Tscham or Chaam.
回
Camachile
See
makhaamthet.
回
Cha Ma Dao (茶马道)
Chinese. ‘Tea
Horse Road’. Name of an ancient tea route, i.e. a
mountainous trade link that developed about a thousand years ago and over which
mainly tea, especially
tea bricks, but also salt was
transported, both by porters on foot as well as on horseback, typically using ponies and
mah klaeb-like
horses, and that ran from
Yunnan and
Sichuan
Provinces in southwestern
China, over
Myanmar to
India, as well as to central China and Tibet. There is an
Ancient Tea & Horse Road Museum on the northern outskirts of the
city of
Lijiang. See also
cha
and
mah.
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Chamadevi (จามเทวี)
Thai. Name for Chamadevi of
Lopburi, the former city of
Lavo, where she originally came
from. She was probably born in 633 AD.
READ ON.
回
chamara (चमर)
Sanskrit. ‘Yak tail’. A whisk or fan made from the hairs of a yak's
tail. It is a symbol of kingship and the attribute of several gods
from Buddhism,
Hinduism and Taoism. In Thailand it is
one object of the
padwaanlawichanih (fig.)
a part of the royal regalia, called
kakuttapan. In Thai
jamajurih.
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Chambered Nautilus
Common name of a marine creature in the family Nautilidae, and with the
scientific name Nautilus pompilius. It is a cephalopod, i.e. a class of
marine mollusks which includes the octopus, squid and cuttlefish. It is
the only member of this group that has an external shell, which with
other members is either absent or intern. On the underside the shell is
plain white, whilst above it is matte white with irregular brownish
stripes. This double colouring is a special design for camouflage, known
as countershading. Unlike a snail's shell, the Nautilus' shell contains
a series of separate chambers, sealed by thin partitions and arranged in
a more or less logarithmic spiral (fig.). The animal lives in the largest
chamber, which opens to the outside. The remaining chambers are filled
with gas, and by adjusting the amount of liquid in them, the Nautilus is
able to adjusts its buoyancy and to dive. It has a prominent head and
tentacles, and is about 20 centimeters in size. Its seemingly large eyes
lack a solid lens and do not actually provide good vision. This marine
creature lives in the Indo-Pacific region, in general at depths of about
300 meters, yet rising to around 100 meters at night, to feed. In the
vicinity of Thailand, it occurs in the Andaman Sea, for one. Nautilus
shells are popular collector's items, used for decoration and to make
ornamental cups, usually mounted on a stand (fig.).
In Thai known as
hoi nguong chang, literally ‘elephant-trunk
mollusk’.
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chameleon
A word derived from Greek and meaning ‘ground-lion’. It is the name
of a reptile with distinctive eyes and a long tongue, that belongs
to the family of Chamaeleonidae. It is able to change colour
according to its surroundings, for camouflage
or when offended. The term is however, also sometimes used to
translate the Thai word
king kah, the name for an unrelated, small tropical
lizard, known in English as the Oriental Garden Lizard and with the
scientific name Calotes versicolor, which belongs to the family of
Agamidae (fig.).
Measuring just half an inch long from its nose to the base of his
tail, the male of the
chameleon species with the scientific name Brookesia nana, from the
rainforests of northern Madagascar, is purportedly the smallest
adult reptile ever found on the planet. This miniscule lizard is so
small that its entire body can fit on a fingertip, making it even
smaller than the Caribbean gecko, a tiny gecko with the scientific
name Sphaerodactylus ariasae which, prior to the discovery of
Brookesia nana in 2021, held the record for smallest reptile on
Earth.
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cham ma liang (ชำมะเลียง)
See
phumriang.
回
Champa (चम्पा)
An
early Indianized kingdom in the coastal areas of central (map
-
fig.) and
southern
Vietnam, existing from the 2nd to the 15th centuries AD and
inhabited by the
Cham. It was briefly annexed and controlled by the
Khmer between 1181 to 1220, then gradually
absorbed by the Vietnamese from the late 10th to 17th centuries AD.
There are important archeological Cham sites in the region of
present-day Quang Nam (map
-
fig.),
Vietnam.
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champada (จำปาดะ)
Thai. A species of jackfruit, genus Artocarpus. The fruit is
comparable to the
breadfruit and the
kanun, but slimmer in shape. Like
the kanun, the champada's flesh of fruit is
dark yellow in colour
(fig.). Its fruiting season is from
May to November. In English it is commonly known as Chempedak,
though also the Thai name is commonly used.
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Champagne Mushroom
Common name for a genus of cup
fungi in the family Sarcoscyphaceae, with the scientific designation
Cookeina sulcipes. In Thai, it is known as hed chaempen (เห็ดแชมเปญ),
a literal translation from the English common name. This edible
mushroom has a pale, whitish stipe, i.e the stem or stalk-like
feature, and an orangey-pink to pinkish-red (fig.), deep cup-shaped pileus, i.e. the
cap-like part, 2 to 4 centimeters in diameter and 3 to 6 centimeter
tall, a shape somewhat reminiscent of a
champagne glass,
hence the name. It grows on wood, often in clusters.
回
champak
Common name for a large evergreen
tree with the scientific name Michelia champaca, native to South and
Southeast
Asia, and known in Thai as
jampah. According to
Mahayana
Buddhism,
Maitreya,
the future
buddha
will attain
Enlightenment
under the champak tree.
In
iconography,
a floral design with the outline or a four-petalled flower is used to
represent this and since 1975 it appears in the logo of
Thai Airways
(fig.).
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Champasak (ຈໍາປາສັກ,
จำปาศักดิ์)
Lao-Thai. Former capital of the
Cham
in present southern
Laos. It
was a kingdom of the Khun Lo Dynasty, that in 1713 broke away from
the Lan Xang kingdom. But it soon became a vassal state of
Siam
and later, in 1904, a French protectorate. Also called Cyambo.
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Chamunda (चामुण्डा)
1. Sanskrit. The goddess of war, death and destruction,
as well as epidemics,
lethal diseases, famines, and other disasters, and
one of the malicious
aspects of
Devi, the consort of the Hindu god
Shiva. It is sometimes described
that it was in this form, also known as
Mahishasuramardini, i.e.
‘Slayer of the
buffalo
demon’, that
Durga fought and
defeated the demon
Mahishasura (fig.),
an event that is
described in the
Devi Mahatmyam and which is
remembered during
Vijayadazaami (fig.),
i.e.
the last day of
the annual
Hindu
festival of
Navaratri,
which is also known as Dushera.
回
2. Sanskrit. One of the seven
mothers goddesses or
Matris
worshiped in
Tantrism,
who is also described as one of the chief
yogini,
a group of 64 or 81 Tantric goddesses, who are attendants of the warrior
goddess
Durga.
Her name is a combination of
Chanda and
Munda, two lesser
asuras in the
service of
Sumbha and
Nisumbha, whom Chamunda killed, after they
tried to abduct her on the orders of Sumbha and Nisumbha.
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Chan (จัน)
1. Thai.
Name of one of the famous
Siamese twins
born on 11 May 1811 in
Samut Songkhram,
the other one being named
In. They are names that describe
fruits: where ‘in’ or ‘look in’ means young green fruit, ‘chan’ or ‘look
chan’ stands for matured fruit, usually recognized by its yellow colour
and sweet fragrance.
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2. Thai. Name of one
of the eleven heroic leaders who in 1767,
at the end of the
Ayutthaya period,
fought the invading
Burmese in defence of the
Bang Rajan
camp in
Singburi.
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Chan (ฉันท์)
Thai. A
traditional form of verse in dramatic literature, consisting of rhymes
and a definite metrical scheme.
Sometimes transliterated Chant.
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Chan (จันทร์)
1.
Thai for ‘moon’.
Sometimes transliterated Chantr (fig.).
See also
Chandra.
回
2.
Nickname for
Thep Krasatri.
Sometimes transliterated Chantr.
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chanak
Nepali-Tibetan. ‘Eagle’. A symbol of
Vajrayana Buddhism. Pronunciation khaw-nak.
回
chan atsadong (ชั้นอัสดง)
Thai.
‘Floor set’. Architectural term for a certain part of a
chedi
and
prang. In the prang, it is the base
section of the spire, just above the pedestal-like part above the main
base called reuan
that
(เรือนธาตุ), i.e. the place where the
actual shrine is. In
a chedi, the term refers to the part in between the hemispherical or
bell-shaped base and the
plong shanai, and which may be built
with small pillars in a style resembling a balcony (fig.).
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chanchu (蟾蜍)
Chinese. ‘Moon toad’ or ‘toad’. Name for the Lucky Money Toad.
Chan
means both ‘toad’ and ‘moon’ in Chinese and ‘moon’ in Thai. In Thai, it
is called
kaangkok sawan.
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Chanda (चण्ड)
Sanskrit. Name of a lesser
asura in the
service of
Sumbha and
Nisumbha, who was
slain by
Devi for trying to abduct her.
After Chanda and the demon
Munda,
had encountered the goddess
Devi, they were
overwhelmed by her beauty and reported this back to Sumbha and Nisumbha.
Hence, Chanda and Munda were sent out to abduct her, yet both were
destroyed by Devi. See also
Chamunda.
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Chandaka (ชันดากะ)
Thai-Sanskrit.
Siddhartha's servant who initially accompanied him
during the
Great Departure. In Pali, his name is
Channa.
MORE ON THIS.
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Chandi
(चण्डी)
Sanskrit. ‘Cruel’. One of the fierce forms of
Devi, also known as Chandika, which means the
‘Violent and Impetuous One’, and
Durga
Sapthashati, i.e. the ‘Invincible Seven Hundred Verses’. Though she
was initially described as a combination of
Mahakali,
Maha
Lakshmi
and Maha
Sarasvati, she is later described
as a form of Maha Lakshmi, depicted with eighteen arms holding
weapons.
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Chandra (चन्द्रा, จันทรา)
Sanskrit-Thai. ‘Moon’. The term is also used to refer to the Hindu moon god,
alongside some other appellations, including Soma. It was this lunar god who
discovered the deceit by the demon
Rahu during the distribution of the
amrita,
together with
Surya, the god of the sun. They reported this to
Vishnu, who immediately cut the demon in half with
his disc. However, the amrita taken by Rahu already had its effect
and both parts lived on separately. Since Rahu never forgot the
betrayal by the sun and moon, he now chases them alternately with
his mouth wide open, and when swallowing them causes the eclipses of
the sun and moon. The name Chandra derived from the Sanskrit word chand (चन्द्), meaning ‘to
shine’. The
vahana of this deity is the
Blackbuck (fig.),
though it may also be a
goose,
or a horse (fig.). In Thai,
both the moon and the moon god are
referred to as
Chan
or
Phra Jan, whereas in
China,
the moon god is usually represented as a female deity, i.e. a moon
goddess (fig.),
referred to as the Moon Empress and known as Tai Shan Niang Niang (泰山娘娘
-
fig.).
See
THEMATIC STREET LIGHT
and
WATCH VIDEO.
回
chandrabindu (चन्द्राबिन्द)
Sanskrit. ‘Moon-dot’. A compound word consisting of the words
chandra and
bindu. It refers to a mark
used in the
Devanagari script, a stroke
in the form of a
crescent-shaped moon surrounding a dot.
The moon-dot stroke can be placed above the top-line of vowels, in order
to emphatically
nasalize their sound. The diacritic
is reminiscent of the
urdhva-pundra
worn
by
Vaishnavas, the followers of
Vishnu. The urdhva-pundra
is a
sectarian mark (pundra)
and type of
tilaka
(fig.)
in the form of a U-shape
usually with a red dot inside, that
Vaishnavas may
wear on the forehead
(fig.)
or on other parts of the body, especially on the torso.
The chandrabindu
is part of the famous word
Aum
(fig.),
where it is by some believed to represent Vishnu. Also called
anunasika (अनुनासिक).
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Chandrahasa (ಚ೦ದ್ರಹಾಸ)
Kannada. Name of a prince in the epic
Mahabharata, who was the son of Sudharmika,
the king of Kerala. He married the princess of Kuntala, with whom he had
two sons, and befriended
Arjuna, who was accompanied by
Krishna
guarding the
ashwamedha,
horse of Yudhishtira, the son of
Pandu, leader of the
Pandavas
in the battle at
Kuruksthera.
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chandrahasa (चन्द्राहास)
Sanskrit. ‘Smiling moon’ or ‘laughing moon’. Name of the gleaming scimitar
in the
Ramayana, a curved oriental sword
sometimes referred to as ‘moon blade’, that
Ravana received from
Shiva as a favour.
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Chandra Suriyawong (จันทรสุริยวงษ์)
Thai-Sanskrit. ‘Lunar-Solar Circle’. Name of a
Chao, a local ruler in
Isaan, who in the 18th century AD
founded a settlement along the left banks of the
Mekhong River
which was later moved and became he town of
Mukdahan.
Also spelled Chandrasuriyawongse.
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chandrika (จันทริกา,
चन्द्रिका)
Thai-Sanskrit. A traditional Indian
silkworm breeding
frame made of
bamboo and arranged in concentric circles. Depending on
its size it can carry somewhere between 250 to over 1,000 silkworms.
Sometimes called chandrike. In Thailand, they are usually round flat
baskets, called
krajo or
jo (fig.).
In Sanskrit, chandrika literally means ‘moonlight’ and thus conceivably
suggests a round shape.
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chang (ช้าง)
1. Thai
for ‘elephant’. Also transcribed chaang or chahng. See
Asian Elephant
and
teuk chang.
回
2. Name
of one
of the main brands of
beer in Thailand, in operation since 1995 and winner of some
international awards.
Since Chang is Thai for ‘Elephant’, the company
incorporated two
White Elephant
in its logo, and designed the entrance gate of its brewery in
Ayutthaya
in the form of an elephant
kraal (fig.),
i.e. a stockade or palisade formerly used to round-up wild
elephants
(fig.)
and known in Thai as
phaniad.
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3. Thai name for any member of the
orchid
family in the genus Rhynchostylis,
also referred to as sakun chang (สกุลช้าง). In 2010, orchids of this
family, that occur in Thailand and of the variety Rhynchostylis
gigantea, i.e. Chang Kra (ช้างกระ);
Chang Som (ช้างส้ม);
Chang Pheuak
(ช้างเผือก); and Chang Daeng (ช้างแดง),
were published on a set of four postage stamps (fig.).
Chang Pheuak (Rhynchostylis
gigantea var. alba)
is both rare and very expensive, as it blooms only in winter, i.e. in
December and January.
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4.
Thai. Name of a district of
Trat
Province, located on the eastern side of the
Gulf of Thailand,
as well as the name of an archipelago with 66 islands,
including
Koh Chang (fig.),
with an area of 212.404 square kilometers
Thailand's
third largest island.
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Chang Cheng (长城)
Chinese.
‘Long City Wall’
or ‘Eternal City’.
Name for the
Great Wall
of
China.
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Chang-e (嫦娥)
Chinese.
Name of a
legendary beauty who flew to the moon, hence she is also known as the
lady in the moon.
She was the spouse of Houyi, the god of
archery.
Whereas the second character of her name translates as ‘good’
and ‘beautiful’, the first
character seems to be linguistically related to the Thai word for moon,
i.e.
Chan.
In art, she is often portrayed together with the
Jade
Rabbit that
lives on the moon (fig.).
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Changeable Hawk-eagle
Name of a
large bird of prey, with the scientific designations Nisaetus cirrhatus
and Spizaetus cirrhatus.
READ ON.
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Chang Heng (張衡)
See
Zhang Heng.
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Changi Airport
Name of
Singapore's main
civilian International
Airport which serves as a major hub for international flights,
connecting passengers to various destinations worldwide, whilst also
playing a crucial role in facilitating air travel within the
Asia-Pacific region. It is one of the most renowned and bustling
airports globally, recognized for its exceptional facilities, services,
and efficiency, and in 2023 was named as the World's Best Airport.
Situated in the eastern part of the Nation City, the award winning
airport serves as a major gateway to the city-state and the wider
Southeast Asian region. Changi Airport is renowned for its
state-of-the-art facilities, including multiple terminals, each offering
a wide range of services, shops, dining options, lounges, and
entertainment amenities. It currently has four main terminals, with each
catering to different airlines and destinations. Consistently recognized
for its operational efficiency, cleanliness, and passenger services, the
airport has some remarkable features, such as
Jewel Changi Airport,
a toroid or donut-shaped mall that is home to
the Rain Vortex (fig.), the world's tallest indoor waterfall,
that falls from the ceiling of its
dome that consists of a complex steel framework with
glass panels. Other attractions include
a digital waterfall known as the Wonderfall
(fig.);
an Arrival Garden; a
Water Lily Garden; a rooftop
Cactus Garden with
more than 100 species of cacti and arid plants.
(fig.);
a
Butterfly Garden;
a Canopy Park; Chrystal Garden, with 12 spheres of artisan dandelion
glass sculptures in various sizes; Changi Experience Studio which offers
a journey of fun and discovery through the exciting virtual world of
Changi Airport; Discovery Garden, which features tree-like sculptures
clad in verdant and diverse foliage; an interactive Enchanted Garden
that magically comes to life with sights and sounds; Kinetic Rain, a
dynamic art sculpture (fig.);
Hedge Maze, Singapore's largest labyrinth bordered by hedges and
designed to puzzle and challenge those navigating through them;
world-class shopping facilities; local and global cuisines; free bicycle
rides for layover passengers; and much more.
See also
TRAVEL PICTURE,
PANORAMA PICTURE, and
WATCH VIDEO (1),
(2),
(3),
(4),
(5) and
(6).
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Chang Kuo Lao (張果老)
Chinese. Name of one of the
Eight Immortals (fig.),
said to be the most
unconventional of the group,
an alchemist known for making liquor from herbs and shrubs, thought to
have therapeutic properties. Being a master of
Qi Gong,
he could go without food for lengthy periods of time, surviving on only
a few drops of his herbal liquor. In
legend, he has been described as being a white
bat that came out of the primeval chaos and as a
hermit who was able to revive the death. He lived in the Zhongtiao
Mountains (中条山) during the Tang Dynasty and rode a donkey that could
travel thousands of miles a day. Whenever he stopped to rest, he would
fold his donkey up like a piece of paper and store it away. When he
wished to ride again, he would spew water over it, thus transforming it
back into its real size. When he became ill, he retrieved to the
Zhongtiao Mountains and reportedly died there, but when his followers
opened his tomb, they found it empty. He is also referred to as Elder
Chang Kuo and his name is sometimes transcribed Zhang Kuo Lao. His
attribute is a fish drum (fig.),
a traditional
Chinese
instrument known as
yugu (fig.),
that can foretell future events and which he uses to perform divination.
He is usually depicted holding this yugu and sometimes while seated on
his donkey (fig.).
His name is also transcribed Zhang Guo Lao.
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Chang Nahm (ช้างน้ำ)
1. Thai. ‘Water Elephant’. Mythological animal with the
characteristics of both an elephant and a fish. Similar compound
animals with the features of an elephant and a fish are
Kunchon Warih, i.e. a
creature with the head of an elephant, two front legs of an
elephant and the body of a fish; and
Warih Kunchon, an elephant
with a fish tail, and fins that run along the backbone, as well as
fins that are attached to the back of each of its four legs. Similar
to chang nahm, the word warih means ‘elephant’, and the word kunchon
translates as ‘water’ or ‘sea’. All these creatures have gills and
dwell in the sea, where they are able to submerge and swim at great
speed under water.
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2. Thai. ‘Water elephant’. Thai name for a hippopotamus.
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3. Thai for ‘sea cow’.
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chang patjay naak (ช้างปัจจัยนาค)
Thai. ‘Elephant
[with the] essence of [a]
naga’.
Name of a mythical
creature that is described as a
snake with the head of an elephant.
Also known as
chang patjay naaken
(fig.)
and
chang
hua
naak, i.e.
‘elephant-headed naga’. See also
naaken.
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chang patjay naaken (ช้างปัจจัยนาเคนทร์)
Thai. ‘Elephant
[with the] essence of
the elephant king and
snake
king’. Name of a mythical
creature that is described as a
snake with the head of an elephant
(fig.).
Also known as
chang patjay naak
and
chang
hua
naak, i.e.
‘elephant-headed
naga’. See also
naaken
(fig.).
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Chang Pheuak (ช้างเผือก)
1.
Thai name for a
White Elephant, though literally
pheuak
means
taro
(fig.),
the tuberous
root in
the Araceae family
with a brownish pink colour and bulbous shape, features reminiscent of
White Elephants, which according to
legend are
born from
lotus
flowers (fig.)
and hence also have the colour
of a lotus, i.e.
a pinkish white colour
(fig.).
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2.
Thai name for the Milky Way, also referred to as the Path of the
White Elephant, that is
Thahng Chang Pheuak.
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3.
Thai name for a member of the
orchid
family in the genus Rhynchostylis,
known in Thai as
Chang and
of which there exist only 6 species,
the Chang Pheuak (Rhynchostylis
gigantea var. alba) being an orchid with whitish flowers, that has been
publicized on a Thai postage stamp issued
in 2005
(fig.),
and again in 2010, together with three
other varieties of
Rhynchostylis
orchids (fig.).
The
Chang Pheuak is
both rare and very expensive, as it
blooms only in winter, i.e. in December and January.
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Chang Sanfeng (张三丰)
Chinese. Name of a semi-mythical supposed 13th century Chinese
Taoist
monk who is believed by some to have achieved
immortality. There are many myths and folktales about this figure and
according to some sources he was a former
Shaolin disciple who had left the Shaolin temple to
establish a Taoist mountain monastery. Other sources make record of at
least two Chinese emperors sending missions to Chang Sanfeng to ask for
his advice, but neither mission is reported to have found him. Due to
his legendary status he is frequently presented as a spiritual teacher
and master of Chinese martial arts, including as a grandmaster of
tai chi chuan.
Before he became a Taoist his name is said to have been Zhang Junbao. Also transcribed Zhang Sanfeng.
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chang seuk (ช้างศึก)
Thai.
‘War
elephant’
or ‘battle elephant’. Name for an elephant used in a form of ancient
warfare, known as
yutthahadtie. In this hand-to-hand
combat, the warrior -often royalty- sat on the neck of the elephant, whilst an
aide-de-camp sat in a
howdah on the back, to overlook
the battle field, give directions and steer the animal, using a pair of fly
whisk-like tools (fig.),
as well as to hand the combatant his choice of long-handled weapons (fig.),
which were stored on the back of the howdah (fig.).
These weapons include a
kho ngao, a scythe-like weapon used particularly in this kind of
combat. The warrior engaged in this kind of hand-to-hand combat typically wore a
malabiang, a kind of battle hat with a wide brim and earflaps, which
offered protection against the weapons of the enemy. Famous historical battles
fought on war elephants include the ca. 1256 scuffle in
Tak
between
Poh Khun Sahm Chon (สามชน), ruler
of Chot (ฉอด), and Sri
Indraditya, in which the then 19-year
old prince
Ramkamhaeng,
the later king of
Sukhothai,
intervened by driving away his father's enemy, for which he got the name
Ramkamhaeng, which means ‘Rama the Brave’; the 1424
fight over the
Ayutthayan
Throne between the brothers prince Chao Aai Phraya
(เจ้าอ้ายพระยา) and prince Chao Yih Phraya (เจ้ายี่พระยา) at Saphaan Pah Thaan
(สะพานป่าถ่าน), in which both were killed;
the 1549
War of Tabinshwehti (fig.),
in which Queen
Suriyothai of
Ayutthaya
(fig.)
was slashed to death by Phra Chao Prae (พระเจ้าแปร) of Burma; and the 1593
Battle of Nong Sarai (map
-
fig.),
in which King
Naresuan (fig.)
defeated Minchit Sra, the Burmese Crown Prince and a
grandson of
Bayinnaung (fig.), the
King of
Pegu. In
Ayutthaya, near the
phaniad, i.e. the
elephant kraal (fig.),
is
the Battle Elephant Memorial
(map
-
fig.), which displays large bronze
statues of war elephants being led into battle.
See also THEMATIC STREET LIGHT (1)
and
(2).
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Changshou (长手)
Chinese.
‘Long hand’. Name of a
luohan
and one of the
Eighteen Arahats, as well as of the Five Hundred
Arahats, who in English is commonly referred to as the Long-armed
Arahat. He is described as
having a very sharp mind and the magical property to grow his
arms as long as he wants them to be, which enables him to reach for the
stars (fig.),
as well as to help others. He is sometimes depicted with a beard, and is
also known as Bantuo-jia (半讬迦) and
Tan Shou (探手), i.e.
‘Search Hand’, whereas in
India he is called
Panthaka
and also
referred to as
Pantha the Elder.
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Chang Ton (ช้างต้น)
Thai. ‘First Elephant’. The Elephant of State on which the kings
formerly rode during state ceremonies and which would have been a
White Elephant
(fig.).
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chanih (ชะนี)
1. Thai for
gibbon. In this context the word is also used
derogatory for women, since the gibbon call sounds like ‘phua’, the
Thai word for husband, thus indicating a gibbon sounds like a woman
who is calling for her husband. Also transcribed chani and chanie.
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2. Thai. A kind of
durian.
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Channa
(ฉันนะ)
Pali-Thai. The male servant of prince
Siddhartha, the historical
Buddha. In Sanskrit, he is known by the name
Chandaka.
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Channanie (ชนนี)
Thai. ‘Matriarch’ or ‘mother’. Thai name for the mother of a king,
or for a noble widow (fig.). Her full title is
Somdet Phra Boromma Raja Channanie or
Somdet Phra Pan Pie Luang. See also
chanok. Sometimes transcribed Channanee, Channanih
or Channanih, and also pronounced Chonnanih.
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channarohng (ชันโรง)
Thai name for the Stingless
Bee (fig.), of which there are over 500
recorded species, found mostly in tropical countries and classified into
five genera, i.e. Melipona, Trigona, Meliponula, Dectylurina and
Lestrimelitta. There are ten identified species of Trigona in Thailand,
with two of them, i.e. Trigona binghami and Trigona minor, newly added
to the list of recorded species, bringing the total to 32 species. The
newly recorded species were found in Queen Sirikit Botanical Garden (fig.)
in
Chiang Mai,
for one.
Stingless Bees build their
nests in holes in the soil or in trees and make
tubular entrances to these nests (fig.),
i.e. open tubes that form straight chimneys above the nest's holes,
in order to raise the entrances above the surrounding vegetation.
These
chimneys
are made from wax mixed with resin and gum, and some species add mud
collected by worker bees. Sometimes transliterated literally from Thai
as chanrohng (ชันโรง), yet correct pronunciation is channarohng (ชัน-นะ-โรง).
See WILDLIFE PICTURE and
WATCH VIDEO.
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chanoht (ชะโนด)
Thai name for the Taraw Palm, is
a species of palm tree with the botanical name Livistona saribus and
found in Southeast Asia. The tree grows up to 25-30 meter in height and
grows in dense, secondary forests. The trunk is similar to that of the
coconut palm
(fig.)
and the leaves resemble those of the
sugar palm
(fig.), and
along its leaf stems are spikes which resemble shark teeth. In
Cambodia,
the leaves are used for the thatching of roofs for huts and to make
hats. The Taraw Palm produces dark blue fruits and in Thai, this palm is
also known as kho s(r)oy (ค้อสร้อย), literally ‘necklace’, perhaps due
to these bead-like fruits that grow from long stalks, reminiscent of
stringed
pearls. In
Narathiwat,
in southern Thailand, the tree is known as kho (ค้อ) and sihreng
(สิเหรง). See also
Kham Chanoht.
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Chanok (ชนก)
1.
Rajasap. ‘Patriarch’ or ‘father’. Thai name for the
father of a king. His full title is Somdet Phra Borom Raja Chanok.
Also
Chanoknaht. See also
Channanie.
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2.
Rajasap. Name of the second incarnation of
the
Buddha
in the
Totsachat-stories, before his Enlightenment when he was
still a
bodhisattva.
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Chanok Jakrawat (ชนกจักรวรรดิ)
Thai.
‘Father Empire’. Name of a king and hermit (reusi)
in the epic
Ramakien, who one day found a baby
girl in a bowl on the boat landing of his
ashram.
He decided to adopt her, but until he could do so, he buried her near a
banyan
tree, invoking the gods to guard it. When he eventually
ended his life as a hermit, he returned to his throne in
Mithila and ploughed
the
field in search of the bowl with the girl, that was buried under the
ground. He came across a
lotus
marking the place of the bowl and found inside
the girl who had grown into a 16-year old woman, whom he named
Sida
(fig.).
Also
spelled Chanok Chakrawat. Not toer be confused with
Thao
Chakrawat
(fig.).
See also
LIST OF RAMAKIEN CHARACTERS & NAMES,
and
MORE ON THIS.
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Chanoknaht
(ชนกนาถ)
Thai-Rajasap.
‘Patriarch’ or ‘father’. See
Chanok.
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Chanthabuli (ຈັນທະບູລີ,
จันทะบูลี)
1.
Lao-Thai. The meaning in modern Lao is ambiguous and could mean either
‘walled city of
sandalwood’ or ‘moon city’, similar to the Thai
city of
Chanthaburi. According to legend this was the
original name of
Vientiane, which in full was
Chanthabuli Si Sattanakhanahud. Also spelled Chantabuly and Chanthabuly.
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2.
Lao-Thai. The name of a district in the city of
Vientiane in
Laos.
Also spelled Chantabuly and Chanthabuly.
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Chanthaburi (จันทบุรี)
Thai. ‘City of the moon’ or ‘moon city’. The capital of Chanthaburi
province (map)
in East Thailand, 245 kms Southeast of
Bangkok.
READ ON.
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Chanthakumaan (จันทกุมาร)
Thai for
Candakumara.
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Chao (ชาว)
Thai
for a member of a race or group of people, usually translated as ‘ethnic
group, tribe’ or ‘native’.
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Chao (เจ้า)
1.
Thai. A title denoting greatness, used for royalty, princes, lords,
potentates and rulers in Thailand and Laos, like in
Chaochai (prince),
Chaoying (princess) and
Chao Phraya (nobleman of the
highest rank).
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2. A
Thai pronoun in the second person, nowadays used only when speaking
to an inferior, equivalent to you. In obsolete or poetic usage, it
is equivalent to ‘thou’ or ‘thee’, used especially when talking to
one's wife.
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3. A
Thai pronoun in the third person, in obsolete or poetic usage,
especially when referring to a woman, equivalent to ‘she’ or ‘her’.
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4. A
term of assent used by women in northern Thailand to address an
equal. It is a polite term identical to the central Thai word ‘kha’
used by women and ‘khrab’ used by men to express agreement or added
to a phrase in order to show good manners.
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chao ahwaht (เจ้าอาวาส)
Thai.
‘Ruler (chao)
of a
temple’,
i.e. an abbot. The word ahwaht derives from
avasa, i.e. the Pali word for ‘temple’.
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Chaochai (เจ้าชาย)
Thai
for ‘prince’.
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Chao Chiwit (เจ้าชีวิต)
Thai. ‘Lord of Life’. Title formerly used for a sovereign,
especially during the
Ayutthaya
period until the
beginning of the
Rattanakosin period.
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Chao Chom Maanda (เจ้าจอมมาร)
Thai-rajasap.
Title for a royal mother, i.e. a concubine who gave birth to a prince.
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Chao Fah (เจ้าฟ้า)
Thai. ‘Lord of the Skies’. Initially, title given to the son of a king born of a
mother who is also of royal blood. Later it was also used for any
daughter of a king born of a mother who is also of royal blood, and may
hence also be translated ‘Dame of the Skies’. It now is a common title
for the offspring of the King and Queen, usually translated as ‘Prince’
or Princess’, depending on the gender. The Burmese equivalent is
Saopha.
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Chao Jet Ton (เจ้าเจ็ดตน)
Thai. ‘Dynasty of the Seven Lords’. Another
name for the dynasty of the house of
Thipchakratiwong. Literally
the name means ‘lord’ (Chao),
‘seven’ (jed), ‘lords’ (with
ton
being a classifier for the word chao). Despite its name this dynasty in
fact had nine rulers or lords. See also
list of Thai kings.
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chao kana (เจ้าคณะ)
Thai. Housemaster. A priest who has charge of the monks in a temple
building or a portion of a monastery.
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Chao Kawila (เจ้ากาวิละ)
Thai. Ruler of
Lampang
and
Chiang Mai (fig.) in the beginning of the
Chakri
Dynasty. He was born in 1742, the first of ten children of Prince
Chai Kaew of Lampang, and a descendant of
Phaya
Suwareuachai Songkram of the house of
Thipchakratiwong. After he had
succeeded his father as ruler of the city he joined forces with
Prince Chaban of Chiang Mai in a plot to rid the cities of
oppressive Burmese rule. They sought the help of King
Taksin who sent an army
under the command of
Chao Phrya
Chakri. With combined forces they overthrew the Burmese in Lampang
in 1774 and in the night of February 14, 1775 also Chiang Mai fell
to the
Siamese. However, due to Burmese
counterattacks Chiang Mai had to be abandoned and was only formally
reoccupied in March 1796. By then Chao Phraya Chakri had become King
Rama I and in 1802 he officially
appointed Kawila as ruler of Chiang Mai, in lieu of the late
Prince Chaban who had died at the end of the
Thonburi
Period. Kawila continued with
campaigns against the Burmese and placed his brothers as rulers of
other northern cities, whilst Kawila's sister, Princess Sri Anocha,
married to Prince
Boonma,
King Rama I's only brother. In 1815 Chao Kawila died of fever. He
was the first king of
Lan Na under
Siamese rule. His full title is Phra Chao
Boromma Rachathibodi Kawila. See also
list of Thai kings.
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chao kuay (เฉาก๊วย)
Thai
name for a black vegetable jelly, eaten as a dessert in Southeast Asia,
as well as in some countries of the Far East, including
China and Taiwan. It is made by boiling
the aged and slightly oxidized stalks and leaves of a plant known as
ya chao kuay, with potassium carbonate and a little starch.
When cooled the decoction becomes a translucent black jelly which is
usually cut into small cubes (fig.).
It is generally consumed mixed with crushed ice and palm sugar, or with
soy milk to create a drink. In China, it is mixed with
rice water and
used as a cooling drink. In English, it is known as grass jelly. Also
transcribed chao kuai.
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Chao Le (ชาวเล)
Thai. ‘Sea people’. Term for the once nomadic sea gypsies who have a
long history in Southern Thailand and are believed to be the first
settlers in Koh Lanta and other islands of the Andaman Sea. They are
ethnically separated from Southern Thais and have their own language
and customs. The sea gypsy people support their families through the
fishing trade, which has always been the mainstay of their
livelihoods. Structural changes in the modern world and loss of
fishing ground due to general development have made their way of
life increasingly difficult and has put a strain on their unique
culture. During full moon of the 6th and 11th months in the lunar
calendar the sea gypsies perform a ceremony to bring prosperity and
happiness in the forthcoming year. They build a two meter wooden
boat, fill it with mementos
(fig.) and then perform a dance before setting
it adrift. Also spelled Chao Ley and sometimes called Chao Thai Mai, as well
as
Moken.
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Chao Luang (เจ้าหลวง)
Thai
for a vassal prince or the ruler of a colony or protectorate.
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Chao Mae Thabthim (เจ้าแม่ทับทิม)
Thai name for
Mazu, the Chinese goddess of the sea (fig.),
who is worshipped by Chinese-Hainanese people worldwide. Her name means
‘Goddess Ruby’
or ‘Ruby Majesty’, and
derives from the red colour of her dress (fig.).
She is also known as
Chao Mae Pra Sop, sometimes
called Mae Chao Thabthim, and is worshipped in many places around Thailand, where numerous
shrines, called Sahn Chao Mae Thabthim or Sahn Chao Mae Pra Sop (ศาลเจ้าแม่ประสพ
-
fig.), can be found, with
sahn (ศาล) being a word
related to
sala.
See also
Chao
and
thabthim.
See also TRAVEL PICTURES.
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Chao Ngo (เจ้าเงาะ)
Thai. A male character
from the story of
Sangthong, namely the
protagonist
Prince
Phra Sang
himself (fig.) disguised
as an ugly ogre (fig.) of the
Ngo
tribe, with a black complexion and curly
hair (fig.), thus hiding his golden body underneath. To refer to the Prince's status,
the name bears the title
Chao.
See POSTAGE STAMPS (1),
(2), and
(3),
as well as
TRAVEL PICTURES and
THEMATIC STREET LIGHT.
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Chao Ngo (ชาวเงาะ)
Thai for ‘Ngo
Tribe’. See also
Mani.
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cha-om (ชะอม)
Thai
name for a shrub, with the botanical name Acacia pennata. Its young leaves are edible and usually eaten raw
with
nahm phrik,
generally as a
side vegetable with other food (fig.),
or fried with eggs in a dish called
cha om thod khai
(fig.), which on markets is usually sold
as a
thick, greenish omelet, which is cut up into square, cube-like blocks.
It is also used as an ingredient in soups, such as
kaeng som,
i.e. a
sour soup made of
tamarind paste, as well as in certain curries and stir-fried dishes. The
taste of the leaves is rather unusual, somewhat bitter.
WATCH
VIDEO.
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cha-om thod khai (ชะอมทอดไข่)
Thai name for a kind of omelet, which is mixed with
cha-om,
i.e. young Acacia leaves (fig.).
It is usually cut up into thick, square or diamond-shaped blocks and is
served with other food
(fig.), such
as
kaeng som,
e.g.
kaeng som cha-om kung
(fig.).
WATCH
VIDEO.
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Chao Phaya (เจ้าพระยา)
See
Chao Phraya.
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Chao Pho (เจ้าพ่อ)
1. Thai.
‘Godfather’. A nonspecific name used to refer to the local guardian spirit
in Thai-Chinese shrines
known as sahn chao (ศาลเจ้า),
i.e. ‘deity shrine’,
often translated as ‘joss
house’,
more general as sahn jihn (ศาลจีน),
meaning ‘Chinese
shrine’, and —if applicable—
more specific as sahn chao
pho
lak meuang
(ศาลเจ้าพ่อหลักเมือง), which translates as ‘shrine
of the city-god’. See also
Chao Pho Seua
and
Peung Thao Kong.
WATCH VIDEO.
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2.
Thai.
‘Godfather’. A name used to refer to
Thai mafia bosses engaged in organized crime, most of whom are of
Chinese descent, work closely with powerful civil servants,
police
and the military in local administrative positions, and play an
important role in the parliamentary elections. According to Thai
authorities, there are Chao Pho groups in 39 of Thailand's 77 provinces,
from where they operate both legal and illegal businesses, often
involved in a variety of crimes, such as prostitution, drug trafficking,
illegal gambling, etc. Some are also known to collaborate with Wa Daeng
(ว้าแดง), who is involved in human trafficking and drug sales and
related to the United Wa State Army, a well-equipped ethnic minority
militia in
Myanmar.
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Chao Pho Chetakup (เจ้าพ่อเจตคุปต์)
See
Citragupta.
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Chao Pho Ho Klong (เจ้าพ่อหอกลอง)
Thai.
Name of a protective deity, said to be the spirit of
Chao Phraya Si Surasak (สีห์สุรศักดิ์),
an important military leader from the
Thonburi
period, who in battle used to encourage his troops
by beating on a war drum. After his death, people would sometimes hear
drumbeats coming from his drum, whilst no one was near, and each time
just before something bad was about to happen, as it were a supernatural
warning sign. His spirit is thus believed to safeguard the population
and warn them for looming dangers. In art, he is sometimes depicted
standing upright and wearing a
chadah
(fig.),
whilst holding a
lotus flower
in his right hand and a horn in the left hand. See also
Sahn Chao Pho Ho Klong (fig.).
WATCH VIDEO.
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Chao Pho Seua (เจ้าพ่อเสือ)
Thai.
‘Tiger Guardian Spirit’. Thai name for
Xuanwu,
a name that translates as ‘Mysterious Warrior’ or ‘Black Warrior’.
Shrines devoted to this deity (fig.),
often in the form of a Chinese
joss
house, are found nationwide in Thailand and are known as
Sahn Chao Pho
Seua. A Thai legend that dates from the reign of King
Phra Nang Klao,
i.e.
Rama III, and related
to a shrine in
Phra Nakhon,
Bangkok,
relates that in a
certain village, the son of
Yai Phong (ผ่อง)
was killed by a
tiger and
hence the villagers hunted it down with the intend to
kill it. Yet, when Grandma Phong saw
the beast, she felt pity for it and adopted the tiger as her pet, thus
replacing her son. Seven years later, the old lady passed away and when
the villagers cremated her body, the tiger jumped into the cremation
fire and also died. Consequently, the villagers built a shrine for the
tiger that was so loyal to its owner.
See also TRAVEL PICTURE.
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Chao Phraya (เจ้าพระยา)
1. A
Thai ‘nobleman of the highest rank’ (fig.), a title conferred by former
kings. Also transcribed Chao Phya, Chao Phaya and Chao Phrya. See
also
Constantine Phaulkon
and
Gustave Rolin-Jaequemyns.
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2.
Thai. Name of the Chao Phraya river, Thailand’s most important
waterway, that flows through
Bangkok and which is formed by the
confluence of four rivers near the city of
Nakhon Sawan, namely the
Ping
(fig.),
Wang
(fig.),
Yom (fig.) and
Nan,
and ends in the
Gulf of Thailand
(fig.) near
Samut Prakan,
otherwise known as Meuang Pahk Nahm, the city at the estuary (map
-
fig.).
Due to the meaning of its name, the river is often referred to as
Royal River or River of Kings.
In the evening (fig.)
the river is a popular spot for dinner, both in riverside
restaurants of upmarket hotels and on river boats (fig.), that organize
evening dinner cruises that offer sensational views of the city's
skyline as luxurious
hotels and historical sites (fig.) are
illuminated. During the daytime, the river also has a
river express, i.e. a public boat service popularly known as
reua duan (fig.). Also transcribed Chao Phya, Chao Phaya and
Chao Phrya.
See also MAP,
TRAVEL PICTURE,
and
WATCH VIDEO (1)
and .
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Chao Phraya Sky Park
See
Garden Bridge.
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Chao Phrya (เจ้าพระยา)
See
Chao Phraya.
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Chao Phya (เจ้าพระยา)
See
Chao Phraya.
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Chao Poo Sri Sutho (เจ้าปู่ศรีสุทโธ)
Thai. Name of a
nagaraat who is
worshipped especially at
Kham Chanoht
(fig.)
in
Udonthani
(fig.),
together with his consort
Chao Yah Sri Patum Mah
Naki (fig.).
They are both depicted in semi-human form.
See also TRAVEL PICTURES (1)
and
(2),
and
WATCH VIDEO (1) and
(2).
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chao taan cheuam (จาวตาลเชื่อม)
Thai.
‘Sugar
palm
endocarp boiled in syrup’. Name for a sweet dessert, consisting of the
endocarp (fig.)
of sugar palm seeds, either boiled dry or in a thick syrup. It is often
eaten with
sticky
rice
mixed with
ka-thi
(coconut milk
or cocnut cream), additionally it may be mixed with roasted (kua)
sesame
seeds, sugar, salt and shredded
coconut, a version of this dish known as
khao niauw
tanoht (โตนด), the last word being a part of the Thai name for the sugar
palm, i.e.
ton taan
tanoht.
Popularly also called
look taan
cheuam (ลูกตาลเชื่อม). Also
transliterated jaw tahn chueam, or similar.
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chao thih (เจ้าที่)
Thai.
‘Spirit of the place’. A kind of nature nature spirit
who lives on the land, also
referred as
phra phum chao thih
or simply phra phum. Also spelled chao thee, chao tee,
chao thi, chao tih, jao tee, jao tih, or similar. Compare with
Di Zhuia and
Peung Thao Kong.
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Chao Yah Sri Patum Mah (เจ้าย่าศรีปทุมมา)
Thai. Name of the
consort
of
Chao Poo Sri Sutho
(fig.),
a
nagaraat, and
likewise she is a
naga
depicted in semi-human form. She is
hence also referred to with the apex
naki, meaning ‘snake’,
i.e. Chao Yah Sri Patum Mah Naki (fig.).
See also TRAVEL PICTURES (1)
and
(2),
and
WATCH VIDEO (1) and
(2).
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Chaoying (เจ้าหญิง)
Thai
for ‘princess’.
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chaphlu (ชะพลู, ช้าพลู)
Thai.
One generic name given to a herb of which there are actually two
different kinds, one with the botanical name Piper sarmentosum,
the other with the scientific name Piper lolot. There is no common
English name, but both belong to
the betel family Piperaceae. In English, the two are sometimes called
wild betel or
piper betel,
but officially they are only identified by their scientific names.
Both plants have
glossy, heart-shaped
leaves (fig.), called
bai chaphlu,
which are used in Thai cuisine,
usually fresh and as a wrapper for
miang, like
with
miangkham (fig.).
The leaves are also used in other Southeast Asian countries, e.g. in
Malaysia, where it is known as kadok or kaduk and its leaves as daun kadok which are shredded in a
rice dish
called nasi ulam, literally ‘rice with raw vegetable’ or used as a
wrapper for otak, a spicy fish pâté, reminiscent of the Thai dish
khao neung, a dish that is also served
with fresh chaphlu leaves (fig.);
in
Vietnam, where it is known as la lôt and the leaves as bo la lôt,
which are used typically as a wrapper for grilling meats or seafood, a dish called bo cuôn la
lôt (fig.),
i.e. ‘betel leaf rolls’; and in
Laos where it is called phak i leut and the leaves bai i
leut which are used to make a kind of salad. The leaves are also used to
wrap the
betel
nut
(fig.),
a stimulant mixed together with some
tobacco and lime paste (fig.).
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chappannarangsie (ฉัพพรรณรังสี)
1.
Thai. Aureole, nimbus or halo. Also
radsamie.
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2.
Thai. Star with six rays or points.
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charcoal
See
thaan.
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chari
Gujari. Name of a container used to fetch water
from a well and which is typically carried on the head by Indian women.
It can be either an earthen urn, or a aluminum or brass pot.
In Rajasthan, it is used in dance performances known
as Chari Dances, in which women dance while balancing the pots on their
heads, which at night are often kept ignited with cotton wicks dipped in
oil (fig.).
In other parts of India it is referred to as ghata (घट),
ghatam or ghattam, and matka or matki.
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Charles Van den Born
Belgian pilot who in January 1911 brought aviation to Thailand by
carrying out the first flight in the Kingdom at
Sanam Bin Sra Pathum
(fig.), with his aircraft the
Farman (fig.),
a 1910 French manufactured bi-plane.
Though born in Liege on 11 July 1874, though some sources say 1873,
his mother was French, and he later became a French national
himself. Before taking up flying, he was well-known as a bicycle and
automobile racer. He earned his French pilot's license on 8 March
1910 in an H. Farman, and his Belgian license only weeks later, on
31 March 1910. He was one of the earliest licensed pilots. His
flying career included flight demonstrations in France, Belgium,
Italy, French Indochina, Thailand and China, and he was the first
pilot ever to
fly in French Indochina, Hong Kong, and Thailand. During WWI, he
directed the Belgian aviation school in France. He later returned to
Indochina and after the Indochina Wars, went back to France, where
he died on 24 Jan 1958.
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Charoen Krung (เจริญกรุง)
Thai. Name of a road in
Bangkok,
also known as the New Road. It
is the first road
to have been built with Western technology, at the time when the capital
was changing its means of transportation from water to the land. It
starts to the south of the
Grand Palace and runs more or less
southward, in part following the course of the
Chao Phraya River. It has historical
value due to the architectural structures, such as
Ban Lek Tih Neung (fig.), that lie along the road, many
of them ancient shop houses built in the same style as those in the
Singapore of that time, an approach instigated by
Phraya
Sri Suriyawongse
after he visited the city off the southern tip of the Malay
Peninsula. Due to its historical significance,
the road has been dubbed the
‘Road that Connects History’.
It was constructed in 1861 and is often referred to as Bangkok's oldest
road. In 2011, it was portrayed on a Thai
postage stamp to mark its 150th anniversary (fig.).
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chat (ฉัตร)
1.
Thai for
chattra. See also
ton son
chat (fig.).
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2.
Thai. The wide rim of a gong or
kong from which it is suspended.
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Chatila Setthi (ชฎิลเศรษฐี)
Thai name for a
legendary millionaire in Buddhist lore, symbolizing the harmony of
wealth and spirituality. Born under miraculous circumstances and raised
by a wealthy merchant, Chatila demonstrated extraordinary merit by
turning unsellable goods into fortune and receiving a miraculous ‘golden
mountain’, which appeared as a testament to his past virtuous deeds.
Although immensely wealthy, Chatila remained spiritually aware, using
his resources for good and eventually renouncing his riches to seek
Enlightenment. His story teaches that
true wealth is rooted in merit and compassion, with material success
serving as a means to support ethical and spiritual growth. His name is
sometimes transliterated Jatila. See also
setthi
and
WATCH VIDEO.
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chattra (छत्त्र)
Sanskrit. Multi-layered umbrella held over a honourary figure,
usually as a symbol of royalty or honour, in part similar to and
often used together with
pad yot (fig.).
It typically crowns over the throne of the King of Thailand, as well
as over certain Buddha statues,
referring to the
Buddha's
royal status as Prince
Siddhartha.
Production of religiously used chattra may hence be done by Buddhist
monks themselves (fig.).
It sometimes crowns the mast of a Buddhist
stupa or
chedi (fig.),
and in North Thailand is often seen on the roofs of temple
buildings, usually in the middle (fig.).
When used as an ornament in such way, on top of a chedi, a temple
roof, or even on a
chadah, it is referred to as
plih. Besides the symbol of a monarch, it also represents the spiritual
authority and shelter for all living beings. The chattra is one of
the eight auspicious symbols or
Ashtamangala. In Chinese-Taoist
temples, some Buddhist umbrellas are depicted long and cylindrical
in shape and are used decoratively, hung from the ceiling (fig.).
Those kind of Chinese-style umbrellas could in some way be
considered as the Chinese equivalent of the Indian chattra. See also
noppapadon
and
ton son
chat (fig.).
In Thai
chat or shat.
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chattri
Elevated pavilion that consist of a dome-shaped roof raised by four
or more pillars and used in Indian architecture. It is found on top of
buildings in India,
where it is used decoratively or to provide shelter from the natural
elements, or built over funerary sites. The name and function is hence
reminiscent of the
chattra
(fig.),
as well as of the
chedi (fig.),
which is believed to have derived from the former. Also transcribed
chhatri.
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Chatuchak (จตุจักร)
Thai. ‘Quadric circle’. Name of a district in northern
Bangkok which has a park (map
-
fig.)
and popular weekend market of the same name.
The park consist
of a small stroke of land squeezed between Phahon Yothin Road and
Kamphaeng Phet Road, while acorss the latter road is a cluster of
three larger, adjoining parks, i.e. Wachirabenchatat Park, Rot Fai Park, and Queen
Sirikit
Park, of which
the latter in its southwestern corner has a section known as the
Garden for the Sight Impaired
(map
-
fig.).
Since all these parks are located in Chatuchak district and connect
to each other, they are together often also referred to as Chatuchak
Park, rather than by their individual names.
These are both situated
in between the old and new Mo Chit bus terminals. The park is built
on a plot of land donated by the State Railway of Thailand to King
Bhumipon on the occasion of his fourth-cycle (48th)
birthday on 5 December 1975. The king named the site Chatuchak Park
on 8 January 1976 and the park was officially opened on 4 December
1980. It features floral plants, herbal plants, several species of
palm trees, a multipurpose ground, and sculptures
representing some of the first
ASEAN
country members. There is also
a health park built in honor of princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn on
her third-cycle (36th) birthday. The park has the nation's largest
fountain, a musical fountain with regular, animated performances (map
-
fig.),
choreographed to Thai music (fig.),
and an
educative
Banana
Garden (fig.),
which displays a large variety of different species of
banana plant.
The park is also used as a site for staging public events by its
district's residents. The market is located on a 70
rai plot of land South of the park and is the first
weekend market in Bangkok. It originally occupied
Sanam Luang, where it had been established in 1948 and
was then called Sanam Luang Market. In 1982 it was relocated to the
present-day site on Phahon Yothin Road, which the State Railway of
Thailand had given to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).
The market at the new location was renamed the Phahon Yothin Market
and later, in 1987, the Chatuchak Weekend Market. The market, which
boasts over 15,000 shops and attracts approximately 200,000 visitors
daily, has a significant section dedicated to live pet sales. In the
night of 12 June 2024, a fire broke out in the Pet Zone, reportedly
caused by a short circuit from an electrical fan left on to comfort
the animals. The blaze destroyed 118 shops and
sadly
resulted in the deaths of
5,343 caged animals, including various species of birds (fig.) and fowl; reptiles,
such as
snakes,
turtles
and lizards;
fish, mostly
Siamese Fighting Fish
(fig.);
and rodents, such as
squirrels, hamsters (fig.)
and Guinea pigs (fig.);
as well as
monkeys, cats, hedgehogs, raccoons,
and some other
mammals.
There is also another weekend market, called Chatuchak 2
(fig.)
and which is —despite being its namesake— located in Minburi (มีนบุรี),
a district in eastern Bangkok. Somewhat smaller in size than its
equivalent, its could be described as an eastern branch of the
original market.
See also MAP
and
WATCH VIDEO (1) and
(2).
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Chaturbuja (चतुर्भुज)
Sanskrit. ‘Four-armed’. Name
for the depiction of a Hindu god with four arms, with the Sanskrit word chatur meaning ‘four’. Also transcribed Caturbhuja.
See also
Hanuman sih kon
and
Jaturamuk.
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chaturanga (चतुरङ्ग)
Sanskrit. ‘Having four limbs’. Name for an ancient Indian strategy game,
which became the common ancestor of western chess and from which also
other board games, such as
sittuyin,
derive. It is said to have developed in the 6th Century
Gupta Period.
The term chaturanga derives from a battle formation mentioned in the
Mahabharata,
which could be translated as
‘army’, and the four limbs refer to the four described army divisions,
i.e. chariots,
war elephants,
the cavalry, and the infantry. The game board consists of 64 squares,
i.e. 8 rows and 8 columns, though without alternating colours, while the
pieces and their setup on the game board in starting position are
similar to those of western chess, though the King is sided by a
minister, counselor or general, rather than a Queen, and a set of
elephants
act for the bishops in
western chess. See also
mahk ruk and
yutthahadtie.
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Chaturanradsamih (จาตุรนต์รัศมี)
Thai. A royal prince of
Siam,
i.e. the 28th son of King
Mongkut
and the 3rd son of Queen Debsirindra, also transcribed Queen Thepsihrinthrah
(เทพศิรินทรา), and thus a full brother of Prince and later King
Chulalongkorn.
During his term in office as Finance
Ministry, he promulgated the notifications regarding the tax reform and
abolished gambling.
He was born on Tuesday 13
January
1856
and died on 11 April 1900
at the age of 44.
He had 14 children. His portrait is depicted on one of a rare set
of unmarked postage stamps of the Royal Family issued in circa 1893 (fig.),
as well as on a commemorative postage stamp issued in 2006 to mark his
150th birthday anniversary (fig.).
His name is also transliterated Chaturantarasmi and Chaturonrasmi, and
his name and title in full are
Somdet
Phra Chao
Borommawonthe
Chao Fah
Chaturonradsamih
Krom Phra
Chakraphandiphong (สมเด็จพระเจ้าบรมวงศ์เธอ เจ้าฟ้าจาตุรนต์รัศมี
กรมพระจักรพรรดิพงษ์). Chakraphandiphong (Chakrabardhibongse)
Road in
Bangkok's
Pomprap Sattruphai
(ป้อมปราบศัตรูพ่าย) District
is named after him.
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Chauk Htat Gyi (ခြောက်ထပ်ကြီး)
Burmese. Name of a
giant (gyi)
reclining Buddha
image in Yangon's Bahan Township, with a length of 65.85 meter.
READ ON.
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chaya (ชายา)
Thai term for the consort of a
prince.
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chayedan (茶叶蛋)
Chinese. ‘Tea-leaf egg’. See
tea egg.
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chayote
See
fak maew.
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Chequered Swallowtail
Another common name for the
Lime Swallowtail.
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chedi (เจดีย์)
Thai. A bell shaped monument erected to house a holy statue or an
object of a prominent person, such as the ashes of important monks
and royalty, or relics of the
Buddha. In Thailand they are called
phra chedi and are most commonly used as a relic
shrine. The bell shaped chedi is a copy of the Indian
stupa or
caitya, with the Thai name being
derived from the latter term. In
Burma this structure is known as
zedi (fig.) or pagoda,
in
Vietnam as
chua (fig.), in Tibet as
chorten (fig.), and in Sri
Lanka it is called
dagoba (fig.). Its typical
bell shape
(fig.)
probably developed from a
chattra
(fig.),
the multi-layered umbrella carried for royalty as a symbol of their
dignity as can be seen above some Buddha images today. Plausibly the
chattra was initially placed on top of the grave of a deceased
member of royalty thus initiating the idea to later replace this
rather fragile mausoleum with more sturdy materials. In that way the
relic shrine originated simultaneously with the specific bell shape
tapering off to a point. The chattra may still sometimes crown the
mast of a chedi (fig.),
but is then referred to as
plih.
The multi-layered chattra form is also clearly seen in the
pyatthat
(fig.),
a typical Burmese style, multi-roofed pagoda. In later structures the
triphum is symbolically represented, that is,
earth heaven and hell. Visitors to natural parks often create small
chedi made from stones or pebbles (fig.),
a practice reminiscent of the
mani stones
from Tibet, as well as of the
chedi saai,
sand pagodas that are built in Thai temples as a
kind of folk
amusement.
In addition, the making of small stone
pagodas reminds of an ancient Tamil tradition, in which people
celebrated their fallen warriors by erecting formless stones in
their memory.
See also
plong shanai (fig.).
See also POSTAGE STAMPS.
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Chedi Chang Lom (เจดีย์ช้างล้อม)
Thai. ‘Elephants
Surrounded
Pagoda’.
Name of a Buddhist
pagoda,
located within the temple
complex of
Wat Chiang Man.
READ ON.
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Chedi Khao (เจดีย์ขาว)
Thai. ‘White
Pagoda’.
Name of a small white
stupa
located along the
Ping
River in
Chiang Mai.
READ ON.
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Chedi Phukhao Thong (เจดีย์ภูเขาทอง)
Thai. ‘Golden Mountain
Stupa’.
Name of the second
tallest
pagoda
in
Ayutthaya.
READ ON.
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chedi saai (เจดีย์ทราย)
Thai.
A
pagoda (chedi)
made of sand.
Sand pagodas are built as a kind of folk
amusement,
especially in the northern provinces of
Thailand,
but also in
Myanmar (fig.). It derived
from the religious rite of
khon saai khao wat,
in which people annually bring sand
back to the temple (fig.), as compensation for the sand that has been carried
out from temple grounds over the past year, sticking to visitors feet.
With the sand that is brought back, a chedi or pagoda is constructed.
When finished, it is topped with small paper
tung
and paper flags, known as
cho.
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Chedi Tham Jindah
(เจดีย์ธรรมจินดา)
Thai.
‘Stupa(s)
of the
Dhamma
Gem’.
Name of a twin
pagoda or
chedi
in
Wat Ta-khe
(fig.),
i.e. the
archeological
site of an 18th
century AD Buddhist temple complex in
Saraburi,
located
on the
eastern bank of
the
Pa Sak River. It comprises two stupas
that stand side by side on the same base on an east-west axis, with
one being slightly larger and bulkier than the other,
suggesting a certain hierarchy.
Whereas one is a 16
redented chedi,
the other is a 12
redented chedi (fig.),
and whereas the temple is believed to date from the end of the
Ayutthaya period,
the stupas are probably from the early
Rattanakosin
period,
as the style of the stupa and
the techniques used for the
stucco
decorations became
popular only in
Rattanakosinsok.
See MAP.
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chempedak
See
Champada.
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chenda (ചെണ്ട)
Malayalam name for a kind of large, cylindrical drum, of which there are
various types. All have heads on both ends, though only one side is
played, using drumsticks. There are a number of hinges that hold the
drum head to the trunk using ropes. This kind of percussion instrument
is widely used in the South Indian state of Kerala, as well as in parts
of Karnataka, where they also use another yet similar drum, referred to
as chende. The chenda is mainly played in
Hindu
temple festivals, as well as in a variety of cultural activities, such
as weddings (fig.).
It produces a loud and rigid sound.
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Chenla
(ចេនឡា,
真腊)
Khmer-Chinese name for a state in
Cambodia, that
roughly existed between the 6th and 8th centuries AD, after the fall of
Funan. In
550 AD, it
initially was a vasal of Funan but gradually
absorbed
this oldest
Indianized kingdom of Indochina
in the 6th
century AD, yet was in
802 AD
itself absorbed into
the
Khmer
Empire. It is also
known as the
Kamboja
Kingdom.
Sometimes transcribed Zhenla.
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cheroot
Name for a kind of handmade cigar from
Myanmar. It is produced (fig.)
by rolling
tobacco powder made from a locally grown plant (fig.) into a dried and flattened
leaf
called
thana hpe
(fig.),
or alternatively in a dried corn leaf, and closed off
with a filter on one side, whilst the other side is closed off by
pressing the leaf's ends into a pointed tip. The filter (fig.) is made from
dried corn leaves that have been rolled into paper, often of an old
tabloid, and then cut off to the right size using a wooden measuring
object, i.e. after it has been fitted into the cheroot. After being
rolled with the use of a wooden stick as an aid, the cheroot is fastened
with a kind of glue made on the basis of
rice, whilst a cigar band
–with
the brands name printed on it– is added.
Unlike regular cigars, the cheroot is not tapering but it is cylindrical
in shape. The word cheroot is said to mean ‘roll of tobacco’.
In Burmese, the cheroot is called
hsei bo lei (fig.),
and is
smoked by both Burmese men
and women alike (fig.).
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chestnut
See
kaolad.
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Chestnut-bellied Malkoha
Common
designation
of
a species of cuckoo with the scientific
name
Phaenicophaeus
sumatranus. It belongs to the family Cuculidae and is native to
Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand. It
inhabits subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, mangrove
forests, and swamplands. It should not be confused with the
Chestnut-breasted Malkoha.
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Chestnut-breasted Malkoha
Common
designation
of
a species of cuckoo with the scientific
name Phaenicophaeus curvirostris.
It belongs to the family Cuculidae and
is found throughout Southeast
Asia, ranging from Myanmar to eastern Java, the Philippines, and
Borneo. This large cuckoo can reach up to 49 cm in length and
features grey and dark green upperparts with chestnut-colored
underparts, along with a large, curved pale upper mandible. Both
males and females have similar plumage. Unlike many other cuckoos,
the Chestnut-breasted Malkoha builds its own nest and raises its own
young. It should
not be confused with the
Chestnut-bellied Malkoha.
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Chestnut-headed Bee-eater
See
Bee-eater.
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Chestnut Rajah
Common name of a species of leafwing
butterfly.
READ ON.
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Chestnut-tailed Minla
Common name for a 16-18.5 centimeter tall bird, with the scientific designations
Minla strigula and Chrysominla strigula, and also commonly known as
Chestnut-tailed
Siva. It is found in South and
mainland Southeast Asia, as well as in southern China. Its natural
habitat consists of subtropical and tropical moist montane forests.
Adults have a golden-rufous crown, a blackish eyebrow, and a
black-and-white scaly throat and cheeks, divided by a blackish line and
patch. There is a small yellow patch just below the dark bill. Its
upperparts are greyish-olive, whilst it underparts are pale yellowish.
The wings and tail are rufous and yellowish-orange, with black and
white. There are some subspecies, i.e. Minla strigula malayana, which is
duller and has broader throat scales, and Minla strigula traii, which is
greyer above, has a solid white face and black cheeks, a brighter crown,
and yellow-and-black throat scales. In Thai, this bird is
called
nok siwa hahng sih tahn, i.e.
‘brown-tailed
Shiva bird’. In 1980, this
bird was depicted on the third stamp of a set of four Thai postage
stamps featuring Thai birds (fig.).
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Chestnut-tailed Starling
Common name for a bird in the Sturnidae family, with the scientific
designation Sturnus malabaricus, aka Sturnia malabarica.
READ ON.
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Chetasik (เจตสิก)
Thai term used for
emotions that arise from the mind.
The term derives from the Sanskrit
Cetasika.
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Chetsadabodin
(เจษฎาบดินทร์)
Pali-Thai.
Birth name of
king
Rama III.
The first part of his name,
chetsada,
is
Pali
and means ‘senior’ or ‘(clerical) brother’, whereas the latter is a name
derived from
Indra, in Thai
In (อินทร์).
Also
transcribed Chetsadabodintr
and Jetsadabodin.
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cheuam (เชื่อม)
Thai.
‘To boil in syrup’. A method to preserve fruit and enhance flavour, as
in
gluay cheuam. Other traditional methods
of preserving fruits and vegetables include
kuan
(boiling
and stirring),
dong (pickling) and
chae im (soaking in syrup).
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chevrotain
Name
given to a group of small, secretive animals, found only in the tropical
forests of Africa, South and Southeast Asia. Among others, it includes
the family Tragulidae, which in itself includes the four species of
Mouse-deer that are endemic to Thailand, i.e. the
Greater Mouse-deer (fig.),
the
Lesser Mouse-deer (fig.),
the Williamson's Mouse-deer and the Java Mouse-deer. The name chevrotain
may derive from the chevron pattern on the throat and upper chest of
most species, though some sources claim it derives from the French word
chèvre, meaning ‘goat’, and that it could be translated as ‘little
goat’. In Thai chevrotain are called
krajong.
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Chiang Hai
Northern Thai dialect for
Chiang Rai.
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Chiang Kai Shek (蒋介石)
Chinese. Name of the former leader of the Kuomintang, i.e. the Chinese
Nationalist Party, who lived from 1887 to 1975. He was a close ally of
Dr.
Sun
Yat Sen, who became the
first president of the Republic of
China,
and took his place as leader of the Kuomintang when
Sun Yat Sen
in 1925 died. However, Chiang Kai Shek was unable to maintain good
relations with the Communists and a major split between the Nationalists
and Communists in 1927 led to a civil war between the Kuomintang and the
Communist Party of China, who in 1949 eventually defeated the
Kuomintang, forcing the Nationalists to retreat to Taiwan, where Chiang
Kai Shek (fig.) ruled as the self-appointed President of the Republic of China
and Director-General of the Kuomintang until his death.
See also LIST OF CHINESE RULERS.
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Chiang Mai (เชียงใหม่)
Thai. ‘New City’. The city of Chiang Mai is also the capital of the
province
of the same name (map)
and is situated in North Thailand.
READ ON.
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Chiang Mai Grand Canyon
Name of a former quarry that has been
transformed into a popular tourist attraction, located in the Hang Dong
(หางดง) District of
Chiang Mai
Province and also known as Hang Dong Grand Canyon. The main
attraction is the large reservoir where visitors can swim and enjoy
water activities. There are various water features, including cliffs and
platforms for diving and jumping. Some areas have been developed to
resemble a water park, with inflatable slides and obstacles in the
water. Apart from the more adventurous activities, visitors can also
enjoy a more relaxed atmosphere by the water, surrounded by scenic
views.
WATCH VIDEO.
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Chiang Mai Philatelic Museum
Museum in housed in the building of
the former central post office of
Chiang Mai.
READ ON.
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Chiang Mai Train Station
Name for the main railway station in the
northern town of
Chiang Mai,
officially called Chiang Mai Railway Station and in Thai known as
Satanih Rot Fai
Chiang Mai (สถานีรถไฟ), was built
in 1922 and the first rail route went only as far as
Lamphun.
The section of track linking Lamphun to the existing track from
Bangkok to
Lopburi was finished in
1926, completing the 661 km Northern Line linking Chiang Mai to Bangkok.
The original train station was destroyed by Allied Forces' air strikes
in 1943 as a result of military action directed against the Japanese
Imperial Army whose forces during WWII occupied the Thai nation. The
present-day station was rebuilt in 1945 although it did not officially
open for travellers until 1948. Akin to many train stations
throughout Thailand, a decommissioned steam engine is on display in
front of the station. Today, Chiang Mai Railway Station has 3 platforms
and there are a total of 14 trains, intercity and local, that run daily
from Chiang Mai to the South towards Bangkok, although only 5 of those
travel the full route from Chiang Mai to Bangkok. Prior to departure,
rail crew and other staff that travel along on long distance trains
assemble at the designated platform for a roll call briefing.
WATCH VIDEO.
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Chiang Mai Zoo
The first ever commercial zoo in northern Thailand. In 1952, Harold
Mason Young, an American missionary, started a private animal collection
at his home in
Chiang Mai and opened it to the public as a private zoo.
As his collection grew and his animals became a nuisance to his
neighbors, he applied for permission to use a piece of land to keep his
animals, allowing him to open the first public zoological park of the
North in April 1957. After his death, the city of Chiang Mai recognized
its value and on 16 June 1977 placed it under the administration of the
state Zoological Park Organization, which also operates most other major
zoos in the country. It is located on the foothill of
Doi Suthep, along the road towards
Wat Doi Suthep. It covers an area
of 531
rai
and is home to an estimated 400 animals, including Chuang-Chuang and
Lin-Hui, two giant
pandas
from
China (map
-
fig.),
who on 27 May 2009 had a female cub. The cub was named Lin Bing (林冰) or
Lin Ping, which is Chinese for ‘Ice Forest’, but in Thai it is also
reminiscent of the city's
Ping River. In Thai called
Suan Sat Chiang Mai.
See MAP
and
WATCH VIDEO.
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Chiang Miang (เชียงเมี่ยง)
Thai. Another name for the
Thai-Laotian folk tale of
Sri Thanonchai,
not to be confused with
Siang Miang.
See also
miang.
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Chiang Rai
(เชียงราย)
Province and provincial capital (map)
in North Thailand.
READ
ON.
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Chiang Saen (เชียงแสน)
1. An
amphur
in
Chiang Rai,
with its main
town at the southern banks of the
Mekhong River in northern Thailand,
along the
border with Laos. To the Northwest is the Shan State of Myanmar and
to the North the Laotian province of Bokeo. It was a
Lan Na principality, founded in 1328 by
King
Mengrai's nephew
Saen Phu (fig.),
though the area was already ruled by kings of the
Lawachakaraat
Dynasty as part of the Kingdom of
Hiran Ngun Yahng. In 1804, during the reign of
Rama I, the city was conquered by
Chao Kawila because it had been a
Burmese stronghold for some time. It was consequently deserted and
its inhabitants resettled in other
Bangkok-allied
Lan Na
cities, such as
Lampang and
Chiang Mai.
An ancient legend says that the city was destroyed by an earthquake
as punishment for its inhabitants who, when they were starving
because they couldn't find food or catch any fish, they ate a sacred
naga which they had caught in the river.
Today an archeological site still exists and some monuments found
here pre-date Chiang Saen by several hundred years. According to a
legend that earlier kingdom was called
Yonok. Among the several ancient ruins in the old city (fig.)
are the temples Wat Pa Sak and Wat Mung Meuang, and
on the southern edge of town is
a decorative roundabout known as Wong Wian
Nakhon
Chiang Saen (fig.).
See MAP
and
MORE ON THIS.
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2.
Thai. Northern Thai art style produced in Chiang Saen during the
12th and 13th centuries AD.
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chianmahk (เชี่ยนหมาก)
Thai
for
betel-set.
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Chiasmia Moth
Name
for a semi-large moth, known by the scientific names Chiasmia eleonora,
Godonela eleonora, Phalaena eleonora Phalaena fasciata, Semiothisa
fasciosaria and Semiothisa eleonora. It belongs to the family
Geometridae and is found in South and Southeast Asia. It has mostly
greyish upper-wings, with some dark and orange markings, and a
distinctive whitish bar near the centre of the hind- and forewings,
which both also have an outer whitish fringe. It has rather large eyes,
and its body is grey with some orange, especially on the underside, as
well as brownish-orange legs and antennae. It is also commonly known as Eleonora Angle, and in Thai as mot thong ngeun (มอธทองเงิน),
which translates as ‘gold-silver moth’.
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chiat (เจียด)
Thai. Literally ‘to allot’ or ‘to
distribute’. Term used for a rectangular −or sometimes rounded−
receptacle with
a foot and covered with a cone-shaped lid used as an emblem of noble
rank. Originally, these type of
vessels were conferred by the king on a courtier or a prelate. Later on,
they became used for keeping a set of fresh cloths in which visitors to
the palace could change prior to an audience with the king.
See also POSTAGE
STAMPS.
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chicken
Chien Li Yen (千里眼)
Chinese. ‘Eyes [that can see] a thousand miles’,
sometimes also translated as ‘The Lynx-eyed’,
‘Thousand-mile Eye’ or ‘Thousand League
Eyes’. Name of a mythological figure from
Taoism.
He and his brother (fig.)
are said to have been the ruthless generals Kao Chuch and Kao Ming,
treacherous brothers in the Shang Dynasty, who having died in a
battle on Peach Blossom Mountain, remained there and haunted the
place. One day, the Mother-Ancestor
Tian Hou (Matsu/Mazu) passed
through there and the brothers began to compete for her affection.
To get rid of them
Tian Hou challenged them to a fight: if any of
them won, she would marry him but if she won, they both would have
to serve her forever. Tian Hou won and the brothers serve her still,
looking and listening for those who need her help. In art and
temples, Chien Li Yen
is generally depicted with the hand shielding his eyes from the sun
and is usually portrayed with a green complexion, and sometimes with
a horn. He and his brother
are found in mainly Tian Hou temples, where
Shun Feng Er
(usually with a brown or red complexion, and sometimes with two
horns) stands on the left side of
the offering tables and Chien Li Yen to the right of the altar.
However, their complexion or position to the altar may be reversed
thus it is their unique positions of the hands that are the
conclusive keys for recognition. However, occasionally, he and his
brother may be portrayed in the
tou liu bi
iconographic style, with three
heads and six arms, and
with a different complexion, as is the
Yu Huang
Dian (玉皇殿), i.e. the
Jade
Emperor Palace Hall at Fengdu
Ghost City (fig.). Also called Chin Lei Ngan and often
transcribed Qian Li Yan.
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chi fan le ma (吃饭了吗)
Chinese. ‘Have you eaten
rice yet?’. Informal greeting in
China,
similar to the Burmese
thamin sa bibi la,
and the Thai
kin khao reua yang.
These questions are usually rhetorical in nature, and posed in
order to show an interest in the other person's wellbeing, rather than a
nosiness into someone's actual eating habits or an invitation to a meal.
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Chi Guo Tian (持国天)
Chinese.
‘Deity that watches the land’. Name of the
Kingdom-keeper, i.e.
one of the
Four Heavenly Kings.
He correspondents with the Indian
lokapala
Dhritarashtra,
who guards the East,
whom is
associated with the Hindu god
Indra.
He is King of the East, where he rules from a palace of gold over the
continent of Purva-videha. In
Chinese tradition, his
attribute
is a Chinese lute known as
a
pipa (fig.),
which stands for harmony and represents the balanced power with which he rules.
In
Vietnam, he is known as Tri Quoc (Trì Quốc), and in full as
Dong Phuong Tri Quoc Thien Vuong (Đông Phương Trì Quốc Thiên Vương),
i.e. ‘Tri Quoc,
Heavenly King
of the Eastern Quarter’ (fig.).
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Chih Pleuay (ชีเปลือย)
1. Thai.
‘Nudist’. Name of a
hermit or
reusi
character in
the story
Phra Aphaimanih,
who in English is usually referred to as the Naked Maniac.
He is depicted as a naked, meager,
old man with a long white beard and appears
on the seventh stamp in a series of eight Thai postage stamps issued in
2009 to publicize the story of Phra Aphaimanih as
a major literary work of
the
Rattanakosin
Era
(fig.).
Also transliterated
Chee Pleuay.
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2. Thai.
‘Nudist’. Term used for certain
sadhu
or ascetics in India,
who go around naked and usually rub themselves completely with cremation
ashes called
vibhuti
(fig.).
Compare with
chih pah kao.
Also transliterated
Chee Pleuay.
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Chi Kung (气功)
See
Qi Gong.
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Chikungunya (ชิคุนกุนยา)
Name of a viral disease
caused by the bite of an infected mosquito, typically Aedes aegypti,
that in Thai is known as
yung laai bahn,
i.e.
‘striped house mosquito’;
or Aedes albopictus,
which in Thai is called
yung laai suan, i.e.
‘striped garden mosquito’.
Infected people typically suffer from fever and joint pain, symptoms
similar to —and often confused with— those of
dengue
fever. The name of this RNA virus derives from a word in Kimakonde, the
language of the Makonde is eastern and southeastern Africa, and
translates
‘to walk bent over’,
referring to the contorted appearance of sufferers who go about stooped
due to joint pain.
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Children's Discovery Museum
Bangkok museum for kids, which encourages a hands-on and fun approach to
learning, by presenting interactive displays and playful experiments, in
which inquisitive young minds are persuaded to ask questions on how the
world works. The museum is located in
Chatuchak district, adjacent to Chatuchak Park and opposite of the Chatuchak Weekend Market. In Thai
it is known as Phiphithaphan Dek, meaning ‘Children's Museum’.
See MAP.
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chili
See
cayenne. Also spelt chilli and chilie.
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Chi Lin Nunnery
Name of a Buddhist temple complex
run by nuns and located on Diamond Hill, in Kowloon, Hong Kong.
READ ON.
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chillum
Name of a
straight, tapering smoking
pipe, with an end-to-end channel. It is traditionally made of clay and
typically used by Indian
sadhus
(fig.)
to
smoke
tobacco
and
gancha
(fig.).
The word derives from the Hindu chilam (चिलम).
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China
Name
for a vast country in Central East Asia which took form in 221 BC
through the unification of several feudal states under
Qin Shi Huang Ti (fig.), heir to the throne of
Qin (Chin), a powerful feudal state in
the northwest. After this enforced unification through annexation and
warfare, he founded the Qin (Chin) Dynasty, from which China derives its
name and proclaimed himself emperor, marking the beginning of Imperial
China, a period which lasted until the fall of the Qing (Manchu) Dynasty
in 1911 (fig.), and even though the Qin Dynasty collapsed shortly after Qin Shi
Huang Ti's death, it formed the model for all later dynasties. In
Chinese however, China is called Zhong Guo (中国), literally the ‘Middle
Kingdom’ or ‘Central Land’, a name that most likely refers to its
self-regarded position as the centre of civilization during its early
history. The modern state which today covers an area of 9,598,086 km²
and has an estimated population of over 1,321,850,000 is now officially
referred to as the People's Republic of China. It is a nation of 55
ethnic groups and 235 spoken languages. The country's capital is
Beijing, and with over 23 million inhabitants, Shanghai (fig.)
is the nation's most populated city, and the fastest growing city in the
world in terms of skyscraper construction (fig.). In Thai called Prathet
Jihn (ประเทศจีน). See also
Cathay and
Thailand's Neighbours & Beyond.
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china
Name
for fine white or translucent ceramic ware, porcelain, etc. In Thai
called
kreuang thuay chaam.
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Chinatown
1. Area in
Bangkok where a large population of Chinese has been
living after they were moved from Banglamphu in 1782 by the then
government, to make room to built the new capital
Rattanakosin and the Grand Palace
Phra Rachawang. It is generally referred to as
Yaowaraht,
after its main street. The area has many gold shops and several
crowded markets, both with food and wholesale hardware produce. On
the sidewalk of Charoeng Rung Road the practice of
mang ming can often be observed, or undergone (fig.).
There are several Chinese restaurants and some
tea shops. Places of interest include the
Mahayana Buddhist temple Wat Mangkon Kamalawat
on Charoen Krung Road;
Talaat Sampheng
(fig.), the wholesale market at Sampheng Lane; and the thieves
market Nakhon Kasem. Thailand today has about 8.5 million ethnic
Chinese of which 56% are
Tae Chew.
Bangkok's Chinatown is
purportedly one of the largest of its kind in the world.
See TRAVEL PICTURES (1) and
(2),
PANORAMA PICTURE,
MAP,
and
WATCH VIDEO (1)
and
(2).
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2. Name for ethnic neighborhoods found in
major cities worldwide, where Chinese culture and heritage are
celebrated, serve as hubs for Chinese communities, and provide a space
where visitors can experience authentic Chinese traditions, cuisine, and
customs.
WATCH VIDEO.
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Chinatown Gate
Name of a
Thai-Chinese Cultural Arch built on the Odeon Circle
in
Bangkok's
Chinatown.
READ ON.
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Chinese abacus
Wooden frame with rings or beads as an aid to calculate.
READ ON.
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Chinese ancestral tablet
A form
of ancestor worship, in which usually wooden tablets,
inscribed with the titles and names of deceased relatives, are preserved
in an altar-like, household shrine, which may additionally have patron
deities set up nearby too. Large shrines may hold tablets of an entire
clan and tablets usually vary in size and shape, and may occasionally be
of stone. They also have the
dates of birth and death on them, as well as some additional
information, such as the place of burial and isplaying the name of who
erected the tablet, which is customarily a son. Often two tablets are
made, i.e. one of paper and one of wood. A ceremony then takes place (fig.) in
which the dead person’s spirit is transferred onto the wooden tablet.
Once the transfer is successful, the paper tablet is either burned or
buried with the dead person's remains. The main idea behind this is the
belief that the soul is made up of
yin-yang components, which at the
time of death split.
Yin
then goes with the body to the grave, whilst
yang takes up residence in the ancestral tablet. Since those components
are not immortal they need to be nourished, and surviving relatives will
feed them with offerings. The tablets are enshrined
according to the importance of the ancestor, with the centre of the
shrine being reserved for the tablet of the primary family ancestor. In
addition to ancestor tablets, the edge of the shrine might also hold
spirit tablets, i.e. tablets devoted to spirits that are believed to
protect the family circle. It is a key religious custom and ritual
throughout
China,
as well as in many places with a large community of Chinese immigrants.
In Chinese, an ancestral tablet is called
zhu.
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Chinese Bamboo-partridge
Common
name for a small partridge, with the scientific name Bambusicola
thoracicus and native to mainland
China. The underparts are golden-rufous,
with some elongated black spots on the sides, that run over the back
which is otherwise brownish-grey. Its face and throat are also golden-rufous,
whilst the crown, neck and breast are ashy grey. In Manadarin, it is
known as huī xiōng zhú jī (灰胸竹鸡), which literally translates as
‘ash-breasted bamboo chicken’, and in Thai it is called
nok kratha phai jihn, the Thai
equivalent of the English common name. It is one of two species in the
genus Bambusicola, the other one being the
Mountain Bamboo-partridge (fig.).
Its common name is alternatively
spelled Chinese
Bamboo Partridge. See also
Chinese Francolin
(fig.).
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Chinese broccoli
See
kha-nah.
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Chinese Bulbul
Common
name for an up to 19 centimeter tall passerine songbird in the bulbul
family Pycnonotidae, which is also commonly known as Light-vented Bulbul.
The species is widespread in East Asia, including mainland
China,
Hong Kong and Taiwan, as well as in Korea and Japan. It also occurs in
parts of
Laos, the
northernmost part of
Vietnam, and in northern
Thailand.
It has a distinctive black head, with a white throat, small white
patches covering the sides of its head, and a large white nape. The
underparts are light, yellowish-grey, and the mantle, rump and wings are
greyish-olive, wilst the primaries are yellowish-green. This species scientific designation is Pycnonotus sinensis and in Thai it is known as
nok parod jihn.
See also WILDLIFE PICTURES.
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Chinese cabbage
Common
name used for a variety of oriental leaf vegetables, including
phak
kahd khao,
phak kahd khao kwahng
tung,
phak kahd khao plih,
phak kahd
kiyaw kwahng
tung,
phak kwahng tung,
etc. In Cantonese, cabbages are called
bok choy,
and in
Mandarin bai cai
(白菜), which literally means ‘white
vegetable’. Since this sounds similar to bai cai (百财), meaning ‘numerous
wealth’, cabbages are regarded symbols of wealth, and are hence commonly
found as good luck charms. A precious jadeite cabbage is displayed in
the National Palace Museum in Taiwan, where it is the most famous
exhibit and considered among the
finest of all artifacts from ancient Imperial
China,
a masterpiece that stands apart from a long
tradition of idealized perfection in
jade
carving. In this particular artifact, the sculptor has achieved
remarkable realism by masterfully incorporating the stone's
natural variations in colour, as well as the stone's flaws, into his
design, for the latter using the stone's natural cracks as leaf
edges.
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Chinese calligraphy
Name
of an art form and East Asian tradition of writing Chinese characters.
There are different types of script being used, i.e. Regular or Standard
Script; Semi-cursive or Running Script; Cursive or Grass Script;
Clerical, Scribal, Draft or Official Script; and Small or Lesser Seal
Script, the latter being the oldest style that continues to be
practiced, especially on traditional seals called
yin zhang
(fig.), but with ever fewer people able to read it. Its predecessor,
the rugged and blocky Great Seal Script which was in use prior to the
invention of the
writing brush
(fig.), is not used
in contemporary Chinese calligraphy. In Regular
Script, often referred to as kaishu (楷书), each of the strokes is placed
carefully with the
ink brush
being lifted from the paper after every stroke. This makes it the most
easy style to read and a appropriate base for other, more flowing
styles. In Semi-cursive Script (fig.) strokes and sometimes characters are
allowed to run into one another with the ink brush leaving the paper
less often than in Regular Script, whilst in Cursive Script entire
characters may be written without lifting the brush from the paper at
all, making the characters flow into one another. Although easier to
write more fast, both Semi-cursive and Cursive Script are much more
challenging to read. Regular Script is usually written in Traditional
Chinese, although Simplified Chinese may occasionally also be used.
Traditionally, Chinese calligraphy is written on
rice paper
and only in black, as the ink
used for it is made from soot, a black powdery deposit from smoke, and
binders. While performing calligraphy, the rice paper is usually
held in place with two Chinese paperweights in a rectangular bar shape,
one for each end of the paper and known in Chinese as
zhenzhi (fig.).
By way of identification and instead of a signature, an artist, also
called a calligraphist, will place a
Chinese seal
(fig.)
in red ink, usually at the side (top, bottom or middle) of each calligraphic work.
Besides the writing of Chinese characters the term calligraphy may also
be used to refer to a similar art form that includes a certain style of
ink painting, such as the making of
Zen circles (fig.),
Chinese blossoms and landscapes (fig.)
or other traditional figures. Calligraphy is sometimes referred to as
the Soul of Chinese Fine Arts and enthusiasts can sometimes be observed
in public piazzas and parks writing on the floor in water (fig.), with a large
writing brush (fig.). See also
mao bi and
wen fang si bao (fig.).
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Chinese character cards
See
zi pai.
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Chinese chess
See
xiang qi.
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Chinese cloisonné
See
jingtai lan.
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Chinese Culture Centre
Complex in
Bangkok that promotes the culture and
arts of
China.
It was inaugurated on 21 November 2012, in the presence of the Chinese
Premier Wen Jiabao and Thai Prime Minister Yinglak Shinawat, and aims to
publicize Chinese culture and offer information about the People's Republic of China. It is
equipped with an exhibition hall, a small theater, a library, and
several training rooms for Chinese music and dance, as well as for
painting and
calligraphy
workshops. The Chinese Culture
Centre in Bangkok is the first and largest of its kind built by China in
Southeast Asia, and combines both ancient Chinese and modern
architectural styles, such as roofs designed in the fashion of a giant
Kongming Lock
(fig.)
and reminiscent of the China Pavilion at the 2010 World Expo in
Shanghai, which was itself inspired by
dougong (fig.),
i.e.
interlocking brackets as used in traditional Chinese
architecture. The Chinese Culture Centre is located in Huay Khwang (ห้วยขวาง) District,
adjacent to the
Thailand Cultural Centre
(fig.) and opposite of the
Thai-Chinese Culture & Arts Exchange Centre
(fig.). In Thai called Soon
Wattanatham Jihn
(ศูนย์วัฒนธรรมจีน), and in Chinese
known as Zhong Guo Wen Hua Zhong Xin (中国文化中心). In English, it is also
referred to as Chinese Cultural Centre, or simply CCC.
See MAP.
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Chinese door gods
Portraits of two military generals, that are painted in pair on either door of
a double-door entrance to a palace, mansion or
temple, and facing each other, as it is considered bad luck to place the
figures back-to-back. The custom reportedly started in the Tang Dynasty, when its
founding emperor was troubled by an evil spirit and had two of his brave
generals, i.e. Qin Shubao (Qin Qiong) and Yuchi Jingde (Yuchi Gong),
guard the front doors of his palace. Since the generals were not
fulltime available, the emperor ordered their portraits painted on his
front door instead.
Qin Shubao is typically represented with a goatee-like beard and holding
a long-handle mace, whereas Yuchi Jingde has a full beard and holds a
long-handle battle axe. Usually, though not always (fig.),
Qin Shubao is portrayed with a reddish-pink complexion, whilst Yuchi Jingde
is rather brownish. The imperial custom was later adapted by
commoners and became folk tradition (fig.), sometimes replacing the generals
with other mythological figures or legendary heroes. Sometimes, it is
understood that one guardian stands guard during the day, whilst the
other protects the entrance at night. If so, the figures may be represented in combination with a Chinese character, i.e. the one
with the character for sun, i.e. ri (日), and the other with the
character for moon, i.e. yue (月), thus indicating their different
responsibilities. See also
Zhong Kui.
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Chinese dragon
See
dragon.
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Chinese fortune sticks
Flat
sticks used in Chinese shrines and Thai temples to tell one's
fortune.
READ
ON.
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Chinese Francolin
Name for a species of bird in the Phasianidae family, with the
binomial name Francolinus pintadeanus, which is found in South, East
and Southeast Asia, including
China, India, Bangladesh,
Myanmar,
Laos,
Vietnam, and
Thailand,
where it is known as
nok kratah thung, i.e. ‘field
partridge’. It is short-tailed and has a
body size of about 31-33 centimeters. The male's mantle and
underparts are blackish with whitish spots, whereas those of the
female are somewhat duller and browner, with whitish bars. Males
have a white throat and ear-coverts, surrounded with black, which is
similar with females, but the latter's ear-coverts are slightly
buff. The male's scapulars are chestnut
and the crown is black with rufous on the sides. Females have less
black on the crown-centre and only a little chestnut on the
scapulars. With both sexes, the
bill is short, slightly curved downward and gray in colour. The legs
and feet, are dark yellowish to orange.
Its natural habitat consists of open forests and woodlands, grass
and scrub. See also
Mountain Bamboo-partridge (fig.)
and
Chinese Bamboo-partridge (fig.).
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Chinese fret
Term used in architecture and
furniture to refer to a repeating ornamental design of interlaced
vertical and horizontal lines, that forms a meandering pattern.
See also THEMATIC
STREET LIGHT.
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Chinese ginger
See
krachai.
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Chinese gold ingot
See
kon tamleung thong.
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Chinese Goose
See
Swan Goose.
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Chinese Grey Shrike
Common name for a bird in the family Laniidae,
with the scientific designation Lanius sphenocercus, and which is
found in northern East Asia. It has an overall pearl grey body and
head, with a black mask extending from the forehead, through the
eye, to the ear coverts. The lower wings are black, as is the long
tail. This bird is reminiscent of the
Long-tailed Shrike
(fig.),
but without the rufous colours, though juvenile birds do have a
brown cast to the grey on the breast and mantle.
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Chinese Health Balls
See
Chinese Massage Balls.
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Chinese Hwamei
Common name for a species of songbird with the
scientific designations Garrulax canorus and Leucodioptron canorum,
and also commonly known as Melodious Laughingthrush, which in Thai
translated to nok krarahng siang sai (นกกระรางเสียงใส).
It is a popular cage bird, kept for its attractive song, which
consists of a quite high, repetitive, rich and varied, whistling,
that increases in volume and may include imitations of other birds.
Adults are about 23 centimeters tall, and have a largely light to
dark brown plumage, depending on the individual, with streaks above,
as well as on the breast. Its most distinctive characteristic is the
white marking around the eyes, i.e. a white eyering that extends
backwards to form a white -often downward bent- stripe, a feature
that actually gave this bird the name hwamei, which derives from the
Chinese words hua mei (画眉), that literally mean ‘painted eyebrows’
(fig.).
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Chinese Imperial roof
decoration
Name for a row of small animal figures, usually
made of glazed ceramic and placed on Chinese-style roofs, above the
eave near the corners.
READ ON.
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Chinese knot
Designation for a decorative,
mystic knot, with a seemingly endless and repetitive pattern, which
is hence a symbol of longevity and eternity.
READ ON.
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Chinese Lantern
Common name of a plant with the botanical
designation Physalis alkekengi, which is also commonly known as
Japanese Lantern, Winter Cherry and Bladder Cherry, and in Thai
called
kohm fai jihn
(โคมไฟจีน), i.e. ‘Chinese Lantern’. Its
edible
orangey to
reddish
fruits sit in a red papery covering which turns straw brown
when ripe, and that derived from the calyx and
−rich
in
Vitamin C, B and Iron−
they have some
medicinal uses, including being a stimulant for the immune system. In Japan, its seeds are used as offerings to guide
the souls of the deceased. In Chinese, the fruits are known as
gu niang guo.
It is very similar to and sometimes confused with the Wild Cape
Gooseberry or Pygmy Groundcherry (Physalis minima), known in Thai as
thohng theng (โทงเทง), of which the single berry sits encapsulated
in a green papery cover which turns straw brown when ripe.
Especially the ripe fruits of both species look confusingly similar.
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Chinese
Leaf-warbler
Name for a species of Old World warbler in the
Phylloscopidae
family, though sometimes listed in the Sylviidae family, yet with
the scientific name Phylloscopus yunnanensis, i.e. from ‘Yunnan’.
It is found from
China to the northern part
of Southeast Asia, including Thailand, where it is known as
nok krajid phan jihn. It has pale,
yellowish grey underparts, with a darker
throat. Its upperparts are olive to greenish brown, with a
characteristic dark bar, flanked by two white stripes, on the
wing-coverts. It has a pale supercilium that runs from the nostrils
to behind the eyes. The slender and pointed
bill, as well as the legs are dark orange. Also spelled Chinese Leaf
Warbler.
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Chinese Massage Balls
A set (usually a pair) of therapeutic balls, that
are manipulated in the palm of one hand using the five fingers, in order to massage it,
relax the joints and improve muscle-strength, especially as a form
of rehabilitation, although they are also used as an aid in −or a
form of−
meditation. Its use also claims to prevent high blood
pressure. They consist of hollow spheres, generally with a diameter
of 4.5 centimeter (though other sizes exist), each with
a smaller metal ball inside, that strikes against a coiled chime and
thus produces a ding-dong sound, as they are moved. Balls are made of
metal and often decorated with patterns in
cloisonné.
Exercises are initially done with two balls that are rotated slowly
in one hand, whilst in constant contact with each other, though
gradually the speed of the rotation is increased and the balls are
moved without making contact with each other. Chinese Massage Balls
have a long tradition and are considered one of the seven biggest
traditional medical inventions in
China, which include also
acupuncture
and
tai chi chuan. Also known as Chinese
Health Balls, Chinese Medicine Balls, Chinese Meditation Balls, and
Baoding Balls, after Baoding (保定), a prefecture level city in Hebei
(China), where they originated. In Chinese, known as
Jiang Shen Qiu
and
Baoding Jiang Shen Qiu.
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Chinese Medicine Balls
See
Chinese Massage Balls.
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Chinese Meditation Balls
See
Chinese Massage Balls.
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Chinese mustard cabbage
See
phak kwahng tung.
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Chinese New Year
See
Trut Jihn.
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Chinese Oak Silkmoth
Name of
a species of large moth with the binomial name
Antheraea pernyi and a
member of
the family of Saturniidae
moths.
Its is also commonly known as Chinese Tussah Silkmoth
and its larvae are used to produce tussah
silk.
Like other species in
this family, it has feather antennae and no functioning mouthparts.
Hence, it does not feed in the adult stage and has an estimated
lifespan of about 14 days. It is therefore rarely seen in the wild
and even less so in flight.
See also TRAVEL PICTURE and
WATCH VIDEO.
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Chinese Opera
See
ngiw.
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Chinese pear
See
sahlih.
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Chinese Pond Heron
Common
name for an approximately 46 centimeter tall, East Asian wading bird
with the scientific name Ardeola bacchus. Its winter plumage is light
brown and streaked, with white underparts and white wings (fig.),
making it almost indistinguishable from the Javan and
Indian Pond Heron (fig.),
apart from the sometimes more dusky tips at the outermost
primaries, which are best visible during flight (fig.).
During the breeding season its head and breast become deep chestnut, the
back grey and the underparts white, which is clearly different from its
relatives. It has a yellow bill with a black tip, yellow eyes and legs.
It occurs in lowland regions and its natural habitat consists of shallow
fresh and salt-water wetlands and ponds, where it feeds on insects, fish
and crustaceans. In Thailand it is a common winter visitor called
nok yahng krok pan jihn.
See also WILDLIFE PICTURE
and
TRAVEL PICTURE.
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Chinese rockery
An
ancient Chinese art style or a form of abstract
iconography, in which large natural
rocks are used as decoration, both indoor and outdoor, and either
erected on their own in homes, gardens, parks and along roadsides, or in
group, forming complete rock gardens. Chinese garden rockery may also
involve the modeling of natural landscapes and sceneries, featuring
peaks, cliffs, winding caves, waterfalls and gorges. Many rocks are
obtained from rivers, such as Shanghai's famous
Exquisite
Jade Rock in Yu Yuan (map
-
fig.),
and while some are smooth, others might be rough with sharp, uneven
edges, and holes (fig.).
Smooth rocks often have Chinese characters engraved or painted on them (fig.).
The history of Chinese rockery can be traced back as far as the early
Qin Dynasty and over time it became more popular due to the influence of
landscape painting and poetry. In Chinese rock gardens and rockeries are
known as jia shan (假山), i.e. ‘artificial mountains’.
The art style is also commonly found in
Vietnam (fig.). See also
shan zi and
Stone Forest (fig.).
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Chinese sausage
See
kun chiang.
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Chinese seal
See
yin zhang.
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Chinese Soft-shell Turtle
See
taphaab.
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Chinese Stripe-necked Turtle
Name
for a species of semi-aquatic freshwater
turtle
which
is found in southern
China, Taiwan and
Vietnam, and with the
scientific designation Ocadia sinensis. It has a series of black and
yellow stripes from the head to the neck, and front legs with five toes.
Chinese Stripe-necked Turtles grow to a size of about 24 cm and have an
elliptical, slightly depressed carapace, which is somewhat serrated at
the back. Juveniles have three keels on the carapace, which generally
all disappear with age. The carapace is reddish brown to black with
yellow seams, especially in juveniles, who occasionally also show some
yellow or orange on the projections of the keels. Males have a slightly
concave plastron and the vent lies beyond the margin of the carapace,
whereas females have a flat to slightly convex plastron with the vent
beneath the carapace. In the wild, where it inhabits slow-moving lowland
waters with soft bottoms, such as marshes, swamps, ponds and canals,
this species is threatened by overhunting and habitat destruction, and
in captivity it is vulnerable to crossbreeding (hybridization).
Peculiarly, juveniles of both sexes are omnivorous, but males are
carnivorous whereas females are herbivorous, feeding on a variety of
aquatic plants. Chinese Stripe-necked Turtles are fond of basking. In
Thai it is known as
tao ko laai, meaning ‘striped neck turtle’.
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Chinese tea house
Public establishment in
China
or of Chinese origin,
where primarily
tea,
but often also other refreshments, are served.
READ ON.
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Chinese tuber
See
man jihn.
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Chinese Valentine's Day
See
Qi Qiao Jie.
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Chinese Violet
Common designation for a fast-growing,
perennial creeper in the family Acanthaceae, and with the botanical name
Asystasia gangetica micrantha. It has bright green somewhat heart-shaped leaves and
long stalks that have small white flowers with purple blotches on the lower lip. It is a
very invasive weed that quickly forms dense mats, out-competing native
vegetation and thus reducing habitat and food for native fauna.
In some countries it must be reported top the proper authorities when
found. In Thai, it is known as oum saeb (อ่อมแซบ) and bah yah (บาหยา).
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Chinese Water Dragon
See
Indochinese Water Dragon.
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Chinese
wealth god
See
Cai Shen.
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Chinese wedding box
A
rounded, basket-like box, with a lid and a handle on the top.
It is often made of lacquered wood or
bamboo, and always painted red, the
auspicious colour for Chinese weddings. There are two common models,
i.e. those with a single container that usually have a decorated handle, and those with multiple containers
placed on top of each other, somewhat reminiscent of
kheng
baskets (fig.),
Indian tiffin boxes or the Thai
pintoh (fig.). It is used by the groom's family
to carry wedding gifts to the bride's house, some time before the couple
are married, as well as the so-called ‘milk money’, a sum of money
offered to the bride's parents to cover the expenses for her upbringing
and education. Then, three days before the wedding day, women from the
bride's family reciprocate, bearing gifts and sometimes a kind of dowry
to the groom's family, as well as personal things for the bride, so that
on her wedding day all of her personal belongings will be in the groom's
house. Wedding boxes are typically displayed on
Hua Ha depictions
(fig.).
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Chinese writing brush
See
mao bi.
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Chinese yo-yo
See
kong zhu.
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Chinese zodiac
Contrary to the West, people in the Far East have a cyclical concept of
time, rather than a linear one and the traditional Chinese calendar, for
one, is based on a twelve year cycle.
READ ON.
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ching (ฉิ่ง)
Thai.
Name of a pair of small, cup-shaped hand cymbals, joined by a cord or a
leather string. They exist in different sizes and are usually made of a
thick and heavy metal, often an alloy of brass and iron mixed with
bronze. They are sometimes beautifully decorated. They are used to keep
the rhythm in a musical ensemble. To play, each cymbal is held in a
hand, one in the right the other in the left hand (fig.), and both are then
struck together, once with an outward sliding movement, then straight
on, producing alternately a high-pitched pealing sound and a dampening
blocked sound. The
Thai name
is an onomatopoeia, i.e. it is named after
the sound the instrument makes. See also
chaab.
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Chinglish
Term used to express the incorrect use of English
grammar, vocabulary (word choice) and pronunciation by Chinese
people, often due to interference from their own language, as well
as local anomalies and colloquialism. Due to the enormous linguistic
and cultural divide, there are many possible pitfalls when trying to
convey a message from Chinese into English, as well as the other way
around. It is a longstanding myth that when a certain US fast-food
chain arrived in China, it ended up translating its slogan
Finger-licking Good into actually telling its customers to eat their
own fingers...
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Chinkara
Common name for a species of small gazelle, with
the scientific name Gazella bennettii found in South Asia,
especially in grasslands and desert areas. It is widely distributed
in India (fig.), where it is mostly found in the northern and central
regions, as well as in Bangladesh and parts of Iran and Pakistan.
These gazelles are only 65 centimeters tall and their fur is
reddish-buff, with a pitch black tail and white underparts. The sides of
the face have dark chestnut stripes bordered by white stripes, from
the corner of the eye to the snout. Males grow a pair of blackish,
ribbed horns, that have a set of rings at the base and usually
grow
up
to
around 20-25 centimeters long. The horns typically curve backward and then
upward, ending in a sharp point. Females may also grow horns, but
with a less thick base and without any base rings. The Chinkara can
go without water for long periods. especially in dry, arid areas.
However, it does derive essential moisture from herbs and dew. It
east grass, leaves, crops and fruits, such as melons and pumpkins.
Also known as the Indian Gazelle.
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chinlone (ခြင်းလုံး)
Burmese. ‘Rounded basket’. A traditional
team sport of
Myanmar,
very similar to
takraw.
READ ON.
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chintamani
(चिन्तामणि)
Sanskrit. ‘Wishing gem’, but literally ‘idea jewel’ or ‘thought
gem’. A wish-fulfilling jewel in both Hindu tradition and Buddhism,
akin to the Chinese
ruyi (fig.)
and Tibetan
mani-stones.
It is said to be one of four relics that fell from the sky, together
with a Buddha's bowl, which is by some believed to have been a
singing bowl
(fig.).
In
iconography it usually takes the form of a ball wreathed in flames or of
a small bowl (fig.),
and occurs as an
attribute of
Mahayana Buddhist deities (fig.),
buddhas (fig.)
and
bodhisattvas.
It also occurs in architecture, often on a
lotus flower
base or pedestal (fig.)
and sometimes on top of three other jewels, that represent the
Trairat or
Triple Gem (fig.).
It is also associated with the
flaming pearl (fig.)
and on occasion described as one and the same thing. As such, it is found on Chinese-style temple and palace buildings,
usually on the roof, but sometimes on the gable, and depicted in the form
of a circle wreathed in flames (fig.),
often in between two
dragons
that are facing one another
(fig.). Besides this, the circle is reminiscent of a
Zen circle,
wreathed in flames of wisdom, with the circle symbolizing void,
wholeness, perfection, strength, and elegance, whilst the flames, as
well as the
Zen
circle, are both symbols of
Enlightenment. Though, another
explanation says that the halo or sphere with flames (sometimes
compared to a pearl with flames) represents the pure energy (Chi or
Qi), that emanates from the
incense burner
in the temple. Also transcribed cintamani.
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Chintamani Lokesvara (चिन्तामणिलोकईश्वर)
Sanskrit. ‘Lord of the universe with a
wishing gem’. A form of the
bodhisatva
Avalokitesvara. See also
chintamani and
Lokesvara.
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chintha
(ခြင်္သေ့)
Burmese name for the stylized mythical
lion seen standing guard at temples. Lions were believed
to be the protectors of Buddhist teachings. Also transcribed chin
dhei and sometimes spelled chinthe. See also
hintha and
TRAVEL PICTURES.
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chinthe
See
chintha.
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chi pa kao (ชีปะขาว, ชีผะขาว)
See
chi pah kao.
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chi pah kao (ชีผ้าขาว)
Thai. An ascetic with a white cloth or habit. Compare with
naang chi and
mae chi. Also
transcribed
chi pa kao, chee pah khao and chih
pah khao. Compare with
Chih Pleuay.
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Chirapravati Voradej (จิรประวัติวรเดช)
See
Jiraprawat Woradet.
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Chiranjivi (चिरंजीवी)
Sanskrit term for the Seven
Immortals of
Hinduism.
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Chital
Another name for the
Spotted Deer.
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Chitralada (จิตรลดา, चित्रलता)
1. Sanskrit-Thai. ‘Wonderful creepers’. Name of the private
residence of King
Rama IX, located in
Dusit
and named after the garden of the god
Indra. It
is part of the
Dusit Palace complex, of
which the grounds that are surrounded by a moat (fig.), take up an
area of four square kilometers. Besides several
palace buildings, there are gardens and an agricultural research centre. Annually,
during the nights of the week of
Wan Chaleum
Phra Chonma Phansa, the western palace gate
(map
-
fig.) and the
trees along the moat surrounding the compound are decorated with mini
lights to celebrate the King's birthday.
The name of the palace in full is Phra Tamnak Chitralada Rahotaan (พระตำหนักจิตรลดารโหฐาน),
which translates as ‘Chitralada Private Palace’.
See MAP.
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2. Thai name of a building within
Vajiravudh
College, located across the street from Chitralada Palace,
that is to the Northwest and opposite of the palace compound. It is in
Thai referred to as Ka-na Chitralada (คณะจิตรลดา), i.e. ‘Chitralada
Faculty’ (fig.).
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3. Sanskrit-Thai name for a kind of verse, also referred to as
Maha Chitralada.
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4. Thai. Name for a style of female
national dress of Thailand, fully known as
Thai Chitralada, and in 1972
depicted on a Thai postage stamp (fig.).
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Chitralekha (चित्रलेखा)
Sanskrit. ‘Bright communication’ or ‘wonderful writing’. Friend of
Usha, the beautiful daughter of
Bana.
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Chitwan (चितवन)
Nepali. Name of the first National Park in Nepal, which was established
in 1973 and covers an area of 932 km² in the Terai Lowlands, at the
foothills of the Himalayas in south-central Nepal.
READ ON.
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Chiwha (ชิวหา)
Thai.
Name of a giant or yak
character in the Ramakien.
READ ON.
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Civil Service
See
rajakaan phon reuan.
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cho (ช่อ)
1. Thai for ‘panicle’, i.e. a
much-branched inflorescence: flowers or plants that bloom in bunches,
the flowers of some trees, such as mango trees, that bloom in small
clusters or bunches. See also
bacho.
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2. Thai for ‘bouquet’ or
‘tassel’, as in
chofa, as well as the classifier
for bunches of flowers.
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3.
A
northern Thai term for small triangular flags, made from coloured paper
or cloth on a wooden stick and used in religious practices in the North,
especially to put on top of offerings (fig.)
and
sand pagodas (fig.).
Also called tung
(ตุง), thung siauw (ทุงเสี้ยว)
and thung sahm liam (ทุงสามเหลี่ยม).
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Chocolate Albatross
Common
name for a small butterfly with the scientific designation Appias
lyncida vasana, which belongs to the family Pieridae, i.e. the Yellows
and Whites. This butterfly has a wingspan of 5.5 to 70 centimeters (fig.). The
sexes are dimorphic and there is also seasonal dimorphism, making this
species very variable. Males are white above with brown or black
margins, which are narrower in the dry season, and bright yellow below
with brown markings. The female is white and densely clouded with
dark-brown, whilst the hind wings may be yellowish or whitish and have
broad dark border, and in the dry season it may have more more extensive
white markings. It is also commonly known as Vanilla Flavoured
Albatross, and in Thai it is called
phi seua
non bai kum khob tahn mai (ผีเสื้อหนอนใบกุ่มขอบตาลไหม้).
See also WILDLIFE PICTURES (1)
and
(2).
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Chocolate Grass Yellow
Common
name for a 4 to 4.5 centimeter small butterfly, with the scientific designation
Eurema sari (sodalis) and belonging to the family Pieridae, i.e. the
family of Yellows and Whites. It is recognizable by a distinct brown
apex on the underside of the forewing, which sets it apart from most
other Eurema species. However, above, the wings of males are all but
identical to the Hill Grass Yellow (Eurema simulatrix littorea), while
some species, such as certain individuals of the Common Grass Yellow (Eurema
hecabe hecabe) may also have similar upper wings above. The Chocolate
Grass yellow is found on the Indian subcontinent and in Southeast
Asia. In Thai, it is known as
phi seua
naen sahri (ผีเสื้อเณรส่าหรี).
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Chocolate Soldier
Common
name for a butterfly found in South and Southeast Asia, with the
scientific name Junonia iphita. The upperside of both sexes is brown of
varying depths of colour and with brown lines and a tiny white spot near
the front edge of each forewing (fig.).
It has wavy lines on the underside of the wings, that vary from wet to
dry season forms. Females visibly differ from males by white markings on
the oblique line on the underside of the hind wing. It is also known as
Chocolate Pansy (fig.).
See also WILDLIFE PICTURES (1)
and
(2).
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chofa (ช่อฟ้า)
Thai. ‘Air
tassel’, ‘bunch of the sky’ or ‘panicle of
the sky’. The bird's head-like finial
at either end of Buddhist temple roofs in Thailand. Although its
origin and meaning is disputed it is believed to symbolize either a
highly stylized
Garuda, the mount of the god
Vishnu, or
Hamsa, the mount of the god
Brahma, both creatures from Hindu mythology.
Possibly placed to attract worshippers from Hindu religion to
Buddhism.
Most temple roofs have a combination of a chofa,
bai raka
and
hang hongse
(fig.).
Sometimes, a chofa with a different form (fig.)
can be seen, whilst some tapering roofs may be decorated with multiple chofa
called
naakbeuang
(fig.).
See also THEMATIC STREET LIGHT
(1) and
(2).
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chok (จก)
Thai.
‘To pick’ or ‘to pull’. Term for a type of weaving technique from Central
Thailand, which refers to the method used in order to make cloth with a typical design (fig.),
i.e. to pick and lift the weft yarn to create a pattern, somewhat
reminiscent of embroidery. The
technique originates from
Laos
and was introduced to Thailand by immigrants during
the reign of king
Rama VI. The cloth that results
from using this technique is called
pah chok (fig.). Also transcribed jok.
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Chotika Setthi (โชติกเศรษฐี)
Thai. ‘Chotika the Wealthy’
or ‘ Chotika the Millionaire’. Name of a legendary figure in the
Buddhist text Traibhumikatha (ไตรภูมิกถา), known as the wealthiest
individual in the ancient city of
Rajagrha.
His life is a symbol of boundless merit and generosity, with wealth
accumulated through spiritual virtue rather than mere material pursuit.
Chotika’s residence, a seven-storey palace constructed from the rare
Sattabhita (สัตตพิธ)
Rattana
crystal, represents the
pinnacle of opulence, requiring no external light sources due to the
crystal’s natural luminosity. Surrounding his palace are walls and rows
of
kalapaphreuk trees, symbols of
abundance in Buddhist cosmology. Chotika is accompanied by his wife,
Nang
Kaew, who possesses a magical
rice
pot from
Uttarakuru,
that can produce endless food, further emphasizing their prosperity.
Chotika’s interactions with King Bimbisara (बिम्बिसार), the 5th century
BC historical ruler of
Magadha, and later King Ajatashatru
(अजातशत्रु),
in
Pali called Ajatasattu, who coveted his wealth, underscore themes of spiritual merit versus
material greed. When Ajatasattu attempts to seize his riches, Chotika
willingly relinquishes his treasures and chooses a path of renunciation.
In doing so, he achieves Arahantship, a state of enlightened liberation
known as a
Arahan. Chotika Setthi thus embodies the Buddhist ideal that true wealth is
derived from merit and moral virtue, not physical possessions. His
narrative serves as a moral allegory on the impermanence of material
wealth and the ultimate importance of spiritual attainment. See also
setthi
and
WATCH VIDEO.
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Chola (சோழர்)
1.
Tamil. Name of a
dynasty and kingdom in South India, during the 10th and 13th
centuries AD.
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2.
An art style from the Chola kingdom, known for its bronze sculpture.
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cho muang (ช่อม่วง)
Thai. ‘Purple bouquet’.
Name of a traditional hand-made Thai
sweet that is fashioned in the form of [a bouquet of] purple flowers and
which consist of stuffed dumplings. The purple colour is obtained by
soaking fresh
Butterfly Pea
flowers (fig.),
which have purplish blue petals, after which the purple to blue extract
is used as a natural food colouring agent that is mixed with the dough.
In turn, the dough is made by mixing water,
fish sauce,
rice
flour, starch from arrowroot tubers, and
tapioca
flour, while the filling is made from chopped
hua chai poh wahn,
i.e. sweet white radish (fig.),
chopped and minced cloves of garlic, coarse roasted peanuts, cut
coriander roots, black pepper, salt, and sugar.
These stuffed flower-shaped
dumplings are depicted on a postage stamp issued in 2018 as part of a
set of six stamps on traditional Thai sweets (fig.).
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Chom Klao (จอมเกล้า)
Thai
name for king
Mongkut, the fourth monarch of the
Chakri Dynasty, with the crown title
Rama IV.
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chomphu (ชมพู่)
General Thai
name for the ‘rose apple’, a kind of tree and its fruit
(fig.), listed in
the genus Syzygium, which has several varieties, e.g. Syzygium
jambos, which is commonly known as Malay
apple, and of which the fruits are usually bell-shaped, somewhat
similar to the form of a pear, and vary in colour from pale green (chomphu thunklao) to
bright red (chomphu thabthim).
The green kind is originally from Thailand, the red from
Malaysia. Another related variety is known as
chomphu ma-miaw. Its fruits are
more egg-shaped and of a dark red, wine-like colour (fig.).
The latter has the botanical name Syzygium malaccensis or Syzygium
malaccense, and is commonly referred to as the Malay-apple Pomerac,
or simply Malacca Apple. Chomphu fruits are refreshing, but not very sweet. In addition, the
name chomphu is also used for and entirely unrelated tree called
chomphu phanthip, which is the Thai
name for the Rosy Trumpet-tree or Pink Trumpet Tree, a tree with
pink flowers and the botanical name
Tabebuia rosea (fig.).
Also transcribed chomphoo.
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chomphu ma-miaw (ชมพู่มะเหมี่ยว)
Thai
for a variety of ‘rose apple’, a fruit and tree (fig.)
with the scientific name Syzygium malaccensis and commonly referred
to as the Malay-apple Pomerac or Malacca Apple. It is egg-shaped and of a dark red,
wine-like colour. See also
chomphu.
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Chomphuphan (ชมพูพาน)
Name
of a monkey soldier in the epic
Ramakien. He was made by
Shiva's sweat and became the adopted son of
Bali.
He is described as a powerful monkey with
knowledge about various
medicines. He was the ruler of Pangtan/Paangtaan (ปางตาล) and played
a crucial role in several battles, including the Battle of
Lanka. Despite being cursed
by
Phra Phrom
(fig.),
i.e.
Brahma, he used his medical
knowledge to aid
Rama's forces, particularly
during the battle with
Indrachit
(fig.),
when Phra Lak and a group of monkeys
were struck by
Indrachit's
poisoned arrows, he came up with an antidote for the poison.
Chomphuphan also served as a messenger and warrior, notably in the
battle of Maliwan, where he earned Rama's favour and was rewarded
with a crown and fine clothing before returning to Pangtan.
He is depicted with a pinkish or greyish-brown fur and wearing a
chadah-like
crown (fig.)
of which the tip is slightly bend backward.
Also transcribed Chomphoophan
while the pronunciation is Chomphoophaan.
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chomphu phanthip (ชมพูพันทิพย์)
Thai
name for
Tabebuia rosea.
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chomphu phuang (ชมพูพวง)
See
phuang
chomphu.
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chomphu thabthim (ชมพู่ทับทิม)
Thai. Red rose apple. See
chom phu (fig.).
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chomphu thunklao (ชมพู่ทูลเกล้า)
Thai. Green rose apple. See
chom phu (fig.).
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Chom Trai Lohk (จอมไตรโลก)
Sanskrit-Thai. ‘Lord of the three worlds’. A name for
Shiva. Also
Chom Trai Pop. See Also
triphum.
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Chom Trai Pop (จอมไตรภพ)
See
Chom Trai Lohk.
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Chonburi (ชลบุรี)
Thai-Sanskrit. ‘Water City’. The name of
a province
on Thailand's west coast
(map),
as well as its capital city which is located about 81 kms from
Bangkok, on the east side of the Gulf of Thailand.
READ
ON.
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Chong Kai (ช่องไก่)
Thai. Cemetery for the war victims of WW II who died during the
construction of the infamous
Death Railway in the province of
Kanchanaburi. This cemetery is about two kilometers from
the centre of town, on the grounds of a former camp for POWs, on the
left bank of the river Kwae Noi. 1,750 allied soldiers are
remembered here.
Unlike mass graves
in which soldiers were in the past sometimes dumped, each soldier,
whether a general or a private, has his own named grave, whilst the
tombstones of unknown victims who fell are inscribed with the words
Known Unto God, a text coined by the writer Rudyard Kipling, author
of The Jungle Book, after he had pressed his only son Jack
to join the army and whom died in action in WWI whilst his
body was never
retrieved. See also
Don Rak.
See
MAP.
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chongkho (ชงโค)
Thai
name for a small tropical tree that growing to 17 meters tall, with
purple-white flowers and broad, rounded, bi-lobed leaves. It grows
from India to the Malay peninsula and South China, and is
sometimes called Indian
orchid. Its Latin name is
Bauhinia purpurea. It is very similar to the Hong Kong orchid
(Bauhinia blakeana), which is actually a hybrid between Bauhinia
purpurea and Bauhinia variegata, and which is the flower emblem of
Hong Kong, depicted also on its flag.
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Chong Para (จองพารา)
Thai
Yai. ‘Castle of wood’. Annual festival in
Mae Hong Son during
owk pansa, from
wan phen
of the 11th lunar month, to the night of the waxing moon of the same
month, usually in October. During the festival wooden structures covered
with colourful paper and decorated with fruits, flags and lamps are
placed in the courtyard of a temple or in the garden of a house, as a
gesture to welcome the Buddha on his return from
Tavatimsa
heaven. To celebrate the occasion also traditional dances
are performed in which the dancers dress in animal costumes. Also
transcribed Chong Phara, Chawng Phara, Jong Phara or similar.
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chong ruong gia thu (chồng rường giả thủ)
Vietnamese architectural term for a
style of roof support typically used in temples, palaces and traditional
houses, and in which the beams are piled up into the shape of a
hand with five fingers, i.e. with three horizontal beams and five
vertical supports.
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Chongsheng (崇圣)
Chinese. Name of a
Vajrayana
Buddhist temple located on a hilltop in Dali, in
China's
southern
Yunnan
Province.
READ ON.
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chonlamahk (ชลมารค)
Thai-rajasap
term that derives from Pali and means ‘water path’ or ‘waterway’, i.e.
‘[to proceed] over the water’, with the word chon (ชล)
meaning ‘water’, as in
Chonburi,
and the word mahk (มารค)
meaning ‘path’. The term is
used in the
Royal Barge Procession,
for one.
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chonma pansa (ชนมพรรษา)
Rajasap for ‘age’ of ‘aging’, as in
Wan Chaleum Phra Chonma Phansa.
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Chonnanie (ชนนี)
See
Channanie.
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Choochok (ชูชก)
See
Chuchok.
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chonsae (ช้อนแซะ)
Northern-Thai name for a
bamboo net used to catch fish and other aquatic
animals. It is woven from thin bamboo strips called
tok, into a triangular shape with a long handle. It is for
use in
places with shallow water such as
shorelines, creek
and river edges, reservoirs,
rice paddies,
etc.
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chopstick(s)
See
takiab.
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chorten
Tibetan word for
stupa or
chedi, usually in a miniature form.
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Chou
Tsang (周仓)
Chinese. Name of
Kuan U's (fig.)
aide-de-camp, a fierce looking warlord, who bears the
Tiger General's
kuandao battle
blade (fig.).
He is a fictional character from the novel Romance of the
Three Kingdoms. He is described as
a strong warrior with a dark face and a wiry beard, who became caught up
in the Yellow Turban Rebellion and joined the rebels. It was during this
time that he first met Kuan U, who impressed him with his courage and
sense of honour. However, after the rebellion was crushed by Han troops,
Chou Tsang became a renegade bandit. He inhabited Mount Woniu with
another former Yellow Turban rebel, Pei Yuanshao, and became infamous as
a warrior of great strength and skill. After encountering Kuan U once
more on a mountain road, he swore his loyalty to the
Tiger General
and was appointed to Kuan
U's kuandao carrier. A capable boatman, his skills were critical in
helping achieve Kuan U's water attack at the Battle of Fancheng. At Fan,
he managed to capture the fearsome warrior Pang De during the flooding
of the castle. Alas, his strong loyalty to Kuan U would cost him his
life, when in 219 AD, upon seeing the heads of his master and his
adopted son
Kuan Ping (fig.)
displayed by the forces of Wu, he committed suicide.
In
iconography,
he is often depicted alongside Kuan U and
Kuan Ping, with his face
traditionally painted black (fig.)
or dark brown.
Also transcribed Zhou Cang.
WATCH VIDEO.
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Christianity
The
Christian religion based on the monotheistic principle, the belief in
one supreme God (יהוה -
Yahweh in Hebrew) and on the teachings of Jesus
of Nazareth, also known as
Jesus Christ (fig.), as presented in the
Bible, especially in the New Testament. As such, Christian heritage is
interwoven with that of Judaism and
Islam,
entwined yet not united, like the filaments of a rope. The most
important event in Christianity is the birth, life, death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ, who atones for the sins of the world and
thus brings salvation to humankind, through victory over evil and death.
Besides the cross, which was introduced into the church only at a later
stage, the icon of Christianity early on was a
fish, usually referred to as the Ichtus
symbol (fig.),
and a Greek acronym for Iesous Khristos Theou Huios Soter (Ἰησοῦς
Χριστός θεοῦ Υἱός Σωτήρ), meaning ‘Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour’.
An estimated 0.5% of Thais are Christians,
of differing denominations and including many of the hill tribe people
in Northern Thailand (fig.), who often practice their Christian belief mixed
with remaining customs of
animism. See also
Christmas.
See also
POSTAGE STAMP.
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Christmas
Festival commemorating the birth of
Jesus Christ (fig.).
READ ON.
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Christmas Beetle
See
duang krismas.
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Christmas Flower
Name
for the Poinsettia, an up to three meters high poisonous shrub, that belongs to the
family of spurges and in Thailand blooms from October to February.
Its milky sap or latex, as well as its leaves are very irritating
for the eyes, skin and digestive system. There are varieties with
flaming red, dark red, salmon, white or pale yellow bracts, that are
arranged in a star-shape, around small flowers which are mainly of a
yellow colour. Also known by the scientific name Euphorbia pulcherrima and in Thai as dok krismas
(ดอกคริสมาสต์).
See also
Christmas.
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chua
(chùa)
Vietnamese for
pagoda or
chedi. In
Vietnam, chua is often used as a more
generic term referring to any place of worship, such as
a temple and its complex in
Mahayana
Buddhism. As a pagoda, chua are often
octagonal and usually have an odd number of stories, as
in the
yin-yang
concept this corresponds with the
yang
principle, i.e. the bright aspect, which in turn relates to
Enlightenment. See also
den.
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Chua Bai Dinh (Chùa Bái Đính)
Vietnamese. Name of
purportedly
Vietnam's largest Buddhist
temple complex, located on a 700 hectares compound in Ninh Binh and
consisting of both ancient and new structures, including a 34 meter tall
hall with a facade of over 59 meters long; a tall, slender
pagoda; and a huge outdoor statue
of
Maitreya,
elevated centrally on a hill. It is part of the
Trang An eco-tourism area and is since
2014 listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (fig.)
under the name Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, which also
includes
Tam Coc (fig.)
and
Bich Dong (fig.),
as well as
Hoa Lu.
See MAP.
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Chua Linh Ung (Chùa Linh Ứng)
Vietnamese. Name of
a large
Buddhist temple complex, located on a mountain at the
Son Tra
peninsula, just north of the city of Da Nang in central
Vietnam.
It was inaugurated on 30 July 2010 after six years of
construction and features several large edifices, including a 67 meter
tall image of
Kuan Yin,
which is visible from the coast of Da Nang, as well as a nine-tiered
pagoda.
There are numerous large marble images of the
Buddha,
as well as of the
Ten Principal Disciples
and of
some mythological animals. Many of
the temple's buildings, including the main prayer hall, all have
Chinese-style roofs
with upward curved corners, a
feature
related to
feng shui,
in which it is believed that curved lines ward off evil spirits, whilst
straight lines are said to attract evil.
See also
PANORAMA PICTURES (1)
and
(2),
TRAVEL PICTURES (1),
(2),
(3) and
(4),
and MAP.
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Chua Nam Quang Tu (Chùa Nam Quang Tự)
Vietnamese. Name of
a mixed
Theravada-Mahayana
Buddhist temple (chua)
in Hoi An. The main
building has and architecture with features that are
reminiscent of those of
Tibetan Buddhism,
such as the
dharmachakra on the
gable board
which takes the form of a wheel
with eight spokes with
at the end of each of the
spokes an additional ornament (fig.)
as is typically found in
Lamaism
(fig.),
as well as of
Theravada
Buddhism, such as the
chofa (fig.)
and
bai raka
(fig.)
on the roof. The main prayer hall houses a
Buddha image
seated in the
maravijaya
or
bhumisparsa
pose underneath a replica
Ficus religiosa,
while the courtyard features a marble Buddha image seated in the
meditation
pose underneath a genuine
bodhi tree.
The monks (fig.)
and novices (fig.)
who dwell
at this temple wear
a
saffron-coloured
dress with baggy,
kaangkaeng le-like
(fig.)
trousers.
See MAP.
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chuan chom (ชวนชม)
Thai. ‘To invite admiration’ and
‘attractive’. Thai name for the
Desert Rose.
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Chuchaka (ชูชก)
Thai name for
Jujaka, sometimes
transliterated
Choochok or Chuchok.
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Chuchakoh (ชูชะโก)
Pali-Thai name useก
in prayer for
Jujaka.
Also transliterated Choochako.
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Chuchok (ชูชก)
Thai name for
Jujaka, also transliterated
Choochok and Chuchaka.
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Chudapanthaka (चूडपन्थक)
Sanskrit.
Name of
one of the
Eighteen Arahats, the younger brother of
Panthaka (fig.).
Whereas
the Sanskrit word paantha (पान्थ)
means ‘traveller’, pantha (पन्थक)
is a word derived from panthan (पन्ठन्),
meaning ‘road’, ‘path’ or ‘way’, and panthaka is usually
translated as ‘produced or born on the way’. The Sanskrit word chuda (चूड)
has the same meaning as the Pali and Thai word
chula, i.e.
‘tonsure’, though it is often translated as ‘small’, perhaps referring
to the fact that he was the younger brother of Panthaka the Elder. He is
hence also known as Pantha the Younger. According to legend, when
Chudapanthaka
went begging for food he would
bang roughly on people's doors and on one day he knocked on an old,
rotten door which consequently fell apart. The Buddha thus gave him a
staff with several rings on it, which he could use to tap on the ground
making the rings rattle to get peoples attention, instead of pounding on
their doors. This ringed beggar's staff, known as
a
khakkhara, has become
the symbol of this
arahat
and he is often depicted holding it (fig.).
It is also said that he was slow on the uptake and unable to learn even
a single verse. To focus his mind, the Buddha taught him to sweep
dust whilst repeating verses, a method that helped him understand that
by sweeping he took away all attachment and eventually attained
Enlightenment.
Symbolically, the sweeping of dust signifies purification. His
association with sweeping and doors led to the understanding that he is
the doorman who guards the doors of the senses, letting only pure things
in. In Chinese he is known as the
luohan
Kan Men (看门, or in traditional Chinese: 看門), literally ‘To Look [at the]
Gate’ or ‘To Examine [the] Door’. In English he is referred to as the
Doorman
Lohan
or Door Watching
Arhat. In some ways he can be put on a
par with
Kalika, the Dust Cleaning Arhat who is a cleaner of dusty
minds. For his name in Thai the same pronunciation as in Pali is used,
i.e. Chulapanthaka (จูฬปันถกะ), but he is also known as Gujapakyakha (กุจะปักยะขะ).
In
Vietnam, he may be depicted riding a
goat
and is
known as Khan Mon La Han
(Khán Môn La Hán -
fig.).
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chui tang ren (吹糖人)
Chinese term for ‘blowing sugar’,
a traditional folk art in
China,
in which the artist uses a mouth blowing technique, similar to that of
glass blowing, in order to create various kinds of figures, such as
animals, out of molten sugar.
READ ON.
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chula (จุฬา)
1.
Thai. A ‘male’ kite, with a pentagonal shape, that is used against
the
pak pao (fig.),
the ‘female’ kite, during contests. These competitions are held at
the beginning of the hot season, in
Bangkok usually at Sanam Luang,
the large field in front of the Royal Palace. The intention of both
parties is to try and take out the opponents kite. The male kite is
named after King
Chulalongkorn
during whose reign kite flying became a popular
sport, mainly due to his support. Also called
kula. See also
kite flying fights.
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