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Common name for a butterfly in the family Pieridae, and with the scientific designation Pieris brassicae. READ ON. 回 See cacao tree. 回 See ton kohkoh. 回 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. 回
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. 回 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. 回 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. 回 2. Sanskrit. A particular style of arch and window construction as found in early cave temples in India. Also transcribed chaitya. 回 Generic Latin name for any of the tropical plants, which in Thai are called bon. 回 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. 回 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. 回
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. 回
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. 回 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. 回
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. 回
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. 回 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. 回 Chinese for ‘silkworm’. See also Can Shen. 回 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. 回
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’. 回 Sanskrit-Pali. Name of a former chaht or incarnation of Yashodhara, when she was born as a Kinnari. See also Canda and Canda Jataka. 回
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.). 回
Name of a jataka, which describes one of the former incarnations of the Sakyamuni Buddha, when he was was born as Candakumara. READ ON. 回 Indonesian. General term for all ancient temples, both of Hindu and Buddhist. 回 See Wax Candle Festival. 回 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. 回 Common English name for a flowering plant, which is known in Thai as Phuttaraksah. 回 Epithet for the sala tree, from its large cannonball like seeds. 回
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. 回 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. 回 See phak kwahng tung. 回 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. 回 Architectural term for the uppermost, usually decorated part of a column, pillar or pilaster. See also cornice. 回 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. 回 The seeds of an aromatic Southeast Asian plant, used as a spice and known in Thai as kra-wahn. 回 See ton mai kin malaeng. 回 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
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’. 回
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. 回
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. 回 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.). 回
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. 回
Common name for a species of Leaf Monkey with the scientific name Trachypithecus poliocephalus and also commonly known as Golden-headed Langur. READ ON. 回 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’. 回 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. 回
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. 回
Vietnamese. Name of a culinary specialty from Hoi An. READ ON. 回
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
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. 回 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
See nok naang aen. 回 A phenomenon that occurs when fast objects travel through fluids. READ ON. 回 See cavitation. 回 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
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. 回
Sanskrit. Temple chamber housing the image or symbol of a god. 回 Generic name for a small genus of ornamental plants in the family Amaranthaceae. READ ON. 回 Monument for someone who is buried elsewhere. 回 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 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.). 回 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). 回
See khai yiew ma. 回 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. 回
Sanskrit term referring to the mental states or mental factors, which in Buddhism are identified within the teachings of the Abhidhamma. READ ON. 回 Old name for modern Sri Lanka. 回 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). 回 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. 回 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. 回
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. 回 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. 回 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. 回 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. 回 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’. 回
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. 回 See Chachengsao. 回 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. 回
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. 回 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). 回
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. 回 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. 回 Thai. ‘Echo of victory’ or ‘celebrated victory’. Province and provincial capital in Central Thailand (map), 194 kms to the North of Bangkok. READ ON. 回 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). 回
General Thai-Tae Chew name for any of the Chinese wealth gods, which in Mandarin are known as Cai Shen. 回 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. 回
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.). 回
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. 回
Chaiyaamphawaan (ไชยามพวาน, ไชยามพวาร) Thai name of a monkey-warrior character from the Ramakien. READ ON. 回 Chaiyanta Mongkon (ไชยันตมงคล) The birth name of Mahison Rachareuthay. Sometimes transcribed Jayanta Mongkol. 回 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. 回 1. Thai. ‘Field of victory’ or ‘victorious land’. The name of a province (map) and its capital, in Isaan. READ ON. 回 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. 回 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. 回
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. 回 3. Sanskrit. Centre of spiritual energy in the body and symbol of the sun. In Thai pronounced chak. Compare with Shakra. 回 1. Thai. Term for an emperor. Usually in combination with the prefix Phra Chao. Sometimes transcribed Chakkraphat, Chakrapad, Jakrapat and Chakraphati. 回 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. 回 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. 回
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. 回 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. 回
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. 回
Thai. ‘Motorbike’ or ‘motorcycle’. READ ON. 回 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. 回
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. 回 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.). 回 Thai public holiday on April 6, on which Phra Phutta Yotfa Chulalok, the founder of the Chakri Dynasty is remembered. In Thai Wan Chakri. 回 Thai. ‘Chakri the Brave’. Name of Thailand's first and only aircraft carrier. READ ON. 回 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. 回
Thai for ‘flying a kite’, ‘kite flying’. 回 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. 回
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) 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. 回
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. 回 Another common name for the Ground Skimmer. 回 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 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. 回
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. 回
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
See makhaamthet. 回 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. 回
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 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. 回 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’. 回
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. 回 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. 回
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. 回
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
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.). 回 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. 回 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. 回 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. 回 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. 回 Thai. A traditional form of verse in dramatic literature, consisting of rhymes and a definite metrical scheme. Sometimes transliterated Chant. 回 1. Thai for ‘moon’. Sometimes transliterated Chantr (fig.). See also Chandra. 回 2. Nickname for Thep Krasatri. Sometimes transliterated Chantr. 回 Nepali-Tibetan. ‘Eagle’. A symbol of Vajrayana Buddhism. Pronunciation khaw-nak. 回 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.). 回
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. 回 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. 回 Chandaka (ชันดากะ) Thai-Sanskrit. Siddhartha's servant who initially accompanied him during the Great Departure. In Pali, his name is Channa. MORE ON THIS. 回
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. 回 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
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). 回
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. 回 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. 回 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. 回 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. 回 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. 回 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. 回 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. 回 Chinese. ‘Long City Wall’ or ‘Eternal City’. Name for the Great Wall of China. 回 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.). 回 Name of a large bird of prey, with the scientific designations Nisaetus cirrhatus and Spizaetus cirrhatus. READ ON. 回 See Zhang Heng. 回 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). 回
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. 回
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. 回
2. Thai. ‘Water elephant’. Thai name for a hippopotamus. 回 3. Thai for ‘sea cow’. 回 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. 回
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.). 回 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.). 回 2. Thai name for the Milky Way, also referred to as the Path of the White Elephant, that is Thahng Chang Pheuak. 回 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. 回 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. 回
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). 回
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. 回
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.). 回 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. 回 Pali-Thai. The male servant of prince Siddhartha, the historical Buddha. In Sanskrit, he is known by the name Chandaka. 回 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. 回 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. 回
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. 回
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. 回
2. Rajasap. Name of the second incarnation of the Buddha in the Totsachat-stories, before his Enlightenment when he was still a bodhisattva. 回 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. 回
Thai-Rajasap. ‘Patriarch’ or ‘father’. See Chanok. 回 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. 回 2. Lao-Thai. The name of a district in the city of Vientiane in Laos. Also spelled Chantabuly and Chanthabuly. 回 Thai. ‘City of the moon’ or ‘moon city’. The capital of Chanthaburi province (map) in East Thailand, 245 kms Southeast of Bangkok. READ ON. 回 Thai for Candakumara. 回 Thai for a member of a race or group of people, usually translated as ‘ethnic group, tribe’ or ‘native’. 回 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). 回 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. 回 3. A Thai pronoun in the third person, in obsolete or poetic usage, especially when referring to a woman, equivalent to ‘she’ or ‘her’. 回 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. 回 Thai. ‘Ruler (chao) of a temple’, i.e. an abbot. The word ahwaht derives from avasa, i.e. the Pali word for ‘temple’. 回 Thai for ‘prince’. 回 Thai. ‘Lord of Life’. Title formerly used for a sovereign, especially during the Ayutthaya period until the beginning of the Rattanakosin period. 回 Thai-rajasap. Title for a royal mother, i.e. a concubine who gave birth to a prince. 回 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. 回 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. 回 Thai. Housemaster. A priest who has charge of the monks in a temple building or a portion of a monastery. 回 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. 回
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. 回
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. 回 Thai for a vassal prince or the ruler of a colony or protectorate. 回 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. 回
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. 回
Thai for ‘Ngo Tribe’. See also Mani. 回 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. 回
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. 回
See Chao Phraya. 回 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. 回
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. 回 Chao Pho Chetakup (เจ้าพ่อเจตคุปต์) See Citragupta. 回 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. 回
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. 回
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. 回 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 . 回
See Garden Bridge. 回 See Chao Phraya. 回 See Chao Phraya. 回 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). 回
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. 回 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. 回 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). 回 Thai for ‘princess’. 回 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.). 回
chappannarangsie (ฉัพพรรณรังสี) 1. Thai. Aureole, nimbus or halo. Also radsamie. 回
2. Thai. Star with six rays or points. 回 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. 回
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. 回
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.). 回
1. Thai for chattra. See also ton son chat (fig.). 回 2. Thai. The wide rim of a gong or kong from which it is suspended. 回 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. 回
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. 回
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. 回
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). 回
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. 回
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. 回 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. 回 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. 回 Thai term for the consort of a prince. 回 Chinese. ‘Tea-leaf egg’. See tea egg. 回 Another common name for the Lime Swallowtail. 回 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. 回
Chedi Chang Lom (เจดีย์ช้างล้อม) Thai. ‘Elephants Surrounded Pagoda’. Name of a Buddhist pagoda, located within the temple complex of Wat Chiang Man. READ ON. 回 Thai. ‘White Pagoda’. Name of a small white stupa located along the Ping River in Chiang Mai. READ ON. 回 Chedi Phukhao Thong (เจดีย์ภูเขาทอง) Thai. ‘Golden Mountain Stupa’. Name of the second tallest pagoda in Ayutthaya. READ ON. 回 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. 回
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. 回
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. 回
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. 回 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.). 回
See
kaolad.
回
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.
回
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.
回
See
Bee-eater.
回
Common name of a species of leafwing
butterfly.
READ ON.
回
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.).
回
Common name for a bird in the Sturnidae family, with the scientific
designation Sturnus malabaricus, aka Sturnia malabarica.
READ ON.
回
Thai term used for
emotions that arise from the mind.
The term derives from the Sanskrit
Cetasika.
回
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.
回
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).
回
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.
回
Northern Thai dialect for
Chiang Rai.
回
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.
回
1. Thai. Originally
meaning ‘walled city’ or ‘walled town’, it is nowadays the name for a
city in the northern part of Thailand and further north, e.g. in
Laos.
回
2.
Thai. ‘Musk’. Name for a type of perfume fully known as Chamod Chiang (ชะมดเชียง)
回
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.
回
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.
回
Museum in housed in the building of
the former central post office of
Chiang Mai.
READ ON.
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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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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.
回
Thai. Another name for the
Thai-Laotian folk tale of
Sri Thanonchai,
not to be confused with
Siang Miang.
See also
miang.
回
Province and provincial capital (map)
in North Thailand.
READ
ON.
回
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.
回
2.
Thai. Northern Thai art style produced in Chiang Saen during the
12th and 13th centuries AD.
回
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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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.
回
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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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.
回
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.).
回
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.
回
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.
回
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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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.
回
See
cayenne. Also spelt chilli and chilie.
回
Name of a Buddhist temple complex
run by nuns and located on Diamond Hill, in Kowloon, Hong Kong.
READ ON.
回
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).
回
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.
回
Name
for fine white or translucent ceramic ware, porcelain, etc. In Thai
called
kreuang thuay chaam.
回
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).
回
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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Name of a
Thai-Chinese Cultural Arch built on the Odeon Circle
in
Bangkok's
Chinatown.
READ ON.
回
Wooden frame with rings or beads as an aid to calculate.
READ ON.
回
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.
回
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.).
回
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.
回
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.
回
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.).
回
See
jingtai lan.
回
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.
回
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.
回
Flat
sticks used in Chinese shrines and Thai temples to tell one's
fortune.
READ
ON.
回
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.).
回
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.
回
See kon tamleung thong. 回 See Swan Goose. 回 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. 回
See Chinese Massage Balls. 回 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.). 回
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. 回 Designation for a decorative, mystic knot, with a seemingly endless and repetitive pattern, which is hence a symbol of longevity and eternity. READ ON. 回 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. 回
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. 回
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. 回
See Chinese Massage Balls. 回 See Chinese Massage Balls. 回 See phak kwahng tung. 回 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. 回
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. 回
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.). 回
See kun chiang. 回 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’. 回
Public establishment in China or of Chinese origin, where primarily tea, but often also other refreshments, are served. READ ON. 回 See Qi Qiao Jie. 回 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). 回
See Indochinese Water Dragon. 回 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.). 回
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. 回 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. 回
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... 回
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. 回
Burmese. ‘Rounded basket’. A traditional team sport of Myanmar, very similar to takraw. READ ON. 回 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. 回
Chintamani Lokesvara (चिन्तामणिलोकईश्वर) Sanskrit. ‘Lord of the universe with a wishing gem’. A form of the bodhisatva Avalokitesvara. See also chintamani and Lokesvara. 回 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. 回
See chi pah kao. 回 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. 回 Chirapravati Voradej (จิรประวัติวรเดช) See Jiraprawat Woradet. 回 Sanskrit term for the Seven Immortals of Hinduism. 回 Another name for the Spotted Deer. 回 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. 回
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.). 回 3. Sanskrit-Thai name for a kind of verse, also referred to as Maha Chitralada. 回 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.). 回 Sanskrit. ‘Bright communication’ or ‘wonderful writing’. Friend of Usha, the beautiful daughter of Bana. 回 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. 回 Thai. Name of a giant or yak character in the Ramakien. READ ON. 回 See rajakaan phon reuan. 回 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. 回 2. Thai for ‘bouquet’ or ‘tassel’, as in chofa, as well as the classifier for bunches of flowers. 回 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). 回 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). 回
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). 回
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). 回
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). 回
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. 回
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. 回
1. Tamil. Name of a dynasty and kingdom in South India, during the 10th and 13th centuries AD. 回 2. An art style from the Chola kingdom, known for its bronze sculpture. 回 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.). 回 Thai name for king Mongkut, the fourth monarch of the Chakri Dynasty, with the crown title Rama IV. 回
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. 回
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. 回
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. 回
chomphu phanthip (ชมพูพันทิพย์) Thai name for Tabebuia rosea. 回 See phuang chomphu. 回 chomphu thabthim (ชมพู่ทับทิม) Thai. Red rose apple. See chom phu (fig.). 回 chomphu thunklao (ชมพู่ทูลเกล้า) Thai. Green rose apple. See chom phu (fig.). 回 Sanskrit-Thai. ‘Lord of the three worlds’. A name for Shiva. Also Chom Trai Pop. See Also triphum. 回 See Chom Trai Lohk. 回 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. 回 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. 回
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. 回
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. 回 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. 回
Chinese. Name of a Vajrayana Buddhist temple located on a hilltop in Dali, in China's southern Yunnan Province. READ ON. 回 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. 回 Rajasap for ‘age’ of ‘aging’, as in Wan Chaleum Phra Chonma Phansa. 回 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. 回
Tibetan word for stupa or chedi, usually in a miniature form. 回 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. 回
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. 回 Festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ (fig.). READ ON. 回 See duang krismas. 回 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. 回
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. 回
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. 回
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. 回
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. 回
Thai. ‘To invite admiration’ and ‘attractive’. Thai name for the Desert Rose. 回 Thai name for Jujaka, sometimes transliterated Choochok or Chuchok. 回 Pali-Thai name useก in prayer for Jujaka. Also transliterated Choochako. 回 Thai name for Jujaka, also transliterated Choochok and Chuchaka. 回 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.). 回
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. 回 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. 回
2. Thai for ‘tonsure’. 回 Thai name for King Chulalongkorn, the fifth monarch of the Chakri Dynasty with the crown title Rama V. The Royal Military Academy (fig.) of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, founded on 5 August 1887 by this King, is named after this progressive monarch (fig.), as are many other places, buildings and projects, e.g. the three-span railway bridge over the Tapih River (fig.) in Surat Thani (fig.). He is one of the Great Kings in Thai history referred to as a Maha Raj and as such his statue (fig.) is included in the monument at Uthayaan Rachaphak (fig.). Despite the official and common transliteration used above, alternative pronunciations of the name are Chunlachomglao and Junlajomklao (see also chunla-). See also list of Thai kings and THEMATIC STREET LIGHT. 回
Chulachomklao Battle Ship Museum An open-air museum situated at a modern-day naval yard and base, located on the West bank and at the estuary of the Chao Phya River (fig.) in Samut Prakan, South of the ancient Chulachomklao Fortress, i.e. Phi Seua Samut Fort (fig.), of which it is a newer wing. The museum is named after King Chulachomklao (fig.), i.e. Rama V (fig.), of which the compound houses a magnificent standing monument (fig.). It is also known as the Naval History Park or Navy Historical Park, from its Thai designation Uthayaan Prawatisaat Thahaan Reua. It consists of two main sections, i.e. the HTMS Mae Klong Warship Museum, which features a decommissioned battle ship that is still used as a navy training ship today, and the Chulachomklao Naval Armaments Museum, i.e. a garden with decommissioned naval armaments (fig.). See MAP (1) and (2). 回
Ancient fortress on Phi Seua Samut Island in Samut Prakan, that dates from 1893 and guards the estuary and approach to Bangkok. The fortress, also referred to as Phi Seua Samut Fort, has in the past played an important role in protecting the sovereignty of Siam against unfriendly nations, especially during the reign of King Rama IV and Rama V, when the then superpowers were hunting for oversees colonies. The fortress has today expanded well onto the mainland where a newer naval base, located to its South, on the West bank of the river near the Gulf of Thailand, has been established. The new fort also features a museum known as the Chulachomklao Battle Ship Museum, which has a decommissioned battle ship, that is still used as a navy training ship today (fig.). In Thai, the both the new and old fortress are known as Pom Phra Chulachomklao though the old section on the island is also separately referred to as Pom Phi Seua Samut (fig.). See MAP. 回
Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy Name of the premier service academy of the Royal Thai Army. READ ON. 回 Thai. Name of a stupa containing hair from the Buddha in Tavatimsa heaven. Buddhist worshippers sometimes lit paper lanterns known as kohm loy, i.e. ‘floating lantern’ (fig.), which they release into the sky as offerings. Also transcribed Chulamanee and in Burmese referred to as Sulamani, as in Sulamani Phaya (fig.). See also POSTAGE STAMP. 回 Thai. Name used internationally for the fifth monarch of the Chakri Dynasty with the crown title Rama V. He was born on 20 September 1853 and became king in 1868. He introduced western influences in Thailand and abolished slavery (fig.). He is probably the most popular sovereign of the present dynasty after King Bhumipon Adunyadet. His picture is depicted on ten baht banknotes. In the beginning of the nineties a true cult originated around Chulalongkorn in which the spirit of the deceased monarch is worshipped. The cult is especially strong in Bangkok and other large cities, as most followers belong to the upper middle class and nouveau riche. The Buddhist university Mahawithayahlai Maha Chulalongkon Ratcha Withayahlai (fig.), founded by this king himself, as well as the Chulalongkorn University (fig.), founded by his son Rama VI, are both named after Rama V, with the latter featuring a statue of both kings in its front yard (map - fig.). Chulalongkorn University is the most prestigious house of learning in the country (fig.). In 1998, the Bangkok campus' Faculty of Political Science building (map - fig.) appeared on a Thai postage stamp to commemorate its 50th Anniversary. The university also has a Centre for Arts and Culture, which is housed in a traditional wooden building known as a Reuan Thai (map - fig.). This king was born on a Tuesday and hence takes pink as his personal colour, following to the sih prajam wan-system. Accordingly, the Chulalongkorn University has the Rain Tree or Pink Tassel-flower as its floral emblem, and his royal consort Princess Dara Radsami named a thorn-free pink rose after him (fig.). Among the Thais he is known as Chulachomklao and by the predicate Piya Maha Raj. See also Wan Piya Maha Raj, Sri Savarindira, and list of Thai kings. 回
Annual Thai public holiday on October 23 in commemoration of King Chulalongkorn. In Thai Wan Piya Maha Raj, literally ‘day of the beloved great king’. 回 Chulaphorn Walailak (จุฬาภรณ์วลัยลักษณ์)
Third daughter and fourth child to King
Bhumipon and Queen
Sirikit. Born at
Phra Tihnang Amphon Sathaan
in
Dusit
Palace, on 4 July 1957. Her personal flag
Chularachamontrih (จุฬาราชมนตรี) Thai. Leader or head of the Muslim people in Thailand. The title is a Thai adaptation of the Muslim office of Sheikh al-Islam. The very first holder of this Thai title was Sheikh Ahmad Qomi, a merchant from Persia who is said to have arrived in Ayutthaya in 1602. Until 1945 the office was held by his Shi'ite descendants, but since that year, Sunnites have held the office. Also transcribed Chularajamontri and Chularajmontri. See also Bunnag. 回 1. The small capital of Chumphon province (map) with just around 15,000 inhabitants, situated on the peninsular east coast near the Gulf of Thailand. READ ON. 回 2. Abbreviated name of Chumphon Khet Udomsak (ชุมพรเขตอุดมศักดิ์), a Krommaluang (i.e. the third highest title for a prince of royal descent) and the modernizer of Thailand's Royal Navy, also known as the Prince of Chumphon. He is widely honoured with shrines and statues, especially in ports and seaside towns, such as Rayong, Trat, Pattaya (fig.), and so on, and in Chumpon Province there is the Prince of Chumphon Shrine and Battle Ship Museum, featuring the battleship H.M.S. Chumphon (map - fig.). See also Aphakon Kiatiwong and Krom Phra Nakhon. 回
3. Thai. Name of a city gate (fig.) in Nakhon Ratchasima. It was built in 1656, during the reign of King Narai, who commanded that a strong city wall be built and is constructed from large laterite stones and bricks, which are covered with plaster, and has a watchtower made of wood, with a tiled roof decorated with ngao, bai raka and chofa. The former city gate is today located in the center of Nakhon Ratchasima. See also POSTAGE STAMPS. 回 1. Thai. ‘Gathering of troops’ or ‘gathering of an army’. The word occurs frequently in Thai nomenclature, e.g. in the name of a gate in Nakhon Ratchasima, and the city name of Chumphon is derived from it. 回 2. Thai. Name of a kind of madeua, i.e. the madeua chumphon, a species of fig tree known in Latin as Ficus glomerata. 回 3. Thai. Name for an ancient city gate in Nakhon Ratchasima, located behind the monument of Queen Suranari (fig.) in the centre of town. In Thai, it is known as Pratu Chumphon (ประตูชุมพล), meaning ‘Chumphon Gate’ or ‘Troops Gathering Gate’, and local folklore has it that when a young bachelor passes through the gate together with a young unmarried girl, the two will certainly become a couple and likely get married. It was built in 1656, during the reign of King Narai, who commanded that a strong city wall be built. The then more or less rectangular shaped city was at that time an outpost of Ayutthaya, and engineers from France -then an ally- helped with the design. The battlemented walls were built from large laterite stones and bricks, and covered with plaster, whilst the gate has a watchtower made of wood, with a tiled roof decorated with ngao, bai raka and chofa. Pratu Chumphon, the western gate, is the only original of the four city gates that still stands today, though the other three, i.e. the northern Pratu Phon Saen (ประตูพลแสน) or Pratu Nahm (ประตูน้ำ), meaning ‘Hundred Thousand Troops Gate’ and ‘Water Gate’; the southern Pratu Chai Narong (ประตูไชยณรงค์) or Pratu Phi (ประตูผี), which translates as ‘Campaign Victory Gate’ and ‘Spirit Gate’; and the eastern Pratu Phon Lahn (ประตูพลล้าน) or Pratu Thung Sa-wahng (ประตูทุ่งสว่าง), i.e. ‘Million Troops Gate’ or ‘Bright Field Gate’, as well as an additional watchtower (map - fig.), have been rebuilt. See MAP. 回
4. Thai. Paternal name of Princess Bunjirathon, the spouse of Prince Chuthathut Tharadilok (fig.). 回 Chumphon Khet Udomsak (ชุมพรเขตอุดมศักดิ์) See Aphakon Kiatiwong. 回 1. Thai-Sanskrit. The blacksmith who offered the Buddha the food that made him fatally ill, at Pava. Also transcribed Cunda. 回 2. Sanskrit. A goddess, one of the five Taras of Vajrayana or Mantrayana Buddhism. She is described as having twelve or sometimes sixteen arms. Also transcribed Cunda. 回 Chinese. Name of one of the Eight Immortals (fig.), who is regarded as the official leader of the group, though many consider Lu Tong-pin the informal, de facto leader (fig.). He is usually portrayed with a either a thin or a long beard, the top of his head bald and his chest and belly bare. He may be portrayed completely bald, but more often with some hair on the sides and the back of his head, usually tied into two small topknots at the back (fig.). His attribute is a big, magical feather fan, generally depicted in a form reminiscent of that of a small banana plant leaf, with which he can revive the dead. In art, his depiction with a thin beard, bald and long earlobes (fig.) at times confusingly resembles Huan Xi Fo (fig.). According to legend, he was born in Yan Tai (燕台) during the Han Dynasty and is therefore also called Han Chung-li. During his birth bright beams of light appeared and the newborn reportedly cried nonstop for seven days. When he grew up he became a general. After appearing in a dream of Lu Tong-pin, the latter followed Chung-li Chuan into the Ho Ling Mountains, in order to seek the Tao and achieve immortality. His mount is a kilen (fig.). His name is alternatively spelled Zhongli Quan and he is also known as Han Zhongli. 回
Thai name for a ‘candleholder’ or ‘candlestick’. In Buddhist temples (fig.) and at other places of worship these candleholders often take the form of Suphanahongse, the King's personal Barge, a boat with the figure head of a mythical swan called hongse. Also transcribed choeng thian or cheung thian. 回
Chinese. ‘Spring Festival’, that is Chinese New Year. Also Xin Nian, literally ‘New Year’ and Guo Nian, ‘pass the year’. In Thai Trut Jien. 回 Vietnamese. Name for a traditional handheld wooden percussion instrument. It consists of a handle with a flexible metal bar that can vibrate, with at the end a solid piece of hardwood, which is flanked by two hollow wooden blocks in slightly different sizes to create a different sound pitch and often made in the shape of fish or birds. Hence, the woodblock tick tock is in English often called a fish trident or bird trident, respectively. It is played by beating the woodblocks with a small handheld stick and has three different pitches. Traditionally, the instrument has been used by Buddhist monks while chanting and is therefore also by some referred to as double fish temple block or double bird temple block. In Vietnamese, it is also known as simply mo. Compare with the Chinese muyu (fig.) and yugu (fig.). 回
Thai prefix meaning ‘minor’, ‘small’ or ‘little’, and usually used in front of a compound word or name, such as in Chunlasakraat (จุลศักราช), i.e. ‘Minor Era’, also transliterated Julasakarat; and Chunlathaat (จุลธาตุ), i.e. ‘Minor Relic’; though official transliterations often use the transcription Chula, as in the the royal name Chulachomklao, in which the ล is not used repetitive, i.e. read as an end -n followed by the l- in the beginning of the next part, but rather as ju- (จุ-) and l (ล), whilst using the unwritten connecting vowel -a- between the l and the next consonant. 回 Chinese. ‘Spring and Autumn Annals’. Name of an ancient Chinese chronicle of Lu State (722 to 481 BC) that traditionally has been regarded as compiled by Confucius. It is represented as part of the emblem of the Cao Dai religion, together with an alms bowl from Buddhism and a fly whisk from Taoism (fig.). 回
To obtain the amrita, the nectar of immortality, the gods and demons churned the Ocean of Milk. They placed Mandara, the peak of Mt. Meru, upside-down in the ocean and used the snake Ananta as a stirring rope (fig.), whilst Vishnu incarnated as the tortoise Kurma (fig.), his second avatar, in order to support the mountain with its shell, thus preventing it from sinking in the soft mud of the sea floor (fig.). The scene is depicted on the southern section of the eastern gallery of Angkor Wat (fig.). During this process many things surfaced, with the Zebu (holy cow) being the first thing, followed by many other living things and objects, including the shakti, the elephant Airavata, the Apsaras, the horse Uchchaisaravas, Vishnu's celestial bow named Sharanga, the crescent that Shiva put in his hair (fig.), and eventually the elixir of life. See also Apsara and Bi Xi, PANORAMA PICTURES (1), (2) and (3), TRAVEL PICTURES, and WATCH VIDEO. 回
Chuthathut Tharadilok (จุฑาธุชธราดิลก) Thai. Name of a son of King Chulalongkorn and Queen Saowapha, with the title Prince of Phetchabun. READ ON. 回 chut kha radjakaan (ชุดข้าราชการ) In Thailand, civil servants are required to wear a uniform on Mondays, the first day of each working week. It is a formal attire and the rest of the week the uniform is optional and usually reserved for special occasions. The civil service uniform is beige in colour, with distinctive features and insignia, that denote the individual's rank, which is shown on their epaulettes and in ribbon racks displayed in a horizontal row above the left breast pocket, whilst above the right breast pocket it has a black nameplate displaying in Thai script the engraved name of the individual. Above this, is a metal insignia that varies based on the government agency the individual works for within the civil service, whilst on the tip of the collars are so-called collar pins or collar badges of which the design also varies according to the government agency, ministry, or department to which the civil servant belongs. They also wear a beige belt with a golden buckle that displays a golden Garuda, since 1911 the nation's royal symbol. Teachers, known in Thai as ajaan or kruh, are also civil servants and their uniform, more specifically referred to as chut kha radjakaan kruh, also displays their academic degree. Civil servants also have a white ceremonial service dress worn only during official occasions, such as royal ceremonies. See also bacho, Inthanu, RANKS THAI CIVIL SERVICE and POSTAGE STAMPS. 回
Chinese for ‘temple’, but especially one that enshrines ancestry gods, i.e. human beings apotheosized as gods, against miao, i.e. a temple that enshrines nature gods and patron gods. 回 Latin-English. ‘Tree cricket’. Name for insects of the order Hemiptera in the family Cicadidae. READ ON. 回 Common designation for a group of birds, with the scientific name Parus cinereus and belonging to the tit family Paridae. The group is distributed in parts of West Asia, across South Asia and into Southeast Asia, and is made up of several populations that were earlier treated as subspecies of the Great Tit (Parus major). Members are cinereous, i.e. ashy grey, with white undersides and thus distinguishable from the Great Tit, which is greenish-backed with a yellowish underside. However, confusingly the latter is sometimes listed as Green-backed Tit (Parus monticolus), whilst the Cinereous Tit is in that case regarded as one and the same as the Great Tit (fig.). Yet, Cinereous Tits are about 13 centimeters tall, whereas Great Tits are recorded as being slightly larger, measuring about 14 centimeters. Both have large white cheek-patches, a white wing-bar, a black crown, and a black central stripe that runs from the throat to the vent (fig.). Females have a narrower ventral line and are slightly duller. See also WILDLIFE PICTURES. 回
Name of a small evergreen tree that grows up to 15 meters tall, belonging to the genus Cinnamomum, in the family of Lauraceae. The dried aromatic inner bark of the Cinnamon Tree is used as a spice, e.g. ground and mixed with granulated sugar it is used as a flavour for desserts. The bark is of a yellowish-brown colour and its name comes from the Greek word kinnamomon (κιννάμωμον). It is native to some countries of Southeast Asia, including India, Myanmar, Bangladesh and especially Sri Lanka, where it is known as Kurundu. This ‘Ceylon cinnamon’ is worldwide recognized as the true cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum/zeylanicum), said to be ‘the best in all the Orient world’, against some related species, such as cassia which is sometimes labeled as cinnamon, but has a much harsher flavour and is thicker, harder and more woody in texture than true cinnamon. Cassia sticks (Cinnamomum burmanni) have a medium to light reddish-brown colour and are sometimes called ‘Indonesian cinnamon’, to distinguish it from the true cinnamon. In the 17th and throughout the 18th century the Dutch East India Company cultivated its own cinnamon trees on the island of Ceylon. Camphor, which is gained from the Camphor Tree (Cinnamomum camphora - fig.), is used as a component of incense, and is often referred to as cinnamon (fig.), and known in Thai as karaboon (การบูร). In Thai, true cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) is called obcheuy, while Indonesian cinnamon (Cinnamomum burmanni) is known as obcheuy chawa (อบเชยชวา), i.e. ‘Javan cinnamon’. 回
Citragupta (चित्रगुप्त) Sanskrit. ‘Collector of secrets’. Name of Yama's scribe, the Vedic god who presides over the dead. He is depicted carrying a pen and book in which he records the good and bad deeds of mankind. In Thai tradition, the god of the dead is called Phra Yom, and has two scribes, namely Suwan and Suwaan (fig.). Whereas Suwan keeps record of the good deeds of humankind, Suwaan records their bad deeds. Both are depicted with a pen and book, and act as advocate and accuser respectively, on judgment day. Also Chitragupta and in Thai he is referred to as Chao Pho Chetakup, or simply Chao Chetakup. In Thai iconography he is sometimes depicted as a deity, wearing a chadah (fig.) and holding a book in one hand and a pen in the other (fig.). In Chinese mythology, there are four scribes, i.e. one who keeps record of the good deeds of humankind, one who records their bad deeds, and each of them with a personal controller, who checks that not mistakes are made. They are collectively referred to as the Magistrates of the Netherworld (fig.). WATCH VIDEO. 回
Common name for a species of bird in the family Motacillidae, with the scientific name Motacilla citreola, and also commonly known as Yellow-headed Wagtail. Adult males in breeding plumage, are mostly greyish-black above, with vague white bars on the wings' flight feathers, and a bright yellow head and underparts. In non-breeding plumage, adult males are more greyish above, with the black reduced to a nuchal band. Females are similar, but grey above, including also the crown, and have a yellow face, throat and breast, while the underparts are mostly yellow diluted by white. Juveniles have brownish upperparts and lack the yellow. 回
See lak meuang, sao inthakhin, and sahn lak meuang, and WATCH VIDEO. 回 Civil Defence Heritage Gallery Located in the former central fire station of the Singapore Fire Brigade, the Civil Defence Heritage Gallery (CDHG) houses a small museum that displays historic fire trucks and equipment, where visitors embark on a journey covering the history, evolution and development of Civil Defence in Singapore, and learn about the latest firefighting and rescue technology developed and used by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), a uniformed organization under the purview of the Ministry of Home Affairs. The main role of the SCDF is to provide fire-fighting, rescue and emergency medical services, mitigating hazardous materials incidents, as well as formulate, implement and enforce regulations on fire safety and civil defence shelter matters. The CDHG features customized interactive stations for a close-up experience of what firefighters and rescuers undergo in an operation, and also has an 280m² Emergency Preparedness Centre (EPC), the first of its kind purpose-built centre in Singapore, that utilizes highly visual and interactive exhibits to impart emergency preparedness knowledge and skills to its visitors of all ages. Some of these exhibits include the fire extinguisher simulator which discharges water onto a video wall depicting a few incipient fire scenarios, as well as interactive mannequins for visitors to try out the abdominal thrust or Heimlich manoeuvre and CPR procedure. See also TRAVEL PICTURES and WATCH VIDEO. 回
See Yellowtail Clownfish. 回 A kind of dragonfly, with the scientific name Neurothemis fulvia. It is also commonly known as Fulvous Forest Skimmer and sometimes referred to as Russet Percher. Whereas males are overall dark red, females are rusty brown. Both sexes have transparent wingtips, but those of females additionally have a faint, thin, brown edge. Besides this, males have red eyes, whereas those of females are brown. In Thai this species is called malaeng poh ban tahn plaay pihk saai. See also WILDLIFE PICTURES. 回
Greek compound term universally used for a water clock. READ ON. 回 Common name for a species of freshwater fish, with the scientific designation Anabas testudineus. READ ON. 回 Common name for a species of fast flying butterfly found, in South and Southeast Asia, and with the scientific name Parthenos sylvia. There are several subspecies, all with a bright, bronze-green to blackish ground-colour and triangular brown markings near the outer margins. In addition, they have white spots, that are more dense near the tip of the forewings. Depending on the subspecies, the wings have an overall pale-blue, greenish or orange shine (fig.), which is somewhat more intense near the body of the butterfly, which is pale to dark orange barred with black. Its antennae are black with orange tips. In Thai, this species is known as phi seua chang ron (ผีเสื้อช่างร่อน). 回
Term for an ancient technique and its products, that in the 14th century spread from the near East via the West to China, where it developed its own style (fig.) and is in Chinese known as jingtai lan. 回
See phakah krong. 回 Common name of a medium-sized wild cat, with the Latin name Neofelis nebulosa and which is found in the forests of Asia. Clouded Leopards are distributed in most of Southeast Asia (fig.), from Nepal and southern China, through Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Their habitat consist mainly of lowland tropical rainforest, but they can also be found in dry woodlands and secondary forests, and have even been spotted at high altitudes near the foothills of the Himalayas, though they have an extremely secretive nature. Clouded Leopards are named after the cloud-like spots of their coat, which provides camouflage. They are one of the best climbers in the cat family, able to climb upside-down underneath tree branches and hang from branches with their hind feet. Though it often sleeps in trees, it nonetheless hunts mainly on the ground. In Thai it is called seua laai mek. There are several subspecies. 回
In China, clouds are symbols of a desirable destiny, as the Chinese word for cloud is homophonous with the word for ‘luckiness’. They are considered auspicious and invoke awish for luck and fortune. Hence, the often occur in traditional Chinese and relevant architecture and iconography (fig.), often in the form of cloud scrolls, such as typically on dragon pillars (fig.), cloud pillars (similar decorative pillars yet without the dragons), dragon staircase slabs (fig.), and as general decorations, such as on certain Imperial robes (fig.), Chinese Opera costumes (fig.), and ao quan, i.e. a Vietnamese ceremonial gown (fig.). In Tamil, the name of Mariamman, considered to be the goddess of rain and an incarnation of the goddess Kali in South India, is said to mean ‘Mother Mari’, with amman meaning ‘mother’ and the word mari meaning ‘cloud(s)’. In Thai mythology, Thep Patchanna is the god of the storm clouds, while beauty and crystal ball of Mekala (fig.) attracted the attention of Ramasoon, the thunder god (fig.), when she was playing about in the clouds, upon which the latter persuaded his friend Rahu, the god of darkness (fig.), to create a murkiness of black and ominous clouds to help conceal himself, in order to capture the lovely nymph and carry her away to his den. He can also cause a deafening sound and a thunderous crash of clouds by throwing his axe. In Thai, a cloud or clouds are called mek (เมฆ), from which the name of Mekala derives, and also appears is thalae mek, literally ‘sea of clouds’, a term used for the natural phenomenon that arises when low stratiform clouds form a foggy band (fig.). 回 Popular name for the Ficus racemosa (fig.), which in Thai is known as madeua kliang, in Sanskrit called udumbara, and in Hindi referred to as goolar. There are however many similar trees in Thailand that grow figs in clusters, including the deua bai yai or deua wah (Ficus auriculata), madeua plong (Ficus hispida), liab phak heuad (Ficus lacor), phak leuad (Ficus variegata), etc. See also POSTAGE STAMP. 回
Generic name of a group of venomous hooded snakes, found in South and Southeast Asia, as well as in the Middle-East and Africa. Its name is derived from the Latin word colubra, meaning ‘serpent’. The snake family Colubridae is named after it and includes well over half of all snake species on earth. Cobras however, belong to the family Elapidae, more specifically the genus Naja, which is said to be the most widespread group of snakes, and includes amongst others the King Cobra or ‘Snake Eater’ (Ophiophagus hannah - fig.), the Monocled Cobra (Naja kaouthia - fig.), the Indochinese Spitting Cobra (Naja siamensis - fig.), and the Indian Cobra (Naja naja). The latter is regarded by many as the group's archetypal species. In India, the cobra is habitually hypnotized by so-called snake charmers (fig.) who play the pungi, a flute-like instrument made from a gourd (fig.). Though the practice has also spread to other parts of Southeast Asia, including Thailand, it is foremost an Indian custom. When threatened, a cobra will expand its hood and raise the anterior third part of its body. In Vietnam, cobra's are consumed by some and its venom is mixed with alcohol and drank as an aphrodisiac. In Thai, its general name is ngu hao, literally ‘barking snake’, a descriptive term referring to the hissing sound tat it makes when it feels threatened and usually is about to strike. The cobra is also occurs in a legend related to Luang Poo Thuad, who is sometimes depicted seated on a king cobra (fig.). See also Mwegyi Hnakaung. 回
Vietnamese. ‘Stake’. Term for 150 to 300 mm wooden poles, which in the past were used in Vietnamese maritime warfare. READ ON. 回 Name of a region that encompasses the southern third of present-day Vietnam and whose most important city is Saigon. It bordered current Cambodia to its west and Annam to its north, and was a French colony from 1862 to 1954. The later state of South Vietnam was created in 1954 by combining Cochinchina with southern Annam. In Vietnamese, the region is called Nam Bo (Nam Bộ), i.e. the ‘Southern Department’. See also Tonkin. 回 Name of a breed of chicken, which is also called just Cochin and Chinese Shanghai, and is in Chinese referred to as jiu jin huang (九斤黄). The most distinctive feature of the Cochin China is the excessive plumage that covers also the legs and feet which, like the skin underneath the feathers, are yellowish. There are many varieties in colour of the plumage, including white, buff, black, blue, silver laced, golden laced, partridge and splash. As their name suggests, Cochins originate from China and are one of the most quiet breeds of domestic fowl, that hardly ever crow or cluck. Their excessive plumage and their tame character, also makes them popular as ornamental fowl and pets. This breed is classified as a variety of the domesticated fowl, with the scientific name Gallus gallus domesticus, and in Thai it may be referred to as kai phan cochin (ไก่พันธ์โคชิน) or kai phan yipun (ไก่พันธุ์ญี่ปุ่น), which actually means ‘Japanese breed fowl’. 回
The cock or rooster (fig.) is the tenth animal sign of the Chinese zodiac (fig.). Those born in the Year of the Cock are said to have a flamboyant personality, and their protector or guardian deity is Budong (fig.). The cock is extrovert and outwardly confident, as well as a trustworthy, hardworking individual. He is outspoken and will tell it as it is, without any reservations. Statues of roosters are often placed at King Naresuan the Great shrines and monuments (fig.), as this king was an ardent enthusiast of cock fighting (fig.). The cock features on certain Thai postage stamps, such as the Zodiac Year of the Cock Postage Stamp issued in 2005 (fig.) and the Songkraan Day Postage Stamp issued in 1993 (fig.). In Thai, the fowl correspondents to the first letter the alphabet, i.e. go gai or ko kai (ก ไก่). Though kai is the general term for rooster (fig.) in Thai, when referring to the animal in the zodiac, usually the term ra-kah (ระกา) is used. See also THEMATIC STREET LIGHT (1), (2) and (3), and MORE ON THIS. 回 See maeng kinoon. 回 See kaanchon kai. 回 See malaeng saab. 回 Common name for the Celosia cristata. READ ON. 回 The fermented and dried fatty seeds of the cacao tree (fig.) from which chocolate is made, as well as the name for a powder made from these seeds when crushed after the cocoa butter, the vegetable fat of the cacao bean, is already removed from the dark, bitter cocoa beans. Besides this, it may also refer to a drink made of chocolate powder or to the combination of both cocoa powder and cocoa butter put back together, as in chocolate bars. To produce one kilogram of cocoa paste around 300-600 seeds are required, depending on the desired cocoa content. See also ton kohkoh. 回 Edible fruit of the coconut palm, a tree with the botanical designation Cocos nucifera. READ ON. 回 Milky fluid gained from the flesh of the coconut by grinding (fig.) or grating (fig.) it and then squeezing the snippets. Although today the process is all but completely automated, in the past, a household tool called kratai jihn (fig.) was used for this. The obtained milky white liquid is used for the preparation of several Thai curries. Coconut milk is often mistaken for the fresh coconut water in the fruit which is drunk directly from the nut and should be called coconut juice, rather than milk. Especially young nuts are used for their juice. Also called coconut cream and in Thai ka-thi. 回
Palm tree with the Latin name Cocos nucifera. Nucifera is Latin for ‘nut-bearing’ and the word coco comes from Spanish-Portuguese and means ‘monkey face’, after the shape of the hard brown shell of the coconut. Of this useful tree and its fruit almost every part can be used. From its inflorescence juice is drawn, used for making sugar (fig.) and from the flesh of the coconut coconut milk is gained. Its spathes (broad blades) are used in the making of Phi Tah Khohn masks (fig.). In Thai ton maprao. 回
A tuft of hair retained on the back of the shaved head of Brahmin priests and novices (fig.), at a place known as the bindu chakra, i.e. the ‘circle of drops’. Brahmins believe that there a fluid is produced, which can become either amrita, the elixir of immortality, or the poison of death. Compare with Thai topknots called kle and juk (fig.). 回
Name of the popular beverage prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee tree. READ ON. 回 Shrub or small tree of the genus Coffea, which has around 40 kinds, the best known being Coffea arabica, Coffea canephora (Coffea robusta) and Coffea liberica, from which coffee is made, the latter more in the Philippines, Indonesia, Seychelles, the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, and Malaysia, where it has been naturalized. The fruits (fig.) are red when they are ripe and each fruit carries two seeds, the coffee beans (fig.). Sometimes called coffee plant. 回
A form of merit making in Thailand, as well as in several other countries of Southeast Asia, in which people wishing to make tamboon can participate in the benevolent practice of providing coffins to those who cannot afford them, as an act of compassion. READ ON. 回 Bangkok Museum under the auspices of the Grand National Treasure Bureau, a department of the Treasury Department and a branch of the Ministry of Finance, and which aims to be a centre for coin collectors and those with interest in meeting and exchanging knowledge, information and activities on coins. READ ON. 回 Common name for a 52 to 55 centimeter large bird in the Corvidae family, with the scientific name Corvus torquatus, and also commonly known as White-collared Crow and Ring-necked Crow, which is native to China, though reportedly not further North than Beijing. It is overall glossy black, with a broad white collar around the neck and lower breast. The sexes are similar, but juveniles are more brownish and less glossy, whilst the white collar is somewhat narrower, especially around the shoulders and at the lower neck, creating a black patch on the upper breast which is reminiscent of the breast patch with White Wagtails in non-breeding plumage (fig.). 回
Common name for a species of a small diurnal bird of prey in the Falconidae family, with the scientific designation Microhierax caerulescens, which is found in South Asia and mainland Southeast Asia. Adults are just between 16 and 18 centimeters tall and have a white body, with a chestnut wash on the throat, breast, belly, vent and thighs, and black upperparts, a black hind-crown and a black ear-covert patch. Its under-tail is white with black bars (fig.). The Collared Falconet's habitat consists of deciduous forests and forest clearings, where it perches in exposed places. 回
Common name for a species of bird in the Pycnonotidae family of bulbuls and with the scientific name Spizixos semitorques. READ ON. 回 Common name for a species of medium-sized bird in the family of tree or wood kingfishers Halcyonidae, with the scientific names Halcyon chloris and Todiramphus chloris. It has a wide range extending from the Red Sea, across southern Asia and Australasia to Polynesia. It is a very variable species with about 50 subspecies, the ones occurring in Southeast Asia and Thailand (fig.) including Halcyon chloris humii, Halcyon chloris armstrongi, and Halcyon chloris davidsoni. These noisy and conspicuous kingfishers are about 24 to 26 centimeters tall. They generally have blue to greenish upperparts and a whitish collar and whitish to buff underparts (fig.), with colouring, tinges, and brightness or dullness depending on the relevant subspecies. This species is also known as the White-collared Kingfisher and Mangrove Kingfisher. 回
A species of owl with the binomial name Glaucidium brodiei. It is commonly found in South, East and Southeast Asia. At around 15 centimeters and weighing about 60 grams it is the smallest owl in Asia, and is in Thai named nok khao khrae, meaning ‘pygmy owl’. It has a grayish brown scaled head, reddish brown upperparts with white barring, lighter underparts, yellow-black eyes and a yellow beak. Its natural habitat is temperate forests. 回
A small decorated column, commonly used in Khmer architecture, usually positioned on either side of a doorway or as lattice in windows. Also pilaster. 回
See sih prajam wan. 回 Name of a species of duck with the scientific name Sarkidiornis melanotos. It is a pan-tropical duck, which occurs in tropical wetlands across the globe, from northern South America, over sub-Saharan Africa, to the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and southern China. There are two subspecies, with the one found in Asia being Sarkidiornis melanotos melanotos. Adults have a white head, speckled with dark spots, and a pure white lower neck and underparts. The upperparts are glossy blue-black, with a bluish and greenish iridescence. The male is larger than the female, and has a large black knob on the bill. Due to this, the species is also commonly known as Knob-billed Duck. In flight, the dark wings contrast strongly with the whitish body (fig.). The white head with dark-speckled spots is reminiscent of that of the White-winged Wood Duck (fig.). In Thai it is called pet hong (เป็ดหงส์), which translates as ‘swan-duck’. A male and female Comb Duck are depicted on a postage stamp which was issued in 1996 as part of a set of four stamps on ducks found in Thailand (fig.). 回
An attitude of the Buddha in which he is seated is a half lotus position holding an alms bowl on his lap with his left hand and covering it with his right hand. It refers to the scene in which the Buddha was contemplating the bliss of his Enlightenment underneath a tree when two merchant brothers named Tapussa and Bhallika arrived from the distant town of Ukkala. Upon seeing the Buddha they were filled with faith and offered him some honeyed rice. The Buddha asked them with what he was to receive their offerings and immediately the guardians of the four directions appeared and each gave the Buddha a green marble bowl. Using his divine powers the Buddha then combined the four bowls into one and received the offerings. Also known as uniting the (four) alms bowls. 回
Common name for a species of butterfly, known by the scientific names Limenitis procris and Moduza procris, and found in the wider region of the Himalayas and the Indian subcontinent, as far South as Sri Lanka and as far East as Myanmar. It has a wingspan of about 5.5 to 7.5 centimeters. The upper-side of its wings are a bright reddish brown, with brown, tawny and blackish spots, as well as white markings that are arranged across the four wings in a V-shape. The underside is bright pale yellowish to whitish, with markings in yellowish-brown, white and black. This butterfly somewhat resembles the Knight (fig.). See also WILDLIFE PICTURES. 回
Common name for a species of small butterfly, with the scientific name Appias albina, as well as Appias paulina, both very similar and belonging to the family Pieridae, i.e. the Yellows and Whites (fig.), and found in South and Southeast Asia. In the wet-season, the upperside of the males is mostly white, with some black at the apex and along the sides of the forewings, though this disappears almost completely in the dry-season. The underside is similar, but the light colouration is pale brownish-yellow in Appias albina, and more yellowish in Appias paulina. Females have more black on the forewings and some black spots at the outer margin of the hindwings, which is irregularly zigzag in Appias albina and evenly curved in Appias paulina. The female ground-colour on the upperside may be white to pale yellow. The upper body in males is bluish grey and the lower thorax is white in Appias albina and yellowish in Appias paulina. The antennae in Appias albina are grayish black, densely speckled with white. 回
Name of a species of semi-large butterfly, with the binomial name Lexias pardalis dirteana, of which the largest species reach a wingspan of circa 10 centimeters. There are two species found in Thailand, with identical patterns and colours on their wings, though they are differentiated by the fact that one has orange tips to its antennae, whilst the other has black tips. Both species show strong sexual dimorphism, with the upperside of the male wings being mainly black with small, white or faint blue and orange spots at the top or inner side, and a bluish-grey apical border on the forewings, whilst the posterior wings have a grayish light-blue outer border with black spots, of which some may be heart-shaped. The underside of their wings is dark brownish orange. Females have black wings with faint yellow to orange and white spots. The underside of their wings is identical to the top, but more faded in colour. The Common Archduke is a common forest species and generally feeds on fallen fruit. In Thai it is called phi seua achduk (ผีเสื้ออ๊าชดุ๊ค) or phi seua achduk thammada (ผีเสื้ออาชดุ๊คธรรมดา), a literal translation of its common English name. 回
Common name for a toad, with the scientific names Bufo melanostictus and Duttaphrynus melanostictus, and listed in the true toad family Bufonidae. It is one of the most widespread species of true toads in Southeast Asia, and ranges from Sri Lanka to Southern China, and down through Thailand (fig.), West Malaysia and Singapore, to western Indonesia and the island of Borneo. It occurs in a variety of habitats, in both rural and urban areas, and is able to withstand brackish water. It is frequently seen at night, especially on grass lawns, paths and roads. It is about 10 centimeters long and generally buff to brown in colour, though there is considerable colour variation and some species are darker or have brownish patterning on the back. Its underside is of a much lighter colour, almost white. They are usually listed in four different categories of colouration. Its skin is rough, with warts that form small black, bumpy dots, which are scattered along the sides and the lower back. It also has poisonous paratoid glands in the form of a raised ridge behind each eye, that can secrete a bufotoxin in the form of a milky substance, that acts as a neurotoxin to deter predation. The feet are not webbed. Also known as Southeast Asian Toad, Asiatic Toad, House Toad, Common Indian Toad, Common Asiatic Toad, and Black-spined Toad, and in Thai it is called kaangkok ban. See also WILDLIFE PICTURES. 回
Name for a butterfly with the scientific name Troides helena (fig.). It is mainly velvety black, with some red spotting; pale streaks on the forewings, that are broader and more prominent with females; and mainly yellow hindwings, with a black rim. It has a light yellow body and yellow hindwings, though females have a somewhat darker body and more black spotting on the hindwings. It is very similar to the Golden Birdwing (fig.) and is somewhat reminiscent of the Great Mormon (fig.), Common Rose (fig.) and the Common Mormon (fig.). 回 Common name for a species of swallowtail butterfly, with the scientific name Graphium sarpedon. READ ON. 回 Common name for a species of fast-moving snake, found in South and Southeast Asia and with the binomial name Dendrelaphis pictus. Its head is bronze, with a black lateral stripe, that passes through the eyes. Its upper-lip is yellowish and its tongue red. The body is olive or brown above and whitish below, and has a cream lateral stripe bordered by a dark one along the length of the body. When threatened it will inflate its body slightly, thus revealing bluish-turquoise skin, that lays under the body scales. It occurs in a variety of habitats, including scrub, secondary forest, and back-beach areas, as well as parks and gardens. It is active by day, searching for its food, which consists mainly of lizards and frogs. Nervous in disposition, it will flee swiftly when disturbed. Also called Painted Bronzeback, and in Thai known as ngu saai mahn Phra In (งูสายม่านพระอินทร์), which translates as ‘curtain-striped Indra-snake’. 回
Name for a small butterfly, with the scientific name Mycalesis perseus. It has a wingspan of around 3.5 to 4.5 centimeters and is overall brown. In the wet season, it has a number of orange-black eyespots, called ocelli, near the multiple-fringed wing-edges, each with a central white spot, and separated from the rest of the otherwise plane brown wing, by a white vertical stripe. There are 4 spots on the forewings and 7 spots on the hindwings. In the dry season, the eyespots are reduced to mere pale dots, with 4 of the 7 spots on the hindwings with a brown smudgy border and the other 3 with a black smudgy border, whilst the white vertical stripe has all but vanished, at best showing some white streaks (fig.). Also the white fringes on the border of the wings have retracted to form mere pale splotches. Also known as Dingy Bushbrown, and in Thai named phi seua tahn phum sahm jud riang (ผีเสื้อตาลพุ่มสามจุดเรียง). 回
Common name for a species of medium-sized to large bird of prey, with the scientific designation Buteo buteo. READ ON. 回 Common name for a species of 2.7 to 3.7 centimeter small butterfly, with the scientific name Jamides celeno (aelianus), which is found in Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Whereas the upper wings are sky blue, the underwings are buff-brown with discal lines, of which the second on the forewing is discontinuous. At the edge of the lower apex of the hindwing is an orange-black ocellus, as well as a short, filamentous, black, white-tipped tail, at the apex of the second vein. In Thai, this butterfly is known as phi seua fah wahw sih tahng reuduh (ผีเสื้อฟ้าวาวสีต่างฤดู). 回
Name for a butterfly with the scientific name Ariadne merione, and found across Southeast Asia. It has rusty-orange wings, with brown wavy lines and a tiny whitish spot near the front edge of each forewing. The wing pattern on the underside of the wings consists of alternating brownish and buff, wavy lines (fig.). In the wet-season form, it is similar, but somewhat darker in colour and less clear or even the absence of the whitish spots near the apex of each forewing. This butterfly got its name because its larvae (fig.) feed almost exclusively on the leaves of the Castor Oil Plant (Ricinus communis). This graceful butterfly loves to glide through the air. In Thai it is named phi seua non la-hung thammada (ผีเสื้อหนอนละหุ่งธรรมดา), with the word la-hung being the Thai name for the Castor Oil Plant. 回
Common name for a species of dragonfly, with the scientific name Ictinogomphus decoratus. It belongs to the family Gomphidae, whose members' eyes are well separated, which sets them apart from other dragonfly families. The Common Cubtail is a large dragonfly, with greenish-grey eyes, and a black-and-yellow striped thorax and abdomen, which is club-shaped, i.e. with a swollen apex. This species is less common and likes to breed mostly in standing water, away from densely populated areas. It is allegedly not well adapted to human inhabited areas and is therefore more easily found in forests. In Thai, it is known as malaeng poh seua thammada, i.e. ‘common tiger dragonfly’, but sometimes also as malaeng poh seua laai pradap, which translates as ‘ornamental-striped tiger dragonfly’. Also spelled Common Club-tail. See also WILDLIFE PICTURES. 回
Common name for a species of waterfowl, with the scientific designation Fulica atra. Adults are up to 42.5 centimeters long, and largely slaty-black, aside from red eyes, a white bill and a white frontal shield. The legs and feet are also black and they have partial webbing in between the toes, for swimming. Immature birds are paler than adults, have a whitish breast, and lack the facial shield, until they get about one year old. Its habitat consists of freshwater lakes and ponds, and it occurs in Asia, as well as in Oceania, Europe, and Africa. The Common Coot is omnivorous. Also known as Eurasian Coot or simply Coot, and in Thai as nok coot (นกคู้ด/นกคู้ท). See also Common Moorhen (fig.). 回
Name of a large bird in the crane family Gruidae, with the scientific name Grus grus. This crane is medium-sized, measuring 100 to 120 centimeters tall, and has a wingspan of up to 240 centimeters. Its plumage is overall grey, with black-tipped secondaries and long, drooping tertials, mixed with black plumes. Its head and upper-neck are blackish, with a red patch on the crown, and a broad white band from the ear-coverts down to the upper neck. The legs and feet are grey, and the bill is pale (fig.). Common Cranes have a loud trumpeting call and are famous for their typical dance performances, in which they leap about with their wings uplifted. They are omnivorous, eating anything from leaves and roots, to insects, birds and small mammals. Their diet also includes berries and cranberries are purportedly named after this bird, which is also commonly known as the Eurasian Crane. In mythology it is one of the vehicles of Han Hsiang Tzu (fig.). See also crane. 回
Common name of a species of semi-large butterfly with the scientific designation Vindula erota. The male's upperside is tawny with a broad slanting bright orange band in the centre and black markings, including a narrow subterminal zigzag band, and two eyespots on either hindwing, while below the wings are orangey-tawny with a pattern of buff wavy lines and thin dark lines. Females have a similar pattern and markings but are brownish in colour, with a greenish shine on the hindwings and a broad slanting white band in the centre, somewhat reminiscent to those of a Commander (fig.) and a Clipper (fig.). It is also similar in appearance to the Common Yeoman (fig.). The dry-season form of either gender is similar to the wet-season forms described above, but paler and with diminished eyespots that have been reduced to a few faint lines that are barely visible. In Thai known as phi seua tahn hahng laem thammada (ผีเสื้อตาลหางแหลมธรรมดา). See also TRAVEL PICTURES. 回
See Blue Moon Butterfly. 回 Common designation for a species of butterfly, with the scientific name Catopsilia pomona, which has some six different varieties. It belongs to the family Pieridae, i.e. the Yellows and Whites, and is found in Asia and parts of Australia. Depending on the variety, males usually have greenish-white wings above, and overall greenish-yellow wings on the underside, sometimes with tiny brown markings. The underwings of females are usually more yellowish and often have dark or brown markings. Common Emigrants typically perch with the wings closed, and are thus more easily identified by the colour and pattern of the underwings. They have six legs which they are able to use all and often perch on wet soil to drink and lick minerals from it. They regularly occur in larger swarms. Also known as Lemon Emigrant, and in Thai called phi seua non khoon thammada (ผีเสื้อหนอนคูนธรรมดา), with the word khoon being the Thai name for the Drumstick Tree, one of several species of Cassia on which leaves the caterpillars of this butterfly feed. See also WILDLIFE PICTURES. 回
Common name for a species of butterfly, with the scientific names Melanitis leda and Melanitis ismene. It has a wingspan of 6 to 8 centimeters and there is a wet-season and a dry season form. The former has an overall brownish upper side, with two large black spots on the sub-apical upper side of the forewing, bordered by some orange colouring, and each with a smaller white central spot, whereas the underside is paler with a bark-like pattern and a number of orange-black eyespots or ocelli, each with a central white spot. The latter form has a similar ground-colour above, but with larger markings and different ocelli, whilst its underside resembles a dead leaf, which may significantly vary in colour. The antennae, head and body in both seasonal forms are brown or greyish-brown, and the antennae may have dark (fig.) or pale tips (fig.). There are also other varieties of Evening Brown, which are listed as a separate species and known as Dark Evening Brown (fig.) and Great Evening Brown (fig.). In Thai, the Common Evening Brown is called phi seua sahyan sih tahn thammada. See also WILDLIFE PICTURES. 回
Name for a species of Asian butterfly in the subfamily Satyrinae, which is also commonly known as the Browns, and with the scientific designation Ypthima baldus. In the wet-season form, the upperside of the male's wings is brown, with much darker terminal margins, and a double-dotted, yellow-ringed, black ocellus on the forewing, and two round, single-dotted similar yet smaller ocelli on the hind wing, very often with one or two minute additional ocelli. The underside of the wings has a pale ochraceous-white ground-colour, with six ocelli on each of the hind wings and a larger double-dotted, yellow-ringed, black ocellus on each of the forewings. The ocelli are flanked by a slant brown stroke that runs across both wings. In the dry-season, the ground-colour of the wings' underside is paler and the ocelli on the hinwings are reduced in size. See also WILDLIFE PICTURES (1) and (2). 回
Common name for a species of bird with the binomial name Dinopium javanense and also commonly known as Common Goldenback. It belongs to the Picidae family, and is found in many parts of South and Southeast Asia. Adults have a golden-brown to copper back and wings with a red shine on the top area of the mantle, a black tail, and a red rump, with black-scaled, white underparts. On the side of the head are long and solid black stripes and whereas the male has red crown, that of the female is black. The rump is red and contrasts with the black tail. It has a rather small bill and only three toes. It is similar in appearance to the Himalayan Flameback (fig.) and the Greater Flameback (fig.). In Thai, known as nok hua khwaan sahm niw lang thong. See POSTAGE STAMP. 回 See Green Magpie. 回 Name for a medium-sized, pale wader, with the scientific designation Tringa nebularia. It stands to about 35 centimeters tall, has scaly, grey-brown upperparts, with darker shoulders and wing tips, and a barred tail, whereas the underparts are white, with a very faint breast pattern. Its long legs are greenish and the bill is thin and dark, with a grey base. The head is lightly streaked. Its breeding plumage is similar, but darker. It inhabits both fresh and coastal waters (fig.), where it feeds on aquatic invertebrates and small fish. It lives either solitary or in small groups, and often mixes with other warders. In Thai, this bird is known as nok thalae kha khiaw thammada. Also called just Greenshank. See also WILDLIFE PICTURES. 回
Common name for a species of butterfly, with the scientific designation Cepora nerissa. Above, the wings are white, with a greyish shade along the veins and blackish margins, whilst below the wings are yellow to pale yellowish-white, also with dark shades along the veins, but which are more restricted and fainter, especially around the margins and on the hind-wings. Females are similar but much darker. In the dry-season, the colours are fainter, and the patterns less clearly defined than in the wet-season (fig.). There are several subspecies, such as Cepora nerissa cibyra, Cepora nerissa nerissa, etc. In Thailand, this species of butterfly is called phi seua leuang sayaam laai kiht (ผีเสื้อเหลืองสยามลายขีด). See also WILDLIFE PICTURES. 回
Common name for a species of cuckoo, with the scientific name Hierococcyx varius, and a common and widespread resident in South Asia. It is about 34 centimeters tall and bears a close resemblance to the Shikra (fig.), both in appearance and in style of flying and landing on a perch. The sexes are alike, with adults being ashy grey above and whitish with brownish-buff colouring below, that changes into brownish-buff crossed bars towards the belly. They have a broadly barred tail and a distinctive yellow eye-ring. Juvenile birds are brownish above, and whitish with blackish streaks below. 回
Common name for a butterfly, with the scientific designation Euploea core. It has a wingspan of about 8 to 9 centimeters, and above its wings are glossy black, with a bluish shine on the outer apex of the forewing, whilst on the underside the wings are brownish, with pale bluish-white marks, especially on the hindwings (fig.). Its body is black with prominent white spots (fig.). It is also known as Common Crow and Australian Crow, and has three known races. In Thai, this species of butterfly is named after its larvae, i.e. phi seua jorakah non yihtoh (ผีเสื้อจรกาหนอนยี่โถ). 回
Common name for a tailed butterfly, with the scientific designation Cheritra freja frigga. READ ON. 回 Common name of a small passerine bird, with the scientific designation Aegithina tiphia. In Thai, it is called nok khamin noi thammada (นกขมิ้นน้อยธรรมดา). It is mostly yellowish below and olive above, with washed flanks. Its wings and tail are blackish, with two whitish wing-bars. Females are overall duller and paler. In the breeding season, the male has no washed flanks and the underparts are more vivid yellow, while the upperparts are a somewhat darker. Some male variants in breeding plumage show black on the head, mantle and rump. It is usually found in forests and wooded areas (fig.), and breeds across South and Southeast Asia (fig.). It is similar to the Green Iora (fig.), but the latter has a darker olive-green body and less yellow. See also WILDLIFE PICTURES. 回
Common name for a species of butterfly, with the scientific designation Graphium doson. It has black wings with whitish to pale blue semi-transparent central wing bands that are formed by large spots, whilst there is a series of smaller spots along the margins. The underside is similar but more whitish and with some tiny orangey-red spots on the hind-wing. The sexes are alike. This species is commonly found throughout South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is reminiscent of the Common Bluebottle, a butterfly of the same genus which is known by the Latin name Graphium sarpedon (fig.). In Thai, this butterfly is known by the name phi seua non jam pih jut yaek (ผีเสื้อหนอนจำปีจุดแยก). 回
Common name for a 16 to 18 centimeters tall bird, with the binomial name Alcedo atthis. This species has reddish-brown underparts, blue upperparts with a turquoise tinge, rufous ear-coverts and a white patch in the neck and on the chin (fig.). Its legs and feet are reddish. Whereas males have a mostly blackish bill (fig.), the base or most of the lower mandible of the females' bill is reddish-orange (fig.). Juveniles are similar to females, but have paler underparts with a grayish wash across the breast. In Thai it is called nok kra-ten noi thammada. See also WILDLIFE PICTURES. 回
Name of a medium-sized, sun-loving species of butterfly, with the binomial name Phalanta phalantha. READ ON. 回 A genus of hard coral with the scientific designation Pectinia lactuca. READ ON. 回 Common name of a coral reef fish, with the scientific designation Pterois miles. It can be translated as ‘Winged Soldier’ or ‘Feathered Soldier’ and the etymology behind it comes from the Greek pteron (πτερόν), meaning both ‘wing’ and ‘feather’, a word related to fteron (φτερόν), which also means ‘feather’ and is the etymological root for the English feather, while the term miles comes from Latin and means ‘soldier’. This ray-finned fish grows to around 35 centimeters and is white, with broad bars and some narrower stripes in between that may vary in colour from reddish (fig.) to tan or greyish-brown in colour. There is also another variety that is white, with stripes that are reddish, maroon or brown in colour and which is known as the Red Lionfish (Pterois volitans). Both species have feathery dorsal and pectoral fins, that are arranged like the spikes of a folding fan, each with bands in the same colour as the stripes and bars on the body and head. Pterois volitans looks similar to Pterois miles, but has an additional dorsal fin ray and an extra anal fin ray. These mane-like fins, that are actually spines that are highly venomous and that give this sea creatures its name, may in case of severe envenoming be potentially lethal to humans. Besides this, their sting can cause severe pain and discomfort upon contact, and possibly headaches, vomiting, and breathing difficulties. Due to this, the Common Lionfish is also known as Devil Firefish, and as a result of its venomous defence system (fig.), it is able to put off most predators, making it a successful species with a high population density. See also POSTAGE STAMP. 回
Common name for a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae and with the scientific designation Cyrestis thyodamas. It is also commonly known as Common Mapwing. It is found in South and Southeast Asia and there is a lighter and darker form. Whereas the former may be overall more orangey (fig.), the latter has a whitish to pale ochraceous-yellow upperside, with black veins that form an intricate pattern of map-like markings, hence its common name. The distinctive pattern of the wings is somewhat reminiscent of stained glass, similar to that of the Straight-line Mapwing, yet more crooked. The markings on the underside of the wings are much paler than above and have some brownish ochraceous lining, while the ochraceous spots near the tail ends, that look like diffuse eyespots, clearly stand out. Above, the body is dark with very either narrow or broad pale lines that run from the back of the head to the end of the abdomen, while below the body is pale yellowish. The Common Map has a somewhat erratic flight. It is very similar to a butterfly found in Indonesia and The Philippines, which is also commonly as known as Common Map, but with the binomial name Cyrestis maenalis. See also Little Mapwing (fig.) and WILDLIFE PICTURES. 回
Common name for a butterfly with the scientific designation Chilasa clytia. This is a variable species found in Southeast Asia and occurs in many different forms in both sexes, which mimic various species of Euploea and Parantica, while the form Chilasa clytia f. dissimilis is regarded as a mimic of some Danainae species, such as Tirumala limniace and Parantica melaneus. In general, members of this species are usually brown or black with pale yellowish to white or greyish markings, sometimes with orange markings along the fringes. 回
Common designation for a small, widespread waterfowl, with the binomial name Gallinula chloropus. Its common name is somewhat deceptive as this bird actually prefers wetlands, such as marshes and swamps, over moorland, and in many other languages, such as Dutch, its name in translation means ‘waterhen’. Except for Australasia, its distribution is almost worldwide. It is recognized by a dark brown to black plumage, i.e. blackish brown upperparts and grey-black underparts, with a white line along the flanks and a white undertail, yellow legs and a red facial shield, which is absent in immature birds. Common Moorhens are omnivorous and forage on land, as well as in or above the water, both floating or while walking on floating plants, such as water hyacinths and the leaves of water lilies. Its diet includes seeds and roots of plants, berries and grass, algae, small fish and tadpoles, insects, snails and worms. In Thai it is named nok ih-lam. See also Common Coot (fig.). 回
Name for a common species of swallowtail butterfly (fig.), with the binomial name Papilio polytes. It is widely distributed across Asia and known for the mimicry displayed by the numerous forms of its females, which includes mimicking the inedible Red-bodied Swallowtails, such as the Common Rose (fig.). There are several different female forms within this species, known by the names sakontala, cyrus, romulus and stichius (fig.), though not all are found in Thailand. The male (fig.) has one morph only, which is swallow-tailed and mainly black, with a series of white spots on the edge of the forewing, that decrease in size towards the apex, and a complete band of elongated white spots on the upper side of the hindwing, as well as a series of white spots on its edge, alternating with the main black ground colour. The male's body is black with some white spots. See also WILDLIFE PICTURES. 回
See Barking Deer. 回 Common name for a bird with the scientific name Acridotheres tristis, also identified as Martin triste. It belongs to the family of Sturnidae and is also known as Indian myna. Oddly, whereas the Latin word tristis in this bird's scientific designation means ‘sad’, Myna (मैना) is the Hindi term for starling and derives from the Sanskrit word madana (मादन), which means ‘joyful’ or ‘delightful’. This bird has a brown body, black hooded head and a bare yellow patch behind the eye. There is a white patch on the outer primaries and the wing lining on the underside is white (fig.). The bill and legs are bright yellow. The birds love to dwell on the ground and are often seen in pairs. The Common Myna is found naturally throughout Southern, Eastern and Southeast Asia, as well as in many other parts of the world, some to which it was introduced. It is related to the White-vented Myna (fig.), as well as to the Talking Hill Myna (fig.), which is found in the mountainous regions of South Asia and a popular pet bird, with the scientific name Gracula religiosa. In Thai, this bird is called nok ihyang sarikah (salikah) or nok ihyang ngon kon laai. Myna is also spelled Mynah and is pronounced Mainaa. See also WILDLIFE PICTURES and TRAVEL PICTURES. 回
Name of a species of butterfly, with the scientific name Polyura athamas, which is found in the subtropical and tropical regions of Asia. READ ON. 回 Common name for a species of pond damselfly, with the scientific designation Ceriagrion calamineum, and also commonly known as Common Pond-damsel. READ ON. 回 Mammal with the scientific name Paradoxurus hermaphroditus. READ ON. 回 Common name for a species of butterfly, with the binomial name Elymnias hypermnestra. It belongs to the Nymphalidae family and is found in South and Southeast Asia. There are several races, the one prevalent in Thailand being Elymnias hypermnestra undularis. Above, males of the latter have blackish brown forewings, with a subterminal series of blue, or sometimes slightly green, elongate spots, that curve strongly inwards and become more elongate, forming an almost oblique bar. Their hindwings have a broadly, bright chestnut, terminal margin, which sometimes has a subterminal, paler spot in two or more of the interspaces. The underside is pale brown, with a broadly triangular pale purplish-white mark on the forewings and a broad purplish-white subterminal area on both the forewings and hindwings (fig.). In addition, the hind-wing has a small white spot and a more or less complete series of more obscure whitish subterminal spots. The antennae, head and thorax are brown, and the abdomen is brown with paler undersides. Females have a yellowish-brown upperside, with black veins. The forewings have a broadly black dorsal margin, with a noticeable, broad, oblique white bar and three subterminal white spots. The hindwings have a greyish dorsal margin, with a more black margin and a subterminal series of four white spots. The underside is yellowish-brown, with markings similar to those in the male, though the pale whitish markings are more extensive (fig.). Since their caterpillars feed on coconut palms, these butterflies are named after their larvae, i.e. phi seua non maprao thammada (ผีเสื้อหนอนมะพร้าวธรรมดา) in Thai, which means ‘common coconut butterfly caterpillar’. See also WILDLIFE PICTURES. 回
Common name for a species of butterfly native to the Indian subcontinent, parts of China and Southeast Asia, including in Thailand, where it is named after its caterpillar form, i.e. phi seua non maprao khon puy. READ ON. 回 Common name for a species of a butterfly, with the scientific name Castalius rosimon. READ ON. 回 Common name for a species of a butterfly, with the scientific name Dodona durga. It belongs to the family Riodinidae and is found in southern Asia. It has a wingspan of around 3 to 4 centimeters, with wings that are brownish above, marked with orange and black spots on about two thirds of the outer wings. Its body is also brownish, with a greenish iridescence. 回
See Punchinello. 回 Common name for an Eurasian wader, with the scientific designation Tringa totanus. It is also simply known as Redshank and belongs to the family Scolopacidae. In Thai, it is called nok thalae kha daeng thammada (นกทะเลขาแดงธรรมดา), i.e. ‘common red-legged sea bird’. In winter plumage it is plain greyish-brown above and whitish below, with reddish legs and a red-based black bill. In breeding plumage it is darker and more patterned above, while the underside is only slightly lighter. 回
Name for a species of red-bodied swallowtail butterfly (fig.), with the scientific appellation Atrophaneura aristolochiae. It belongs to the genus Atrophaneura, which encompasses Swallowtails, and to the subgenus Pachliopta. It is commonly found across South and Southeast Asia. It is similar to the Great Mormon (fig.), the Golden Birdwing (fig.), the Common Birdwing and the Common Mormon (fig.), but with a red body. In 2001, this butterfly was depicted on one of a set of four Thai postage stamps featuring Thai butterflies (fig.). 回
Name for a species of butterfly, with the scientific name Neptis hylas. It found in South and Southeast Asia. Its upperside is blackish, with three white, horizontal bars and several white spots. The head and body are overall blackish, with a metallic green and bluish sheen, whilst the antennae are black, with pale yellowish tips. It has a characteristic flight, in which it glides through the air, with only occasional short and shallow wing beats. In Thai it is known as phi seua kalaasih thammada (ผีเสื้อกะลาสีธรรมดา), a literal translation of the English common name. Also called Common Plain Sailor. 回
Name for a species of waterfowl, with the scientific designation Tadorna tadorna. It is common and widespread in Europe and Asia, breeding in temperate and wintering in subtropical regions. Adults have a white body, with chestnut and black patches, and a blackish-green head and neck. Their legs and feet are pink, and the bill is reddish-pink. In drakes there is a large knob at the base of the bill, which females lack. Instead of this basal knob females have white facial markings near the base of the bill, as well as a very thin white eyering. In Thailand, this species of duck is called pet shelduck (เป็ดเชลดัก), with the word pet (เป็ด) meaning ‘duck’. See also Ruddy Shelduck. See also WILDLIFE PICTURES. 回
Common name for a species of skink (jing lehn), with the Latin scientific name Mabuya multifasciata, and also commonly known by a variety of other common names, including Vietnam Forest Skink, Many-striped Skink or Many-lined Sun Skink (fig.), Golden Skink (fig.), and East Indian Brown Mabuya. This large, heavy-bodied skink may have a bronze flank or olive-brown flank and tiny light spots, as well as five or seven dark lines on the ventral surface. See also WILDLIFE PICTURES (1) and (2). 回
A kind of Tailorbird, with the scientific name Orthotomus sutorius, which in Thai is known as nok krajib thammada. Their are a few subspecies. Common Tailorbirds are 11 to 13 centimeter small birds and though often hidden within vegetation, they are easily noticed as they give away their presence by their quick, loud and repetitive song, whilst frequently cocking their tail. Adult males have a reddish-brown forecrown, largely olive green upperparts (fig.) and all-white underparts, including the vent, yet with some dark patches on either side of the throat (fig.), that become clearly visible as the throat swells when calling (fig.). Non-breeding males and females are identical, though in the breeding season the male has longer central tail feathers. Juveniles are overall duller and their crown is initially all green (fig.). Their legs are pinkish and their sharp bill is pinkish grey. Typically, their nests are made by piercing the edges of a large leaf, which are sewn together with plant fiber, a technique shared by all tailorbirds and which led to their name. The Plaintive Cuckoo, a brood parasite, often lays its eggs in the nests of Common Tailorbirds. This species is sometimes listed in the family Sylviidae. See also WILDLIFE PICTURES. 回
See phi seua non khao sahn laai seua. 回 Common name for an arboreal frog in the family Rhacophoridae, with the scientific designation Polypedates leucomystax. READ ON. 回 Name for a small mammal that resembles a squirrel. Even though it is arboreal (fig.) and inhabits primary and mature secondary forest, during the daytime it is mostly active on the forest floor (fig.) or amongst fallen branches, where it feeds on insects and fallen fruit. It has a body length of 17 to 24 centimeters, with an equally long, bushy tail and is easily recognized by its pointed snout. It is also known as the Indochinese ground squirrel and has the scientific name Tupaia glis. There are several species with varying colours and they range from southern Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore to Sumatra, the Riau Islands, Java and Borneo. The Common Tree Shrew is similar in appearance to the Mountain Tree Shrew, that is found only in the mountains of northeastern Borneo, but the first one is distinct by a characteristic pale mark on the shoulder. Like the slender squirrel (fig.) it also often has a pale area around each eye. In Thai called kratae thammada (กระแตธรรมดา). See also WILDLIFE PICTURES. 回
Common name for a medium-sized butterfly of the family Pieridae. It is also known commonly as Malayan Wanderer, and has the scientific name Pareronia valeria. It is black with pale blue stripes and spots, though these markings are narrower and bluish-white in females, of which one dimorph, i.e. the philomela form, also has a diffuse yellow-orangey spot at the wing base, near the abdomen. The underside of both sexes is mostly very pale bluish-white with blackish veins and with obscurely fuscous terminal wing margins, with the diffuse yellow-orangey spot also present on the underside of the wings of the female philomela form. In Thai, known as phi seua fah mia lian malayu (ผีเสื้อฟ้าเมียเลียนมลายู). See also TRAVEL PICTURES. 回
Common name for a species of butterfly with the scientific name Cirrochroa tyche in the family Nymphalidae that occurs in forested areas of tropical South and Southeast Asia, including in Thailand, where the occurring subspecies Cirrochroa tyche mithila is known as phi seua sih it thammada (ผีเสื้อสีอิฐธรรมดา), which translates as ‘common brick-coloured butterfly’. On the upperside, the wings are tawny orange with a black distal margin, and sinuate marginal and submarginal lines. The hindwing has a series of black post-discal spots. The female is duller orange with black margin at the forewing apex broader than that in the male. On the underside, the wings are paler orange in the male and dull brownish orange in the female with wavy black lines and black spots. Both wings feature a silvery white transverse discal band. It is somewhat similar in appearance to the Common Cruiser (fig.). 回
Common name for a flowering plant of the genus Zinnia and with the botanical names Zinnia violacea and Zinnia elegans. It grows around 75 centimetres tall and bears Daisy-like flowers, originally with purple petals, that surround a deep wine to black centre, itself surrounded by stamens that consist of deep maroon filaments with bright yellow anthers (fig.), although many other cultivars now exist, with varying sizes and forms, as well as petal colours, that range from creamy and white, through bronze, orange and apricot, to rose, pink and red, as well as various hues of purple. It is also commonly known as Zinnia and Youth-and-Old-Age. It appears on a Thai postage stamp issued in 2003 (fig.). 回
Comptroller General's Department See Krom Banchih Klahng. 回 Communications Authority of Thailand See Krasuang Theknohlohyih Sahnsonthet Lae Kahn Seusahn. 回 Architectural term for hollow or arch. See also convex. 回 A shell representing the primordial sound and one of the attributes of the Hindu god Vishnu. It also represents wisdom in the voice of Buddha calling the people to worship. Shells which spiral clockwise are a rarity and are considered especially sacred. The conch is one of the eight auspicious symbols or Ashtamangala and is used in both Hindu and Buddhist rituals (fig.). See also Sankha. 回 Name of a slender species of katydid, with the scientific designation Neoconocephalus robustus. The Robust Conehead Katydid is mostly fresh green in colour, with brownish legs, a cone-shaped head, with long antennae, and a beige stripe that runs from the behind the head along the body. The name katydid is an onomatopoeia and derives from the male’s repetitive call, i.e. Katy did. In general, katydids are also known as long-horned grasshoppers and bush-crickets. In Thai, this species is known as takkataen hua laem nuat yao (ตั๊กแตนหัวแหลมหนวดยาว). 回
Confucianism is a philosophical system founded by Confucius (fig.) in the 6th to 5th centuries BC that has deeply influenced Chinese culture and other East Asian societies. At its core, Confucianism focuses on ethics and social harmony, emphasizing values like Ren (仁), ‘benevolence’; Li (礼), ‘ritual propriety’; and Xiao (孝), ‘filial piety’. It underscores the importance of structured social relationships, particularly within the Five Relationships (五伦), i.e. ruler and subject, father and son, husband and wife, elder and younger brother, and friend and friend. Confucianism promotes the idea that ethical leaders lead to a harmonious society, advocating for governance based on virtue and moral authority. The family plays a central role, with a strong emphasis on respecting elders and cultivating moral character. Although not a religion in the traditional sense, Confucianism carries a spiritual dimension that encourages personal growth and societal harmony. Over time, Confucianism has influenced political systems, education, and cultural practices in East Asia, evolving with different interpretations and schools of thought. It continues to be a significant cultural and philosophical force in the modern world. 回 Chinese philosopher and religious reformer, who lived from 551 to 478 BC. His thoughts, which later became known as Confucianism, emphasize ethical values such as morality, social correctness, justice and sincerity, yet he described himself as a transmitter who invented nothing. His philosophy developed parallel to Legalism and gained some importance over the much older doctrine of Taoism. In iconography, he is typically portrayed with a long beard and holding one hand on top of the other, a mudra or hand position that symbolizes the balance of yin and yang (fig.). The Chun Qiu (fig.) have traditionally been regarded as compiled by Confucius. In China, Confucius is known as Konfutse (孔子 - fig.) and in his hometown of Qufu, as well as in the Chinese capital Beijing, there are large temples in his honour (map - fig.). In Vietnam (fig.), he is known as Khong Tu (Khổng Tử) and in Thai he is referred to as Khong Jeua (ขงจื๊อ). See also Cup of Confucius. 回
Chinese. An artifact from ancient China, that consist of a hollow cylinder, which is circular on the inside and square to octagonal on the the outside. The shape of smaller cong is somewhat reminiscent of a square-shaped napkin-ring, but most are bigger and usually much longer. It is originally made from jade (fig.) and is hence also referred to as yu cong (玉琮), though nowadays copies are made in all kind of materials (fig.). Also large ones are found as monuments (fig.) in cities and villages across China (fig.), and sometimes even modern buildings are shaped as cong (fig.). The earliest cong date back to the New Stone Age and were produced in the Liang Zhu civilization, that existed between 3400 and 2250 BC. Though the original function and meaning remain unknown, it is assumed that the cong might have been some kind of ritual object. In China, it is also believed that a square shape represents the earth and a circle represents heaven, as in the ancient fang kong qian coins (fig.). See also bi. 回
Name of a museum which is part of the larger Siriraj Hospital Museum within the Siriraj Hospital (fig.) and which is situated in the Anatomy Building, conveniently located above the mortuary and Dissecting Room. It is named after Dr. Edgar Congdon, who founded the anatomical museum in 1927. It houses a large collection of normal and abnormal anatomical and osteological samples, including congenial anomalies, visceral anatomy of the thorax, abdomen and pelvis, the central and peripheral nervous system, etc. There are also some displays of whole body dissections, revealing the fine details of the nervous system and the arterial system of the human body. The museum has some rather morbid objects on display, such as the cross-section of human bodies, heads and body parts, and babies affected by genetic anomalies and disorders, frozen in time inside jars filled with formaldehyde. In Thai, the museum is called Phiphithaphan Kaai Wiphaaksaat Congdon (พิพิธภัณฑ์กายวิภาคศาสตร์คองดอน), which translates as the ‘Congdon Museum of Scientific Body Vivisection’. Its design and objectives are in many ways similar to those of the Human Body Museum (fig.) at the Faculty of Medicine of the Chulalongkorn University. See MAP. 回
Vietnamese. ‘Five Elements Flag’. Vietnamese festival flag (fig.), flown at temples and pagodas, and during certain festivals and ceremonies, especially those that are religious in character. It consists of concentric squares in various colours, framed by a deeply indented border that is usually red, yet sometimes dark blue in colour, and with a thin white outer rim. The colours used in the flag symbolize the corresponding colours of the Five Elements according to ancient Chinese philosophy (fig.), originally red, green, yellow, white and black, though the black colour, which represents the element of water, is usually replaced by dark blue, and the white, which represents metal, is often changed for pink. Apart from the red or blue indented border, the colours of the concentric squares, as well as as that of the central square, are used interchangeably, may appear in any order, may include the colour red or blue once again, and often number less than four concentric squares. Occasionally, the central field of the flag may have one or more Chinese characters or a Christian cross on it, typically in yellow onto a central field in red, and –though less frequently encountered– the Vietnamese festival flag also exists as a triangular banner, and may also occur with the same pattern in just two colours, sometimes not even part of –or related to– the corresponding colours of the Five Elements, and then especially purple and white seem to be popular. 回
Greek national and adviser to King Narai during the Ayutthaya period. READ ON. 回 Constantinos Gerakes (Κωνσταντίνος Γεράκης) The Greek and original name of Constantine Phaulkon. Since gerakes is the Greek word for ‘falcon’, the surname of this seventeenth century adventurer in literature was changed into Phaulkon, i.e. the ancient spelling for Falcon transliterated from Greek. Gerakes is sometimes transliterated as Gerakis. 回 Thai public holiday celebrated on December 10th. In Thai Wan Rattamnoon. 回 1. Vietnamese for silkworm. In northern Vietnam, there exists an extremely large kind of silkworm, which is eaten by some people, especially by members of the local ethnic hill tribe minorities. Also simply tam (tằm). 回
2. Vietnamese for chrysalis, especially that of the silkworm (fig.). 回 Common name for a species of Owlet Moth of the genus Spirama, with the scientific designation Spirama helicina (fig.). 回 Architectural term for sphere, spherical or round. See Also concave. 回 Common name for a kind of tropical coral fish, with the scientific designation Chelmon rostratus. It has a whitish-silver body with orange to copper coloured vertical bands, a black ocellus (eyespot) near its dorsal fin, and a long, narrow nose and mouth, which it uses for hunting for food in crevices and holes along the reef. This peaceful, non-aggressive fish is found in the inner and coastal reefs of the Indo-Pacific region, usually between 1 and 25 meters deep. It is also commonly referred to as Beaked Butterflyfish, Beaked Coralfish and Orange Stripe Butterfly, and in Thai it is known as pla phi seua pahk yahw laai som (ปลาผีเสื้อปากยาวลายส้ม), which means ‘long-snouted orange-striped butterfly-fish’. 回
A non-venomous snake with the scientific names Coelognathus radiata and Elaphe radiata. It can grow to a length of about 230 centimeters and its body is grayish or yellowish brown with four black stripes on the anterior part. The head is yellowish to coppery brown with three black streaks radiating from the eye (fig.), of which two extend downward and one backward to the narrow black band over the nape. As is the case with a number of snakes in the same family, its nostrils are located on the side of its snout. It is also known by the common name Radiated Rat Snake (fig.) and Copperhead Rat Snake, and in Thai as ngu thahng maprao laai khihd, meaning ‘stripe-marked coconut palm leaf snake’. 回
Common name for an approximate 17 centimeter tall bird (fig.), with the scientific name Megalaima haemacephala. The predominant subspecies in Southeast Asia is Megalaima haemacephala indica. Adult birds have dark green upperparts, a yellow throat and head-sides, a black eyestripe and submoustachial stripe, and pale greenish underparts, streaked with dark green (fig.). The crown is red at the front and black towards the rear. They also have a reddish-orange breast-band (fig.). In juveniles, the dark of the head is duller, the yellow throat and head-sides paler, and it has no red on the crown or breast. Its habitat consists of deciduous forest, scattered trees, mangroves, parks, gardens and plantations. Coppersmith Barbets feed mainly on fruits, such as figs, berries and mangoes, but also consume insects, such as beetles, mantis and crickets, which they pick from leaves or catch on the wing, and they are also known to remove bark chips from trees in order to reach invertebrates. They forage either alone or in pair (fig.). In Thai called nok tih thong (นกตีทอง). See also WILDLIFE PICTURES (1) and (2), as well as TRAVEL PHOTO. 回
Marine invertebrates that typically live in compact colonies of several identical individual polyps. Each polyp is a sac-like animal with a set of tentacles around a central mouth. These polyps secrete calcium carbonate near their base, thus creating an exoskeleton characteristic of the species. Depending on the species, corals either breed by spawning, around a full moon, or grow by asexual reproduction of polyps. Whereas some corals catch plankton and small fish using stinging cells on their tentacle, most corals use photosynthesis to acquire energy and nutrients, and hence live in shallow and warm waters, where they are major contributors to the physical structure of coral reefs that develop in tropical and subtropical waters, while other species, that do not rely on photosynthesis, can survive in much deeper, colder water. 回
Common name of a flowering creeper, with the botanical designation Antigonon leptopus and belonging to the knotweed family Polygonaceae. It produces clusters of small pink or white flowers that grow in panicles along the rachis, i.e. a main axis, stem or shaft. Also known as Bee Bush and Mexican Creeper, and in Thai called phuang chomphu (fig.). See also POSTAGE STAMP and TRAVEL PICTURE. 回
‘Corbelling’. Construction technique using an overlapping arrangement of stone blocks to build arches, domes or roofs. Also console. 回 A Thai art or handicraft in which animals are woven from cord fibers. Though this art is practiced and found nationwide, dragons woven from rope are a typical OTOP product from Roi Et (fig.). 回
See phak chih for the plant and malet phak chih for the seeds. 回 An ornamental molding along the top of a wall, pillar, pedestal or building. In Thai temples it is often in the form of a lotus (fig.). See also capital. In Thai called bua. 回
Thai public holiday that commemorates the sovereignty and coronation of the King. Whereas the single occasion of the actual coronation event is known in Thai as Wan Boromma Racha Phisek, the annual commemoration thereof is called Wan Chat Mongkon, a term that includes the name for the Nine-tiered White Umbrella of State, i.e. a chattra or chat. The annual commemoration began in 1851, during the reign of King Rama IV, when it was held on May 15th. During the reign of King Rama IX it was celebrated on May 5th, though Bhumipon Adunyadet ascended the throne on 9 June 1946, he wasn't crowned until 5 May 1950, after the royal wedding of 28 April 1950. On Coronation Day, the King and Queen traditionally attend an annual memorial ceremony in Wat Phra Kaew and the Royal Ceremony, a royal merit-making ceremony known as Phra Ratcha Phittih Chalong Phra Saweht Chat (พระราชพิธีฉลองพระเศวตฉัตร), which translates as ‘Sacred Royal Ceremony Celebrating the White Royal Umbrella’, or Phra Ratcha Phittih Chat Mongkhon (พระราชพิธีฉัตรมงคล), meaning ‘Sacred Royal Ceremony of the Auspicious Royal Umbrella’, which is held at Dusit Maha Prasat (fig.). In the Royal Ceremony, the Kakuthaphan, i.e. the Thai Royal Regalia (fig.), are symbolically placed on the Phra Racha Banlang Pradap Muk (fig.) a royal throne decorated with mother-of-pearl, housed in Dusit Maha Prasat. In 2019, with King Rama X, the annual Coronation Day celebrations changed to be held on May 4th, from that year onward, as this monarch was officially crowned in 2019, with the coronation ceremony taking place in Bangkok from 4 to 6 May, though he ascended the throne on 1 December 2016, 50 days after the death of his father, and thus retroactive to October 13th, the day of the demise of Rama IX. 回 See Phra Tihnang. 回 Original name of the Italian professor and founder of the University of Fine Arts in Bangkok, Silpa Bhirasri. See also POSTAGE STAMP and TRAVEL PICTURES. 回
Museum in Bangkok, that sheds light on Thailand's prison history and life behind bars. Topics dealt with include prison facilities, various forms of detention (fig.) and torture (fig.), and capital punishment (fig.), as well as techniques, weapons and tools used to carry out executions. The museum is in a former maximum security prison located on Mahachai Road, of which today a cellblock, part of the prison wall and two watchtowers remain, the rest of the site was made into a park, which opened on 7 August 1999 under the name Suan Romanih Naht (fig.). In Thai, the museum is officially known as Phiphithaphan Rachathan (พิพิธภัณฑ์ราชทัณฑ์), but in popular speech it is referred to as kuk kao (คุกเก่า), i.e. the ‘old prison’. Also called Prison Museum. See MAP. 回
See phak salad kos. 回 Name of a small perching duck, with the scientific name Nettapus coromandelianus. It is found from southern Asia, over Southeast Asia, to northern Australia. It often shares its habitat with the Lesser Whistling Duck (fig.). Some small examples are among the smallest waterfowl on earth, with a body size as little as 26 centimeters, hence the word pygmy in this species common designation. Males in the breeding season have a white head, neck and underparts, with a glossy blackish-green crown, a prominent black collar and a white wing-bar. The head is rounded, with a black goose-like bill, a dark vent, and black short legs. In flight, the wings are dark green with a white band. Females are duller and browner above, as well as with a duller neck and underparts, which are buffish and have darker mottling, especially on the breast. They have a vague collar, a black eye-stripe, and a narrow white trailing edge to the secondaries. The vent is pale. In non-breeding or eclipse plumage, males resemble females, except for the white wing-bar. In Thai, it is called pet khab khae (เป็ดคับแค). It is also commonly known as Cotton Teal. A male and female Cotton Pygmy Goose are depicted on a postage stamp which was issued in 1996 as part of a set of four stamps on ducks found in Thailand (fig.). 回 Common name used for a number of different tropical and subtropical trees, such as those of the genus Gossypium, which in Thai are referred to as ton faai (fig.), as well as for a tree with the botanical name Bombax ceiba, which in Thai is called ton ngiw (fig.), and as a nickname for the Kapok Tree, a tree with the scientific designation Ceiba pentandra and in Thai known as ton nun (fig.). 回 Common name for a butterfly with a wingspan of 5 to 7 centimeter and with the scientific name Euripus nyctelius euploeoides. Its wings are of a dark brown to black background with white and pale blue markings. In Thai, it known as phi seua pihk wao thammada (ผีเสื้อปีกเว้าธรรมดา), which can be translated as ‘common inward curving wings butterfly’, ‘normal concave wings butterfly’, or ‘natural indented wings butterfly’. See also WILDLIFE PICTURE. 回
See tukkatah chao wang. 回 Since eunuchs were incapable of having children, and thus would not be tempted to seize power and start a dynasty of their own, some in Imperial China were allowed to become high-ranking civil servants, with certain eunuchs rising to immense power. To escape poverty, some commoners even turned to self-castration in the hope to find employment with the Emperor and to be allowed to work within the walls of the palace. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, it is recorded that there were about 70,000 eunuchs, though this number was by the end of the Qing Dynasty reduced to just 470. Also called palace eunuch and in Chinese known as huan guan and tai jian. 回 Person who tends cattle, either male or female, though often a young boy or girl. The cowherd usually herds his or her flock around in search of fresh pastures and water. In religion Lord Krishna is sometimes described or portrayed as a youthful cowherd, and gopis are the female cowherds or milkmaids, who played with Krishna in his childhood. In Thai a cowherd is called dek noi ka foong hua (เด็กน้อยกะฝูงวัว) or khon ton foong hua (คนต้อนฝูงวัว), which translates as ‘small child [with the] duty to drive cows’ and ‘herdsman [who] drives cows’, respectively. In Sanskrit, Krishna is sometimes referred to by his epithet Govinda or Gopala, which literally means ‘finder of cows’ (i.e. ko or ‘cow’ + vinda or ‘to find’) and ‘protector of cows’ (ko or ‘cow’ + pala or ‘protector’, as in lokapala), respectively. Some cowherds use a kind of goad, a long spiked stick known in Thai as patak (fig.), to urge their cattle forward. 回
Thai-English name for a kind of bar top dance in which troupes of scantily dressed boys or girls perform on top of a bar, table, catwalk or on a stage, often dispatched all over a disco. Besides showing arousing dress and dance, performers might also spray or pour themselves with effervesce drinks from soda bottles they violently shake, making for some wild and wet spectacle. Whilst a-go-go clubs have been around since the Vietnam War, the phenomenon of coyote dancing is much more recent and has taken Thailand's nightlife by storm. Originally, the word coyote is Mexican-Spanish and means prairie wolf. 回
See ling sahaem. 回 Name of an ornamental criss-crossed design of intersecting lines, often found in traditional Chinese latticed windows and screens, usually elaborately carved from wood and resembling cracks in ice (fig.). 回
Name of a tall wading bird with long legs and a long neck. In China and other countries of the Far East, the crane is considered auspicious and a symbol for long life. Its is therefore often represented with other symbols of longevity, e.g. bamboo, a tortoise, pine, etc. Its white or grey feathers are said to represent old age. In Chinese it is called he (鹤), a word with the homonym he (合), meaning ‘to combine, unite, join’ or ‘to gather’. Hence they are often depicted in small groups, symbolically implying harmonious relationships. In Chinese mythology cranes are regarded as messengers of wisdom, and immortals are often described as riding cranes, whereas legendary Taoist sages are transported on the backs of tianhe, divine cranes of paradise. In addition, the souls of the dead are said to be carried to the heavens by cranes. Nowadays, the crane is jokingly referred to as the national bird of China, actually referring to the mechanical cranes on to the top of buildings as part of China's major construction boom. According to an ancient Japanese tradition, if one folds 1,000 origami cranes (fig.) one's wish for health will be granted. Vietnamese-Chinese temples often display pairs of cranes, each standing on a tortoise (fig.). In Vietnamese culture, a tortoise with a crane symbolize enduring power and longevity, and as such, they are often placed at shrines of important historical rulers (fig.) and heroes (fig.). They are also a symbol of yin-yang, as the tortoise is an animal of the water (yin), whilst the crane is an animal of the sky (yang). Furthermore, the crane has either a lotus flower or a pearl in its beak, both again symbols of the water, that hence represent yin. Thus, ying carries yang and yang carries ying, accomplishing circular movement. Cranes belongs to the order Gruiformes and to the family of Gruidae, and Southeast Asia hosts several species, including the Common Crane (fig.), Demoiselle Crane (fig.), Sarus Crane (fig.), and Black-necked Crane. 回
Common name for a tropical shrub, with the botanical name Strophanthus gratus. It originates from western Africa. It is a vine-like erect shrub, that grows 3 to 5 meters high or more, and is also commonly known as Spider Tresses, Indian Rubber Vine and Poison Arrow Vine. Its toxic seeds. ground and mixed with the plant's sticky sap, have been used extensively in the preparation of arrow poison throughout its African distribution area. It bears whitish flowers with a purplish blush, especially on the underside, as well as a deep purple centre. The thick leaves are elliptical to ovate, and are in Africa used as a folk medicine against snakebites. In Thai, it is called baan thon (บานทน), yaem pih nang (แย้มปีนัง), and hom pih nang (หอมปีนัง). 回
Common name for a medium-sized forest pheasant, with the scientific name Lophura ignita. The adult male is up to 73.5 centimeters tall and has a dark, peacock-like crest, a bluish-black plumage, with white-streaked flanks, a reddish reddish-brown rump, a white central tail with black outer-tail feathers, and bare blue facial skin. Its feet and legs are reddish-grey and the eyes have red irises. Adult females (fig.) are brown, with a short crest, blue facial skin and spotted black-and-white underparts. This bird occurs in lowland forests of the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Borneo and Sumatra, and there are four known subspecies, with the one occurring on the Thai-Malay Peninsula being Lophura ignita rufa. In Thai it is called kai fah nah khiaw (ไก่ฟ้าหน้าเขียว), meaning ‘greenish-blue-faced pheasant’. 回
Common name for a bird of prey, with the scientific designation Accipiter trivirgatus. READ ON. 回 Another name for the Changeable Hawk-eagle. 回 Common name for a species of small partridge in the pheasant family Phasianidae, with the scientific name Rollulus rouloul (fig.). This short-tailed bird is a resident breeder in lowland rainforests from southern Burma and Thailand southward. Adult males grow up to 29.5 centimeters tall, whereas females are slightly smaller, measuring only about 24 centimeters. The adult male has metallic bluish-green upperparts, glossy greyish-blue to blackish underparts, and brownish wings. Its head is adorned with a tall chestnut-maroon crest, in addition to a white spot and black bristles on the forehead. The bill of the male is blackish with some red near the base. The female (fig.) has a deep-green body, with brown wings and a dark grey hood, and also has frontal bristles, but no spot or crest. Both sexes have a crimson patch of bare skin around the eye and red legs without a spur. The bill of the female is all-dark. It is also known by the names Crested Wood Partridge, Red-crowned Wood Partridge, Green Wood Partridge and Roul-roul, and in Thai as kai juk, meaning ‘tufted fowl’. 回
Name of an approximately 75 centimeter tall bird of prey, with the binomial name Spilornis cheela. READ ON. 回 Common name of a crestless pheasant, with the binomial name Lophura erythrophthalma and with two subspecies, i.e. the Malay Crestless Fireback Pheasant (Lophura erythrophthalma erythrophthalma) and the Bornean Crestless Fireback Pheasant (Lophura erythrophthalma pyronota). In general, males are overall bluish or purplish-black, speckled with fine, silvery grey spots on the mantle, wings and sides of body, scarlet face-wattles, a golden rump and a rufous tail. The legs are bluish-grey, with a strong spur, the bill is pale greenish-white, yet somewhat blackish at the base, whilst the irises are reddish-brown. Females are overall bluish or purplish-black, with a brownish head, and a paler chin and throat. The irises are brown and the bill is black, yet somewhat paler at the base. Whereas females are mostly similar, the male Bornean Crestless Fireback Pheasant differs from the male Malay Crestless Fireback Pheasant, in having its neck and upper back light grey, finely speckled with black, and with white shaft-lines, whilst the sides of the body and breast feathers are purplish black, with wide white shaft lines. Also known as Rufous-tailed Pheasant and in Thai called kai fah haang sih nahm tahn (ไก่ฟ้าหางสีน้ำตาล), which translates as ‘brown-tailed pheasant’. 回
A shape resembling a segment of a circle, usually with a tapering point at each end. It is commonly associated with the moon when it is in its waxing or waning phases, where it appears as a thin, curved slice of a circle. Crescents are often used symbolically, appearing in various cultural, religious, and architectural contexts. As a symbol it is usually depicted as the lunar phase in the first quarter, sometimes inaccurately described as a half-moon to differentiate from a full moon. As a symbol or emblem it may represent the moon itself. In Hinduism, it is also an ornament that surfaced during the churning of the Ocean of Milk and which Shiva placed in his hair as a decoration, or alternatively on his crown, and a crescent-shaped moon surrounding a dot is known as the chandrabindu or ‘moon-dot’ (fig.), a stroke which is sometimes placed above the top-line with vowels of the Devanagari script in order to nasalize their sound, as in the Aum sign (fig.). The crescent is also a symbol of Islam, typically found on the pinnacle of the onion-shaped dome of a mosque, sometimes accompanied by a star, representing faith and community. 回
Common designation for a large moth, with the scientific name Cricula trifenestrata. READ ON. 回 Name of a medium sized dragonfly, commonly found year-round in Oriental lowlands and mountainous regions. It has the scientific name Trithemis aurora and belongs to the family Libellulidae. Its habitat consists of weedy ponds, marshes, channels and slow flowing streams and rivers, where it also breeds. Males are distinctly different from females. Females have an olive-green or bright reddish-brown face, with eyes that are purplish brown above and grey below. The thorax is olive-green, with brown median and black lateral stripes. The abdomen is reddish brown with median and lateral black markings, which are confluent at the end of each segment and enclose a reddish brown spot. It has transparent wings, with brown tips and bright yellow to brown venation, and pale amber markings at the base. The wing spots are a dark brown and the lags are dark grey with narrow yellow stripes. Males however, have a reddish brown face, with eyes that are crimson above and brown on the sides. The thorax is purplish red whilst its abdomen, of which the base is swollen, is crimson with a violet pruinescence. The wings are transparent with crimson venation and the base has a broad amber patch. It has tiny dark, reddish brown wing spots and its legs are black. In Thai it is named malaeng poh ban tai phu muang. In Thai, dragonflies are known generally as malaeng poh. See also WILDLIFE PICTURES. 回
Common name for a species of sunbird, with the binomial name Aethopyga siparaja (fig.). There are several subspecies. In general, males have a red hood and mantle, a dark green crown and tail, a greyish belly, yellow rump, and mostly brown wings above, yet grey below. On either side of the beak runs a black moustache (fig.). Females are dull olive-coloured above and yellowish-grey to olive below (fig.). The bill, legs and feet of both sexes are black. See also WILDLIFE PICTURES (1) and (2). 回
Latin-English. Short for the Crinum asiaticum, a tropical plant with pointed single leaves that grow up to 15 centimeters wide and about one meter long. It is also commonly known as Giant Crinum Lily, Grand Crinum Lily, and Poison Bulb, as well as Spider Lily, a name also used for flowering plant in the same family with the botanical name Hymenocallis caribaea, which officially fully named Caribbean Spider Lily or Variegated Spider Lily (fig.). In Thai called phlab phleung. 回
See makheua proh. 回 Vahana or mount of the Vedic god Varuna. See also jorakae and makara. 回 Nurseries for crocodiles, often open to the public offering shows. Nowadays crocodiles in Thailand no longer occur in the wild, but are bred for their hide and meat (fig.) in special nurseries, called crocodile farms. The Samut Prakan Crocodile Farm and Zoo (map) alleges to be the largest of its kind in the world, hosting somewhat between 40,000 to 70,000 animals, as well as the one of the world's largest captive crocodiles, measuring about 6 meters in length and weighing around 1,100 kilograms. 回
Latin name for a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It has a body length of approximately 1.6 to 2.5 centimeters and a pair of long, segmented antennae. It is overall greyish-brown in colour, with some indistinct buffish spots, and a series of thorny bumps on its upper elytra. The head is triangular in shape and it has large, black compound eyes. It is very similar to Crossotus stypticus, but has three elongated bumps and grooves in the centre and along the length of its thorax, and a W-shaped mark on its lower wing coverts, features that are either less distinct or absent in Crossotus stypticus. This beetle usually dwells in dry and decaying wood of certain species of Acacia. See also WILDLIFE PICTURES. 回
See Jungle Crow. 回 Buddha image crowned with some sort of headdress, often a chadah. If this type of image is also wearing a royal attire and/or jewels, such as a salwe (fig.) found on Burmese Buddha images (fig.), it is known as an adorned Buddha. See also Jambupati Buddha image. 回 See Giant Indian Milkweed. 回 See Phra Maha Phichai Mongkut. 回 Name for a group of lichen, whose members grow as crust-like structures that adhere tightly to a surface. Though the growth forms are grouped in nine categories, there are three main types of lichens and crustose is one of these main types, the other main two being foliose and fruticose. Whereas foliose consist of flat leaf-like structures, fruticose have leafless branches, some growing like a multiple-branched tufts or as leafless mini-shrubs. 回 1. Underwater abode of the Dragon King. 回 2. See reuan kaew. 回 Cultural Arts Center and Buraphachan Park Name of a venue in Songkhla's Ra Noht (ระโนด) District that organizes cultural events, promotes culture and arts. READ ON. 回 Common Vietnamese name for a plant in the arrowroot family, with the botanical name Calathea allouia. It originates from Central America and is grown as a minor tuberous root crop in tropical regions across the world. The small roots resemble a kind of small potato and are a popular food in Vietnam. In English, it is commonly known as leren, Guinea arrowroot, and sweet corn root. 回
Name of a species of brush-footed butterfly found in forested areas of tropical South and Southeast Asia. There are several subspecies with the one occurring in Thailand being Cupha erymanthis lotis. The upperside of the wings is ochraceous light brown, with wavy black lines on the margins of the hindwings, whereas the forewings have a transverse pale yellowish discal band with some blackish spots in the center, while the apexes are blackish with some yellowish dots. The underside of the wings is much paler with tawny and grayish-brown markings and some blackish spots. See also List of Thai Insect Names. 回
Name used in Asia for a Pythagorean Cup. READ ON. 回 See fire cupping. 回 1. A spice from India, made from the powder of the curcuma root, mixed with pepper, ginger and clove. In Thai karry. 回
2. Meat, vegetables, etc., cooked in a spicy sauce, usually served with rice or kanom jihn. 回 cuoi hoi tron goi (cưới hỏi trọn gói) Vietnamese term for traditional pre-matrimonial wedding gifts that the groom-to-be offers to the bride-to-be during the official marriage proposal, usually some 3 to 6 months prior to the actual wedding. In this engagement ceremony, the fiancé will take the gifts to his fiancée's parental home and officially ask permission to marry the girl. The gifts consist of trays or baskets, numbering five, seven or nine in total, that are filled with different presents, including sweets, especially banh com (fig.), fruits, flowers and teas, and sometimes betel nuts, a remnants of the past and similar to an ancient practice in Thailand, where in the past betel-sets were offered. The gifts are typically towered upon each other in the shape of a cone or pyramid, and festooned with red ribbons, the colour that represents good luck. Often the Chinese character sang-i, which means ‘double happiness’, is attached to the gifts, whilst fruits may be shaped in the form of an auspicious dragon. 回
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