Welcome to:
THAILAND
The name "Thailand" is associated with the dominant ethnic
group, Thai. Thailand was never under European colonial rule. It was
an absolute monarchy until 1932, when it became a constitutional
monarchy.
In 1939 the country's name was changed from Siam to
Thailand. Military dictators ruled the nation until the early 1970s;
the military remained a powerful force in national politics into the
early 1990s. Since that time, its role has diminished, and a new
constitution was adopted in 1997
Geography
It has an area of 198,114 square miles (513,115 square kilometers).
Divided into four main regions and borders Burma, Laos, Cambodia, and
Malay
the dominant geographic feature is the Khorat Plateau.
Population estimate for 2000 is approximately 62
million.
There are about 75 ethnic groups, and
approximately 84 percent of the population is
Thai
the Thai, constitute about 36 percent of the
population.
Other major ethnic groups
Includes:
Chinese (about 12 percent of the population),
Malay-speaking Muslims (about 3 percent),
Khmer (about 2 percent).
The majority of the Chinese live in central Thailand, especially
in urban areas.
The Malay-speaking Muslims live near to the border with
Malaysia.
The Khmer live near the Cambodian border.
THAILAND
Literatur
e
Thai Traditional Literature is essentially
religious. Most of the literature in the old days
consisted of works on Buddhism and Hinduism
directly or indirectly. Whatever culture the Thai
people brought with them from their homeland
in Southern China where they had been in
contact with Chinese culture for centuries was
adapted to its later conception of Buddhism,
their adopted religion. Traces of their original
culture may be found here and there in a
disguised and weak form embedded in their
literature. Most of the works of emotive
literature were written in verse in various
patterns.
Khun Chang Khun Phaen
The Romance of Khun
Chang Khun Phaen, an
indigenous story of love and
pathos, at time humorous, of a
triangular love plot of one
heroine with two lovers. The
story, apart from its beautiful
expressions, contains a mine of
information on old beliefs and
social customs of the Thai
before the impact of Western
culture. The story as is known
has been translated into English
and French.
The Ramakien
Ramakien(or Ramakirti in transliteration) is
the story based on the famous Indian epic,
Ramayana. It is unique, containing many
episodes and details which are not to be found
in the original epic, but showing traces of
contact with certain versions of the Ramayana in
India, Malaysia, Java and Cambodia. There is an
English translation.
The Romance Of Inao
The Romance of Inao
is a translation from the
well-known storty of
adventures of the national
Javanese hero prince. It is
written in a refined and
perfect style of the Thai
Language and meant for
dramatic performance.
The Sam Kok
Sam Kok is a translation
from San Kuo Chi, a
Chinese historical
romance of the Three
Kingdoms. Unlike the
three preceding ones, it is
written in prose with
perfect expressions of
style of the language.
Phra Aphaimani
Phra Aphaimani is a romantic
tale written in verse by one of
the most famous and popular
poets of Thailand. It is an
imaginary tale of love, intrigue
and adventure, and reflects
some ideas of the people
towards the Europeans of the
last century. There is an English
translation in concise form by
one Prem Chaya.
FAMOUS
Poets and Writers
Chit Phumisak
Chit Phumisak ( 25
September 1930 5 May
1966) was a Thai author,
historian and poet. His
most influential book
was The Face of Thai
Feudalism written in
1957 under the
pseudonym Somsamai
Srisootarapan. Other
pen names used by Chit
include Kawi Kanmuang
and Kawi Srisayam. Born
into a poor family in
Prachinburi Province,
eastern Thailand, he
studied philology at
Chulalongkorn
Hem Vejakorn
Hem Vejakorn (January 17,
1904, Phra Nakhon,
Bangkok April 16, 1969,
Thon Buri, Bangkok) was a
Thai artist and writer. He is
best known for his
illustrations for the covers
of 10-satang pulp novels,
which have in turn
influenced subsequent
generations of Thai artists
and illustrators. He
portrayed rural life, Thai
history and figures from
Thai.
He produced more than 50,000
pieces of art, including pen and
pencil drawings, watercolors,
posters and oil paintings.
Angkarn Kalayanapong
(13 February 1926 25
August 2012) was a Thai
poet and artist. Angkarn
was born in Nakhon Si
Thammarat Province in
Southern Thailand. His
father was a sub-district
headman (kamnan). As a
high school student, he
started writing poems. In
the 1950s, he became a
professional writer.
Angkarn won the S.E.A.
Write Award in 1986 and
was named National Artist
of Thailand in the field of
literature in 1989. Next to
his poetic works, Angkarn
Angkarn
Kalayanapong
Buddha Loetla
Nabhalai
The Author of Phra Aphai
Mani
Buddha Loetla Nabhalai (24 February 1767 21
July 1824) or Rama II was the second monarch of
Siam under the House of Chakri, ruling from 1809 to
1824. His reign was known as the "Golden Age of
Rattanakosin Literature" as Buddha Loetla
Nabhalai was patron to a number of poets in his
court and the King himself was a renowned poet and
artist. The most notable poet in his employ was the
illustrious Sunthorn Phu
Sunthorn Phu
Phra Sunthorn Vohara, known as
Sunthorn Phu, (26 June 1786
1855) is Thailands best-known
royal poet.
Phu's career as a royal poet
began in the reign of King Rama
II, and when the king died, he
resigned from the role and
became a monk. Twenty years
later, in the reign of King Rama
III, he returned to court as a royal
scribe, where he remained for the
rest of his life.
His canonical works :
Nirat Phukaothong (a
collection of poems depicting
his journey to the Golden
Mountain)
Nirat Suphan (depicting his
journey to Suphanburi
Province),
the Phra Aphai Mani saga.
Roughly 95% of the Thai
people are practitioners
of Theravada
Buddhism, the official
religion of Thailand,
religious tolerance is
both customary in
Thailand and protected
by the constitution.
Other religions in
Thailand
Hinduism
Confucianism
Taoism
Christianity
which are generally
practiced by those living in
Bangkok, where a multicultural population
includes citizens of Indian,
Chinese, Japanese, and
European descent.
Religion
Islam is practiced by only about 4% of the
population of Thailand. The majority of Thai
Muslims live in the most southerly provinces
near the Malaysian border.
Traditional Clothes
Chong Kraben is a lowerbody, wrap-around cloth.
it resembles pants more
than skirts. It is a
rectangular piece of cloth
measuring 3 meters long
and one meter wide. It is
worn by wrapping around
the waist, stretching it
away from the body,
twisting the ends
together then pulling the
twisted fabric between
the legs and tucking it in
the back of the waist.
Chong Kraben
Sinh
The sinh is a tube skirt which is
worn by wrapping around the
waist. A sin typically consists of
three parts: hua sinh, tua sinh,
and tin sinh.
SABA
I
Sabai or pha biang is shawl-like garment,
or breast cloth. Sabais can be used by
women and men. Sabai is also known as a
long piece of silk, about a foot wide,
draped diagonally around the chest by
covering one shoulder which its end drops
behind the back.
Suea pat
Suea pat is a long-sleeved shirt with no buttons. It is
worn by wrapping the right side of the front panel of
the shirt over the left side of the front panel, and
the two panels are tied together via strings. Suea
pats are typically worn by Northern Thai women
Chut Thai Phra Ratcha
The formal Thai costume,
chut thai phra ratcha
niyom, literally Thai dress
of royal endorsement,
includes several sets of
dress, designed as the Thai
national costume in formal
occasions. Although
described and intended for
use as national costume,
they are of relatively modern
origins, having been
conceived in the second half
TOURIST
ATTRACTIONS
Ayuthaya
Ayuthaya was founded in 1350 AD by
King U Thong as the second capital of
Siam after Sukhothai. By 1700
Ayutthaya had become one of the
largest cities in the world with a total
of 1 million inhabitants
The construction of the Grand
Palace started in 1782 when the
capital of Siam was moved from
Thonburi toBangkok . The
palace served as the residence
of the Kings of Thailand until
the mysterious death of King
Ananda Mahidol in 1946. The
Wat Phra Kaew, home to the
Emerald Buddha, one of the
oldest and most famous statues
of Buddha in the world.
Grand Palace
Similan Islands
The Similan Islands
in the western
Andaman Sea are
considered the best
dive destination in
Thailand. The
archipelago consist
of 9 islands covered
in tropical jungle
Phang Nga Bay
Phang Nga Bay is one
of the top attractions
in Thailand and one of
most scenic areas in
the country. It consists
of beautiful caves,
aquatic grottoes and
limestone islands.
Ko Phi Phi
Ko Phi Phi is a
small archipelago
in the Krabi
Province in
Southern Thailand.
Ko Phi Phi Don is
the largest island
of the group, and is
the only island with
permanent
inhabitants while
the smaller Ko Phi
Phi Leh is very
popular as a beach
or dive excursion
Thailand Dos
Thailand Donts:
Respect all images of
Buddha, The King and the
Royal Family.
Remove your shoes
before entering
someones house or a
temple. You will also be
required remove your
shoes upon entering
some shops.
Try to keep calm at all
times
Smile a lot
Try to learn a little bit
Thai, hello and thank you
Treat Monks with the
upmost respect
Enjoy yourself
Make sure you have a
visa
- Show disrespect to the
Royal Family or Buddhism
- Raise your voice, get angry
or aggressive
- Touch a Thai persons head
or mess with their hair
- Point to anything with your
feet
- Use or sell illegal drugs
- Overstay your visa
The
End
Thailan
d
Literatur
By:
G8e
Archime
des
Members:
Bambe, Jian
Roi
Celzo, Cyril
Conda, Mary
Trisha
Oxales, Diane
Pearl
