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Vocabulary for the Thai Family Posted by palmisano on Aug 13, 2011
Vocabulary for the Thai family is a bit more complicated than it is in the western family. The additional complications come from knowing who is older and who is younger, and know of which side of the family (mother’s/father’s side) everyone is on. Also note that it’s common to call unrelated people Aunt and Uncle…
The Stereotypical Thai Gender Roles Posted by palmisano on Aug 10, 2011
In every culture there are stereotypes for guys and stereotypes for girls. Boys like blue, girls like pink. Boys like action figures, girls like Barbies. It is of course only a stereotype, i.e. what the culture assumes and accepts as the truth – whether it is or not. It’s no different in Thailand.
How to say Planking in Thai? Posted by palmisano on Aug 8, 2011
For those who don’t already know, planking is the recent fad that involves a person laying face down with a stiff body. It seems lame/silly, but when you see pictures of planking in amusing situations/places it can be quite fun (as fun as a short-lived fad can be).
To Be or Not to Be Posted by palmisano on Jul 28, 2011
Today I’m going to talk about a very fundamental word in the Thai language, เป็น bpen1, which means ‘to be’.
The Haves and Have Nots of Thai Posted by palmisano on Jul 21, 2011
The word ‘to have’ มี (mee1) in Thai is very important to learn and understand.
Thai Religious Tattoos Posted by palmisano on Jul 15, 2011
If you’ve been to Thailand, you’ve probably ridden a taxi where on the inside roof above the driver are funny little squigglies and wondered what they meant. These are religious protection markings, like a charm or blessing. The markings aren’t really Buddhist, but you’ll see them interconnected with Buddhism due to the superstitious powers they…
Ghosts in Thailand, part 3 Posted by palmisano on Jul 10, 2011
continuing with the short list of the more popular ghosts . . . pee5 bawb1 ผีปอบ – The word bawb2 ปอบ means ‘evil’. Any ghost can be evil. Remember the movie The Ring? Yeap, that’s a pee bawb. And the spirit inside of the little girl in the Exorcist? Also a pee bawb. Or the…