Archive for 'Culture'
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).
Chiang Mai’s Holy Hill – Doi Suthep Posted by sasha on Aug 4, 2011
Located just 15 km from the city center of Chiang Mai is the mountain known as Doi Suthep (ดอยสุเทพ). Towering over the city at 1,676 m (5,499 ft), this mountain houses the sacred temple Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep (วัดพระธาตุดอยสุเทพ), which is a must-see for anyone visiting Chiang Mai. It is said that this temple was founded in…
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…
Ghosts in Thailand, part 2 Posted by palmisano on Jul 8, 2011
In part 1 I spoke of the four general categories of Thai ghosts. In part 2 I’ll talk about the types of ghosts, and many of these types can fit into any of the part 1 categories. Keep in mind that this will be a short-list of the most famous types, as there are plenty…
Ghosts in Thailand, part 1 Posted by palmisano on Jul 5, 2011
As evident by their many ghost movies, Thais are very superstitious. They definitely believe in ghosts. Just like in the west, Thais also have many different types of ghosts. I won’t go over them all, but I’ll go over the main types.