TRADITION & CULTURE
Thailand is a country of scenic diversity and ancient traditions, of tranquil temples and modern urban excitement. With and independent history going back more than seven centuries, it has managed to absorb a variety of cultural influences and blend them into something uniquely and memorably Thai.
Each of its four major region offers a distinctive experience for the traveler in search of discovery. Misty mountains in the north shelter verdant valleys and exotic hill tribes, while in centers like Chiang Mai traditional customs and crafts have been preserved over generations. Along the picturesque coastlines of the east and south lie some of the world's most beautiful beaches and off-shore islands, each with its own beauty. Scattered over the northeastern plateau are superb khamer monuments from the time of Angkor Wat and natural parks teeming with wild life. In the Central Region can be found the evocative ruins of ancient Thai capitals and bustling Bangkok with its dynamic and countless pleasures.
CENTRAL REGION
The fertile Central Plains region, watered by the winding Chao Phraya River, has long been Thailand's cultural and economic heart. "Kin khao", the Thai expression for "to eat", translates literally as "to eat rice" ; and the vast checkerboard of paddy fields on either side of the river has traditionally provided the kingdom with its staple grain. When the annual monsoon rains sweep across the plains, the fields are transformed into a sea of vivid green dotted here and there with farming villages and the occasional gleaming spire of a Buddhist temple.
In the early 13th century, the first independent Thai capital was born at Sukhothai, thus ushering in a Golden Age of Buddhist art and architecture, The impressive remains of Sukhothai have been preserved as part of a historical park, a major attraction for visitors to the region.
When Sukhothai's power waned, a new capital rose further south on the banks of the Chao Phraya. Known as Ayutthaya, it ruled the kingdom for more than four centuries and became one of the largest, most cosmopolitan cities in Southeast Asia. Traders came not only from China, Japan and other Asian countries but also from distant Europe, bringing with them a wide range of new cultural influences. Ayutthaya was destroyed by an invading enemy in 1767 and today its extensive remains also attract numerous sightseers, many of whom come up from Bangkok by the traditional river route.
Bangkok became the capital in 1782 with the founding of the Chakri Dynasty that still occupies the Thai throne. Its early rulers sought to recreate the glories of Ayutthaya and many of the city's landmarks date from this period, among them the magnificent Grand Palace and its adjacent Wat Phra Keo (Temple of the Emerald Buddha),Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn), and Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha). The flavor of the capital's past can be captured by a boat ride along the Chao Phraya River that flows through its traditional heart or an exploration of the picturesque klongs, or canals of Thonburi.
The city quickly outgrew its original walled center and is today a huge metropolis of high-rise buildings, air-conditioned shopping centers, and world-class luxury hotels. Despite its Western facade, however, Bangkok remains distinctively Thai, a fusion of modern and traditional, full of fascinating things to discover. All of Thailand's legendary bargains lustrous silks, bronze ware, antiques, gemstones, and jewelry, to mention only a few are available here, along with countless fine restaurants and other places dedicated to the pursuit of what Thais call sanuk, or pleasure.
Easily accessible to Bangkok are other attractions, among them the world's largest Buddhist monument at Nakhon Pathom, the famous Bridge over the River Kwai built during World War II, and, on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand, the lively seaside resort of Pattaya
Much of what we now know as Thai cuisine also evolved in the Central Region. Rice, fish, and vegetables, flavored with garlic, black pepper, and nam pla, or fish sauce, along with an abundance of fresh fruits, comprised the basic diet of Sukhothai. With the rise of Ayutthaya, other elements were added to the increasingly complex Thai blend. That now essential ingredient, the fiery-hot chili pepper, was introduced at this time, along with the equally popular coriander, lime, and tomato. These may have been brought from their native South America by the Portuguese, who opened relations with Ayutthaya in 1511 and also left a lasting imprint in the form of popular Thai sweets based on egg yolks and sugar. Other influences came from India, Japan, Persia, and especially, China, though in almost every case their contributions were subtly altered and transformed to suite Thai tastes.
Unlike the north and northeast, where glutinous rice is popular, Central Thais like the fragrant plain variety
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Thai people in each region have their own way of life from the North to the South and from the East to the West and the Central Plain. Thai people in Bangkok have their own way of life and their own set of etiquette. The regional difference in traditions and social customs is due mainly to historical background and the formative stage of political and social development as well as exposure to outside world. Religion has played a leading role in traditions of each society. In Thailand, local traditions may vary from place to place depending on ethnicity of the majority of people. In the North, places like Chiangmai, Chiangrai, Lampang and Lampoon used to be small city states with their own rulers. These former city states in the old time used to submit to the powerful Burmese rulers and were influenced by Burmese culture and traditions, particularly architecture of the Buddhist temples and certain social norms.
The traditions as kept by other regions cannot penetrate the strong belief of the local people in their own way of habits and life style. That is why each region can retain their own regional culture and dialect. Thai language has four distinguished tones and groups of words exclusively used in spoken Thai: The northern dialect, the southern dialect, the northeastern dialect and the eastern dialect. The language used in Central Plain are not different much to official Thai. Only accent can be distinguished from province to another. Most of the people in each region who are educated in schools with teachers using the official Thai to teach students in their classes can easily switch their tongues to speak the way Bangkokians speak.
You will see the spirit houses on a pole in almost every house of Thai people at a corner of their front yards. Tai people call the spirit house ‘Sal Phra Bhumi’ ‘Sal’ or ‘Sala” means shrine. This tradition was from the old belief in the spirits of forebears or ancient guardian spirits of the places they presently live. The belief in spirits or ghosts has been with mankind since the ancient time when they had not yet understand the natural phenomenon and diseases that had taken away their lives. Instinctively, Man needs something to comfort his mind when in fear of unknown power and becoming hopeless in life-threatened situation. Fear is basic instinct in mankind and animal-kind. Seeking comfort in spirits of ancestors is deep-rooted common belief in all societies. So far, the knowledge of science is still incapable of eliminating the belief in spirits and ghosts people all over the world. Hinduism, Islam and Christianity are in the same league in believing in Gods. Buddhism has no God in its basic principles as the power that can control your life. But it preaches the existence of super-beings called devata or devas in Sanskrit which means those in an angelic state of being or celestial beings if you like to call them so. Buddhism does not treat any deva like Superman or having mystic power Zues or other gods have in Greek mythology. A deva has no role in dictate any people’s life. People depend on their own deeds, not deva or God or spirit. But the influences of ancient traditions and customs are difficult to bust. So, the local traditions and customs have to live side by side in compromise. That’s why Buddhist events in Thailand are sometimes mixed with Brahmin ceremonial practices and local customs
There are many social customs practiced in Thailand. The most seen in Thai social customs is the greeting by wai a Thai people do for another. But it is not a standard whenever two people meet. The general rules are as follows.
1) A younger person (man or woman) is the first to greet an older person by raising both hands with palms close together to perform a “wai” (ไหว้) as a sign of respect. The young person needs to bow his/her head a little to meet both hands at about his/her nose. The common etiquette is to “wai” everyone present in a group of older persons to be courteous to all. The older persons need to accept the greeting by rub wai (รับไหว้) or wai to return the honour. A Thai people honour other people as they meet in any place by exchanging the wai. If the two parties know each other as close friends, wai is not necessary.
2) Wai is a way to express politeness and modesty by one person to another person. The accepted rules at a workplace are: it is good for junior staffer to express humbleness toward his/her unit manager or senior executives. Wai is a way to give honour to other people both in private and public areas. It’s not matter if you are older than the person who is higher in ranking. Let t
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