central Thai customs and traditions are influenced by traditional beliefs, Buddhist and Brahmin traditions. Folk customs and traditions are practiced on the rural area among villagers whereas court customs and traditions are practiced in a larger scale and are more complicated. Various rituals are held for such purposes as to obtain occupational success, happiness, and safety as well as on religious occasions, and festivals.
Rice-farming has always been a major occupation of the central Thais. Occause the success of this occupation is dependent upon environmental conditions, farmers perform age-old ritual to ask for a good harvest from theo supernatural forces such as to ash for rain or to celebrate a harvest, etc. The Thai Kings have also recognizea the importance of rice farming and presided over several royal rituals to encourage farmers in their endeavors.
Human beings live in fear of illness, suffering, spiritual possession, and death, hence they behave themselves according to traditional beliefs to ensure good health, happiness, and safety. Many other rituals are also held according to traditional beliefs such as birth ritual, ordination, house warming and death ritual. The royal family, and the nobility also have similar rituals, but evidently they are more elaborat.
Other common rituals are religious rituals which take place on significant Buddhist festivals, the Songkran ritual to celebrate the traditional Thai new year, the Loy Kratong lantern festival in November to respects to and ask for forgiveness from the rivers.
Some of the rituals have been adapted, transformed or even lost. But those which have remained still serve the traditional purposes and reflect the unity in the central Thai society.