The land and its people
Approximately the size of France. covering an area of some 513.115 square kilometers.
Thailand displays considerable geographical and climatic variety in its four major
regions. The far north. where the nation's borders meet those of Burma and Laos, is
mountainous with valleys watered by a number of rivers and streams; during the winter
months temperatures are cool enough to permit the cultivation of such temperate-zone crops
as coffee, lychees, and strawberries.
The rolling northeastern plateau, by contrast, suffers from frequent droughts, although
these are being alleviated by an increasing number of reservoirs and other man-made water
facilities. The central plains region, through which flows the Cho Phraya River, is one of
the most fertile rice growing areas in the world and has been the scene of Thailand's
greatest historical development.
The narrow southern peninsula, stretching to Malaysia, has coastlines with spectacular
beaches along both the Gulf of Thailand and the Indian Ocean and lofty jungle mountains in
many areas. Traditional and modern edifices coexist harmoniously in today's Bangkok. The
country is blessed with an equal Varity of natural resources. Though logging is now
restricted in the teak forests of the north, the region contains rich deposits of
fluorite, wolfram, and tungsten and its river line valleys support a large number of
orchards and farms. Potash is plentiful in the northeast, and mulberry plantations have
traditionally sustained the cultivation of silkworms.
Both fluorite and gems are mined in the west, while
some of the finest sapphires in the world come from the mountains of the finest sapphires
in the world come form the mountains of irrigation canals which supply water not only to
countless rice fields but also to vegetable farms and fruit orchards. Natural gas deposits
in the Gulf of Thailand a re supplying energy for many development projects, particularly
along the Eastern Seaboard. In addition to a plentiful supply of seafood, the south has
extensive deposits of tin and huge plantations of coconuts, cashews, and other fruits.
Though the great majority of Thailand's 50 million
people are ethnically Thai and Buddhist, the country has a substantial number of minority
groups who have historically lived together in harmony. Of these the Chinese are perhaps
the most numerous, particularly in urban areas, though they have become so thoroughly
assimilated it would be difficult to isolate them as a distinct group. Similarly, while
there are Laos and Khmer groups in the northeast and west, nearly all regard themselves as
Thai, culturally as well as by nationality. More clearly defined are the Muslims, who are
mainly concentrated in the southern 0provinces, and assorted hill tribes who live in the
far north; there are also sizeable communities of Hindus and Sikhs in large cities like
Bangkok.
The Family
Perhaps the best way to comprehend Thai social values is to focus on its basic unit, the
Family, and in particular the rural family in its typical village setting. Generations
living under one roof, or at least under several roofs within the same compound; and it is
here that the Thai child learns codes of behavior that will guide him throughout much of
his later life, whether it is spent in the village or beyond. In a village, home is
usually a simple wooden house raised on posts; domestic animals like buffaloes, pigs, and
chickens are kept below, and the family lives above, often in a single room. There is
little privacy, though this is not as highly regarded as in Western countries, and the
communal lift style instills a strong sense, of social harmony in which tact, compromise,
and tolerance are essential.
The father is regarded as the leader, but the mother
also plays a significant role, particularly in the family finances. The coastline of the
East is being developed into the so-called Eastern Seaboard, which will be a center of
industrial development in the future. When small, children are treated permissively by
various members of the family, which as likely as not will include grandparents and
sometimes more distant relatives as well. Respect for elders is taught very early,
however, and by the time a child walk s he is aware of his position in the family
hierarchy, a distinction that applies not only to the relationship between parents and
children but also to that between siblings of different ages. This same delineation of
roles also applies to the wider world outside the family and will remain deeply ingrained
throughout life, thus explaining the reluctance of younger Thais to oppose or otherwise
confront a senior during their subsequent careers in business or government.
A sense of responsibility is also inculcated in early
childhood. Each child is assigned certain duties according to age and ability-feeding
livestock, leading the family buffalo to graze in nearby pastures, taking care of younger
brothers and sisters while parents are at work in the fields. As they grow older,
responsibilities increase and they are allowed to participate in family discussions, with
their opinions taken into account when important decisions are made.
One of the prime responsibilities placed on children
is that of taking care of parents in their old age, a prominent feature of the Thai
concept of family. There is no felling of being inconvenienced by this duty of caring for
aged parents; on the contrary, their acquired wisdom gives them an honored place in the
household, and their counsel is actively sought in teaching their grandchildren and
great-grandchildren to be responsible adults with the same traditional values.
Village Organization and Leadership
Beyond the family, the next larger unit of social organization is the village. Although
there are regional variations in house styles and crop cultivation's, and the setting may
vary, in essence Thai villages are remarkably similar, revolving around well -defined
climatic, religious, and farming seasons. The typical village contains around 100 to 150
households, or an average of 500 to 700 inhabitants. The houses are nearly all simple
wooden structures, elevated on stilts as protection against flooding and unwelcome animal
intruders and also to improve air circulation. A small wooden granary, also on stilts, is
often found beside the house, together with large earthenware jars in which rainwater is
stored for drinking. Most villages now have electricity but water for washing and cooking
comes from canals, rivers, or ponds, or, in the arid northeast, from communal wells. On
the village outskirts are the local school and the Wat, or Buddhist monastery, sometimes
adjacent to one another, sometimes at opposite ends of the village. The school is
generally a simple wooden building, perhaps a single room where several classes are held
simultaneously; an essential feature is the flagpole upon which the Thai flag is
ceremoniously raised each school morning and lowered in the evening.
The monastery, constructed and maintained largely
through local donations and thus reflecting the village's wealth, is often separated from
the community by an open field to give the resident monks maximum privacy and seclusion
for their religious activities. This grassy expanse also serves as the village common, a
place where children assemble to play kickball and where local fetes are held.
The village is self-governing, led by an elected headman, or phu-yai-ban, who until recent
years was always a man; since 1983, however, women have also been elected to the position.
A candidate is not affiliated with any political party but must be a literate Thai house
holder who has resided in the village at least six months and be at last 25 years old. If
he retains the villagers' esteem, the phu-yai-ban can remain in the post until retirement
at 60 through repeated reelections; by the same token, he can be removed if he forfeits
their respect.
The phu-yai-ban preserves the social harmony valued so highly by all Thais by skillfully
settling minor disputes, talking care to ensure that neither party feels cheated or loses
face. In addition, he keeps the village birth and death records and acts as a spokesman
for the community in negotiations with the government bureaucracy. Administratively,
neighboring villagers are organized into groups known as tambon which, depending on
topography and population density, consist of two to 28 villages. The phu-yai-ban within
each tambon elect one of themselves to be kamnan, or commune head-person. Thailand has
nearly 5,000 tambon at present.
The kamnan is chairman of a committee which often
includes a government school headmaster, an agricultural extension worker, and sometimes a
Health Department doctor or paramedic in charge of a local clinic. It also contains at
least two men selected by the nai amphoe (or district officer, who is the kamnan's
immediate superior or appointed by the provincial governor. This committee is responsible
for deciding which villages should have new roads, irrigation budgets and health services,
while the kamnan's main individual responsibilities are to see that justice prevails
within the commune, to maintain records and statistics, to help preserve peace, to assist
in collecting taxes, and to act as the intermediary between the district officer and all
village headpersons in his tambon.
The Wat serves as a social center where villagers have both religious and recreational
activities.
The Wat is the focal point of the village, symbolizing the Buddhist religion and also
acting as the major unifying element, particularly during festivals and merit-making
ceremonies when it also becomes a social center for young and old alike. Abbots and senior
monks frequently enjoy more prestige and moral persuasion than the village head, and in
times of personal crisis they are often the first whose advice is sought. Within the Wat
the abbot has absolute administrative, clerical, custodial, disciplinary, and spiritual
responsibilities, and they determine the monastery's relationship with the village. If an
abbot is scholarly, meditative, and retiring, the monastery is unlikely to concern itself
much with mundane village affairs. On the other hand, if one is a dynamic personality he
may make the Wat a community center with a subtle but powerful influence on social action.
Every young man in the village, before he starts his own family, will spend a period of
study and reflection in the Wat, thus increasing the influence of Buddhism.
Social Values
Buddhist teachings are at the root of the typical Thai villager's sincere consideration
for others, embodied in the virtue known as namchai, "water of the heart," a
concept encompassing spontaneous warmth and compassion that allows families to make
anonymous sacrifices for friends and to extend hospitality to strangers. For example, a
stranger visiting a village will rarely be seen as an intruder and a subject for suspicion
and distrust. Much more likely, the villagers will have the namchai to take him in, feed
him, offer him a bed in one of their homes, and generally treat him as a friend. Buddhism
also lies behind such common expressions as mai pen rai (or "never mind, it doesn't
matter") when something unfortunate happens, reflecting the feeling that one must
gracefully submit to external forces beyond one's control, such as the effects of past
karma. Although highly individualistic and resisting regimentation, Thais nevertheless
realize that inner freedom is best preserved in an emotionally and physically stable
environment. Therefore, they believe that social harmony is best maintained by avoiding
any unnecessary friction in their contacts with others. From this has grown the strong
Thai feeling of krengchai, which means an extreme reluctance to impose on anyone or
disturb his personal equilibrium by direct criticism, challenge, or confrontation. In
general, people will do their utmost to avoid personal conflict. Outward expressions of
anger are also regarded as dangerous to social harmony and as being obvious signs of
ignorance, crudity, and immaturity.
Within such a behavioral framework, Thais share very definite views on what constitutes
friendship and enjoyment. Sincere friendship among Thais is extremely intense; the
language is rich in expressions which reflect the degree of involvement and willing
self-sacrifice. Such relationships are found particularly among men. A "phuan
tai" -literally, "death friend" -is a companion for whom it would be an
honor to die. Should a friend become involved in difficulties, his friend feels an
obligation to help him, regardless of the danger to himself, because "tong chuai
phuan" - "One must help one's friends." This requirement is a sensitive
point of honor and explains many circumstance that often baffle outsiders. displays of
dismay, despair, displeasure, disapproval, or enthusiasm are frowned upon. Accordingly,
the person who is , or appears to be, serenely indifferent (choei choei) is respected for
having what is considered an important virtue. On the level of acquaintanceship,
politeness predominates. When greeting people, Thais will usually show their concern for
others' health by remarking how "thin" or "fat" he or she has become.
The remark is intended as a gesture of friendship.
Individual Life Cycle
A Thai baby officially becomes "someone" after its name is chosen-frequently by
the village abbot-and entered in the village head's records. Soon after birth the child
will be given a nickname, nearly always of one syllable. Intimates will continue to call
him or her by this nickname for the rest of his life and may in deed have to think for a
while to remember the proper name. Childhood is a carefree, cosseted time. By the age of
four, children regularly meet to play beyond the family compound, with boys and girls
generally segregating and roaming freely throughout the village. Boys play make-believe
games, fly kites, plow imaginary fields, and hunt insects and harmless reptiles. Girls
nurse makeshift dolls, "sell" mudpies in make-believe markets, play games
emulating their mothers, and look after younger brothers and sisters. Gradually the
children are drawn into work patterns.
Around eight years of age, girls give increasing help
with household chores and boys assume greater responsibilities such as feeding domestic
animals and guarding the family buffalo as it grazes or wallows. Children attend the
government village school to be taught from a standard nationwide curriculum. They acquire
varying degrees of literacy and study Buddhist ethics and Thai history. All receive a
comprehensive education and by coming into contact with neighboring villages' children and
visiting the provincial capital on school trips they enjoy a broadening of social
experience. Having assumed ever-increasing workloads and responsibilities, youths of 15
and 16 are already regarded as fully mature adult laborers. Between graduation from school
and marriage at around 20, most village males go into the monastery, usually for the
duration of one rainy season, in order to make merit for themselves and their parents; in
some areas a man who has never been a monk is avoided by marriageable girls, who regard
him as a khon dip, literally an "unripe person."
The village girl's entrance into adolescence is a
gentle one. Courtship is confined initially to communal work groups during planting and
harvesting and at monastery-centered festivals and activities. There may be extensive
banter between boys and girls but, individually, young people tend to be shy and
"whirlwind courtship's" are exceedingly rare. Emotional relationships mature
slowly and customarily involve chaperoned meetings at the girl's house. Most young people
select their own marriage partners. Rarely is parental disapproval voiced since marriages
often take place between families within the same village, further strengthening and
widening communal ties. A marriage is sometimes presented as a fait accompli by children
who work in towns or cities and are thus beyond parental control. In many parts of the
country it is the custom for the groom to move in with the bride's family, thus providing
extra labor for the family fields and also avoiding friction between mother and
daughter-in-law. Early in the morning, in accordance with traditional Thai belief that
married life should begin with merit-making, the bride and groom feed village monks and
present them with small gifts. In return, the monks bless the couple and the house or room
where they will live.
The village marriage ceremony bestows no official
validity on their union but is merely a public proclamation that the two people will live
together as man and wife. The young couple's wrists are ceremoniously bound together in
the presence of village elders and they are led to the marriage chamber as guests feast,
drink, sing, and dance. Later, their marriage is officially registered at the district
office and becomes a fact of law. Daily tasks are generally divided equally between
husband and wife. Women normally do the household chores, but they work in the fields
during planting and harvesting. Men perform heavy tasks and fieldwork, fetch water, and
occasionally clean their own clothes. Thai village men are often very good cooks and
sometimes help prepare the food for festivals.
When a couple decide to marry a beautiful ceremony is
held to mark this turning point in their lives. After marriage, every couple eagerly
awaits the birth of its first child, which usually comes during the first year. Children
have a high position in rural and cultural values, since there is strength in numbers, a
vital sense of continuity is ensured, and many hands make farming activities easier. Often
there exists an unspoken preference for boys since they alone may be ordained as priests
to gain merit for themselves and their parents, but no love is withheld if the child
proves to be a girl. Everyday village dress is simple. Men generally wear shorts, a simple
shirt, and their versatile phakhaoma -- a checkered rectangle of cloth loosely worn around
the waist which, at a moment's notice, can serve as a turban for protection against the
sun, a loincloth to preserve modesty during public bathing, a sweat-absorbing towel, or a
hammock. Women wear the phasin (the Thai version of the sarong)and a simple blouse or
bodice. Children wear similar clothing as their parents except when they are dressed in
their school uniforms.
The Seasonal Cycle
The rice planting season usually begins in April or May. Rice is by far the most important
of all Thai crops and the principal food for people throughout the country. Whether boiled
and eaten plain, distilled into a liquor known as lao khao, or transformed into sweets and
noodles, rice and its cultivation comprise a central pillar of Thai life. Kin khao, the
Thai expression for "to eat," literally means "to eat rice." The grain
provides major government revenues and for centuries has been Thailand's leading
agricultural export. Visakha Puja, the year's greatest religious holiday which
commemorates the Buddha's birth, enlightenment ,and death , comes during seeding and
plowing. Village elders attend temple celebrations and sermons during the day, while those
who have been working all day in the fields return at dusk to join the solemn candle or
torch lit procession that circumambulates the monastery chapel three times. Each person
carries flowers, three glowing incense sticks, and a lighted candle in silent homage to
the Buddha, his teaching, and his disciples.
Shortly after transplanting is completed, usually
toward the end of May, the first of the annual monsoon rains arrive to inundate farmland.
Daily rainfall replenishes the fields and while the rice is growing much of the family's
time is taken up with Rains Retreat observances. During this annual three-month period
(Phansa in Thai), Buddhist monks are required to remain in their monasteries overnight, a
tradition which predates Buddhism. In ancient India, all holy men, mendicants and sages
spent three months of the rainy season in permanent dwellings, thus avoiding unnecessary
travel during the period when crops were still new for fear they might accidentally tread
on young plants. In deference to popular opinion, the Buddha decreed that his followers
should also abide by this tradition. This initiated a move away from an itinerant life to
a more or less settled existence since the advantages of communal living became apparent.
Phansa represents a time of renewed spiritual vigor. The monk meditates more, studies
more, and teaches more.
Laymen, too, traditionally endeavor to be more
conscientious, perhaps abstaining from liquor and cigarettes and giving extra financial
and physical support to local monasteries. Phansa is also ordinarily the season for
temporary ordinations. Young men enter the monkhood for spiritual training, to gain merit
for themselves and their parents, and to conform to the widespread feeling that a man who
has not been a monk cannot be considered a mature adult.
The Buddhist ordination is a mixture of religious
solemnity, merit-making, and boisterous celebration reflecting the Thai belief that the
three most important events in a man's life are his birth, his ordination, and his
marriage. The ordination ritual itself originated over 2,500 years ago as the Sangha (the
Buddhist monastic order) took shape and has changed little to this day. Socially, it is
something in which the entire village participates. Local monks comprise the presiding
chapter and preceptors, while villagers gain merit by accompanying the tonsured,
white-robed candidate for monkhood (known as the nak) in a colorful procession to the
monastery, often marked by joyous dancing and the infectious throb of long drums.
Symbolism permeates every aspect of the ordination
ceremony. The nak's white robe connotes purity and the royal umbrella held over his head
reminds participants of the royal heritage Prince Siddhartha Gautama renounced during his
spiritual quest to become the Buddha. The nak leads the villagers in a triple circum
abulation of the monastery chapel to evoke the Buddhist Triple Gem -- the Buddha, the
Dhamma, and the Sangha (the Teacher, the Teaching, and the Taught.)
Once the rains have ended, the daily rhythm of field
work is increasingly concerned with keeping birds away from the ripening rice. During this
time fish are abundant in rain-swollen streams and fields. methods and equipment for
freshwater fishing vary from region to region and depending on where the fish are being
sought -- canals, rivers, ponds, or rice fields. In early November, one of the most
beautiful of Thai festivals, Loy Krathong, takes place. Loy means "to float,"
and a krathong is a lotus-shaped vessel traditionally made of banana leaves. The krathong
usually contains a candle, three incense sticks, some flowers, and coins. By the light of
the full moon, people light the candles and incense, make a wish, and launch their
krathongs on the nearest body of water. The Goddess of the water who plays such an
important role in rural life is thus honored, and it is also commonly believed that the
krathongs carry away the past year's sins as well as the hopes of the launcher for the
future. Moonlit waterways throughout Thailand are covered with tiny, flickering lights
representing millions of silent aspirations.
By late November or early December, rice in the north
and the central plains is ready to be harvested. Wherever possible, water is drained to
allow fields to dry. Harvesting schedules are determined by common consent within each
village. Early each morning, cooperative work groups go into the fields with sickles to
harvest each farmer's crop. Around noon, the host family sends food to the fieldworkers,
and after lunch work resumes until dark when the host family provides another meal. The
cut rice is spread in the fields to dry for several days before being bundled in sheaves
and taken to the family compound, where it is threshed and winnowed. Except in the south,
where later monsoons arrive late in the year, harvesting usually ends in January to
February. Then the farm family turns its energies to activities neglected during the rice
harvest. Buildings, tools, and fences are repaired and secondary crops are either planted
or harvested.
The hot dry season after the rice harvest is marked by
the important Songkran festival, which celebrates the traditional Thai New Year. At this
time people from rural areas who are working in the city usually return home to celebrate.
Songkran is observed with special elan in the north where, because it occurs during a time
of relative leisure, it becomes a three to five day festival of entertaining and
socializing. A thorough house cleaning, sprinkling of Buddha images with lustral water,
memorial ceremonies, merit-making presentation of gifts to monks, elders, and spirits, the
release of caged birds and fish, pilgrimages to holy shrines, parades, dancing, and
uninhibited, good-natured water throwing are all features of the Songkran celebration.
Around this time, showers signal the dry season's approaching end, and villagers once more
prepare for rice planting as one annual cycle ends and another begins. The unique
Thai-style takro still maintains its popularity among the younger generation.
Leisure Activities
A penchant for khwam sanuk combines with a natural gregariousness to ensure that both
spontaneous and formal leisure activities are vital parts of the Thai village's social
fabric. Rice cultivation demands consistent hard work, but the communal gatherings that
result set the stage for all types of group activities from feasting to courting. Some
evenings after a hard day's work, many villagers, instead of going to bed, gather around
bonfires to talk. Young people sing and court. Older people chat, smoke, and drink
homemade rice liquor ,a mild or potent brew depending on the brewer's skill and the
ingredients at hand.
There may be a rhyming song contest and a lot of
friendly banter between old and young as individuals try to outdo each other in composing
choruses with familiar themes. Local musicians may play reed instruments, bamboo flutes,
hand cymbals, and drums to accompany singers, providing both inspiration and humor.
Ordinations, particularly when a number of families pool resources for a group ceremony,
are often celebrated with similar festivity. Enormous feasts are prepared. Electric
generators may be rented, a band organized, and a folk dance drama troupe engaged to keep
revelers spellbound until the early hours with satiric comic opera performances featuring
outrageous puns and double entendres, sly ribaldry, and popular folk songs.
Throughout the year, villagers share a common interest
in gambling, traveling (pai thieo), national lottery excites imaginations in every
province, as do cockfights and such exotic competitions as fish and beetle fighting. Card
games are a pastime favored by both sexes and almost everyone can play Thai chess. Pai
thieo by foot, boat, bus, motorbike, or rail is a favorite way to relax when time allows.
Traveling makes the villager less insular and personal relations with family and friends
are treasured as much for the opportunities they afford for travel as for the affection
upon which they are based.
Besides national celebrations, there are regional
festivals like the northeast Ngan Hae Bang Fai, or skyrocket festival, in May or June of
each year. Traditionally a time of letting off steam, the festival's high point comes
when, amid much merrymaking, villagers fire homemade rockets, some of them 20 meters tall,
to ensure a plentiful rainfall for the forthcoming rice season. Takro and kite flying are
popular traditional sports. Takro is played by a loosely formed circle of men who use
their feet, knees, thighs, chests, and shoulders to acrobatically pass a woven rattan ball
to one another, endeavoring to keep it in the air as long as possible and eventually kick
it into a basket hanging high above their heads. (There is a also a professional version
of takro, known as sepak takro, which is played by teams from various ASEAN countries.)
Kites are flown mostly during the breezy hot season.
Popular in Thailand since at least the founding of
Sukhothai, kites have been used effectively in warfare: an Ayutthaya governor quelled a
northeast city-state's rebellion in 1690 by flying huge kites, called chulas, over the
besieged city and bombing it into submission with jars of explosives. In addition to being
an individual pleasure, kite flying can be a competitive sport. Opposing teams fly male
(chula) and female (pakpao) kites in a surrogate battle of the sexes. The small agile
pakpaos try to bring down the more cumbersome chula, while the male kite seeks to snare
the female kites and bring them back into male territory. During temple fairs, another
popular sport is the unique martial art of Thai boxing. A form of self-defense developed
during the Ayutthaya period, Thai boxing forbids biting, spitting, or wrestling. On the
other hand, the contestants may punch, kick, and shove, and unrestrainedly use their bare
feet, legs, knees, elbows, shoulders, and fists to elbow smash to the eyes, a knee in the
stomach, of a whiplash kick in the chest can immediately floor the sturdiest of opponents.
Nowadays boxers wear conventional boxing gloves, a
somewhat humane development considering that less than 50 years ago they customarily bound
their fists with hemp which contained liberal quantities of ground glass. The major
portion of Thai cuisine is highly spiced and chili hot, thanks to the addition of a
variety of chilies, large and small, some more potent than others. The burning sensation
of Thai chilies has caused much fanning of mouths by stunned foreigners on their first
sampling but increased experience often brings enthusiastic approval, as attested by the
popularity of Thai restaurants today throughout the world.
The ideal traditional Thai meal aims at being a
harmonious blend of spicy, subtle, sweet, and sour and is meant to be appealing to eye,
nose, and palate. A large central bowl of rice may be accompanied by a clear soup (perhaps
bitter melons stuffed with minced pork), a steamed dish (mussels in curry sauce), a fried
dish (fish with ginger(, a hot salad (sliced beef on a bed of greens with chilies, onions,
mint, lemon juice, and more chilies), and a variety of sauces and condiments, of which the
most essential is Nam pla (fermented fish sauce), into which food can be dipped. This is
normally followed by a sweet dessert (bananas coated with sugared coconut and deep fried,
for example) and, finally, fresh fruit (such as mangoes, durian, papaya, jackfruit,
watermelon, and many more) of which Thailand boasts a year-round supply Thailand's
distinctive cuisine, is becoming more and more popular throughout the world. Food varies
from region to region, with modifications of standard dishes and also local specialties.
In Chiang Mai, for example, the food is generally
milder than that of the central region; naem, a spicy pork sausage, is a northern
delicacy. Northeastern food tends to be very spicy, with explosive salads and special
broiled, minced meat dishes mined with miniature, high-voltage green chilies. Glutinous
rice is more popular in this region than steamed rice and exotic dishes like fried ants
and grasshoppers and frog curry are not uncommon. Southern cuisine makes delicious use of
the creatures which team in the nearby seas. Lobsters, crabs, scallops, fish, and squid
are common ingredients and unusual delicacies like jellyfish salad can also be found. In
the southernmost provinces, where t here is a large Muslim community, sweet, mild, and
spicy curries abound. Foreign foods have also found a place in the Thai diet. Some of
these go far back into history, like the egg-based Portuguese sweets which were introduced
in the Ayutthaya period, while others like bread and cake are more recent acquisitions.
To please the eye, Thai cooks pursue the ancient art
of fruit and vegetable caring to transform tables into visual feasts. Originally an
aristocratic art practiced at the royal court, vegetable carving flourished throughout the
Ayutthaya period, when a deft hand could fashion a white radish rose in a matter of
minutes. It reached its zenith during the Bangkok reign of King Rama II when court ladies
created flowers, fish, vases, bowls, and other decorative objects from watermelons,
cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and other unlikely garden produce. On a somewhat broader
scale the art is still practiced today: there are few more charming surprises than
discovering tomato roses and cucumber primroses with a local fast lunch.
Urban Life
In terms of present-day Thailand, to speak of urban life essentially means to speak of
Bangkok, for though many provincial capitals have grown rapidly in recent years the
national capital is still the ultimate city to every Thai. One out of ten Thais lies is
Bangkok, which is 45 times bigger than Chiang Mai, the second most populous city The
metropolitan area now covers some 1,537 square kilometers on both sides of the Chao Phraya
River. Almost all major domestic and foreign companies are located in the capital, as are
all government ministries and most of the country's leading educational ,sporting, and
cultural facilities. The greater part of Thailand's imports and exports pass through
Bangkok (though this may change when the Eastern Seaboard Project gets underway) and 90
per cent of the motor vehicles in the nation are registered there. It is the focal point
of Thailand's aviation, railroad, and communications network, as well as the chief
destination for the majority of tourists who came annually to occupy its more than 20,000
hotel rooms.
Given such facts, it is not surprising that Bangkok
acts as a magnet for people from all parts of the country. They come to be educated at its
schools, colleges, and universities, to find employment in its numerous factories and
commercial firms, or simply to see its famous buildings and monuments and enjoy its highly
varied pleasures. Both metaphorically and literally, all Thai roads converge on the
capital. By contrast, provincial cities tend to reflect regional characteristics. For
example, Hat Yai, the south's major city, is growing rapidly but it is still very much a
projection of the tin and rubber industries which dominate the region. Chiang Mai in t he
north is both a coordination point for the agriculture of the area and also famous as a
center of northern culture and traditions. Similarly, such northeastern cities as Nakhon
Ratchasima and Khon Kaen, while prospering on local development, are essentially
provincial in all senses of the word.
Only Bangkok, with its huge, diverse population, its shopping centers and high-rise office
buildings, and its cosmopolitan sophistication presents itself as a city in the
international sense of the term. Thus to understand modern urban culture in Thailand, it
is necessary to examine the capital in some detail.
Bangkok's in the 1990's
Numerous districts in Bangkok are centers in themselves, each unified by common features
rooted either in ethnic character of a specific function or business. Thus Ratchadamnoen
Avenue and its environs remain the center for government ministries and international
agencies, while there is a major concentration of commerce in Chinatown. Silom Road has
become the primary banking and financial district and the Sukhumvit Road area is
predominantly a middle-class residential section. Those seeking entertainment are
attracted by the neon glare of Patpong and New Phetburi Roads, where there are hundreds of
bars and restaurants. Outlying residential districts, meanwhile, continue to expand
rapidly as more housing estates and shopping complexes are built to accommodate both the
flow of migrants converging on the capital from upcountry and the new generation of young
married couples who are increasingly leaving their parents' homes for places of their own.
Heavy industry, too, is concentrating on the outer
fringes of the city, with industrial parks springing up along major highways leading out
into the country. To facilitate communication between the suburbs and downtown areas, an
elevated expressway has been built. A ring road project, the major portions of which have
been completed, will also relieve congestion by permitting through traffic to bypass the
city center. Older Bangkok residents lie in separate, private houses, located either in
high-density neighborhoods or, increasingly rare, in relatively spacious compounds in
long-established residential areas like Dusit and Bangkapi. Rising land values, however,
are producing new housing concepts, especially in the more congested inner city. Though
Western-style apartment buildings are inhabited mainly be foreigners, more and more Thais
are moving into " town houses," projects in which they own the actual land and
building but share a common wall with their neighbors; hundreds of these projects have
been constructed in the city, some consisting of several dozen units in an area that once
contained a single dwelling.
As the 1990's got underway the biggest residential
boom was in condominium construction. This era dawned with the passage of the Condominium
Act by Parliament in 1979. According to a survey conducted in 1982, there were 48 condo
projects being implemented in the country, most of them in Bangkok; another survey at the
end of the decade found more than 220 such projects, with whose in the capital being
concentrated on Sukhumwit and Rachadapisek Roads and along the Chao Phraya River. An
important factor in the sale of condominium units has been a desire to escape the traffic
jams which add hours to suburban commuting times. Throughout Bangkok, lining main roads
and side streets, are innumerable two-three-and four-story shophouses which contain
specialty shops, restaurants, or small factories that are generally family concerns.
Workers and family are commonly housed on upper
floors. Such dwellings rarely have recreational space or gardens, though imaginative
roof-top plantings can be glimpsed on some. Automobiles are generally parked inside on the
ground floor and children play on the sidewalks outside. Poorer people often live in
single-storey houses made of scrap lumber, concentrated around the port area and in
certain suburbs.
Government public housing usually takes the form of lowrise blocks of simple flats located
throughout the city. The rapid growth of Bangkok has severely strained its facilities and
led to a number of serious problems. The city now has over a million registered motor
vehicles and because of the limited road surface traffic congestion is heavy in downtown
areas. Moreover, some parts of the city are sinking due to the pumping of water from
artesian wells to supply suburban projects and drainage is inadequate in others; both have
resulted in periodic flooding during the rainy season. Experts are presently working on
elaborate plans to relieve these problems, among them an elevated system of rapid public
transportation and extensive flood-control projects.
Bangkok's population is predominately young. Over half the residents are under 30.
Numerous new schools, both public and private, have emerged to meet the needs of this high
concentration of young people, as well as two "open" universities for those who
cannot be accommodated by the older institutions of higher learning. The young have also
influenced the life of the city in other ways-most of the capital's shopping centers are
youth-oriented, as are its entertainment facilities.
The city's cultural life is greatly enriched by its
minority communities. Chinese and Indians account for nearly 10 per cent of the capital's
population and contribute to its variety of cuisine's and festivals. Japanese and Asians
from neighboring countries also figure prominently in the city's cosmopolitan atmosphere.
Western influence has been instrumental in creating a taste for new fashions and new
life-styles, reflected in such things as golf and tennis, delicatessens and boutiques,
music and drama, libraries and popular games, architecture and interior decoration . Fast
foods from the West, too, like hamburgers and pizzas, have become popular with young and
old alike.
Muay Thai or Thai Boxing is well known worldwide for
its fierce and The stress of city life make leisure activities vital, and weekends find
Bangkokians dedicated to having a good time. Sometimes there are local temple fairs
featuring food and traditional forms of entertainment like the ever-popular li-ke.
Sporting events draw large crowds, whether they be of purely local interest or involve
foreign footballers boxers or gymnasts. Several museums, a planetarium, art galleries, and
a cultural center can be visited for instruction as well as relaxation. There are dozen s
of modern air-conditioned cinemas throughout Bangkok, most of them showing Thai and
Western movies.
The most popular local productions are melodramas with
equal measures of comedy, romance, and epic adventure. Several amusement parks are located
on Bangkok's outskirts, with carousels, Ferris wheels, roller coasters, shooting
galleries, and ice cream stalls to keep young visitors cheerfully occupied for hours.
Lumpini Park, in the heart of the city, is crowded on weekends with footballers and
strollers, as well as joggers and others in search of physical fitness. Chatuchak Park on
the outskirts is the site of the famous Weekend Market featuring several acres of stalls
selling a remarkable assortment of goods: household pets, every conceivable kind of fruit,
fresh vegetables and spices, clothing, Buddha amulets, various handicrafts, potted plants
and trees, secondhand books and records, and probably, if one is persistent, the
proverbial kitchen sink.
The new Rama IX Park, presented to the city on the
occasion of His Majesty King Bhumipol Adulyadej's 60th birthday, is another popular place
to escape the city's clamor; Thailand's only true botanical garden, it also features an
imposing pavilion with displays of the king's life and interest. Bangkok boasts some of
the most varied nightlife in the Orient. Visiting ballet, operatic, and folk dance troupes
from Europe, The U.S., and various Asian countries frequently appear, and film festivals
are held by foreign cultural organizations like the Alliance Francaise, the Goethe
Institute, and the British Council. Patrons of nightclubs and supper clubs, many of them
in the city's leading hotels, are entertained by international as well as local
performers. Discotheques with the latest gadgetry fl ash and throb to the insistent beat
of music played at top volume. Bangkok's cosmopolitan quality is particularly evident in
the incredible variety of foods offered by its countless restaurants.
Diners in the city have a choice of French, Danish,
Italian, German, Japanese, Middle Eastern, Swiss, English, Mexican, Korea n, Indian,
Vietnamese, Burmese, and American fast food outlets, as well as of course, superb Chinese
and Thai cuisine. Although Bangkok abounds in markets, shops and department stores selling
every possible kind of merchandise, those who prefer to spend the day at home in the
city's residential lanes can buy what they need from itinerant vendors who bring
necessities right to the door-step, selling charcoal (for cooking), fruit, ice cream,
noodle dishes, grilled chicken, handmade brooms, pots and pans, and countless other items.
Urban Values
Buddhism is at the center of the Thai view of life and forms the foundation of most
attitudes, in the city as well as in the village. But just as even the toughest material
will change its shape under pressure, Buddhism has undergone certain alterations caused by
the stress of Bangkok}s fast-paced urban life style. In the village, the Wat is the heart
of social as well as religious life. Bangkok}s monasteries to day inevitably play less of
a social role and are normally visited only for religious observances or for one of the
festivals scattered throughout the Buddhist year. Accessibility is the main problem: in
rural areas the Wat is generally just a short walk away, while in the city a visit often
entails a long, hot drive in heavy traffic.
Therefore, many Bangkok homes have a room set aside for family Buddha images and a small
altar. This little private sanctuary serves as a place for prayer and meditation in the
morning and evening-daily rituals that in a village setting would be more often performed
at the Wat. Urban surroundings also rob many monasteries of the tranquil atmosphere which
characterizes their upcountry counterparts. Nevertheless, monks continue to practice their
meditation in them, apparently undisturbed, by the bustling life outside, just as they go
out each morning to collect food offerings from city dwellers as anxious to make merit as
villagers.
Many Bangkok residents also go there to study meditation during their off-duty hours from
work. Formerly everyday life was highly structured and circumscribed by Brahmanic
ritualistic taboos, and some of these still linger in modern society. Wednesday, for
example, was deemed an inappropriate day on which to cut hair and accordingly, some
Bangkok barber shops close each Wednesday. Astrology also retains its ancient influence
and is used by many people to determine auspicious dates for major undertakings. Today it
enjoys a kind of reassurance-consultancy role, as certain types of psychological
counselling do in the West. Buddhist monks, Brahmans, and professional astrologers cast
horoscopes according to which the and hour to embark on a trip are decided. Purchasing
land, starting a new business, or opening a shop are also often subject to an astrologer's
calculations, and few couples would agree to be married without first determining the
suitability of their union and the most auspicious day and minute for the ceremony.
Traditional Thai life-styles, which survive virtually intact in upcountry villages, have
undergone extensive reshaping under the pressures of urban demands.
Family ties in the city, for example, are not as
pervasive as in the village, and young married couples often set up housekeeping on their
own.
Modernization has greatly extended the grange of employment opportunities open to people
migrating to the city. A decade or so ago, virtually the only acceptable course available
to a newly-arrived girl was to take a position as a domestic. Nowadays, s he may prefer a
job in one of the light industries-sorting transistors, assembling pocket calculators, or
working in one of Bangkok's huge textile plants. An incidental effect of this development
has been the introduction of an increasing number of labor saving electrical appliances
into middle-and upper-class homes. Considered a wasteful extravagance only a few years
ago, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, and microwave ovens are now popular household
items available at all department stores.
Despite all the apparent changes, however, traditional
Thai values are still strong beneath the surface of urban life, a reflection, no doubt, of
the fact that the over-whelming majority of city dwellers have come from village
backgrounds and also of the potent strength of Thai cultural heritage, which over the
centuries has so often demonstrated its ability to bend without breaking.
02. December 2004