Thai names can be a real (beijing travel service) challenge

March 8th, 2010 admin Posted in travel |

By Shama Kern

Would you mind being called a pig or a buffalo? I imagine you would not like it. But lots of people in Thailand are called just that and some other names that seem very strange to us. The Thais use first and last names in the same way we do, but often they have so many syllables that it is very difficult for us to pronounce them and even more difficult to remember.

It was not always like that. In earlier times names in Thailand used to be shorter and easier. It is a fairly recent phenomenon that those never-ending names are in vogue. This went so far that the Thais felt compelled to pass a law that limits the number of syllables names can contain. This prevented the multi syllable name game from making legal transactions unmanageable. Thai law makes if fairly simple to change your name. Dont like it, no problem, pick another one. A simple application will do it.

When someone gives me one of those complicated names, I just ask them for a shorter name. Fortunately most Thais use abbreviations of their real name or nicknames which are at the other end of the spectrum of the multi syllable confusion. In contrast they typically consist of just one syllable or letter. In some cases the Thais pick any one syllable of their legal name and use that as their nickname - it may be the first, last, or middle syllable, it does not matter. Some nicknames appear quite strange to us. There is Ms Pig, Mr. Buffalo, Mr. Dog, or Ms Bomb. How do they come up with those names? Here are the actual stories of friends of mine here in Thailand.

Some nicknames are highly descriptive. How about a girl whose name is “pig”? While that is seen as an insult in the west, she was called that since she was a somewhat round baby with a good share of baby fat, and therefore was called pig. Yes, Thais consider this a very cute name. If one day the girl does not find her nickname appealing anymore, she can change it at any time. Another acquaintance of mine is called dog. When he was a little boy, he was a real chatterbox to the point of grating on peoples nerves. His parents found that he resembled an excited puppy, so “dog” it was for him.

Some nicknames can have special meanings, and even magical powers. There is the story of a sickly boy who always had one health issue or another. And so the villagers figured if they would call him “buffalo”, then the spirit of such a strong animal would help him. There is even a saying strong as a buffalo. And in this case it turned out to be his cure, his maladies disappeared and he is convinced that the name saved him. But you really have to know the story behind the name since buffalo in Thailand can also be an insult. Buffaloes are regarded as stupid and low brained. Unless a special context exists, calling people “buffalo” will get you into trouble very quickly.

Some nicknames are descriptive in a colorful way. The nickname of another friend of mine is: Green . She ended up with this name since as a baby she supposedly had a greenish complexion, and that became her name. Now, 40 years later, she definitely lost her greenish complexion but not her nickname.

Let’s enter the dreamtime. Here is the story of a predictive dream of a Thai friend of mine. She visited a temple with her sister in law and a monk wanted to give a large beautiful precious stone to her sister in law. She declined the gift and requested that the monk give it to her friend who was very happy to receive it. Then she awoke from the dream and discovered that she was pregnant. So she named the baby girl Ploy, the Thai name for precious stone. Since her sister in law had no desire to conceive a child, my friend interpreted the passing of the stone to herself as highly symbolic.

Thais know no limits when it comes to creative nicknames. The same woman has a son who was born during the Iran-Iraq war. The Thai media covered the war in depth with all its horrors and bombing. She had been trying to find a good nickname, and so she named the baby “bomb”, a name which he still has twenty years later.

Not all nicknames are that graphic. Many are just single letters like O, or E, or B. More recently it has become fashionable to use western names like cat or joy as nicknames, provided they consist of just one syllable.

Some Thais do not use nicknames, but they are in the minority. When you meet Thais, they will usually introduce themselves with their nicknames. Although some of these nicknames appear strange to us, we should count our blessings, since we would have a serious challenge trying to understand or remember those mile-long legal names which are so typical in Thailand.

For more information about living and traveling in Thailand please visit

www.shamakern.com

The author is an expat who lives permanently in Thailand. He writes entertaining and informative stories about a fascinating country.

Find Flights To Beijing