Thai people nationwide have been urged to display the national flag together with a yellow flag which has the royal ceremonial emblem marking the 84th birthday anniversary of His Majesty the King. Yellow represents the color of Monday, the birthday of His Majesty the King.

For Thai people, the 7th cycle, or 84th, birthday anniversary is an important milestone in life and a special celebration is usually arranged on this occasion. In order to pay tribute to His Majesty, the Government has set the period from 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2011 for the celebrations of His Majesty’s 84th birthday.

As part of the celebrations, students from Sriwittayapaknam School in Samut Prakan are seen here distributing flags  to people in the local community. They handed out flags carrying the royal emblem as well as national flags to each household. Now many houses near this school are flying these two flags.

Source: Public Relations Department of the Royal Thai Government

All of the students at my school took part in the annual Wai Khru Ceremony today. The students presented their teachers with flowers and said “thank you” to them for giving them knowledge. In return, the teachers gave them a blessing which the students believe will give them good luck for the coming academic year. The flowers given to the teachers are symbolic. Dok Ma Khue (eggplant flower) stands for respect because when the tree is blooming its branches bend down in the same way a student pays respect to their teacher. Ya Praek (Bermuda grass) stands for patience or perseverance because although the grass looks wilted it is still very much alive. Khao Tok (popped rice) stands for discipline because the rice is placed in a pan together and heated up to become popped rice. The Dok Kem has the same name as the Thai word for needle. So it means the student will be sharp-witted and brainy. The ceremony always takes place on a Thursday towards the start of the academic year. Thursdays are considered to be auspicious for teachers.

You can listen to a audio streaming of the Wai Khru Poem recited by one of our students at www.SpokenThai.com.

His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who celebrates his 84th birthday anniversary this year, is the ninth monarch of the Royal House of Chakri. Each year on April 6, Thailand commemorates Chakri Memorial Day, which marks the anniversary of the founding of the Royal House of Chakri.

The Royal House of Chakri is a family line that has remained unbroken since 1782, the year of the founding of Bangkok as the capital of Thailand.

The first king of the Royal House of Chakri, King Rama I, established Bangkok as the royal capital after he ascended the throne on 6 April 1782. He also built the Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha complex, which is now a major landmark of Bangkok and one of the country’s important tourist attractions.

The establishment of the capital was the starting point of the history of Bangkok, following the destruction of the previous capital of Ayutthaya in 1767. So the history of the Royal House of Chakri is, in fact, the history of the Bangkok period. Amid political changes in each period, the Royal House of Chakri has reigned over the kingdom for 229 years now.

King Rama I tried to recreate the lost splendor of Ayutthaya, which had served as the capital of the country for 417 years. Since the royal palace of Ayutthaya had a temple within its compound, King Rama I decided to follow this tradition by building his palace, the Grand Palace, with the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in the same area. The Grand Palace was the royal residence for the Chakri kings until the beginning of the present reign in 1946. King Rama I also transformed Bangkok into a cosmopolitan city based on the Ayutthaya’s example.

His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the ninth monarch of the Royal House of Chakri, is very much loved and respected by his people for his great contribution to the country. On 2 July 1988, his loyal subjects celebrated King Bhumibol’s marvelous achievement of being Thailand’s longest reigning monarch ever. One year later, His Majesty also became the world’s longest reigning, living monarch.

In 1996, the 50th anniversary of his succession, King Bhumibol’s reign was set to take its place among other well known, long reigning monarchs of history – Britain’s Queen Victoria, who reigned for 64 years, and Emperor Hirohito of Japan, who reigned for 62 years.

In 2006, Thailand celebrated the auspicious occasion of His Majesty the King’s accession to the throne, and it invited monarchs from 28 countries to take part in the celebrations. Joining this special occasion were reigning monarchs and royal representatives from 25 countries. Never before did so many of the world’s royal families gathered in the same place and at the same time. Later, in 2007, Thai people launched year-long celebrations to commemorate His Majesty the King’s 80th birthday.

In 2011, Thailand celebrates another auspicious occasion throughout the year. This time it is His Majesty the King’s 84th birthday anniversary.

Source: Foreign Office, The Government Public Relations Department. Photo by Getty Images

At the time of the fall of the ancient Siam capital of Ayutthaya in 1767, the invading Burmese troops rounded up a group of Thais and took them as prisoners. Among them were a large number of Thai boxers, including Nai Khanom Tom. According to various accounts of this legend, it is said that during a religious festival staged by the Burmese King in honour of Lord Buddha, the king called for a contest between ancient Thai Muay Boran versus the Burmese art Lethwei to determine the more superior form of martial arts.

Nai Khanom Tom was selected to fight against the Burmese champion. Nai Khanom Tom began by performing the traditional Wai Kru ritual to pay his respects to the Burmese king and the spectators, as is customary practice. The audience was mesmerized by the unusual ‘dance’ which left the Burmese boxer bewildered. When the fight began, Nai Khanom Tom charged out, using punches, kicks, elbows, and knees. Confused and stunned, the Burmese boxer was defeated. The referee however stated that the Burmese opponent was too distracted by the Wai Khru ritual, and ruled that the knockout was not valid.

The King then asked Nai Khanom Tom to fight another nine Burmese champions to prove himself. He agreed and fought them all, one after the other with no rest periods in between. Following this feat, no one else dared to challenge him any further. Impressed by his impressive performance, the Burmese king granted Nai Khanom Tom freedom. To commemorate Nai Khanom Tom’s extraordinary achievement, the Thai Martial Arts Festival and Wai Khru Muay Thai Ceremony is staged annually on March 17, and the day has been designated “Boxer’s Day” or “National Muay Thai Day”.

Main Source: Tourism Authority of Thailand

It is that time of year again when the Christmas decorations go up and the shopping malls start to play Christmas songs such as Jingle Bells and Santa’s Coming to Town. Sometimes it is difficult to believe that we are living in a Buddhist country when we see a large and brightly lit Christmas tree outside Bangkok’s shopping malls and Father Christmas, though a rather thinner version, on the Sky Train. Although less than 4% of the people in Thailand are Christians, the Thai people as a whole don’t need much excuse to have a party and to put up some tacky decorations. As well as Christmas, they also “celebrate” Halloween and Valentine’s Day in Thailand.

Nong Grace has been badgering me for several months to bring out the Christmas Tree and to put up the decorations. For the last few years we have a kind of Christmas Tree Party where she invites some of the foreign teachers from her school to help decorate the tree. Like any other Thai child, she has seen Christmas being celebrated in America and Europe on the television and wants to experience some of that fun. We even went to Snow Town in Dream World  so that she could play in the snow much the same as her favourite cartoon characters. Of course, in Thailand, we won’t be celebrating a white Christmas, but the weather has already started to drop to a chilly 25 Celsius and some children are starting to go to school wearing jackets and pullovers.

The Christmas decorations in Thailand usually go up towards the end of November. You will mainly see them at the large shopping malls. A number of hotels and shopping malls in Bangkok will compete to have the largest or the brightest lit Christmas tree. You can also buy your own plastic tree and decorations at the hypermarkets such as Tesco Lotus, Careefour and Big C. In my household, the tree will stay up for the 12 days after Christmas day. However, many Thais keep them up for much longer. For them, Christmas and New Year is one long event that has been merged into one celebration. Then some will keep it up for the Chinese new year at the end of January or early February. Then of course, they might just keep celebrating until the traditional Thai new year of Songkran in early April. The Thais love celebrating.

Not every Thai family will celebrate Christmas of course. And, of course, they won’t celebrate it by going to Church or singing carols around the tree. However, families with young children sometimes give their kids a small present in the morning and maybe have a special meal in the evening after school. Though, this will probably be rice and a Thai curry rather than a turkey, roasted potatoes and a Christmas pudding. They may even take their children to see the Christmas trees and decorations in Bangkok. Thai people like taking pictures of each other in front of the tree and any other bright decorations they can find. However, I should point out that more of decorations say “Happy New Year” rather than “Merry Christmas”.

As Christians in Thailand are a minority, you will find that Christmas day is often a normal working day. It was a bit strange, when I first came to Thailand, when I found out that I had to go to work on Christmas Day. However at my school, like many schools around Thailand, they had special activities during morning assembly. When I arrived at school in the morning, I was greeted by two of the fattest students that they could find, dressed up as Santa Claus. Many of the Kindergarten girls were also dressed up as little angels and fairies and were giving out candy to the students as they arrived. In the center of the playground there was a large Christmas tree that was surrounded by coloufully wrapped presents. During assembly, students from the senior grades danced around the tree and sang Christmas carols. They even put on a small play telling the story of Mary and Joseph and the birth of the baby boy Jesus.

Some people have asked me whether it really feels like Christmas when I am in Thailand. It is true we have all the same decorations up. We probably even have the same songs being played in the malls. You can even go to a church for a Christmas service and then to a Bangkok hotel later for a Christmas dinner. And as it is winter for us, it does feel a bit chilly. However, for many of us Westerners, Christmas is more about spending time with families and relations that you haven’t seen for a long time. For me, it doesn’t really feel like Christmas unless I fly back to England and spend the Christmas holidays there. Maybe one day soon, while Nong Grace is still young, I can take her to England to experience a real Christmas.

At school last week, we held our regular Thai Manners competition for the students. The students wore traditional Thai clothes and had to visit a number of different bases in order to show that they knew how to perform the proper respect in the correct manner. This reminded me of one of the most common questions that we get in our mailbox. That is the “Thai Wai”. How to use it and when to use it.

For those of you who don’t know yet, a Thai Wai is a prayer like gesture done by bringing your hands together at about nose level. Adults use it to greet each other and also to bid farewell. It shouldn’t be confused with the Western handshake. Personally I would only shake hands with someone I was meeting for the first time or that I haven’t seen for a long while. People “wai” each other on a daily basis. Children will “wai” their parents when they leave home to go to school. When they come home they will “wai” again. Adults arriving at work will “wai” their colleagues and their bosses in the workplace.

The “wai” can also be used in other ways. For example, to say sorry. If you step on someone’s toes, you could “wai” them to ask forgiveness. You do that if you know you have done something really wrong. An alternative is to bow your head. Not as much as the Japanese do. It is more like a deep nod. Another use for the “wai” is to say “thank you”. If someone gave me a present or did a big favour that I was really grateful for, I would then “wai” them. An alternative is the bow for minor favours. For example, if you are waiting in your car to turn left and someone lets you out then you can give them a head bow. Actually, I call it the “chicken bow” as you move your head forward as you bow, much like a chicken does.

Another use of the “wai” is to show respect. If my students want to come back into the classroom after visiting the toilet, they will  stand in the doorway, give a ‘wai” and ask permission to enter. If they want to excuse themselves, they have to do the same. Before exam time, my students like me to wish them good luck. This is a bit like giving them a blessing. To receive this they should give a “wai’ while I am blessing them. People also do this at the temple when speaking to a monk or listening to a sermon. When I have finished they will run their fingers through their hair in order to seal in the good luck.

As you have seen, there are different reasons for giving a “wai”. To make it more confusing, there are also different levels of the “wai”. You should also remember who has to “wai” first. For example, as a rule, we don’t normally “wai” the students at school. You certainly mustn’t “wai” a child first as this is considered bad luck for them. The only students I would “wai” are my ex-students who have come back to visit. If you want to “wai” back to a child, then you can just use the “receiving wai” which you can see in the top picture. For this you bring your hands to about chest level.

For every day “wais” I would suggest foreigners to use what I call the “lazy wai”. This is bringing your hands to your head so that the tip of your thumbs touch the base of your nose. You can use this “wai” with people of equal position or with service people. However, you should remember that you shouldn’t “wai” service workers first. To show the proper respect, you should allow them to “wai” you first. As a general rule, if an adult gives you a “wai” then please make sure you “wai” them back. However, you might see some people just giving the “chicken nod” to their servants in return.

For someone important (basically anyone older than you or your boss) you should give them the proper “wai”. To do this, bring your hands together in front of you to about chest level and then bow your head down to meet them. This is showing more respect. Women can do a little dip by bending their knees to show respect. The lower they dip the more respect they are showing. If you want to show a lot of respect, like to your mother on Mother’s Day, you can get on your knees and bow down right to her feet.

The final question is, should foreign tourists “wai” anyone? I would say that as a tourist they shouldn’t “wai” someone first. Unless of course you need to make a good impression with someone. Like I said before, if an adult “wais’ you first then you should “wai” them back. However, you don’t have to do this to the cashier at 7-Eleven or the supermarket. There is no need. Just smile and give the “chicken nod”. When you go to a restaurant, you will be greeted by the waitress. Again, you are only obliged to give a smile and nod. It is up to you if you want to “wai” them back. When you leave they will “wai” you again. Personally I would only “wai” them in return if we had some kind of friendly conversation during the meal.

If you decide to do a “wai” please do it in a graceful manner. It should always be done slowly and with feeling.

Today, people from all around the country are coming together to celebrate the 83rd birthday of H.M. The King. Many of them are wearing pink which is an auspicious colour believed to help make the King better. The Thai monarch has been in Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok for over a year now. Several thousand well-wishers gathered at the City Hall Plaza in Samut Prakan to give alms to 99 monks in honour of His Majesty.

The ceremony was opened by Mr. Cherdsak Choosri, the Governor of Samut Prakan. He first paid homage to a Buddha image and then took part in chanting. Attending the event were many local government officials who all came together to pay homage to His Majesty. A similar event was being held at the same time in Bangkok . H.M. The King is regarded as a father to all Thai people as they love him so much. This day is also celebrated as National Father’s Day.

After the chanting had finished, the Governor led the local people in giving alms to several hundred monks. Tables had been set up around the parade ground and local people had gathered behind them since early morning. They did this to make merit on behalf of H.M. The King. To make the most merit, the food should have been prepared by themselves before they arrived and not bought at a food stall. Leftovers from the night before must never be given to monks.

The local people stood behind the tables as the monks slowly made their way down the row. People were giving fresh food as well as pre-prepared packages such as pot noodles that you can see in this picture. As some of these items were too big for the alms bowls, each of the monks were assisted by temple boys who carried big sacks. The monk then emptied their bowls into these sacks. By the end of the alms giving event, the pick-up trucks from the temples were full with sacks of food. Local people also gave the monks purple orchid flowers and also envelopes containing money.

After the alms giving had finished, Mr. Cherdsak Choosri and local people made merit for H.M. The King by releasing 1,000,000 sea creatures into the Chao Phraya River. This is a common event done to make merit for birthdays. People usually release birds or fish. I thought that 1,000,000 was a staggering number to release in one go, but it turned out to be very small shrimps. These were in plastic bags which people emptied out into a large tub of water. From this there was a pipe which washed the shrimps out into the river below. This evening, Mr. Cherdsak Choosri will lead the local people to light candles to wish the monarch a happy birthday.

This is the final part of the Thai Manner demonstration at Sriwittayapaknam School. In the previous blogs, I told how this family went to visit their grandmother. After prostrating on the floor, the grandmother then invites the two adults to sit on the chairs next to her. Notice that the two children are sitting on the floor. This is quite a common setup in Thailand. You must always remember the level of your head. As a teacher, it is not advisable for us to sit on the floor in the classroom. You can, if you like of course, but it would make it awkward for the children to walk past you. Even other teachers would try and stoop down as low as they can to walk past you. They are doing this to show respect to your status or age.

In this second photo, the daughter gives her grandmother a basket of fruit. As her grandmother is seated, she cannot just walk to her. She must go on her knees. Then she presents the basket with both hands. Later, her cousin brings some drinks for everyone. As she is younger than the adults, she too walks on her knees. She first serves the adults, starting with the grandmother. The adults smile and nod in acknowledgement. However, as the daughter is younger than her cousin, she first gives a “wai” before taking the drink.

Now it is time for them to go home. This time they do the “seated wai”. Much like the others I described before. Hands are brought up to chest level and the head bows down towards them. Notice the grandmother is just doing the “receiving wai”. This is the proper way for her to show respect back to the younger people. However, I have sometimes seen a few people who are so full of their self-importance that they only acknowledged an adult’s wai with a nod. In my books this is bad manners. If an adult wais you, then you must wai them back. The only people who don’t wai you back is the king and monks. And the monks won’t wai the king back. That is how important religion is in Thailand.

The family now leave. The grandmother is still seated so notice how they need to dip their head as they walk away. As an adult, you don’t need to lower your head literally lower than the senior person in the room. You just need to make that effort. Tall foreigners will be glad to hear that. One final thing I forgot to point out earlier. Many of you probably know this anyway. When you enter homes in Thailand you must first take off your shoes!

That is the end of this story. I hope you enjoyed this demonstration on how our Thai students are taught how to have good manners.

This is continuing with the story of the parents that took their daughter to visit her grandmother. Arriving at the front door, they are greeted by their niece. As she is a lot younger than them, notice how much more respect she is showing to the two adults. For them, all they have to do is a “receiving wai” as their niece is still a child.

The mother then turns to her daughter and tells her to say “hello” to her cousin. As they are not of similar age, the younger cousin has to pay more respect. Notice that the niece, who is probably about 3 or 4 years older, is just doing the receiving wai. However, the daughter, being the youngest, has to do a full and deep wai. If the two children were of the same age then they would only need to do the standard straight wai without the courtesy.

Now they are shown into the presence of the grandmother. She is probably the eldest of the family and so therefore the matriarch. Everyone has to pay her the greatest of respect.  Notice how they are all approaching the grandmother. They are doing this on their knees because she is seated. It is important that their head is not higher than that of the grandmother. Notice also how the niece is sitting respectfully off to one side.

Now they entire family are doing the respectful “seated wai”. You saw some close-ups of something like this the other day. See how they are not actually kneeling but sitting on the left leg. They then bow down to the floor with both the hands and elbows touching the surface. This is, of course, very different to how Thai people pay respect to a Buddha image. I showed you those pictures the other day. With a Buddha image they would kneel and then prostrate to the ground with their hands flat on the surface in front of them.

I will continue later with this story of how students learn how to have good Thai manners.

Today I am going to continue with some examples of good Thai manners which I see a lot in every-day situations. The pictures today illustrate how to behave at home and when visiting relations and friends. In the above picture, a daughter is talking to her parents. Notice, that as her parents are seated, it is proper protocol for her then to kneel on the floor while talking to them. The head, in Thailand, is considered sacred and you have to be aware at all times which level it is in relation to people your senior. You saw in my previous blog how the students would dip their head as they walked past an adult or teacher. It doesn’t matter if you are walking in front of them or behind. You still need to make an effort. As a tall foreigner, it isn’t always possible to dip your head lower, but you need to at least make the effort to lower your head.

In these second set of photos, the family have gone out to visit the grandmother. On the way they bump into an adult friend of the mother. Notice how the adults wai each other. In this situation, between peers, you bring your hands up to chest level and bow your head down to meet them. The woman doesn’t have to courtesy which you saw in earlier pictures. This is a proper wai. However, in daily life, many people do what I call a “lazy wai”. They bring their thumbs up to about nose level and do not bow. Just don’t forget, whenever you “wai”, always do it in a graceful manner. Never make any quick jerky movements.

After the adults have greeted each other, the mother turns to the daughter to introduce her adult friend. This time the age difference is more important. The daughter has to pay more respect to the person older than herself. Notice how she does a deep bow and a courtesy at the same time. You cannot see in this photo but the adult is doing a “receiving wai”. He does this by bringing his hands up to chest level like before but this time he doesn’t bow. It is quite important for you to realize that you should never “wai” a child first. At school, when the students “wai” the teachers, we usually just smile and nod back as acknowledgment. The students in our school are all quite young. However, if one of my ex-students comes to visit me, then I give them a “receiving wai”. Though usually I will raise the hands a little higher to about nose level in order to show them a bit more respect.

Later, I will show you what happens when this family arrives at the grandmother’s house.