Info for writer in Thai series fandom: Cultural differences in each area
Depending on what we want to talk about, we can divine it in a variety of ways. Now that we're talking about culture, I'll use the one divided into four sections, as shown in this map.
These four are Northern, Northeastern (Isan), Central, and Southern.
The majority of the series are set in Bangkok, which is in Central Thailand, so that is what you usually see.
Language
Our official language is Central Thai, but we have quite a lot of others. Northern Thai (Khammueang) from the north, Isan from the northeast, and Southern Thai from the south are the most popular in each area If we don't count the official one.
Kham Muang has a similar grammar, only a little different from the Central Thai language, but uses different vocabulary. Originally used in conjunction with the Tham Lanna script, which is the alphabet of the Lanna Kingdom that uses the Mon alphabet as a model, Kham Muang can be divided into Western Lanna accents. (in Chiang Mai, Lamphun, and Mae Hong Son) and an Eastern Lanna accent (in Chiang Rai, Phayao, Lampang, Uttaradit, Phrae, and Nan), which are partially different.
The Isan language, or Isan Lao language, is a local development of the Lao language in Thailand. Local speakers still think of it as Laotian. The Thai government recognizes this language as one of a Thai language.
Southern Thai has a high concentration of language speakers in the fourteen provinces of southern Thailand. Some are scattered in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province. Tanintharyi Region in Myanmar and around Kedah State, Perlis State, Penang State, and Perak State in northern Malaysia. There are about five million native speakers, and about 1.5 million use it as a second language. These include Chinese, Peranakan, Malay, Uraklavoi, and Mani ethnic groups.
They each have their own subset of accents and dialects.
We also have "copper language(ภาษาทองแดง)," which the Dictionary of Southern Dialects B.E. 2525(1982) mentions as a way to speak where the speaker is "speaking a central Thai language mixed with a southern language or speaking distorted," which includes anyone who uses the Thai language in a way that deviates from the standard set, not limited to being a person in any region or province.
I've heard a lot of stories about people from an area that doesn't use Central Thai that have misunderstand some sentences as being in the actual Central Thai language. But it's actually not, and it just contains Central Thai words, but not in the same way that people in Central Thailand would understand them as Central Thai. So when they moved to Central Thailand for any reason, they'd use them and expect Central Thai people to understand them a certain way, and they had to find out in an inconvenient way.
EX:pai song ไปส่ง
Central = to take someone to their destination but not stay with them after doing so.
Northern = to take someone to their destination, stay with them throughout whatever activity they intend to do there, then go back together.
As I said at the beginning, Central Thai is our official language, so that is the language that is taught in school. Other languages are usually taught by unofficial means, so it is not uncommon for the new generation to not be able to speak them fluently even when they come from a household that does. But sometimes everyone in the area speaks the other language, so even the teacher in school who is supposed to teach kids central Thai is not that fluent in it. It can be that case too.
As a person who only knows Central Thai, I can recognize some popular words in the others and understand some words that sound just a bit different, but if someone truly speaks in those languages, I will likely be unable to follow the conversation.
In the clip below, at 17.30, they use a word play with Isan and Central. Kha (ค่า) means worth, while Kha (ข่า) means galangal. In a Central Thai accent, these two words will have different tones, but in an Isan accent, Kha (ข่า) will sound just like Kha (ค่า) in Central Thai.
Food
Most northern dishes have a mild flavor. Fermented soybeans are commonly used in cooking. There are many types of chili paste. The carbohydrate sources are mainly glutinous rice.
Isan food has a distinctive taste that is salty from fermented fish sauce, spicy from fresh and dried chili, and sour from local vegetables such as tamarind. Isan people use pickled fish as a seasoning for almost all kinds of food, such as bamboo shoot soup, om, mok, and various chili pastes, as well as papaya salad, for example. The menu focuses mainly on seasonal vegetables. The carbohydrate sources are mainly glutinous rice.
The central region has long been a trading center and has been in contact with foreign countries for a long time, causing food to be influenced by many nations. And, as the King's residence during various reigns, the recipes have been developed to be meticulous. The taste of food will not focus on any particular flavor. It must be salty, spicy, sour, and sweet together to be considered good, variety of flavorings are used to achieve that. Coconut milk is used in many foods. The carbohydrate sources are mainly rice.
The southern region is the region with the most coastal areas. There is seafood as the main food. It is cooked with herbs to mask the fishy smell, especially turmeric. The taste is quite strong, and many dishes have vegetables to eat along with it to reduce the spiciness. The carbohydrate sources are mainly rice.
Geography
for geography, we usually divide it into six parts.
North
Most of the terrain consists of mountain ranges interspersed with plains and valleys.
The most important mountain ranges are Luang Prabang, Dan Lao, Thanon Thong Chai, Phi Pan Nam, Khun Tan, and Phetchabun Mountain Range.
Cities located in the basin area, such as Chiang Mai, are often facing serious air pollution problems.
The highest peak in the north and in the country is Doi Inthanon.
It is the headwaters of Thailand's four major rivers, namely the Ping, Wang, Yom, and Nan.
Central
It is a river plain. It is split into upper and lower central sections.
The upper central region has a high- and low-Undulating Plain landscape.
The Ping River and Nan River flow together at Pak Nam Pho, which is the source of the Chao Phraya River.
The lower central region is a wide plain formed by river sediments, suitable for cultivation.
Northeast
The terrain is mostly plateaus and mountain ranges.
There are Dong Phaya Yen Mountain Range, Phetchabun Mountain Range, Phanom Dong Rak Mountain Range, and San Kamphaeng Mountain Range.
It has the Chi and Mun rivers, which are important rivers that flow into the Mekong River.
Eastern region
The terrain consists of river plains and coastal plains.
There are Khao Banthat and Chanthaburi mountains in the middle of the region.
There are lined islands such as Koh Chang, Koh Kood, Koh Sichang, Koh Lan.
Prachinburi Province and Sa Kaeo are not connected to the sea. The region's other provinces all have seaports.
Western Region
The terrain is mountainous, with alternating plains and valleys similar to those in the north.
Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan are connected to the sea.
Thanon Thongchai and Tanaosri are significant mountain ranges.
It is the origin of the Kwai Noi River (Sai Yok) and Khwae Yai River (Si Sawat), which converge to form the Mae Klong River in Kanchanaburi before flowing into the sea.
South
The terrain is mountainous along the peninsula.
The important mountain ranges are the Phuket Mountain Range, the Nakhon Si Thammarat Mountain Range, and the Sankalakhiri Mountain Range.
It is a natural border between Thailand and Malaysia.
Most of the rivers are short. The longest line is the Tapi River.
There is an open lake (lagoon), Songkhla Lake. It is one of the largest in Southeast Asia.
A few random examples for Tradition, Superstition, and Art.
Northern
If you remember the Yi Peng Festival in Chapter 6, it is a Northern tradition.
Tan Tung(ตานตุง)
Tan is to offer/dedicate
Tung is a kind of flag
Tan Tung is a form of merit making. A Buddhist ceremony. The flag that will be hung is the most noticeable difference from other region ceremonies.
Spirit
In the north, there are many spirits worshiped in a culture that people in other regions just not do.
Phi Arak(อารักษ์-guard) has a duty to protect the country and the community.
Phi Khun Nam(ขุนน้ำ-stream from a top of mountain) is responsible for providing water to the fields.
Phi Fai(ฝาย-weir,dam) is responsible for protecting the city of Weir.
Phi Sop(สบ-meet) Nam(น้ำ-water) or Phi Pak Nam(ปากน้ำ-estuary, mouth of a river) are responsible for protecting the area where two rivers meet.
The word "phi(ผี-ghost)" has a negative connotation in central, but in the north, it refers to all spirits, including the sacred spirit or god.
Life Prolonging Ceremony
It means to make one's life auspicious, to live comfortably and free from all diseases, and to prosper forever.
If you want to search for their traditional dance, ฟ้อน (Fon) is the word.
Northeastern (Isan)
Phaya Tan(พญาแถน)
Phaya Tan is a word for gods in the Isan region. The highest Tan is called Tan Luang and is believed to be Indra in other regions.
Naga
Naga is a prominent figure in Isan. I have been repeatedly told that many Isan people believe in Naga existence.
The Boon Bang Fai, or Rocket Festival, is a large festival held to honor Phaya Tan, with an origin story involving Naga.
People from Isan considered the time this festival occurred as a time they should return home and meet with their family and friends in their hometown.
There are glowing balls that occasionally rise from the Mekong River that people call Naga fireballs. They are believed to be fireballs that Naga spits out from under the river.
หมอลำ-Mor lam is a type of music from Isan that is a big genre of music in Thailand.
If you want to search for their traditional dance, เซิ้ง (Serng) is the word.
Southern
Nang Talung-หนังตะลุง is a type of shadow play, one of the local performing arts of the South.
Nora โนรา
Nora dance, in my opinion, is both an art and a superstition. I'm not sure where it came from, but I've heard about how some Nora practitioners treat it like mediumship, saying that if they are chosen by the spirit, there is no way to say no (to the way of living as a Nora performer).
In Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, and Satun, as well as parts of Songkhla and Chumphon, the majority of the population is Muslim. Because Thai Muslims and Thai Buddhists have some cultural differences, there are some noticeable differences in the area where Thai Muslims are more prevalent when compared to the rest of the country. However, even when they are a minority in other areas, they are still dispersed throughout the country, with the largest number of residents in Bangkok, so I would say that the culture in those areas will likely still be familiar enough to most people.
In the south, saltwater fisheries are much higher than in other regions due to the geographical location that is adjacent to the sea on both sides. This has resulted in differences in eating culture and other aspects of daily life in the South.
Most of the things you see in the series and from me are based in central Thailand, so I will skip it.
Example :
The protagonist of Siew Sum Noi is from Isan, as is Vee from Love Mechanics.
Country Boy takes place in the north.
Sky in Your Heart and A Tale of a Thousand Stars begin their story in Bangkok and then move the location to the north.
I Told Sunset About You is set in the South.
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