Would it be okay with you if someone called you a "pig" or a "buffalo? I didn’t think so. But lots of people in Thailand are called just that and some other names that seem very strange to us. Thais have first and last names like we do, but they are often four or five syllables long and, at least for us, impossible to pronounce, what to speak of remember.
This was not always the case. In earlier times names in Thailand used to be shorter and easier. Recently it has become fashionable to take on those monstrosities of names. This went so far that the Thais felt compelled to pass a law that limits the number of syllables names can contain. Otherwise those enthusiastic name creators would have made any official business a syllable nightmare. It is quite easy to change your name in Thailand. Don’t like it, no problem, pick another one. It is a fairly simple process.
In Thailand you might plead "please, anything but your real name!" Luckily most Thais have nicknames which are the opposite of these never-ending legal names. In contrast they typically consist of only 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 doesn't matter. Some nicknames appear quite strange to us. You have Ms Pig, Mr. Buffalo, Mr. Dog, or Ms Bomb. Who comes up with such names? Here are the actual stories of friends of mine here in Thailand.
Many nicknames are very descriptive. How about a girl whose name is "pig"? While that is considered 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 regard this a very cute name. If one day the girl does not find her nickname appealing anymore, she will be able to change it at any time. Then I have a friend whose name is "dog". As a young child he was very talkative and a bit hyper active. That reminded his family and friends of the yapping of a dog, so ‘dog’ became his nickname.
Some nicknames might have special meanings, or even magical powers. In one case a young boy was chronically weak and sickly. So the folks in his village decided to call him buffalo, which is a powerful animal. There is even a saying ’strong as a buffalo’. Amazingly his chronic illnesses went away and he became a strong, healthy person, true to his name. But you should be aware that "buffalo" is often used as an insult in Thailand. Buffaloes are seen as very stupid animals. “Stupid like a buffalo” is a derogatory way to talk about someone.
Some nicknames are descriptive in a colorful way. I have a friend whose name is "Green". She ended up with this name since as a baby she supposedly had a greenish complexion, and this became her name. 40 years down the line her skin looks perfectly normal, but she is still Miss Green.
Let's enter the dreamtime. Here is the story of a predictive dream of a Thai friend of mine. She was visiting a temple, and her sister in law who accompanied her was offered a beautiful stone by one of the monks. But she did not want it and told the monk to give it to her friend instead who accepted it gratefully. Then she awoke from the dream and discovered that she was pregnant. She was convinced that the dream had told her that she would have a baby and so she called it Ploy, meaning 'precious stone' in Thai. 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.
There are also some truly creative nicknames. The son of one of my friends happened to be born during the war between Iran and Iraq. The Thai media covered the war in depth with all its horrors and bombing. She had been looking for 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. At the opposite end of the creativity spectrum are super simple names which consist of just single letters like O, E, B, or D. More recently it has become fashionable to use western names like ‘cat’ or ‘joy’ as nicknames, as long as they consist of just one syllable.
Some Thais do not use nicknames, but they are in the minority. In most cases Thais will introduce themselves by their nicknames. However strange some of those nicknames appear to us, they are a blessing in disguise since we would never be able to understand, repeat or remember most of those convoluted legal names that the Thais like so much.
Author Resource:-
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.
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