Thai names: the long and short
Kriengsak Niratpattanasai BKK Post 011105
The newcomer to Thailand might be surprised by the length of local
surnames (mine has six syllables, for example). Usually, ethnic Thais
have quite short surnames, such - as Boonmee, Srisai, etc. The longer
names usually belong to subsequent generations of Chinese immigrants.
Many Chinese came to Thailand in the last century to start new lives,
but kept their identity by using their Chinese names. Their children
were born with Thai given names but they still had Chinese surnames such
as Tang or Lim.
They came to view Thai first names and Chinese last names as an
awkward combination. Further, as proof of their intention to assimilate,
adopting Thai surnames seemed more appropriate. The regulation for
registering a Thai surname is as follows: the applicant submits five
alternatives to a civil servant. Each name has a maximum of 10 Thai
characters. The officer will search the database for identical last
names. The name must be unique and different from those already in use.
With luck, one of your five choices will be unique. About a month later,
you check back. If there is any duplication, you will need to propose
new names.
As time went by, unique names be-came harder to come by. More and
more syllables were tacked on, resulting in the super-long names we see
today. Most Thai people also have nicknames. These date back to an era
of high mortality rates: many families believed that their children died
be-cause spirits came to claim them. Therefore, when a child was born,
the formal name was registered, but a nickname was used in the family to
trick the spirits into thinking that the child with that registered name
did not exist. For the last 150 years or so, most Thais have been known
by their formal names and their nicknames.
Today, nicknames are used simply because they are easier to remember,
and some legal names are hard to pronounce any way. Most of the formal
names of Thais come from Sanskrit words with good meanings.
I always ask people the meaning of their names. It's a good way to
break the ice and learn some background about the person.
In the office, most women use their nicknames, though many men prefer
not to. My assumption is that most men ' may want to keep a safe
distance. We can group nicknames into the following categories, with a
few examples of each:
Fruit-based: Som (orange), Ple (short form of apple).
Animal-based: Moo (pig), Nok (bird), Kai (chicken), Jeab (baby
chicken), Noo (mouse), Ped (duck), Chang (elephant), Poo (crab), Pla
(fish), Koong (shrimp). This category is very popular for woman aged 20
and up.
Number-based: Neung, Song, Sam, See, etc.
Colour-based: Daeng (red), Leung (yellow), Keow (green), Dum
(black).
No meaning: Kae, Tik.
English-based: A more recent fad that favours alphabetical nicknames
from A to Z; fruit-based such as Apple or Cherry; or others such as Joy,
Joint, lack or lane. Most youngsters under 17 have a tendency to use
English-based nicknames.
Size-based: To or Yai (big), Lek (small), Mang (medium sized).
Miscellaneous: Tee is popular among Chinese boys; Muay is popular
among Chinese girls; Mam is popular among girls who look like farangs.
Other options include Oun (fat), Ead (no meaning), Neng (no meaning)
or Aood (pig's voice).
It is useful if you can translate the meaning of the nickname. It
creates a good impression among Thais if a foreigner lets them know that
he understands the meaning of their nicknames.
Lots of nicknames have stories behind them. For instance, Tee and
Muay can tell us that the person is of Chinese blood. Oun can tell us
that during childhood the person was fat. Neung can tell us that the
person is the eldest child in the family. Moo can tell us that the
person was a fat child like a pig.
Asking the meaning of nickname is also a good starting point to
establish small talk. You will learn a lot of a person's background as
well. It works very well, particularly with women.
