Nicknames to the Rescue in Thailand
Would you mind being called a “pig” or a “buffalo”? I imagine you wouldn’t like it. However in Thailand these are common names and there are many others that appear strange to our taste. The Thais use first and last names in the same way we do, but often they have so many syllables that it is extremely difficult for us to pronounce them and even harder to remember.
This is a somewhat recent phenomenon. A few centuries ago Thais had much shorter and less convoluted names. Only in the last few generations has it become all the rage to adopt such monstrous names. This went so far that the Thais felt compelled to pass a law that limits how many syllables names can contain. This prevented official business transactions from drowning in syllable quicksand. Changing your name in Thailand is quite easy. 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!” Nicknames to the rescue! Fortunately most Thais have one. They are refreshingly short, generally only one syllable and sometimes just a single 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. Many nicknames are strange for our taste. There is Ms Pig, Mr. Buffalo, Mr. Dog, or Ms Bomb. How do they get names like that? Here are some name stories of Thais whom I know personally.
Some nicknames are highly descriptive. How about a girl whose name is “pig”? In the west such a name would be unthinkable, but in this case her parents looked at her baby fat and decided that she resembled a cute baby pig, hence the name. In Thailand “pig” is seen as a cute nickname. Of course if ever the girl decides someday that she doesn’t like her nickname anymore, she will be able to simply change it. Then I have a friend whose name is “dog”. When he was a little boy, he was a real chatterbox to the point of getting on people’s nerves. That reminded his family and friends of the yapping of a dog, so ‘dog’ became his nickname.
Some Thais believe that nicknames may have some special powers. In one case a young boy was chronically weak and sickly. 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 should be aware that “buffalo” is often used as an insult in Thailand. They are considered quite stupid animals. “Stupid like a buffalo” is a derogatory way to talk about someone.
Some nicknames literally add color to the concept. I have a friend whose name is “Green”. When she was born she had a slightly greenish skin tone and that is how she ended up with this nickname. Today, 40 years later, she looks anything but green, however she still goes by the same name.
In many cultures dreams are taken seriously. A good Thai friend of mine once had a dream. While visiting a temple, a monk offered her sister in law who was with her a big precious stone. 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.
There are also some truly creative nicknames. The same woman has a son who was born during the Iran-Iraq war. The Thai media was filled with reports of bombing. In the absence of a better idea she ended up calling her son “bomb”.
Not all nicknames are that graphic. Many are only single letters like O, or E, or B. One-syllable western names like ‘Cat’ or ‘Joy’ are all the rage nowadays.
Not all Thais use nicknames. They use their legal names which in those cases tend to be fairly pronounceable. 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.
Posted: June 9th, 2010 under Arts.