THAILAND

:Famous Landmarks:

Prasat Hin Phimai

Prasat Hin Phimai is one of the oldest and most significant temples in the country. Built in
the 11th century, the temple is one of the largest and most impressive examples of Khmer
architecture found anywhere in Asia. It is situated in the heart of the Phimai Historical
Park, and it is very similar in style to Angkor Wat in Cambodia. The temple complex is
surrounded by moats and ancient walls, with several scenic ponds and bridges. Walk
through some of the galleries, and you’ll find yourself within the inner sanctuary. Here,
you can see a number of beautifully preserved statues.

Temple of Dawn
Wat Arun, or the Temple of Dawn, is a Buddhist temple found in Bangkok. Built during the
reign of King Narai in the 17th century, the Temple of Dawn is a striking structure. At
dawn, the very first rays of light in the city strike the temple, creating an iridescent sheen.
That’s due to the exterior material, a mixture of porcelain and seashells that reflect the
light beautifully. As fantastic as the spire looks from the outside, you can also head inside
and climb right up the central prang. From here, you’ll be treated to spectacular views
over the Chao Phraya River and even across to Wat Pho, another famed temple in
Bangkok.
 White Temple
Wat Rong Khun, or the White Temple, is one of the most fascinating and spectacular
landmarks in Thailand. Although it looks like it might be ancient, the White Temple was
actually only designed in 1997 by the artist Chalermchai Kositpipat. The temple is
essentially an art installation on a grand scale, featuring countless gates and sculptures. As
you enter, crossing over a bridge, hundreds of outstretched hands reach up from the
ground. Then, opulent details give the entire area a surreal look. For something unusual
and unforgettable, the White Temple fits the bill.

:Musical Bg:
Thai music owes its origin from China and India. These two countries are distinct in every aspect of
traditional Thai music. While they may have certain similarities with the Khmer, Burmese, and Lao music.
Thai music nevertheless has remained distinct and unique from the music of its Asian neighbors. It is
assumed to be 600 years old. The first evidenced of Thai music was found during the reign of the
Ayuthaya kingdoms.

Genres and Styles

Pleng luk thuung (Thai Country Music)

Invented in the early 1950’s that reflects daily trials and tribulations of rural Thais.

Mor Lam
distinctively a Laotian genre characterized by rapid-fire, rhythmic vocals, and funk-feel percussion. It
focuses on the daily life of the rural poor.

Kanthrum
a swift traditional music.
 Pop and Rock

Phleng thai sakon

Thai music that blends traditional elements with the use of the western notation and instruments.

Wong shadow
western rock patterned after the music of Cliff Richards and his bands, the Shadows.

Phleng pheua chiwit (songs of life)

nationalistic Thai songs. In the 1980’s Phleng pheua chiwit was influenced by rock music such as
Hammer, Pongsit Kamphee, Pongthep kradonchamman and Carabao.

Classical Music
Thai classical music is synonymous with those stylized court ensembles and repertoires that emerged in
their present form within the royal centers of Central Thailand some 800 years ago. These ensembles,
while being influenced by older practices and repertoires from India, are today uniquely Thai
expressions. While the three primary classical ensembles, the Piphat, Khrueang sai and Mahori differ in
significant ways, they all share a basic instrumentation and theoretical approach. Each employs small
ching hand cymbals and krap wooden sticks to mark the primary beat reference.

Piphat
Phipat is a kind of ensemble in the classical music of Thailand, which features wind and percussion
instrument, Thai theatrical abd dance forms including khon (masked dance drama), lakhon (classical
dance), and shadow puppet theatre.

Khrueang sai
The khrueang sai is one of the quietest and most intimate ensembles in Thai classical music. It is used to
accompany singing, dances, and holidays. It also used in impromptu occasions requiring music.
 Mahori
The mahori is a form of Cambodian and Thai classical ensemble traditionally played in the royal courts
for the purpose of secular entertainment. It combines the xylophones and gong circles (but not the pi, or
oboe) of the piphat with the strings of the khruang sai ensemble. Originally, the term referred only to a
string ensemble, although today it includes both string and percussion. There are three broad types of
Mahori: Mahori Khryang Lek, Mahori Khyrang Khu, and Mahori Khyrang Yai, each differentiated by the
types of instruments utilized.

Initially, only men were permitted to play mahori; however, as its popularity grew, women from royal
backgrounds began to play as well. In the Ayuthaya period, women were not permitted to act onstage
outside royal service, and women were trained only to play in the mahori. However, King Rama
IV removed this restriction and allowed women to act onstage, which caused women's mahori to decline
as women increasingly chose to act instead.

Luk Thung
Luk thung songs consist of poetic lyrics that often reflect the rural lifestyle, cultural traits and social
patterns in Thailand. The songs are typically sung with a distinctive country accent and common use
of vibrato, and are harmonized with Western instruments, mostly brassand electronic instruments,
alongside Thai traditional instruments such as the khaen and phin. Lyrically, the songs dealt with a range
of themes, often based on Thai rural life: rural poverty, romantic love, the beauty of rural scenery,
religious beliefs, traditional culture, and political crisis.

Mor Lam
The characteristic feature of lam singing is the use of a flexible melody tailored to the tones of the words
in the text. Traditionally, the tune was developed by the singer as an interpretation of a glawn poem and
accompanied primarily by the khene (a free reed mouth organ). The modern form is
frequently composed and uses electrified instruments. Traditional forms (and some Lao genres) use
slower tempo than the quicker tempo and faster deliveries of more modern lam music. Strong rhythmic
accompaniments, vocal leaps and a conversational style of singing distinguish lam from American rap.

Typically featuring a theme of unrequited love, mor lam often reflects the difficulties of life in rural Isan
and Laos, leavened with wry humor. In its heartland, performances are an essential part of festivals and
 ceremonies. Lam has gained a profile outside its native regions from the spread of migrant workers, for
whom it remains an important cultural link with home.

Kantrum
Kantrum is a type of folk music played by the Khmer in Isan, Thailand, living near the border with Cambodia. It is a
fast, traditional dance music. In its purest form, cho-kantrum, singers, percussion and fiddles dominate the sound.
A more modern form using electric instrumentation arose in the mid-1980s.

Performing Arts

THEATER AND THE PERFORMING ARTS IN THAILAND

The classical central Thai style of dance drama has been maintained since of 1930s by the Witthayalai Natasin or
College of Dance and Music with its several branches around the country, and by the National Theatre in Bangkok.
The technique is canonised in manuals, of which the earliest existing are the early Bangkok period manuals
preserved at the National Library of Thailand.

Khon
Khon is the name of traditional Thai masked dance drama. Originating in the 16th century, it evolved had in hand
with the Ramakien, the Thai version of the Indian-Hindu Ramayana. Knon stories revolve around the epic account
of the abduction of Nang Sida (Sita) , the wife of the god-king Phra Ra (Rama), by the wicked king Thotsakan
(Ravana, the evil King of Lanka).

A refined and elegant art form combining elements of theater and dance, Khon features ornate costumes and
magnificent paper-mache masks and stylized gestures. It is regarded as a traditional “high” art form developed to
entertain the royal family. It was once considered so strenuous that only men could perform it. Styles and
performances vary according to different regions of the country.

Khon Dance is the most stylized form of Thai dance. It is performed by troupes of non-speaking dancers, the story
being told by a chorus at the side of the stage. Choreography follows traditional models rather than attempting to
innovate. Costumes are dictated by tradition, with angels (both good and bad) wearing coloured masks.

Lakhon
 Lakhon features a wider range of stories than khon, including folk tales and Jataka stories (stories of the Buddha
and his previous lives). Dancers are usually female and perform as a group rather than representing individual
characters. Dr. Jukka O. Miettinen of the Finnish Theatre Academy wrote: Lakhon is an overall term referring to
many forms of dance-drama in Thailand. It may derive from Java, where the plot of a performance is called lakon.
The most archaic genre of lakhon is lakhon nora or nora from the Thai part of the Malay Peninsula, which will be
discussed later. The most classical form is lakhon nai, developed at the courts of Ayutthaya and Bangkok and
originally performed by royal maidens, while the popular form lakhon nok was originally performed by men.
[Source: Dr. Jukka O. Miettinen, Asian Traditional Theater and Dance, Theatre Academy Helsinki]

Lakhon Nai
Dr. Jukka O. Miettinen wrote: “ Lakhon nai is the most classical form of lakhon dance-drama. It developed at the
courts of Ayutthaya and Bangkok, and its name means the “inner theatre” referring to the fact that its
performances were limited to the private quarters of the royal palace. Its history may be longer, possibly going
back to the ancient dance-drama of the Khmers. The first written reference to lakhon nai, however, comes from the
Ayutthaya period. [Source: Dr. Jukka O. Miettinen, Asian Traditional Theater and Dance, Theatre Academy Helsinki]

“It was performed by the royal maidens of the king’s harem, and the performances could be viewed only by the
king himself, his guests, and members of the court. It was not possible to use male actors in lakhon nai, as it was
performed in the women’s quarter of the palace. At the beginning of the Bangkok period the Thai kings still kept
large harems, to which vassals “donated”, mainly for political reasons, their beautiful daughters, who were taught
classical dance in the palace.

Lakhon Nok
dr. Jukka O. Miettinen wrote: “ Lakhon nok is a popular form of dance-drama, which, unlike lakhon nai, was
originally mainly a product of the common people, and it is closely linked to the Buddhist temple fairs, although the
palace also had its own lakhon nok groups. It was originally restricted to male actors, usually professionals. Since
the early nineteenth century women have been permitted to perform female parts. There are dozens of lakhon nok
plays, usually dramatised versions of the Buddhist Jataka stories or folk-tales. Here, as in all genres of lakhon, the
performances have a distinct fairy-tale quality. The plays depict the trials of noble princes, and adventures in
demon-infested forests with Hindu deities and spirits taking part in the action. [Source: Dr. Jukka O. Miettinen,
Asian Traditional Theater and Dance, Theatre Academy Helsinki]

“The costumes in lakhon nok are mainly based on classical dance attire, although some characters, such as Sang
Thong in the black man’s disguise, wear masks. At the peak of its popularity at the end of the nineteenth century,
lakhon nok was being performed in almost a hundred casino-theatres around Bangkok. It was naturally affected by
the tastes of the common people, with a stress on the comic aspects and a free interpretation of the theme. The sets
make full use of illusionistic effects with painted backdrops and modern lighting. The National Theatre of Thailand
and theatre groups in the universities still perform lakhon nok from time to time. [Ibid]

Wai Kru Ceremony

 Dr. Jukka O. Miettinen wrote: “In Thailand, as in many other Asian countries, the arts of dancing and acting are
regarded as a kind of spiritual activity. Pupils studying and performing khon and lahkon dance-dramas are
expected to show deep gratitude to their teachers or gurus, who through successive generations give them an
opportunity to learn the art of dance with its semi-divine origin. This devotional reverence that pupils show to
their gurus is manifested in Thailand still today in the wai kru ceremony. [Source: Dr. Jukka O. Miettinen, Asian
Traditional Theater and Dance, Theatre Academy Helsinki]

Nora, Archaic Thai Dance-Drama

Dr. Jukka O. Miettinen wrote: “Nora is a form of dance-drama performed mainly in the southernmost provinces of
Thailand and the northern parts of Malaysia. The name nora is a shortened form of the name Manora, the standard
heroine of an ancient tale, which often serves as the plot material for this type of dance-drama. The genre is also
known as lakhon nora, nora chatri, manora, or menora. Traditionally, nora has been interwoven with elements of
ancestor worship and spirit possession while it is also, at the same time, a complex form of dance-drama.
Performances dominated by the ritual elements are often called “ancient nora” while the more entertaining
performances are called “modern nora”. [Source: Dr. Jukka O. Miettinen, Asian Traditional Theater and Dance,
Theatre Academy Helsinki]

“Nora has its own music tradition; its language is a Southern Thai dialect; its movement techniques appear to have
come almost directly from far-off India; and it has an undeniable magical character. Its origin has been the subject
of much speculation. According to one theory, it is the link between the ancient theatrical forms of the Malay
Peninsula and the lakhon of Central Thailand, and possibly the basic form of the other lakhon types. [Ibid]