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Thai names
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Thai Names
Thai people have three names:
- First Name
- Last Name
- Nickname
First Names & Nicknames
It’s possible that I was misled, but the story I got on nicknames was as follows:
Thai people take their children to the temple when they are 30 days old, where the monk gives them their first name. The name is chosen to be auspicious based on birthdate and other considerations. For the first thirty days the family needs a name for the baby, so they chooose a nickname (which usually stays with them the rest of their lives). Because Thais are a superstitious lot who believe in ghosts and spirits, they often choose unattractive names (like ‘pig’) so that the spirits will not be enticed by an attractive sounding nickname to come and steal away the baby’s soul.
I’ve heard this story more than once, but like many things in Thai culture, I’m not absolutely certain about it. It ‘feels’ right, though.
Sometimes, when Thai people have had bad luck in their lives, they will legally change their first name in an effort to get one which is more auspicious. I have personally known two people who have done this, so it’s not at all uncommon!
For an excellent article on choosing Thai names, try this link. The article is brief, clear and well-written.
Surnames
As I understand it, traditionally Thais didn’t use family names, but one of the Kings of Thailand in the 18th or 19th century introduced the idea of surnames and made them mandatory. When they were introduced, every surname had to be unique (and was checked against a register) so unlike Smith, Jones, Park or Nguyen there are very few common surnames in Thailand. This story may simply be confused with the law passed in 1913 that required all Chinese immigrants to adopt Thai surnames. This website actually states that the 1913 act introduced surnames for all Thai people. You can see why I’m a bit confused on the facts….
I have heard two varying accounts about very long Thai surnames.
One account, which I read in a book, says that only families of a certain level of importance or royalty can have a surname of five syllables or more; all others are limited to 4 syllables. I don’t believe this is correct.
The other account, which I have heard several times, is detailed at this website. Essentially it rests on the fact that surnames have to be unique, so Chinese immigrants who applied for Thai surnames had to continue adding syllables in order to meet the requirments.
Under the first account, a long surname indicates a powerful family; the second account indicates Chinese heritage. (Of course, in Thailand being from a powerful family and being Chinese often go together!). Personally, I believe the second account from the website link supplied is accurate, partly because the current King’s surname has four syllables, and partly because the author of the website (K. Kriengsak) is a well known and credible columnist here in Thailand.
When a Thai person introduces himself or herself to you in a formal setting, it is likely to sound something like this:
My name is Chanumporn Kwangsoongnoen; my nickname is Lek
It is very likely that this person will never speak or hear her surname (Kwangsoongnoen) again.
Titles
In formal situations, including both conversation and written documents, the person will be addressed by thier first name. Typically, one of three titles will preceed the use of her name: Pi, Nong, or Khun.
So, in formal situations:
- If she is being addressed by someone younger than herself, the person will usually call her Pi Chanumporn.
- If she is being addressed by someone older than she is, she will usually be called Nong Chanumporn.
- If her relative age is unknown, or if she is being addressed by a foreigner (non-Thai) then she will usually be called Khun Chanumporn.
In non-formal situations — which includes everyday interaction with family, friends and work collegues — the same rules of address apply, but usually people will use her nickname. So she may be Pi Lek, Nong Lek or Khun Lek.
While there is no exact translation to English, you can pretty much subtitute this way:
Pi = older brother, older sister
Nong = younger brother, younger sister
Khun = person; vaguely Mister or Ms.
Among family, friends or close work colleagues it may be surprising that they don’t simply call each other Lek and Noi. Instead, they will drop the name, and simply call each other Pi & Nong based on their relative ages. This is an issue of deference in the Thai culture that is based so much on age, and it also serves as a reminder to Nong exactly what his or her place is in this relationship.
Foriegners are exempt from the Pi & Nong rules, and are typically addressed as Khun, and are expected to call all Thai people Khun.
A foreigner in Thailand (let’s say Tony Miller) will not be Mr. Miller; instead he will be Khun Tony. There are some occupations which bring their own special titles, and one of these is the position of teacher, which is highly esteemed (just below monks and parents) in Thai culture. The two most common words for teacher are kroo and ajarn. So if Tony is teaching English at the local university he is likly to be adressed as Ajarn Tony, especially by his students, who may simply call him Ajarn (teacher).
Think about Catholics who address the priest as Father Tony, or simply Father and it should make sense.
Common Nicknames
The nicknames themselves are a colourful affair. Occasionally someone will choose to be called by a nickname that is simply a short version of their first name. So someone named Nattaporn might choose to be called “Nat“. But most people will stick with the nicknames they were given at birth.
Here is a list of many common Thai nicknames. It’s just a sampling; there are hundreds. Where I know the translation, I have included it. If no translation is included, it’s either because there isn’t one, or because I simply don’t know what it is. Thai people are generally not the most imaginative group of people in the world, so a very small pool of nicknames serves most of the population of 68 million people.
Pla = fish
Poo = crab
Pui or Bui = fat (from the playful word, “Poompui”)
Ouan = fat
Lek = small
Noi = small or little
Nok = bird
Moo = Pig
Apple = (pronounced “Appen” in Thai) of course means Apple
Ple = (pronounced “Bun”) is short for Apple
Gig / Kig / Gik = this has come to be a somewhat embarrassing nickname as in recent years the slang term “gig” has come to mean something akin to a fuck-buddy.
Rung
Som = Orange
Nid = the term “Nid Noi” means “a little bit”… I think Nid as a nickname reflects this meaning
Nad / Natt
Rat = Rat (I think)
A
Vee
Aom
Cee
Oh
Meaow = cat
Cat
Briow = Sour
Wan = Sweet
Boom / Pum
Oom
Oil / Oi = I think it just means “Oil”
Sa
Pim
Song
Deuen = moon
Feel free to use the comments section to correct information, provide missing translations, or to expand the list of nicknames or titles.
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