saab (สาบ)
Thai-Isaan.
A kind of fresh water fish trap, used in places where the water
is shallow. It consists of a round, long
tapering wickerwork case,
lined and braided
with
rattan
rods. The top is open to enable a view inside to
check upon the fish already caught. It has a funnel-shaped mouth with
spikes to prevent the fish from swimming back out. See also
lob,
son,
sai
and
sang.
回
saad (ศารท/สารท)
Thai. Any festival traditionally held at the end of autumn, as in
‘saad kanom koh’, an annual festival held more or less during
fall, when Chinese sweetmeat made of rice flour is eaten. The term
is however often used popularly for any annual festival. See also
krayahsaad.
回
Saadsada (ศาสดา)
Thai. ‘Savant’ or ‘religious prophet’. A name
for the historical
Buddha, the Enlightened One.
See also
Phra Samasam,
Mahamuni
and
Mahalabamuni.
回
saai (ทราย)
1. Thai for ‘sand’.
回
2. Thai. Short for
neua saai, meaning ‘Hog
Deer’.
回
Saai Sanithawong (สาย สนิทวงศ์)
Thai.
Name of a Siamese Prince, who was a contemporary of King
Rama V.
READ ON.
回
saak (สาก)
Thai. A pestle used to grind things in a
mortar called
krok
(fig.).
Its form is reminiscent of the physical shape of a praying mantis (fig.),
which is therefore called
takkataen tam khao in
Thai. In Hindu mythology, a pestle named Musala, is an attribute of
the god
Balarama,
the
god of ploughmen (fig.),
an older brother of
Krishna
and an
avatar
of
Vishnu.
回
Saam Kok (สามก๊ก)
Thai for the story of the
Three
Kingdoms.
回
Saam Liam Thong Kham
(สามเหลี่ยมทองคำ)
Thai for the
Golden
Triangle.
回
Saam Phraan (สามพราน)
Thai. ‘Three Hunters’. Name of a
tambon,
as well as an
amphur
of the same name,
in
Nakhon Pathom.
The name derives from a story which relates that in the time when the
Phraya
Phaan
was governor of
Nakhon
Sri Wichai,
i.e.
presentday Nakhon Chai Sri
(นครชัยศรี)
district in Nakhon Pathom, there was a wild
elephant
with a nice character and very clever, and which was suitable to
become a
war elephant,
so Phraya Phaan sent out some hunters to catch it. However, no one was able to
do so, until three hunters volunteered for the task. They dug a large pit on the
path that this wild elephant regularly used to travel on. Due to the ingenuity
of the three hunters, the elephant could be caught and offered to the Phraya.
Hence, the local people named the area where the elephant was caught Saam Phraan.
Also transcribed
Sahm Phran.
See MAP
and
THEMATIC STREET LIGHT.
回
saamloh (สามล้อ)
Thai.
‘Tricycle’. Thai for a rickshaw (fig.).
If motorized it is nicknamed a
tuktuk
(fig.)
after the sound of its engine. If it is a push-bike it is also
called
rot
saamloh tihb
(fig.).
Often spelt samlor or samloh. The first ever
pedal-driven
rickshaw in Thailand
was used
in
Nakhon Ratchasima
in 1933.
Before
then, they were pulled by a person running on foot. See also
rot thaeksih.
回
sabah (สะบ้า)
Thai name for the Entada rheedii, a large kind of
sea bean.
回
sabai (สบาย)
Thai word
and concept, that means a variety
of things, such as
‘comfortable’, ‘at
ease’,
‘enjoyable’, ‘happy’, ‘cozy’, ‘secure’, ‘safe’, ‘sheltered’, ‘homely’, ‘agreeable’, ‘snug’,
‘happy’,
etc. and which is etymologically related to the term
sappaya
which means ‘a condition that is suitable for living or carrying out
various activities with good results, consisting of the four factors
(patjai
sih) and dialogue, encompassing the 4 things that are
necessary for human life, e.g. food, medicine, clothing and housing’.
回
sabbannu (သဗ္ဗညု)
Pali.
‘Omniscient’. Term in
Buddhism
for a person who
knows everything concerning all of the
Dhamma,
he who has the all-perfect
wisdom, sometimes translated as
‘One of Boundless Knowledge’
or the
‘Enlightened One’,
and hence a designation used for any
buddha,
and especially the
Buddha.
回
Sabbannu Phaya (သဗ္ဗညုဘုရား)
Burmese-Pali
name for
a just over 60 meter high Buddhist temple in
Bagan, i.e.
the tallest of all monuments in this ancient kingdom and former
capital of
Burma.
READ ON.
回
sabha (सभा)
Sanskrit-Hindi term meaning
‘assembly’
or
‘congregation’ and often used to refer to a
large assembly-room or hall, and as such typically found in combination with
names of
Hindu and Vedic temples, and
Sikh
gurudwaras.
回
sabong (สบง)
Thai. A
sarong-like
lower garment of a Buddhist monk, worn below the
angsa
and underneath the
pahkahsahwapad.
回
Sachi (शची)
Sanskrit. Name of
Indra's consort.
She is the goddess of wrath and jealousy, and a daughter an
asura
who was killed by Indra. She is described as
very beautiful and sometimes as having a thousand eyes. She is associated with
lions and elephants (fig.).
Sometimes transcribed Shachi and also known as Indrani.
回
Sadayu (สดายุ)
Thai. A large bird in the epic
Ramakien
and the younger brother of
Samphati. He
has the face of the
Garuda
and the body of a bird with green feathers. He witnessed the
kidnapping of
Sita by Tossakan and courageously
tried to intervene, but was critically wounded by the demon. Yet, it
brought
Rama the news
of Sita's kidnapping and showed him her ring, as proof, then it
died. It is sometimes associated with
Tantima. Also
Nok Sadayu.
回
Saddleback Anemone Fish
Common name for a species of
anemone fish, with the scientific designation Amphiprion polymnus. This fish has
a black body, with a yellowish face and two
main white markings, i.e. one thick
vertical bar behind the eyes, the other an often incomplete bar (or just a large
spot) on its back and spreading onto the dorsal fin, which is reminiscent of a
saddle. In addition, the anal and caudal fins are lined with white. This species
is found only in the
Gulf of Thailand. Like other
species of
anemone fish it dwells near the seabed, in areas with sea anemones. The
Saddleback Anemone Fish is depicted on the last of four Thai postage stamps
issued in 2006 to publicize the anemone fish of Thailand (fig.).
It is also commonly known as Saddleback Clown Fish, which is alternatively
spelled Saddleback Clownfish, and in Thai it is called pla cartoon ahn mah
(ปลาการ์ตูนอานม้า), i.e. ‘horse saddle cartoon fish’.
回
Sadeua Chiang Rai (สะดือเชียงราย)
Thai. ‘Navel of
Chiang Rai’.
Name for the Chiang Rai
City Pillar
Shrine, which consists of a spot on a hilltop (doi)
located in the northern part of the city of
Chiang Rai,
adjacent to Wat Phrathat Doi Chom Thong (วัดพระธาตุดอยจอมทอง), a Buddhist temple
with a
chedi
that contains relics of the
Buddha, hence the name
Phrathat.
Different from most other City Pillars in the nation, known in Thai as
sahn lak meuang,
the shrine in Chiang Rai is erected in open-air and consists of
one large elevated pillar surrounded by various smaller ones.
See also
TRAVEL PICTURE and
WATCH VIDEO.
回
Sadeua Mae Nahm Khong (สะดือแม่น้ำโขง)
Thai. ‘Navel of the Mekhong River’. Name of a spot in the
Mekhong River
considered to be the point where the Mekong River is the deepest.
READ ON.
回
sadhu (साधु)
Sanskrit term used to refer to
someone who renounces the secular world and strives for a religious
life.
READ ON.
回
Sadok Kok Thom (สด๊กก๊อกธม)
Thai-Khmer. Name of a
Khmer sanctuary
in
Sa Kaeo,
that dates back to the
11th century. It
was built in red sandstone and
laterite,
by the order of
Udayadityavarman II (1050-1066 AD) and dedicated to the
Hindu
god
Shiva.
The sanctuary is best known as the original site of a 1.51 meters high
stele,
known as inscription K 235,
that originally stood in the northeast corner of the temple's court and has
inscriptions in both
Sanskrit
and ancient Khmer, and which
is considered to be one of the most revealing writings from the
Angkorian Period,
describing the
rule of twelve
Khmer kings over the course of the two and a half centuries, giving account of
some basic events of their reigns, as well as some major events, such as the
relocation of the capital. The temple
was formerly known as
Prasat Meuang Phrao
and is also called
Prasat
Sadok Kok Thom or
Prasat Hin
Sadok Kok Thom, and is sometimes spelled
Sdok Kok Thom or Sdok Kak Thom. It has been portrayed on a Thai postage stamp,
as part of a set of four stamps issued in 2009 to mark the annual
Thai Heritage Conservation Day
(fig.).
The meaning of the word Sadok is
likely
‘Lake’ or ‘Reservoir’, but the meaning of
the word
Kok
is
disputed,
yet −as in Thai− it possibly refers to the general name for
‘sedges’,
the family of rush or reed-like waterside or marsh plants,
whilst Thom is a Khmer word meaning ‘Big’, as in
Angkor Thom. Hence, the
name is by some translated as ‘Great Reed Lake’.
回
sa-do kro (สะเดาะเคราะห์)
Thai. Ritual to get rid of bad luck, usually by sprinkling holy
water on the head.
回
sadtah (ศรัทธา)
Thai. The belief in a religion.
回
Saeng Ahtit (แสงอาทิตย์)
Thai. ‘Sunlight’. Name of a
demon character from the
Ramakien
(fig.).
He is the second son of Phaya Khon (พญาขร) and a younger brother of
Mangkonkan
(fig.).
He owned the
Surakaan crystal
ring, which
Phra Phrom
(fig.)
gave him as a weapon,
and that has the power to emit a deadly ray that can instantly age
anyone into death. He had deposited it with Phra Phrom at the time that
Totsakan
(fig.)
send him into battle against
Phra Ram
(fig.).
When
Phiphek
(fig.)
informed Phra Ram of this, he ordered
Ongkhot
(fig.)
to transform himself into the
yak
Jitraphairi/Wichitphai (จิตรไพรี/วิจิตรไพรี), the younger brother of
Mangkonkan and a half-brother of Saeng Ahtit, and told him to fetch
the ring from Phra Phrom. When
Saeng Ahtit was
losing the battle against Phra Ram, he also send his −genuine−
half-brother to go and get the Surakaan crystal ring from Phra
Phrom, only to learn that he had already given it back to him
earlier, thus discovering the deceit. Enraged about this treachery,
Saeng Ahtit forced himself into a fierce battle with Phra Ram, but
was hit by the latter's
Phrommat
arrow and died
on the battlefield.
He seems to be one of the demons
that took part in the
Churning of the Ocean of Milk
(fig.)
depicted in the sculpture at
Suwannaphum
International
Airport (fig.).
回
Saeng Neon (แสงนีออน)
Thai name for an evergreen shrub with the
botanical designation Leucophyllum frutescens and in Thailand commonly found as
an outdoor ornamental plant. It originates from the US and is in English
commonly known by a variety of names, including Texas Ranger, Wild Lilac, Purple
Sage, and Texas Rain Sage, among others.
回
Saen Meuang Ma (แสนเมืองมา)
Thai. Name of the
ninth king of the
Mengrai
(fig.)
Dynasty who ruled the
Lan Na
kingdom from 1385 to 1401 AD. His consort
was
Phra
Nang
Tilohk Jutha Thewi (fig.),
with whom he fathered
Phra Chao
Sahm Fang Kaen (fig.).
See also TRAVEL PICTURES
and
LIST OF LAN NA KINGS.
回
Saen Phu
(แสนภู)
Thai. Name of
a nephew of King
Mengrai and the founder of
Chiang Saen, a
former kingdom and present-day
amphur
on the south bank of the
Mekhong River in
Chiang Rai,
established in 1328 AD. He later ascdended the
Lan
Na throne as the
third king of the
Mengrai (fig.)
Dynasty who ruled the
Lan Na
kingdom twice, i.e. first between 1318 and
1319 AD and again for a second term
in office between from 1324
to 1328 AD.
His name is also transliterated Saenphu.
See also
LIST OF LAN NA KINGS.
回
saenyahkon (แสนยากร)
Thai. ‘Army’ or ‘military
might’. See
Royal Thai Armed Forces.
回
saffron
A spice derived from the
dried
pistils and styles of the saffron crocus, a kind of wild crocus with
the scientific name Crocus cartwrightianus, originally from
Southwest Asia, but now domesticated as Crocus sativus and
cultivated also in other parts of the world, especially in central
Spain's La Mancha region. It has long been the
world's most expensive spice by weight, nicknamed Red Gold,
and is used as a yellowish orange dye or colouring matter for food and
textiles.
Traijiewon or
pah kahsahwapad,
the saffron-coloured robes (fig.)
worn by Buddhist
monks,
are not dyed with
the costly saffron, but rather, at least in the past, with
turmeric,
a far less expensive dye. It occurs both dried and in powdered form
(fig.).
In both
Buddhism
and
Hinduism, the
colour saffron −or alternatively ochre− symbolizes renunciation. The
name saffron allegedly derives from the Arabic word zafaraan, i.e.
‘gold strung’, which is itself
derived from the adjective asafar, meaning ‘yellow’. In Thai
ya faran.
回
Sagaing
(စစ်ကိုင်း)
Burmese. Name of a small former
kingdom located on the west bank
of the
Irrawaddy River (fig.),
across from
Ava, which is
located on the east bank, near present-day Mandalay,
and can be reached by boat as well as by the old (map
-
fig.)
and new (fig.) Ava bridges.
It existed from 1315 to 1365
AD and was founded by
King
Athinkhaya
Saw Yun
(fig.),
who was the son of King Thihathu,
ruler of the
Myinsaing
Kingdom. After the latter had appointed Saw Yun's stepbrother as heir-apparent to the throne of
Myinsaing, rather than his own son Saw Yun, who was made governor of Sagaing
instead, Saw Yun had resented and rebelled against his father the King and
consequently seized Sagaing and made it into a rival kingdom. After the split, the remaining part of the Myinsaing Kingdom became the
Pinya
Kingdom. Hence some source will say that Sagaing was
ruled by a junior branch of the
Myinsaing Dynasty. Today Sagaing is referred to as Sagaing Division and is an
administrative region of Myanmar, in the southeast bordering Mandalay Region.
The area is home to dozens of Buddhist monasteries and hundreds of
stupas
(map -
fig.)
in various shapes and sizes, both on hilltops (map
-
fig.) and in the valley (map
-
fig.), as well as some modern (fig.),
a gilded replica of
the Japanese giant Daibutsu
Buddha
(map
-
fig.), ancient ritual ponds (map
-
fig.),
etc.
See also TRAVEL PICTURES
and
MAP.
回
Sagar (စကား)
Name of a village
in
Myanmar's
Shan State.
READ ON.
回
Sahadeva (सहदेव)
Sanskrit.
‘With the gods’,
though sometimes translated as
‘Equal to a thousand
gods’.
Name of
one of the
Pandavas, i.e.
the fifth son of
Pandu,
and the younger twin brother of
Nakula.
His mother was Madri and his godly father the
Ashwin
twin
Dasra.
He was an excellent sword fighter, as well as a master of chariot and
horse
riding. 回
sahaprachachaat (สหประชาชาติ)
Thai name for the United Nations, an
organization of which Thailand is a strong supporter, with much of its regional
organizations based in
Bangkok, including a total of 24 UN agencies that are
active in Thailand (fig.),
including UNESCO, the agency that is responsible for the choice and management of the many
World Heritage Sites, of which there are many in the Southeast Asian region (map
-
fig.).
Thailand actively contributed to UN peacekeeping operations and has ratified a
series of UN human rights, labour and environment conventions and treaties.
See MAP.
回
Sahatsadecha (สหัสเดชะ)
Thai-Pali.
‘Having the strength of a thousand
’. Name of a
yak, i.e. a giant
or demon from the
Ramakien. He is described as
having a white complexion (fig.),
one thousand heads and two thousand arms. He was the ruler of the city of
Pahngtahn (ปางตาล) and an ally of
Totsakan,
whom he helped in his fight against
Rama, yet he
was killed by
Hanuman (fig.).
In
iconography, he
is usually depicted with a
chadah-like
crown, with multiple layers of small white heads
(fig.).
In architecture, he is often portrayed together with Totsakan, a yak with a
green complexion. Both stand at the entrance of
Wat Arun (fig.),
as well as at the northern gate of the Western entrances of
Wat Phra Kaew
(fig.).
In 2001, he was depicted on a Thai postage stamp, as part of a set of four
stamps with giants that guard temple entrances (fig.).
He is also one of the 12 giants that stand at the check-in hall of
Suwannaphum
International Airport (fig.)
in
Samut Prakan.
Also transcribed Sahasadeja and usually referred to as
Thao
Sahatsadecha
(fig.).
See also POSTAGE STAMPS,
LIST OF RAMAKIEN CHARACTERS, and
TRAVEL PICTURE (1)
and
(2).
回
sahlih (สาลี่)
1. Thai name for the Chinese pear or sand pear, of the genus Pyrus
pyrifolia. It has succulent creamy-white flesh and tastes either
sweet or sweet and a little sour. Its flesh is sandy and crispy or
soft in some varieties.
回
2. A cake-like sweet, known as Thai sponge
cake and also referred to as
kanom
sahlih. This light,
yet rather dry cake, is made by steaming it in a style similar to au-bain-marie
(fig.)
and usual flavours include
coffee
or mocha,
pandanus
and strawberry (fig.).
It is typically cut into small square blocks, each of which may be topped with
some kind of edible garniture, such as a raisin or a piece of preserved fruit.
回
3. Thai for ‘trolley’.
回
4. Thai for ‘wheelbarrow’,
more specifically referred to as
rot
sahlih.
回
Sahm Fang Kaen (สามฝั่งแกน)
Thai.
Name of the tenth monarch of
the
Mengrai
(fig.)
Dynasty, who ruled the
Lan Na
Kingdom
from 1401 to 1441 AD. He is the son
of Phaya
Saen Meuang Ma (fig.),
the ninth king of Lan Na with his consort
Phra
Nang
Tilohk Jutha Thewi (fig.),
who thus became Queen Mother.
See also TRAVEL PICTURES
and
LIST OF LAN NA KINGS.
回
sahmmanaen (สามเณร)
See
naen.
回
Sahmphan Bohk (สามพันโบก)
Thai-Isaan.
‘Three Thousand Potholes’. Name of a large solid area of rock
with cliff-like sides and large rocky rapids along the
Mekhong
River in
Ubon Ratchathani
which features thousands of holes and puddles.
READ ON.
回
Sahn Chao Beung Tao Gong-Ma (ศาลเจ้าปึงเถ่ากง-ม่า)
Thai
name for a Thai-Chinese
shrine in a Chinese Temple in
Khon Kaen,
which on its premises is also a shrine dedicated to Pu Khru Yen (ปู่ครูเย็น),
who is also referred to as Yah Khru Yen (ญาครูเย็).
He was an
Isaan astrologer who lived in
the 20th century AD, had knowledge of black magic, and could
accurately predict providence. He was also a doctor of herbal
medicine and a master of traditions. He moved from his native place
in
Nakhon Phanom
and settled in Khon Kaen. He wore white clothes and a rosary around
the neck, and is today worshipped by the people of Khon Kaen.
WATCH VIDEO.
回
Sahn Chao Mae Kwan Im (ศาลเจ้าแม่กวนอิม)
Thai
name for a Thai-Chinese
shrine at the
Kuti Jihn Community
in
Bangkok's
Thonburi
district
(fig.),
dedicated to
Kuan Yin,
the Chinese goddess of Mercy (fig.).
READ ON.
回
Sahn Chao Pho Doi Thong (ศาลเจ้าพ่อดอยทอง)
Thai. Name of a Thai-Chinese shrine
located on a hill overlooking the city of
in
Chiang Rai.
WATCH VIDEO.
回
Sahn Chao Pho Khrut (ศาลเจ้าพ่อครุฑ)
Thai
name for a small and rather unique shrine tucked away in a short and
narrow street in
Bangkok's Phra Nakhon
District, that is entirely devoted to the
Garuda
(fig.).
Being the nation's royal
symbol, as well as emblem of the Civil Service (fig.),
the shrine is especially visited by government officials, who come here to make
offerings and pray, especially to request a good result when taking a civil
servant's exam or in order to ask for a career advancement. Although edifices
and statues of Garuda can be found in many places and temples all over Thailand
(fig.),
a shrine devoted solely to this mythological half-man-half-bird is one of its
kind.
回
Sahn Chao Pho
Mae Klong (ศาลเจ้าพ่อแม่กลอง)
Thai.
Name of a Thai-Chinese shrine in
the tambon Mae Klong in
Samut Songkhram,
adjacent to the northern side of the local
Talaat Rom Hoop
(fig.)
Railway Market (fig.).
It is dedicated to the local guardian spirit, referred to as
Chao Pho (fig.).
WATCH VIDEO.
回
Sahn Chao Pho Ho Klong (ศาลเจ้าพ่อหอกลอง)
Thai.
‘Chao Pho
Drum Tower Shrine’. Name of a Thai-Chinese
shrine in
Bangkok
dedicated to the deity
Chao Pho Ho Klong
(fig.),
a protective
deity, who warns people for looming dangers by the sound of
drumbeats.
He is said
to be the spirit of
Chao Phraya
Si Surasak (สีห์สุรศักดิ์), an important military leader from the
Thonburi
period, who in battle used to encourage his troops by beating on a
war drum. After his death, people would sometimes hear drumbeats
coming from his drum, whilst no one was near, and each time just
before something bad was about to happen, as it were a supernatural
warning sign. His spirit is thus believed to safeguard the
population and warn them for looming dangers.
This place of worship is especially frequented by by government officials and military
staff, many of whom come here to pray for job positions. The shrine has several
drums, similar to those formerly located in the
Rattanakosin Drum Tower (fig.).
In order to receive a blessing, visitors to the shrine are supposed to hit the
main and largest of the drums seven times. See also
ho klong
and
WATCH VIDEO.
回
Sahn Chao Pho Peung Thao Kong (ศาลเจ้าพ่อปึงเถ่ากง)
Thai.
Name of any Thai-Chinese shrine
dedicated to
the
Tae Chew deity
Peung Thao Kong,
who is also known as
Pae Kong. Alternatively
called
Sahn Peung Thao Kong
(fig.).
Compare with
sahn phra phum
and
sahn chao thih.
回
Sahn Chao Pho
Seua (ศาลเจ้าพ่อเสือ)
Thai
generic name for any shrine in Thailand devoted to
Xuanwu,
who in Thai is known as
Chao Pho Seua, i.e. the
‘Tiger Guardian Spirit’.
There are numerous shrines all over Thailand, and the one built in Phra Nakhon,
Bangkok,
is associated with a local
legend in which the son of
Yai Phong (ผ่อง),
a resident of a certain village, was killed by a
tiger and
hence the villagers hunted it down with the intend to
kill it. Yet, when Grandma Phong saw the
beast, she felt pity for it and adopted the tiger as her pet, thus replacing her
son. Seven years later, the old lady passed away and when the villagers cremated
her body, the tiger jumped into the cremation fire and also died. Consequently,
the villagers built the shrine in Phra Nakhon for the tiger that was so loyal to
its owner (fig.).
回
sahn chao thih (ศาลเจ้าที่)
Thai
name for a kind of
spirit
house
with four, and on occasion six legs (fig.),
that houses the
chao thih, the animist guardian spirit of the land.
Also transliterated sahn chao tih, sahn jao thee, saan chao thih, or
similar. See also
sahn phra phum
and compare with
Sahn Chao Pho Peung Thao Kong.
回
sahn lak meuang
(ศาลหลักเมือง)
Thai. A
shrine in Thailand housing the
lak meuang,
i.e. the
sao inthakhin
or city pillar (fig.).
Every provincial capital has its own city pillar, believed to house
the city's guardian spirit. It represents the centre of town and the
point from which distances between cities
are measured.
See also MAP
and
WATCH VIDEO (1)
and
(2).
回
Sahn Peung Thao Kong (ศาลปึงเถ่ากง)
Thai.
Name of any Thai-Chinese shrine
dedicated to
the
Tae Chew deity
Peung Thao Kong,
who is also known as
Pae Kong.
He is a
Tae Chew
deity worshipped as the
Chinese protection god for residences, locations and dwellings, i.e.
to protect and maintain the place of residence, especially for a
neighbourhood, a community or a village.
He is associated with
Di Zhuia (fig.),
the
Chinese protection god for residences, locations and dwellings
concerning ones land, home or house, and as such the Chinese
equivalent of the Thai
chao thih,
the animist guardian spirit of the land.
A small altar dedicated to
Di Zhuia
may also be found in many Sahn Peung Thao Kong shrines.
Alternatively
called
Sahn Chao Pho Peung Thao Kong
(fig.).
回
sahn phra phum
(ศาลพระภูมิ)
Thai
name for a kind of
spirit house
with one leg, that houses the
jawed
(fig.),
a
Hindu
household god
that protects lands and homes. See also
sahn chao thih
and compare to
Sahn Chao Pho Peung Thao Kong.
回
sah paper
Paper
made from the
paper mulberry tree. In Thai
kradaat sah. See also
ton sah.
回
sahrihrikathat (สารีริกธาติ)
Thai. A relic of the
Buddha. See also
Phramahathat.
回
Sahtsanah Phraam
(ศาสนาพราหมณ์)
Thai name for
Brahmanism.
回
Sa Huynh
(Sa Huỳnh)
Ancient
civilization that existed about 4,000 years ago in the region of
present day southern
Vietnam and which is considered the precursor
of
Cham
culture.
回
sai (ไซ)
A kind of fish trap woven from
bamboo and rattan rods. It has a
spiked hole at the top
to allow small
fish and other aquatic creatures
entrance.
Once they are inside they are entrapped as the
funnel-shaped spikes keep them from escaping. There are many
different types of sai, named according their form, use or origin,
such as
sai song hee
(northern dialect, trap with two holes -
fig.), sai
lao (Laotian trap), sai kad kung (shrimp trap
-
fig.),
sai thon (enduring trap),
sai nahm tao (water bottle trap), sai hua moo (pig head trap),
sai khai jorakae (crocodile egg trap),
jib sai (sip trap),
sai loy (flaoting trap),
etc. It is especially used in water areas
with a strong current and in not too shallow water.
They are often hung symbolically from the ceiling in commercial
establishments, to catch business and fortune, rather than fish (fig.).
This practice presumably derives from the fact that in Chinese, fish
are called yú (鱼), a word with
the same sound as yú (逾)
meaning ‘to exceed’ and yú (余),
meaning ‘surplus’. Hence, fish traps are symbols for good luck and
used symbolically to catch a ‘surplus of money’ or ‘money in
excess’. See also
saab,
son,
lob,
sang
and
tum.
回
sai baat (ใส่บาตร)
Thai.
‘Offering into an
alms bowl’.
Making merit by putting food into the alms bowl of Buddhist monks.
See also
tamboon
sai baat (fig.)
and
bintabaat.
回
Saijai Thai (สายใจไทย)
Thai.
‘Thai
Heart Line’.
Name of a philanthropic organization under the Royal
Patronage of Princess
Sirinthon,
that collects and
manages donations to help soldiers, police and volunteers, who have been
injured, disabled, or killed in the line of duty while defending the nation.
See also POSTAGE STAMP.
回
saika (ဆိုက်ကား)
Burmese. Term for a type of
tricycle taxi used in
Myanmar,
which is fashioned with a side car,
in which two passengers can take place, sitting in a back-to-back position.
Though the term for this Burmese-style
rickshaw
sounds somewhat like
a local pronunciation of the English word
‘cycle’,
it is in fact the Burmese transliteration of the English
‘side
car’.
Sometimes transliterated saiq ka.
See also POSTAGE STAMP.
回
sai krok moo (ไส้กรอกหมู)
Thai. ‘Pork sausage’. Dish made of minced pork mixed with boiled
rice and lard, stuffed into a pig's entrails and grilled over a
gridiron. It is eaten with fresh sliced ginger, cabbage and whole
but small chili peppers called prik kih noo. It is usually sold on
street side footstalls and comes either as a sausage or as a string
of small balls prepared in the same way.
回
Sailendra (शैलेन्द्र)
Sanskrit.
‘Ruler of the mountain’. A
Mahayana
Buddhist dynasty that ruled in central Java during the eighth and
ninth centuries AD, and in
Shrivijaya from the
eighth to the thirteenth century AD. Also spelled
Shailendra.
回
sailfish
See
pla bai.
回
sain
(ဆင်)
Burmese
for ‘elephant’,
and also transliterated shaing or sin. The term is somewhat reminiscent of the Thai term for elephant, i.e.
chang.
See
also
Asian Elephant
and
Kyaukse Sain Pwe.
回
Sainshin
(ဆင်ရှင်)
Burmese.
Name of a
stupa
in
Sagaing,
which consists of a compound of the word
sain, meaning
‘elephant’,
and the term
shin used
to refer to someone or
something noble, similar to
the Thai word
Phra.
The white and gilded
zedi
is built on a concrete platform adjacent to
a small brownish-red
sala.
In the middle it is surrounded by floral motifs and figures of
balu pan zwe,
i.e. an ornamental motif on
pagodas
depicting an ogre (balu)
clutching a garland with both hands.
See MAP.
回
Saint Andrew's Cross Spider
Common name for a commonly found orb-web spider, which actually comprises of two
species, i.e. Argiope aetherea and Argiope keyserlingi, which are similar in
appearance, but with the females of A. aetherea being generally larger than
those of A. keyserlingi. Its common name, Saint Andrew's Cross Spider, derives
from the characteristic zigzag, cross-shaped web decorations, known as
stabilimenta, that form an X, usually with a hollow centre in which the spider
positions itself by aligning its legs in pair with each of the four lines of the
zigzag web decorations. Both species display sexual dimorphism, with females
being considerable larger than males. Adult females grow to 15 millimeters in
body length and their abdomen is oval shaped with transverse white, yellow and
reddish-brown stripes and dots, whereas the thorax and head are brownish-silver.
Males are dull brown in colour and without a pattern on the abdomen.
Also lacking
the bright colours of adult females, are juvenile females, who are rather
pale brownish grey with just a few with dots, and reside
on a web with a circular pattern of zigzag stabilimenta
(fig.).
The legs of both sexes are brownish with
yellowish and beige bands, which are more frequent in females.
回
sai sin (สายสิญจน์)
Thai.
A white thread used in various ceremonies in Thailand, but
also in other countries of the region, such as
Cambodia,
Myanmar, and
Laos.
Its use has an animist aspect to it and besides being used in
Buddhist rites, it is also found with most Thai hill tribe people
and other minorities, who practice
animism.
It is symbolic for the
sutra,
the teachings of the
Buddha.
It is held by Buddhist monks whilst chanting
mantras
or put around a temple building
(fig.),
house or entire village in order to dispel evil spirits. In the
seubchatah
ceremony it spans the
interior of the
bot,
starting from the main Buddha image in the building
(fig.),
and on other occasions it is tied
around the wrists
(fig.)
as a
talisman,
or as a lucky charm with the power to protect (fig.).
It is also used in funerals (fig.)
and formerly when executing the capital punishment (fig.),
as well as in wedding ceremonies (fig.).
In India, a similar cord is used by
brahmin priests
and by devotees during certain occasions, and is known as a
brahman cord (fig.).
See also
yajnopavitam,
mongkon
and
mongkonlasut.
WATCH VIDEO.
回
sai ua (ไส้อั่ว)
Thai. Northern Thai-style, long-coiled, spicy pork sausage, stuffed with a
mixture of minced pork,
kaeng
kua
chili paste and herbs, and traditionally grilled for many hours over a smoky
coconut
husk fire. The sausage is usually served in fairly thick slices, which are
sometimes additionally deep fried. The word ua (อั่ว) is
Phasa Neua
and
means ‘to
stuff’.
回
Saivite
Name given to the
followers of
Shiva
(fig.)
or his cult, i.e.
Shaivism,
which has several different sects and which philosophy claims to encompass all
facets of Hindu thought. Saivites often wear
a
pundra,
i.e. a sectarian mark, usually a
tri-pundra
(fig.),
which
consists of three horizontal lines (fig.).
Sometimes spelled Shaivite.
回
saivite cord
Thin brown thread worn over the shoulder by
Saivite
priests, crossing their chest. It is akin to the
brahman cord (fig.)
worn by
brahmin priests. In
Shaivism,
its function is both for identification and to remind the wearer of his vows,
but when worn over the right shoulder, it usually signifies that the wearer is
performing a death ceremony. The sacred thread has three strands, which
symbolize purity in thought, word and deed. See also
yajnopavitam and
sai sin.
回
saiyaat (ไสยาสน์)
See
reclining
Buddha.
回
sak (สัก)
Thai.
‘To tattoo’. In Thai tradition, tattoos usually have a protective
purpose and may have a religious (fig.)
or animist significance, and are thus worn by many a monk (fig.)
or believer.
READ ON.
回
Sa Kaeo (สระแก้ว)
Thai. ‘Crystal pool’. Name of a province (map)
and its capital city in East Thailand, 237 kms East of
Bangkok.
READ ON.
回
sakadagami (สกิทาคามี)
Pali-Sanskrit-Thai.
Name of the second of the
four stages of
Enlightenment in
Buddhism,
i.e. the stage before
anagami, and
in which the
partially enlightened person has
cut off three of the five chains with which the ordinary mind is bound, namely
belief in self (atman);
attachment to rites and rituals; and skeptical doubt.
回
Sakai (ซาไก)
Thai
name for the
Mani (fig.),
an ethnic minority group of Negrito people found in the southern Thailand
and in Malaysia, where they are known as
Orang Asli.
回
sake (สาเก)
Thai.
Name for the
breadfruit
and its tree. The species is related to the
kanun
and is also called
kanun
sampalo.
Its scientific name is
Artocarpus altilis
and it belongs to the botanic family Moraceae. The fruit may weigh
up to 2 kilograms and has a thick green peel that turns yellow when
the fruit ripens. In Thailand it is mainly picked when still unripe
and used as a vegetable in curries, or deep-fried and eaten as a
snack.
回
Sakhon Yangkhiawsot (สาคร ยังเขียวสด)
Thai. Name of a
puppeteer from
Nonthaburi,
who popularized
hun lakon lek.
In 1985, he founded the Joe Louis (โจหลุยส์)
Puppet Theater, which was named
after his nickname, i.e. Jo Liu (โจ
หลิว). He gained royal
support from Princess
Galyani Watthana, who
endorsed it to achieve Royal Patronage.
He is habitually
referred to as
Ajaan Sakhon, with ajaan
being a honorary title meaning ‘teacher’.
He was born in 1922 and died on 21 May 2007 in
Bangkok, less
than a year after he won the Best Traditional Performance Award at the 10th
World Festival of Puppet Art in Prague.
回
Sakka (สักกะ)
Pali-Thai. Another name for
Indra,
used especially in his position as ruler of
Tavatimsa,
in Thai also referred to as thao
Sakkathevarat.
回
Sakkya (စကြာ)
Burmese
name for
Sakya.
回
Sakoh (สะกอ)
A
significant subgroup of the
Karen
in Thailand. Also
Sgaw.
MORE ON THIS.
回
Sakon Nakhon (สกลนคร)
Thai. Province (map)
and its capital city in
Isaan situated 647 kms Northeast of
Bangkok.
READ ON.
回
saksit (ศักดิ์สิทธิ์)
1. Thai.
‘Sacred’ or ‘holy’.
回
2.
Thai. Special
spiritual powers attributed
to certain Buddhist monks in Thailand. These monks, called
Phra
saksit,
often transfer their powers (saksit) onto
amulets
and
votive
tablets
(fig.)
which are consequently considered
a safeguard against evil influences and bad luck. Saksit also means
‘effective’.
MORE ON THIS.
回
sakti (ศักติ)
Thai for
shakti.
回
Sakun Kraison (สกุณไกรสร)
Thai-Pali.
‘Bird-lion’.
Name of a mythological creature from
Himaphan forest, that
has the brown body
of a lion
and the beak, feet and tail
of a bird, but unlike
Kraison Paksah (the
Lion-bird), without any wings.
In appearance, it is in many ways reminiscent of
Sang Praeng,
a mythological lion with clawed feet and a feathery tail, but without a beak.
Both creatures are of a different colour, but in art this is not always visible,
especially in bronze sculptures. Sometimes transliterated Sagn Kraison or Sagoon
Kraisorn.
回
Sakuntala (ศกุนตลา)
A
Sanskrit
drama written by the Indian poet
Kalikdasa
and translated into Thai by king
Vajiravudh.
回
Sakya
(शाक्य)
1. Sanskrit-Pali. The clan or tribe to which
prince
Siddhartha belonged. He became the historical
Buddha.
Also Sakiya. In Sanskrit
Shakya
and in Burmese
Sakkya.
回
1. Sanskrit-Tibetan. One of the
Red Hat Sects of
Lamaism,
i.e.
Tibetan Buddhism,
the other one being Nyingma, and whose monks during special ceremonies wear
elongated crescent-shaped hats (fig.).
回
Sakyamuni (शाक्यमुनि,
ศากยมุนี)
1. Sanskrit-Pali-Thai. ‘Sage of the
Sakya
[tribe]’. A designation for the historical
Buddha
after he was apprenticed by the brahman master
Arada
Kalapa and the sage
Udraka
Ramaputra. In
Sanskrit known as
Shakyamuni
and in
Myanmar
usually referred to as
Mahamuni,
though the term Sakya also exists, but usually transliterated Sakkya.
回
2. Thai. Name of the principal
Buddha image of
Wat Suthat in
Bangkok (fig.),
which originates from
Sukhothai. It was in 1808
transported by raft to Bangkok on the orders of
Rama I,
and is fully known by the name
Phra
Sri
Sakyamuni.
See MAP.
回
sa-la (สละ)
Thai. Fruit with the Latin names Zalacca and
Salacca and a palm tree with a height of up to seven meters. The
tree bears fruit throughout the year. The skin has the pattern of a
snake's skin. This
nutritious fruit grows in large tight bunches at the top of the tree
trunk and its buttery coloured inside (fig.)
tastes between a
banana and a
pineapple
but has a rather unpleasant aftertaste. It is nicknamed
snake fruit
and in Indonesia and
Malaysia
is known as salak. A variation of the fruit is called
ra-kam,
but these are slightly shorter and more bulbous in shape (fig.)
than the sa-la.
回
sala (ศาลา)
1. Thai. An open-sided
gazebo-like
shelter, hall or
pavilion (fig.)
of a generally permanent nature consisting only of pillars and a
roof as protection against the sun and rain. It occurs within the
precincts of a temple complex, on waysides and in fields (fig.).
The roofed
structure offers an open view of the surrounding area, and may be
used for relaxation.
As a compound or in composition with a name, the final
‘a’ is often
dropped, as in
sahn chao tih,
and its pronunciation then changes to sahn (ศาล),
because a final
‘l’ is in Thai
pronounced
‘n’ (see
Thai Consonants).
See also POSTAGE STAMPS.
回
2. Thai. A hall or pavilion.
回
3. Thai. A public building.
回
Sala Chaleum Krung (ศาลาเฉลิมกรุง)
Thai.
‘Pavilion to Celebrate the City’.
Name of the Royal Theatre in
Bangkok.
READ
ON.
回
Sala Dusidalai (ศาลาดุสิดาลัย)
Thai. Name of a
royal convention hall in
Dusit
(fig.),
located within the compound of
Chitralada Palace,
adjacent to the private Royal Villa of King
Rama IX
(fig.)
and used by the King or Queen to grant audiences to high-ranking officials and
dignitaries, as well as to organize certain royal events, such as banquets, etc.
See MAP.
回
salahkkaphad (สลากภัต)
Thai. A presentation of food to priests by lots.
回
salahk kin baeng (สลากกินแบ่ง)
Thai for ‘lottery’. The people of Thailand are very fond
of gambling and the government lottery is the only officially recognized form of
gambling, though illegal forms of underground gambling and betting are widely
available too. Unlike the electronic system found in many other countries, the
Thai lottery system is still paper-based, and tickets are available from agents,
which receive these tickets from retailers. Yet, in recent years, the lottery
results of winning tickets are made available in a digital form, i.e. on the
website of
The Government Lottery
Office.
Each ticket has two parts with the same ticket number that consists of 6 single
digits and are sold in pairs, thus a winning number also carries a double prize.
The government lottery is held twice a month and the winning numbers are
published on the 1st and 16th of every month, and many can't wait to check the
results (fig.).
Winning tickets with a prize money of less than 20,000
baht
can be cashed with a local agent, who will
charge a 2% commission on the amount, whereas winning tickets with higher money
prizes need to be cashed at The Government Lottery Office, who will issue a cheque. Many people will buy tickets at boots or from hawkers near locations
deemed auspicious, such as important temples, palaces, etc. They will also try
to get tickets with the number
nine,
which is considered to be a lucky number. However, potential players should be
vigilant, as there are usually fake lottery tickets circulating too, as part of
a well-organized scam. Also called huay (หวย) or huayber (หวยเบอร์).
See also POSTAGE STAMP.
回
Sala Kaew Kuh (ศาลาแก้วกู่)
Thai. Name of a
religious-mythological theme park in
Nong Kai,
along the Mekhong River, opposite from
Laos,
with —mostly large— statues depicting characters and scenes from
Buddhism
and
Hinduism.
READ ON.
回
Sala Look Khun (ศาลาลูกขุน)
1. Thai.
‘Juror Hall’ or ‘Jury Hall’.
Name of a
building (sala)
within
Phra Rachawang,
i.e. the
Grand Palace,
where once meetings for government officials and civil servants were held. In English it is usually referred to as the Look Khun Hall and sometimes
transcribed Luk Khun Hall and fully known as Sala Look Khun Nai (ศาลาลูกขุนใน),
the
‘Inner Juror Hall’, due to
its location within the palace. Initially the building housed the Office
of the Auditor General and
today it is
home to
the Office of
His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary.
See also POSTAGE STAMPS (1),
(2)
and
(3), and
MAP.
回
2. Thai.
‘Juror Hall’ or ‘Jury Hall’.
Name of a temporary pavilion or shelter
(sala)
used as a venue to seat senior
government officials, palace officials, and other
dignitaries, when they have an
audience with the King, or are
spectators during certain royal ceremonies in which the King or a senior member
of the royal family is present. They are erected adjacent to the
Phra Thihnang Song Tham,
the ceremonial residence
used
by the King,
usually one on each side of it.
回
sala pao (ซาลาเปา)
Thai for
dim sam.
回
Sala Rajakarun (ศาลาราชการุณย์)
Thai.
‘Royal Beneficence Hall’. Name of a
monument built at Khao Lahn (เขาล้าน), a former refugee camp of the
Thai Red Cross Society
established by the Queen and
used to house Cambodian people during the
Khmer
Rouge regime of Pol Pot,
and
located at
Tambon
Mai Root (ไม้รูด) of
Ampheu Klong Yai (คลองใหญ่)
in
Trat
Province. When the Cambodian refugees
in 1985 eventually returned home, the camp was closed, but in 1992 it was
refurbished into a society centre and a monument with a
lotus bud shaped tower
by architect Prof. Dr. Bandit Chulasai (บัณฑิต จุลาสัย), and renamed in the
honour of Queen
Sirikit,
who is the royal patron of the Thai Red Cross. In 1997,
it appeared on a Thai postage stamp to commemorate the annual Thai Red Cross Fair (fig.).
回
Sala Sahathai Samakhom (ศาลาสหทัยสมาคม)
Thai. Name of a royal hall
located within the compound of
Phra Rachawang,
i.e.
the
Grand Palace,
in
Bangkok.
READ ON.
回
Sala Samrahn Mukhamaht (ศาลาสำราญมุขมาตย์)
Thai.
‘Mukhamaht Front Pavilion’. Pavilion within the compound of the
National Museum
in
Bangkok.
It was built in the reign of
King
Chulalongkorn
and designed by Prince
Narisara Nuwattiwong, a younger brother of King
Rama V,
who also designed
Wat Benjamabophit,
i.e. the
Marble Temple
in Bangkok (fig.),
as well as the seal of Bangkok (fig.),
i.e. the image of
Indra
riding on the
elephant
Erawan
(fig.).
The
sala
was initially named
Phra Thihnang
Rachareudih
(ราชฤดี), which could be translated as
‘Royal Love Hall’, and was used as a royal pavilion where members of the royal
family could eat out in the Ngae Taeng (แง่เต๋ง) Garden, located in
Dusit
Palace, near
Phra Thihnang Amphon Sathaan
(fig.).
In the reign of King
Rama VI
the pavilion was renamed Sala Samrahn Mukhamaht and
in the reign of King
Rama VII,
when the museum was established, it was relocated
to its current location.
See
also POSTAGE STAMP and
MAP.
回
sala tree
A tree which grows up to 15 meters high and
with the botanical name Shorea robusta, yet it is commonly mistaken
with another tree, with the Latin designation Couropita guianensis.
However, Couropita guianensis was not introduced into South Asia
until the late 19th century AD, after which it was mistakenly
believed to be Shorea robusta.
The
Buddha
is said to have died stretched out between two sala trees (fig.)
and according to some sources he was also born underneath a sala tree,
yet due to the mix-up
Couropita guianensis was planted
at many Buddhist temples throughout South and Southeast Asia.
In
iconography, this
scene is generally depicted as
Maha Maya
holding a tree branch with her right hand (fig.)
and sometimes with an infant emerging from her side
(fig.).
Some sources speak however of the prince's birth taking place under
a
teak tree
(fig.).
Couropita guianensis can be recognized by its typical reddish pink flowers that
grow directly from its stem (fig.),
and from its large round seeds (fig.)
that gives the tree the epithet
cannonball
tree. Often placed at Thai
temples (fig.).
In Thai,
Couropita guianensis is
known as
ton sala
langka, i.e.
‘Singhalese
Sala Tree’,
perhaps referring to the fact that this
tree was introduced from Guyana to a botanical garden in Sri Lanka
in 1881, yet definitely indicating the difference from the original
sala tree, i.e. Shorea robusta.
回
Sala Wah Kaan Krung Thep Maha Nakhon
(ศาลาว่าการกรุงเทพมหานคร)
Thai. Literally ‘Governor's
Court’ or ‘Hall where
Bangkok is Governed’. Name for the office building of the Bangkok Metropolitan
Administration (BMA), in English usually referred to as the Bangkok City Hall,
and which includes the offices of the Governor of Bangkok. The building is
located at the northern end of
Lahn Khon Meuang, i.e. the ‘Citizen's
Courtyard’, a large public square and events square,
which is usually referred to
in English as the ‘City Square’
(fig.).
See also TRAVEL PICTURE.
回
Salawin (สาละวิน)
Thai name of a 2,815 km long river that rises in Tibet and
runs through China's
Yunnan province, where it is
known as the Nù Jiāng (怒江), meaning the ‘Indignant River’ and possibly referring
to its raging torrents as it passes through deep gorges. It then continuous to
meanders through
Myanmar, where it is
known as the Thanlwin River (fig.
-
map). It enters into Thailand in
Mae Hong Son
province, where it flows for only a short distance through the Salawin National
Park and is fed by the Pai (ปาย) and Mey
(เมย) tributaries,
before leaving Thai soil again near the village of Mae Sam Laep, streaming back
into
Burma. Near Mawlamyaing
it becomes a delta and eventually flows in the Andaman Sea. Though the Pai River originates in the Thai mountainous region of the
amphur
Pai and which is about 180 km long, feeds the Salawin River in the Kayah
State of Myanmar. The Mey (Moei) River is about 327 km long and originates in
the amphur Phop Phra of
Tak
province. Unlike most rivers in Thailand, the
Mey (Moei) River
flows northward, for some distance,
forming the natural border between Burma and Thailand. It unites with the Salawin
River in the amphur
Sop
Mey/Moei (สบเมย) of Mae Hong Son province. In English,
The Salawin is known as Salween,
also spelled Salwin.
See MAP.
回
saleung (สลึง)
1. Thai.
An obsolete monetary unit with a value of a quarter of a
baht,
i.e. a twenty-five
satang
coin.
It is still found on ancient
coins and stamps. See also
tamleung.
回
2. Thai. Weight measurement used
by jewelers and pharmacists in Thailand, equal to a quarter of a
baht,
i.e. 3.75 grams. See also
tamleung.
回
saliang (เสลี่ยง)
Thai. ‘Sedan chair’.
When used
for royalty or high-ranking monks its is often finely ornamented
with
kranok motives or
rows of
thevadas, a decorative feature in
Thai known as
thepchumnum (fig.).
Some saliang, especially those for royalty, are gilded.
In Thai also
kaanhaam,
yahnamaht
and
yahnumaht.
See also
palanquin.
回
saloh (สะล้อ, ซะล้อ)
Thai. A traditional
fiddle-like instrument with two or three strings and played with a bow.
It is similar to the
so sahm saai,
but smaller and is typically used in the
northern
Lan Na region.
The saloh is usually made from rosewood
and its sound box consists of
a polished shell of a
special type of
coconut
with a hole at
one side, which is covered with animal skin. Also called
so
(fig.).
回
Salted Rock Shield
Common name of a
lichen in the group of
foliose,
whose members grow in flat, two-dimensional, leaf-like lobes.
It is of the genus Xanthoparmelia, which has a great numbers of synonyms, e.g.
Almbornia, Neofuscelia, Chondropsis, Namakwa, Paraparmelia, and Xanthomaculina,
and is known by has the scientific names Xanthoparmelia mexicana and Parmelia
mexicana. It grows in a rosette, i.e. a
circular arrangement of leave-like lobes, that are gray-green in colour. It can
grow up to 10 centimetres in diameter. It is similar and related to the Green
Rock Shield, a species of lichen of the same genus
and with the scientific names Xanthoparmelia lavicola and Parmelia lavicola.
回
salt field
See
nah kleua.
回
salwe (စလွယ်)
Burmese term for a set of strings or chains
that is worn over the shoulders are fastened at the chest with one or more
ornamental plaques. It is usually made from a precious metal, such as gold or
silver, and is worn in order to indicate rank, which could be read from the
material and the number of strands. Though reminiscent of the European livery
collar or chain of office, its use can actually be traced back to the wearing of
the
brahman cord
(fig.)
by members of the highest
caste
in
Hindu
society. It is also found worn
by certain Burmese
Buddha images,
especially
crowned Buddha
statues, such as the Nga Htat Gyi Buddha (fig.)
in Yangon, as well as by boys under
the age of 20 during the
shinpyu
ordination ceremony
(fig.),
when they dress in princely
attire prior to becoming a Buddhist novice known as
shin thamanei. See also
Mandarin square.
回
Salween
See
Salawin.
回
Sama
(साम)
Sanskrit. The second of the four
Vedas,
which deals with the knowledge of worship, and is the originator of
Indian classical music. Also
Samaveda.
回
samahkhom nak sasom trah praisanihyahkon haeng
prathet thai (สมาคมนักสะสมตราไปรษณียากรแห่งประเทศไทย)
Thai name for
The Philatelists Association of
Thailand.
回
samahkhom phaet rabob thaang deun ahaan haeng prathet thai
(สมาคมแพทย์ระบบทางเดินอาหารแห่งประเทศไทย)
Thai name for
Gastroenterological Association of Thailand.
回
samahkhom tantra (สมาคมตันตระ)
Thai.
Tantra
Association’ or ‘Tantra Society’. Another name for
Wat Phra Siwa Chao,
a Thai
Hindu
sanctuary in
Bangkok known in
English as
‘Lord
Shiva
Temple’.
回
samaddhi
See
dhyani
and
samahti.
回
samahti (สมาธิ)
Thai for
‘meditation’. The historical Buddha attained
Enlightenment
seated in a position of concentration or meditation, as is
seen in images depicted with a
dhyani
mudra.
Generally meditation is an attempt to experience the deepest
realities by inner contemplation. Buddhist monks in Thailand
typically meditate on death, often making use of corpses or photos
of dead people. Some even go as far as to lock themselves up inside
a crematorium for meditation, which is somewhat reminiscent to the
sadhu in India, who
cover their body and face in
vibhuti
(fig.),
i.e. sacred ash taken from a cremation fire (fig.).
In addition, there are weekly magazines available to the larger
public, with titles such as Ahdyahkam (อาชญากรรม)
meaning ‘Crime’,
and 191 (i.e. the emergency number of the Special Branch of the
Royal Thai Police),
that show gruesome pictures of victims of murder and people killed
in traffic accidents. Sometimes transcribed samaati en in popular
speech also called
wipatsanah
and
kammathaan (กรรมฐาน).
回
samana (शमण,
สมณะ)
Pali-Thai. ‘One who strives’.
A term used for an hermit or ascetic.
回
samanaborikaan (สมณบริขาร)
Thai.
The eight necessary articles or utensils required by Buddhist monks
in daily life. These include an
alms bowl
or
baat,
clothing or
pahkahsahwapad,
a needle, a razor, a water filter and an umbrella. Also
borikaan.
回
samanaen
See
naen.
回
samanera (श्रामणेर)
Sanskrit. Ascetics,
mendicant monks or wanderers of diverse religious discipline in
ancient India. The term today refers to a novice in the Buddhist
order. Officially transcribed with an ‘r’ following the ‘s’, i.e.
śrāmaṇera (shrAmaNera). In Thailand, the term for a novice is
samanaen,
which is usually abbreviated to
naen,
and in Myanmar it is
shin thamanei.
回
Samantabhadra (समन्तभद्र)
Sanskrit. ‘Universal
worthy one’. The Sanskrit name for
Puxian.
回
Samaveda (सामवेद)
Sanskrit. See
Sama.
回
Sambar
See
Sambar Deer.
回
Sambar Deer
Common name for a large deer, with the scientific name
Cervus unicolor. Its coat is dark brown, with chestnut marks on the rump and
underparts, and mane-like hairs on the neck and throat (fig.).
Males may have large rugged antlers (fig.),
that may exceed well over one meter in length, and of which the brow tines are
simple and the main beams typically forked at the tip. Sambar Deer are found in
southern Asia, including India and Nepal (fig.);
mainland Southeast Asia, including Thailand (fig.)
where it is called
kwahng pah
(กวางป่า), meaning ‘wild deer’ or ‘forest deer’; southern China; Indonesia; and
the Malaysian island of Borneo. There are several
subspecies and one particular species, i.e. the Sunda Sambar (Cervus
timorensis), which is slightly smaller, is known to be a favourite prey of the
Indonesian Komodo dragon (fig.).
Also called simply Sambar. In 1976, Sambar Deer were depicted on a Thai
postage stamp, as part of a series on wild animals (fig.).
See also WILDLIFE PICTURES.
回
sa-mee (สมี)
Thai.
A former Buddhist monk defrocked as a result
of a serious transgression. See also
abat
and
Buddhist
precepts.
回
Sammakon
(สัมมากร)
A neighborhood in
Bangkok's Saphaan Soong
district, which consists of a village-like community, of which a good deal is
purportedly royal property. The rather tranquil area off Ramkhamhaeng Road
features four large lakes, which are referred to as thale saap sammakon
(ทะเลสาปสัมมากร), i.e. ‘Sammakon Lakes’. Also transliterated Sammakorn.
See also
QUADCOPTER PICTURES (1)
and
(2), as well as
MAP.
回
Sammanakkha (สำมนักขา)
Thai.
Name
of a female giant or
yak
character in the
Ramakien.
READ ON.
回
Samnakngaan Khannakammakaan Kitjakaan Krajaai Siang
Kitjakaan Thorasap Lae Kitjakaan Thorakhammanahkhom Haeng Chaat
(สำนักงานคณะกรรมการกิจการกระจายเสียง กิจการโทรทัศน์และกิจการโทรคมนาคมแห่งชาติ)
Thai for the Office of The National Broadcasting and
Telecommunications Commission, referred to in short as NBTC. It was
established in December 2010 and is the successor of the Office of The National
Telecommunication Commission or NTC, which is
known in Thai as
Samnakngaan Khannakammakaan Kitjakaan Thorakhammanahkhom
Haeng Chaat,
which in turn
developed from
the Department of Posts and Telegraph, and hence its logo is a
Garuda
over a post horn (fig.).
See MAP.
回
Samnakngaan Khannakammakaan Kitjakaan
Thorakhammanahkhom Haeng Chaat
(สำนักงานคณะกรรมการกิจการโทรคมนาคมแห่งชาติ)
Thai for Office of The National
Telecommunication Commission, known in short as the NTC, an organization
that developed from the Department of Posts and Telegraph, and its logo is a
Garuda
over a post horn.
The organization plays a role in managing radio frequencies for
telecommunication activities, as well as supervising
telecommunication transactions in order to yield the highest
benefits in terms of education, culture, and state security. Other
duties include the promotion of free and fair competition, as well
as support for research and development, in the Thai
telecommunications industry.
The
organization
was established in 2004 and in December 2010 it converged with other
departments and was transformed into the Office of The National Broadcasting and
Telecommunications Commission, referred to in short as NBTC and
known in Thai as
Samnakngaan Khannakammakaan Kitjakaan Krajaai Siang
Kitjakaan Thorasap Lae Kitjakaan Thorakhammanahkhom Haeng Chaat
(fig.).
回
Samnakngaan Khannakammakaan Khumkhrong Phoo
Boriphohk (สำนักงานคณะกรรมการคุ้มครองผู้บริโภค)
Thai for Office of the Consumer
Protection Board, the government agency that
ensures the rights of consumers, as well as fair trade, competition,
and accurate information in the marketplace. It looks after the interests of
consumers nationwide
and mediates in conflicts. The agaency is in existence since 1979
and consists of several departments, including a
Complaint Centre, known in Thai as Soon Rab Reuang Rahw Rong Thuk
(ศูนย์รับเรื่องราวร้องทุกข์),
where complaints are reviewed and legal advise is given.
The Office of the Consumer
Protection Board
also has its own police force, a specialized branch of the
Royal Thai Police.
See also POSTAGE STAMP and
MAP.
回
Samnakngaan Tamruat Haeng Chaat (สำนักงานตำรวจแห่งชาติ)
Thai. ‘Office of the National Police’,
which
in English is officially referred to as
Royal Thai Police.
回
Samnak Pattibat Tham Sanku (สำนักปฏิบัติธรรมสันกู่)
Thai. ‘Sanku
Meditation
Institution’. Name of a Buddhist meditation
center, located on a forested hill on the outskirts of Mae Rim, just north of the city of
Chiang Mai.
READ
ON.
回
Samnak Phijahranah Phaaphayon Lae Wihdithat
(สํานักพิจารณาภาพยนตร์และวีดิทัศน์)
Thai. ‘Film and Video Consulting
Agency’. Government bureau under the Department of Cultural
Promotion, which in turn is a division of the Ministry of Culture.
It acts as a regulating body in all matters related to moving
pictures and the film industry.
回
sa-moh (สมอ)
Thai. Name for the gall-nut, a medicinal fruit in
the form of a small nutlike sphere (fig.), that
Indra
offered to the Buddha from a tree in heaven in order to strengthen him, during
the seventh weeks after he attained
Enlightenment,
while he was sitting under the
Rajayatana Tree to meditate and enjoy the Bliss
of Vimutti, i.e. the freedom from suffering, without eating anything during the
whole period.
The fruit is used as a herbal medicine and in
the
iconography
of
Myanmar,
a certain pose of
Buddha images
(fig.)
represents the
Buddha with his arms hanging at his side, with one hand holding onto his robe
and the other holding a gall-nut fruit between thumb and middle finger (fig.).
This pose is believed to represent the Buddha offering the
dhamma as a cure for suffering.
The sa-moh may
also be described as fruit from a tree with the botanical name Prunus
cerasiferaas, which is commonly known by the names purple-leaf
plum, cherry plum, and myrobalan plum. See also
Haripunchai.
回
Samohson Krung Thep Krihtah (สโมสรกรุงเทพกรีฑา)
Thai.
Literally ‘Bangkok
Athletics Club’.
However, the term krihtah, sometimes transliterated kreetah or kreetha,
is used for all kinds of track and field sports, and the name is
figuratively often
translated as
‘Bangkok Sports Club’, yet to avoid
confusion with the
Royal Bangkok Sports Club,
it is in English altogether referred to as ‘Krung
Thep
Kreetha Sports Club’. It is
located in
Bangkok's
khwaeng
Hua Mahk, in the
khet
Bangkapi, alongside ‒yet somewhat off‒ the
Bangkok-Chonburi
Highway.
It features a golf course, with two club houses, and facilities for fitness,
swimming,
tai chi,
qi gong,
and
yoga.
See MAP.
回
Samon (สามล)
King from the Thai story
Sangthong
whose daughter
Rochana
(fig.)
married
Phra Sang.
回
Samonthat (สามลทัศ)
Thai. Name of one of the seven
guardian spirits that looks out for children and that are generally known as
Mae Seua.
This
thevada
guards all the children that
are born on a Wednesday and is represented with a human-like body and the head
of an
elephant,
similar to the
Hindu deity
Ganesha (fig.).
回
sampan (สำปั้น)
See
reua
sampan.
回
sampannih (สัมปันนี)
Thai. Name of an ancient Thai
dessert, usually fashioned in the shape of a beautiful flower, often in white or
in a pastel colour. These flowers-shaped biscuits are made with wheat flour or
tapioca
flour, coconut milk and sugar. They are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and
purportedly melt in the mouth. Their taste is described as mellow sweet. The name
means ‘darling’ or ‘beloved’, and it is considered a suitable snack and a
souvenir to give to a loved one. Its appearance and taste is variable and the
recipe has over time changed to suit demand according to the time period.
Nowadays, the centre of the flower may be decorated with a little gold powder or
gold leaf.
See also POSTAGE STAMP.
回
Samphati (สัมพาที)
Thai. Mythological bird from the
Ramakien
with enormous power. It is the oldest son of
Garuda
and the older brother to
Sadayu. He
has the face of the Garuda and the body of a bird with a red plumage. He is
known for his self-sacrifice because he protected his brother from the piercing
rays of the sun, after he was being punished for trying to eat it, when he
mistook it for a fruit, thus infuriating
Surya. The
heat of the rays caused his feathers to fall so Samphati remained featherless
until the day the curse would be lifted. Also called
Nok Samphati.
回
sampot
(សំពត់)
Khmer.
A piece of clothing covering the lower part of the body (fig.).
Traditionally, it is considered the national garment of
Cambodia
and comparable to the Thai
pah nung
and the Burmese
longyi.
There are various kinds and
styles, as well as different fabrics, with the sampot
thep
apsara being a
famous type of sampot from the Khmer Empire era, which is
typically found worn by
apsaras
in
Khmer
art.
Besides the latter, there is
also the sampot alorgn, sampot chang kben, sapot chorabap, sampot
lberk, sampot samloy, sampot sang, sampot seai sua, whereas the two
main fabrics are referred to as sampot hol and sampot phamuong.
Compare with the Thai
johng kraben (fig.).
回
samrohng (สำโรง)
See
po daeng.
回
samrong (สำรอง)
A species of tree commonly known as
Malva Nut Tree and with the binomial name Scaphium macropodium, found in many parts of Southeast Asia, including
Cambodia,
Vietnam,
Malaysia,
Singapore,
Indonesia and Thailand, where it is especially cultivated in
Chanthaburi
and
Trat.
Its plum-like fruit is used as a herb in traditional medicine to improve general
health, as well as to treat certain respiratory conditions and other ailments,
such as cough, phlegm, sore throat, apthous ulcers and fever. It has several
other names, depending on the region. In Central Thailand, it is known as phung
thalaai (พุงทะลาย) and in
Isaan it is
called bakjong (บักจอง). Its dried fruit, known as look samrong,
is found in bulk in
Bangkok's
Chinatown.
回
samsara
(संसार)
Sanskrit.
The transmigration of the soul caused by the perpetual cycles of
birth, aging, death and rebirth, accompanied by suffering. Both
Hindus and Buddhists try to break this cycle by striving for the
elimination of lust and desire. In Thai called
sangsarawat.
回
Samuha Kalahome (สมุหกลาโหม)
Thai. Name for the High Chancellor of the Interior Command of the
southern districts, with the title of
Chao Phraya,
a post which derived from the
Samuha Nayok. It is also
referred to as Samuha
Phra
Kalahome and is sometimes incorrectly translated as Prime Minister, a position
with similar powers but which was created only later and thus at best would be
its successor.
回
Samuha Nayok (สมุหนายก)
Thai. Name for the High Chancellor of the Interior Command of the
northern districts, with the title of
Chao Phraya.
READ ON.
回
Samuha Phra Kalahome (สมุหพระกลาโหม)
See
Samuha Kalahome.
回
Samui (สมุย)
Large
island
(map)
in the
Gulf of Thailand,
off the coast of mainland
Surat Thani,
the southern province of which
it is also a part. Although its port and main commercial centre are
in Nathon, Chaweng is its main holiday destination, offering many
shops and restaurants, as well as nightclubs and accommodation in
any category. Another place on the rise is Lamai, just a short
distance south of Chaweng. Besides the many pristine sandy beaches
Samui also has some waterfalls (map
-
fig.),
numerous
coconut plantations, the unusual ‘grandfather and
grandmother’ rock formations (map
-
fig.),
a safari park, the Big Buddha (map
-
fig.)
on nearby Koh Fahn
island, etc. Only a short boat trip away to its West is Ang Thong
National Marine Park and to its North lies the popular ‘hippy
island’ Pha Ngan
(map
-
fig.). Samui
is often referred to as Koh Samui or Ko Samui, meaning Samui Island.
See MAP.
回
samurai (侍)
Japanese. In the past, a member of the Japanese warrior
caste
(fig.),
who followed a code of conduct and chivalry known as Bushido (武士道), meaning
‘Way of the Warrior’. Bushido is related to the ancient
Japanese concept of Yamato Damashi, in which a warrior never retreats or
surrenders, but fights either until victory or death.
These warriors were clothed in elaborate
combat dresses, including ornate battle helmets (fig.),
that typically had two
antler-like
projections at the front (fig.),
often in the form of two
birds' heads facing each other.
In Japanese,
Rhinoceros Beetles
(fig.)
are referred to as kabutomushi, literally ‘helmet insects’, as their armour-plated
bodies and forked horns are reminiscent of samurai helmets.
In Chinese, the Bushido is pronounced Wushidao, with the character dao (道) being
the same as that for
Tao or Dao, the all
embracing, ultimate and primordial principle of
Taoism,
which is usually translated as the ‘Right Way’. Nowadays the term samurai stands
for a Japanese army officer.
See also
katana and
Tamahagane.
回
Samut Prakan (สมุทรปราการ)
Thai. ‘Fortress
at Sea’. Name of
a province (map)
and its capital city in the region of central Thailand, 29 kms south
of the centre of
Bangkok.
READ ON.
回
Samut Sakon (สมุทรสาคร)
Thai-Sanskrit. Literally ‘Ocean Lake’, but
usually translated as ‘Ocean City’. A province (map)
and its capital city of the same name on the
Gulf of Thailand.
READ
ON.
回
Samut Songkhram (สมุทรสงคราม)
Thai. ‘Ocean of war’. Name of a province (map)
and its modern coastal capital in West Thailand, 72 kms southwest of
Bangkok.
READ
ON.
回
Sanam Bin Nahm (สนามบินน้ำ)
Thai. ‘Water Airfield’. Name of
an area in
Nonthaburi,
which prior to ca. 1937 AD was used as an airstrip for floatplanes.
Its use declined with the expansion of the
Don Meuang
Airport and the
name is now used to refer both to the area and a major local highway
that runs through it.
回
Sanam Bin Sra Pathum (สนามบินสระปทุม)
Thai. ‘Lotus
Pond Airfield’. Name of a former makeshift airfield located on the
grounds of a horse racetrack at the
Royal
Bangkok Sports Club
in
Bangkok's
Pathumwan District, which was used during
the onset of aviation in Thailand, in
the beginning of the 20th century. It was the first time used for a
flying demonstration on 31 January 1911 by the Belgian pilot
Charles Van den Born
(fig.),
who with a flight in his plane the
Farman
(fig.)
introduced aviation to Thailand. Sra Pathum Airfield was utilized
until March 1914, when the first real airport, i.e.
Don Meuang
International Airport, became operational.
Whereas
the name
pathum
means ‘water
lily’ or ‘lotus’, and
derives from the name of its location, i.e.
Pathumwan (ปทุมวัน),
sra
means
‘pool’ or ‘pond’. See also
Sanam Bin Nahm.
回
Sanam Kilah Haeng Chaht (สนามกีฬาแห่งชาติ)
Thai. ‘National Sports
Field’. Name for the
National Stadium
(fig.)
in
Bangkok.
回
Sanam Luang (สนามหลวง)
1. Thai.
‘Royal Field’.
The
Phra
Meru
(fig.)
field in front of the royal palace, in
Bangkok. On
this large grassland often
kite
flying fights (fig.),
concerts and demonstrations are held, the annual
Royal Ploughing Ceremony (fig.)
takes place and traditionally members of the royal family are cremated (fig.),
which is but a short distance from the palace, where a kings'
remains are lain in state until his body is transported, placed
upright inside a
koht, i.e. a
royal funeral urn (fig.),
by means of a royal funeral procession (fig.)
to the crematorium
(fig.).
In 1948, the first weekend market in Bangkok was established here,
which in 1982 was relocated to its present-day site on Phahon Yothin
Road and renamed the Phahon Yothin Market, which later became the
Chatuchak
Weekend Market (fig.).
See MAP.
回
2. Thai. ‘Royal Field’. Name of
a royal lawn within the King
Mongkut
Memorial Park
in downtown
Phetchaburi
(fig.),
sometimes referred to as Sanam Luang
Phetburi,
in order to differentiate it from the
Phra
Meru
field in
Bangkok
(fig.).
回
Sanam Supachalasai (สนามศุภชลาศัย)
Thai.
Name of the main and oldest
stadium at the
National Stadium
sports complex
in
Bangkok. It
was built in 1937 and named for Navy Captain
Bung Supachalasai (fig.),
Deputy Commander in Chief of the Royal Thai Navy and First Director General of
the Department of Physical Education with the title of
Luang and considered the
Father of Thai Sport,
who overlooked the construction of the National Stadium.
The top of
the gable of the main entrance has a the national tricolour flanked by statues
of
Indra
on
Erawan (fig.),
fashioned after the emblem of Bangkok (fig.)
and in a style reminiscent of
Socialist Realism.
See also TRAVEL PICTURE,
PANORAMA PICTURE, and
POSTAGE
STAMP. 回
Sanchi
(साँची)
Hindi. An
important Buddhist site where the emperor
Ashoka,
in the third century BC, had the Great Stupa built which was doubled
in size about a hundred years later.
回
Sanctuary of Truth
See
Prasat Satjathamm.
回
sandalwood
An
aromatic and lightweight kind of wood very suitable for fine
detailed woodcarvings and thus highly popular. Commonly found are
carved sandalwood fans and various Buddhist artifacts. Clubs or
maces made from sandalwood were in the past used to carry out the
capital punishment of high raking officials and royalty, such as the
execution of king
Taksin. Traditionally royal
cremation urns are also made of sandalwood. In Thai, it is called
mai jan
and
dok maijan
(fig.),
artificial flowers made of sandalwood, are used for the ritual
lighting of funeral pyres. There are several kinds of sandalwood,
including Indian sandalwood, white sandalwood, red sandalwood, etc.
Phra Maha Ut
images (fig.)
often have the imprint of one or more sandalwood-flowers
on them, which are a symbol of sammah samphutta (สัมมาสัมพุทธะ),
i.e. the
‘Perfectly
Enlightened One’.
In Thai known as
mai jan
or
mai chan (ไม้จันทน์).
回
sandalwood flower
See
dok maijan.
回
Sanda Muhki (စန္ဒာမုနိ)
Burmese. Name of an ogress, who −desiring to offer
something to the
Buddha−
offered him her own two breasts. For this radical act of merit, the Buddha
prophesied that Sanda Muhki would be reborn as a future great king and ardent
supporter of Buddhism, who would build a city at the foot of Mandalay Hill.
Since in 1857 AD, King
Mindon Min (fig.)
founded the city of Mandalay, Sanda Muhki is seen
as the latter's earlier incarnation. Of course, the cutting off of female
breasts reminds of the
legendary Amazon, whose Greek name Amazona (αμαζόνα) literally means
‘breastless’, as these forceful Scythian female warriors of Greek mythology were
alleged to have cut off their right breast so as not to interfere with the use
of a bow or a spear.
In Thai, she is known as
nang
yak
Khamukhi
(นางยักษ์ขมูขี). Pronunciation Sanda Muni,
as in
Sanda Muni Phaya.
回
Sanda Muni Phaya (စန္ဒာမုနိဘုရား)
Burmese. Name of a Buddhist temple
located at the foot of Mandalay
Hill (fig.),
which houses
1,772 marble
steles
inscribed with
the
Sutta
(395
slabs);
Vinaya (1,207
slab);
and
Abhidhamma (170
slab), erected in 1913 by the hermit Ukhandi (Ukhan
Tithe) and placed in numerous freestanding
stupas.
The temple is named after
the
ogress
Sanda Muhki
(pronounced Sanda Muni -
fig.), believed to be an
earlier incarnation of King
Mindon Min (fig.),
the
founder of the city of Mandalay, who also created the similar
Kuthodaw Pagoda
(fig.),
a Buddhist temple located nearby which also houses a version of the
Tipitaka and which is sometimes dubbed
the world's largest book.
See also MAP
and
TRAVEL PHOTOS.
回
Sandbox Tree
Common name for a large, up to 60 metres
tall, evergreen tree, with the botanical name Hura crepitans and known in Thai
as Phohsri (โพศรี). This monoecious tree has large
ovate leaves and while the red male flowers grow on long spikes, the red
female trumpet flowers with no petals grow solitary on stems. The tree'
spiny trunk gave it the epithet Monkey No-climb Tree. The
pumpkin-shaped
fruit of the Sandbox Tree consists of
crescent-shaped
seeds arranged radially. When ripe, the fruit explodes and the seeds are
catapulted over large distances, often landing several tens of meters away from the
parent tree. The sound of this ballistic form of dispersal, known as explosive dehiscence, led to the tree
also being nicknamed Dynamite
Tree.
回
Sand Bubbler Crab
Name of a species of tiny crab of the genus Scopimera inflata and
belonging to the family
Ocypodidae. They don't grow much
larger than a mere 1.5 centimeter (fig.)
and have pincers that point downwards, enabling them to scoop sand
into their
highly adapted mouthparts at
high speed. They
feed on organic matter and microscopic small creatures called myofauna
that are living in the upper layer of damped soil on sandy beaches.
Soon after the tide has exposed the beach these tiny crabs emerge
from small burrows in the sand and start sieving detritus from the
sand. During this process they pass sand particles through their
mouths, filtering the edible elements out and regurgitating unwanted
particles in the form of tiny pellets of sand, which they discard
all over the beach. In Thai, they are called
poo pan saay,
which translates as
‘sand
molding crab’.
Sometimes referred to by the scientific name Dotilla fenestrate. See
also
piyaw and
poo sahaem kaam daeng.
See also WILDLIFE PICTURES (1)
and
(2), and
WATCH VIDEO.
回
sand ginger
Common name for
a type of rhizome with the botanical name Kaempferia galanga and
known in Thai as krachai dam (fig.),
and one of four species of the genus Alpinia, known in Thai as
krachai.
回
Sand Martin
Common name for
a circa 12 cm long passerine bird in the
swallow family, with the scientific designation Riparia riparia.
Adults are brown above and white below, with a somewhat fainter
brown band on the breast, while the legs are brown and the bill is
black. This species has a wide range, occurring in Europe, parts of
northern Africa, Asia and America in summer, while wintering in
eastern and southern Africa, and parts of southern America and Asia.
It lives near bodies of water and rivers, where it feeds on small
insects, mostly flies whose early stages are aquatic. It breeds in
colonies, typically nesting in burrows bored in the sand on a river
bank (fig.).
Also known as Bank Swallow, Collared Sand Martin, and European Sand
Martin.
See also WILDLIFE PICTURES.
回
sandon (สันดอน)
Thai. A sandbank or bar at the mouth of a river,
especially the bar at the mouth of the
Chao Phrya river
in
Samut Prakan,
where
reua khut
(dredgers) with the appropriate name ‘sandon’ can be seen (fig.)
looking after the draught, that is the depth of the river needed to
navigate a ship. See also
don.
回
sand pagoda
See
chedi saai.
回
sang (ซั้ง)
Name for a type of fish trap made from
bamboo
wickerwork with a spiked entrance to prevent the fish from escaping,
once inside.
There are many different models
and shapes. They are usually slightly oval or round and tapering.
Small twigs are placed inside the trap to attract the fish to come and
hide in between them, entrapping them inside. When the trap is recovered
the entrance is shut with some sticks or sometimes with a net.
It is used for entrapping fresh water fish near riverbanks, where
the water is shallow and where it is affixed to the bottom using wooden
sticks. Sometimes called
gram or
glam, or referred
to by its local name or according the type, e.g.
lob,
son,
sai
and
saab.
See also
tum.
回
Sang (สังข์)
Thai name for
Sankha.
回
sangbuab (ซังบวบ)
Thai. ‘Fiber gourd’ or ‘cob gourd’.
A name for
luffa.
回
Sangha (สงฆ์, संघ)
Thai-Sanskrit. ‘Multitude’, ‘assembly’ or
‘association’. The community of monks that follow the Buddhist
canon. It is one element of the
Trairat,
together with the
Buddha
and the
Dhamma.
The Thai Sangha is divided into two denominations, i.e. the
Mahanikaya
sect and
Dhammayutika sect, the first one
being the largest with about 35 times as many
monks.
回
Sangharama (सङ्घाराम)
1. Sanskrit term for a Buddhist temple or
monastery, literally the arama or
araam of the
Sangha,
i.e. the community of Buddhist
monks.
回
2. Sanskrit. Buddhist name of
Kuan U sometimes used
after his death and his deification
as a
bodhisattva
and the guardian of the
dharma.
回
Sanghavasa (संघवस)
Sanskrit. The monks quarters in a Buddhist temple complex.
回
sang-i (囍, ซังฮี้)
Chinese-Thai. ‘Double happiness’. A Chinese
sign or character often used during weddings (fig.)
to express the happiness that the new couple may befall. The word
sang means ‘double’ or ‘couple’ and i means ‘happiness’. In Pinyin
also transcribed xĭ, and in English sang hee or sang-hi. See also
foo.
回
囍
sangkaat (สังฆาฎิ)
Thai. A yellow or orange piece of additional clothing folded in a
very particular way into a rectangle and worn by monks over the left
shoulder during religious services inside the monastery or temple
and as protection against the cold.
回
Sangkayana (สังคายนา)
Thai-Pali. Grand Council held by the Buddhist
Sangha for
the purpose of revising the
Tripitaka.
There was one held in
Chiang Mai
in 1477 AD. Also called
Sangkayanai.
回
Sangkayanai (สังคายนาย)
See
Sangkayana.
回
Sangkalok (สังคโลก)
Chinese pronunciation for
Sawankhalok.
Also Sangkhalok.
回
Sangkhalok (สังคโลก)
See
Sangkalok.
回
Sangkhlaburi (สังขละบุรี)
Thai. Name of an
amphur
in the northern part of
Kanchanaburi
province with a population of around 40,000 inhabitants.
It has a lot of natural attractions such as waterfalls, rough
jungle and the Khao Laem reservoir which flooded
the local valley as well as parts
of the former city and today still reveals the
old half-sunken temple (map
-
fig.).
The western part of town, across the wooden
Mon bridge (map
-
fig.)
that connects the Thai village of Sangkhlaburi with the
local Mon village, consists largely of rafthouses
built on the water. It is one of the few places in
Thailand where the people, dressed in
longyi (long
Burmese-style
sarong)
and often with their faces covered in
thanaka
powder, can be seen carrying goods on the top of their
head, without using their hands. Also on the Mon side is
Wat Wang Wiwekaram,
a Buddhist temple in a mixture of Thai, Burmese and Indian styles and with its
satellite
pagoda built in the style
of the Mahabodhi pagoda in
Bodhgaya (map
-
fig.).
Sangkhlaburi is the last town before reaching the border with Burma at the
Three Pagoda Pass
(fig.),
and along the main road
into town is
Wat
Somdet
(วัดสมเด็จ), a temple with features on either way of the road, including an old
ubosot
that has
Buddha images
sitting on each of the window sills, on the outer side; a square
wihaan
with a pointed roof
(map
-
fig.);
a few
chedis;
a row of Buddha images (fig.); as well as a giant
reclining Buddha (fig.).
Sometimes transcribed
Sangklaburi. It was formerly named
Wang Ka.
回
Sang Praeng (สางแปรง)
Thai-Pali name of a mythological
creature from
Himaphan forest, that
has the body of a
singha,
with clawed feet and a feathery tail. Its body is sometimes depicted with scales
and in a yellow colour.
Also transcribed Saang Praeng or sometimes Sang Prang. In appearance it is
somewhat similar to
Sakun Kraison, which
besides claws and a feathery tail, also has a beak, and is of a brown colour.
回
sangsarawat (สังสารวัฏ)
Thai
term for
samsara.
回
Sangthong (สังข์ทอง)
Thai. ‘Golden
Conch’. Name
of a hero from a
traditional Thai story of the same name, who is usually
referred to as Prince
Phra Sang.
The prince had a body of gold and married
Rochana
(fig.),
the daughter of King
Samon.
To avoid unwanted attraction to his golden complexion, Prince Sangthong
disguised himself as
Chao Ngo (fig.),
an ogre (fig.)
with characteristics of members of the
Ngo Tribe,
i.e. with a black complexion and curly hair (fig.).
The folk narrative is written in dramatic verse by King
Rama II and
has also been adapted
for stage performance, while
it also appears in the Panyas
Jataka Stories where it is known by the name
Suwana
Sang
Jataka.
It is popular in southern Thailand in the form of a narrative
written for chanting. There are several
Thai postage stamps that portray characters and scenes from the
story Sangthong, e.g. a 1973 stamp in a set of four stamps on Thai
literature (fig.),
while two complete series of stamps have been dedicated to the
theme, the latest one issued on the 2010 National Children's Day (fig.).
Also commonly called
Hoi
Sang, sometimes
transcribed Sang Thong, and reminiscent of
kumaanthong.
See POSTAGE STAMPS (1),
(2), and
(3),
THEMATIC STREET LIGHT,
and
TRAVEL PICTURES.
MORE ON THIS.
回
Sangwaan Talaphat (สังวาลย์ ตะละภัฏ)
Thai. Name of the Princess Mother, i.e. the
mother of both King
Bhumipon Adunyadet (fig.)
and his older brother
King
Ananda Mahidol.
She is officially known as
Princess
Sri Nagarindra.
回
Sankha
(शङ्ख)
Sanskrit. ‘Conch [of victory]’. An attribute
of several gods (fig.)
and the instrument used by
Vishnu
to herald his victories over
the demons. It is also a symbol for the primordial sound
Aum and is also
present in Buddhism. It is seen during certain festival, especially
in
Hinduism (fig.).
In Thai
Sang
and
Phrasong.
回
sanook (สนุก)
Thai word meaning ‘entertaining, amusing, pleasant, enjoyable, to
have a good time, to be vivacious and to enjoy’ as an adjective, and
‘entertainment, amusement, pleasure, enjoyment, a good time, fun and
joy’ as a noun. Also sanook sanahn (สนุกสนาน), and also transcribed
sanuk and sanuk sanan.
In
Isaan,
the term for sanook sanahn is
muan seuhn.
回
Sanphat (สรรพัชญ์)
Thai. ‘The All-knowing’, a nickname for the
Buddha. Also
Sanphet.
回
Sanphet (สรรเพชญ์)
1. Thai.
‘The All-knowing’, a
nickname for the
Buddha. It
is integrated in the name of the temple
Wat Phra Sri Sanphet
in
Ayutthaya (fig.).
Also
Sanphat.
回
2. Thai. ‘The all-knowing, he who knows everything’. Crown titles
for nine monarchs of the
Ayutthaya Period, starting with King
Maha Dhammarachathiraat (fig.), with the title
Somdet
Phra
Sanphet Thih I (สมเด็จพระสรรเพชญ์ที่ ๑); followed by King
Naresuan (fig.),
with the title
Somdet Phra Sanphet Thih II; King
Ekathotsarot
(fig.),
with the title
Somdet Phra Sanphet Thih III; King Sri Saowaphak (ศรีเสาวภาคย์),
with the title
Somdet Phra Sanphet Thih IV; King
Prasat Thong
(ปราสาททอง),
with the title
Somdet Phra Sanphet Thih V; King Chai (ไชย),
with the title
Somdet Phra Sanphet Thih VI; King Sri Suthammaracha (ศรีสุธรรมราชา),
with the title
Somdet Phra Sanphet Thih VII; King Suriyenthrathibodi (สุริเยนทราธิบดี),
with the title
Somdet Phra Sanphet Thih VIII;
and
King Thaisa (ท้ายสระ),
with the title
Somdet Phra Sanphet Thih IX.
回
Sanskrit (संस्कृत)
An ancient language from India meaning ‘pure’. Etymologically it is of
Indo-European origin and is used in the sacred texts of
Hinduism. In Buddhism it is the language of
Mahayana
Buddhism compared to
Pali,
that is used in
Theravada
or
Hinayana
Buddhism. Its position in the cultures of South and Southeast Asia
is similar to that of Latin and Greek in Europe and its influence on
Thai is significant. Sanskrit uses the
Devanagari
script. It is sometimes referred to as
deva-bhasa,
meaning ‘divine language’. The name is derived from the word
Samskrtam and may be translated as ‘well put together’, ‘refined’ or
‘highly elaborated’, but is also
translated ‘pure’. It comes
from the root samskar, meaning ‘to put together’ or ‘to compose’. It
is also called Samskrtaa Vaak,
meaning ‘Sanskrit Speech’, but which is often translated as the
‘Cultured Language’. In
Thai called
Phasa Sanskrit.
回
Santa Cruz Church
Name of a Catholic church, located on the
western bank of the
Chao Phraya
River, in
Thonburi.
READ ON.
回
santi (สันติ)
Thai word meaning
‘peace’,
‘peaceful’,
‘peacefulness’,
‘tranquility’,
‘quietness’,
‘calmness’.
回
Santi Khiri (สันติครีรี)
Thai. ‘Peaceful Mountain’. Nickname
for
Doi Mae Salong.
回
santol
Western name for
krathon.
回
san tou liu bi (三头六臂)
Chinese.
‘Three heads six arms’. Iconographic style,
especially used in
Taoist
religious art, in which a certain deity is depicted with three heads
and six arms (fig.),
to indicate his or her great power. Since the term is used to
describe
a being of formidable powers,
it is also
used an idiom for someone who possesses remarkable abilities.
回
sao inthakhin (เสาอินทขีล)
Thai.
‘Barrier post’ or ‘guardian pillar’. Another name for
lak meuang,
i.e.
the
City Pillar,
in which the guardian spirit of a city dwells. Also transliterated
sahw inthakin.
WATCH VIDEO.
回
sao nang naeb (เสานางแนบ)
Thai. ‘Adjacent lady poles’. Architectural term for
decoratively carved, quadrangular, stone pillars, placed at the porch or roofed
entrance of certain structures in
Khmer style, such as
prasat hin, and which aid in the support of the
porch's roof. They can be either monolithic or compounded of several stone
blocks.
回
Saopha
(စော်ဘွား)
Burmese.
‘Lord of the Skies’. A royal title used by the hereditary rulers of the
Shan
States of
Myanmar.
It is the Burmese equivalent of the Thai title
Chao Fah.
回
Sao Sanom (สาวสนม)
Thai. ‘Youthful Concubine’. Name
of a perennial plant in the family Burseraceae, with the botanical
designation Santiria griffithii, and which grows up to 10
centimetres in height. Its main stem is sparsely covered with hair
and it has thin leaves that usually spread along the ground. The
flowers consists of three purple petals and three yellow stamens.
This species thrives well in the cracks of rocks and is usually
found deep in the forest.
It is depicted on a postage
stamp issued in 2009 as part of a set of four stamps on wild flowers
found in Thailand (fig.).
It is also found in Indonesia,
Malaysia, and
Singapore.
回
Saovabha (เสาวภา)
Another
transliteration for
Saowapha.
回
Saowapha (เสาวภา)
Thai. A
wife of
Rama V
and mother to
Wachirawut,
who as the eldest son of this queen ascended the throne as
Rama VI
(fig.)
in 1910.
She was also the mother of
Prajadhipok
(fig.).
Her full name is Saowapha Phongsri and was born as
the daughter of King
Mongkut
and his Consort
Queen Piyamawadi
Sri Phatcharinthra Mata (ปิยมาวดี
ศรีพัชรินทรมาตา), and was hence a full sister of both Queen
Sunandha Kumariratana
(fig.)
and Queen
Sawang Watthana.
She was eventually bestowed
with the title
Queen Mother of Thailand by King
Rama VII
and
is also referred to as
the Queen Regent.
She was born on
1 January 1864 AD and passed away at the age of 55 on 20 October
1919.
Her name is usually transliterated Saovabha, and she is
also known by the name Sri Phatcharinthra (ศรีพัชรินทรา), which is
sometimes transliterated Sri Bajrindra. The
Queen Saovabha Memorial
Institute
in
Bangkok
(fig.),
which also houses the capital's
Snake Farm
(fig.),
is named after her. See also
Pig Memorial
and
POSTAGE STAMPS (1),
(2) and
(3).
回
Saowaphak Narirat (เสาวภาคย์ นารีรัตน์)
Thai. Name of a
royal consort
of King
Chulalongkorn.
She was born as Piu Ladawan (ปิ๋ว ลดาวัลย์) on 26 January 1854 AD.
On 15 April 1873, she bore
King
Rama V
a daughter, who was named Chandra Saradavara and bestowed with the title
Princess of Phichit.
Saowaphak Narirat passed away at the age of 33, on 21 July 1887.
She has
a memorial at
the Royal Summer
Palace (fig.) in
Bang Pa-in.
回
Sapaakahchaad Thai (สภากาชาดไทย)
Thai name for the
Thai Red Cross Society.
回
saphaan (สะพาน)
Thai for ‘bridge’. Also
transcribed sapaan and saphan. Some of the more important bridges
in Thailand include the
Industrial Ring Road Bridge
(fig.),
i.e. the largest bridge
in the Kingdom; the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge
(fig.);
Krung Thon
Bridge (fig.);
Memorial Bridge
(fig.);
Rama VIII Bridge (fig.);
Rama IX Bridge (fig.);
Kanchanaphisek Bridge
(fig.);
the
Bridge over the River Kwae (fig.);
and the wooden bridge of Sangkhlaburi (fig.),
said to be the longest of its kind in Thailand.
回
Saphaan Atsadaang (สะพานอัษฎางค์)
Thai. Name of a jetty in the
sea, located at the former
Royal Summer Palace
on Koh Si Chang,
in
Chonburi
Province.
READ ON.
回
Saphaan Charoenrat 32 (สะพานเจริญราษฎร์ ๓๒)
Thai.
‘Prosperity 32 Bridge’.
Name of an arched
bridge that spans
Khlong Maha Naak.
READ
ON.
回
Saphaan Kwai (สะพานควาย)
1. Thai.
‘Buffalo
bridge’.
Name of an area in
Bangkok, named after its
local history. In the past, the area was farmed and there was a great need for
water buffaloes
to work the fields. Hence, a wooden bridge was built over a local canal
to allow buffalo traders to send their animals to the area. Also commonly
transcribed Sapaan Kwai and Saphan Khwai,
or similar.
See also
kwai
and
saphaan.
回
2. Thai.
‘Buffalo
bridge’. In the past, when the land and roads
upcountry got flooded during the rainy season, it was common practice to connect
dry areas of land by making a live bridge, formed by
water buffaloes. The people
would then cross the flooded area by walking over the buffalos' backs.
Also transcribed Sapaan Kwai and Saphan Khwai,
or similar.
See also
kwai
and
saphaan.
回
Saphaan Phon Phracha (สะพานพรประชา)
Thai.
Name of an arched and partly
covered
bridge that spans the
Tha Chin River
in
Suphanburi,
and connects the main road towards
Chainat to
the Sam Chuk City Office and
the adjacent Sam Chuk Market (fig.), which is also known as
Talaat Roi Pih, i.e.
the ‘100-Year
Old Market’,
because this old-fashioned Chinese
community market, complete with wooden shop houses, has retained its authentic
Thai character from a century ago. The bridge has a road and staircases for
pedestrians on either side of it.
This
type
of arched
viaduct with a roof is rather unique
for Thailand, yet similar to a
style
of pedestrian bridges commonly used in
Myanmar,
especially around
Inle
Lake (fig.),
and is also somewhat reminiscent of the Wind and the Rain Bridges (fig.)
found in southern
China (fig.).
See MAP.
回
sapodilla
See
lamut.
回
sapparot (สับปะรด)
Thai term for
‘pineapple’.
回
sappaya (สัปปายะ)
Thai term
that means ‘a condition that is suitable for living or carrying out
various activities with good results, consisting of the four factors
from Thai
Buddhism
and known as
patjai sih, and dialogue, with the
former encompassing the 4 things that are necessary for human life,
e.g. food, medicine, clothing and housing’.
See also
sabai.
回
Sappayasaphasathan (สัปปายะสภาสถาน)
Thai compound name
that consists of the words
sappaya, i.e.
‘a
condition suitable for living created by dialogue’;
sapha (สภา),
meaning
‘council’
or ’body’;
and
sathan,
which translates as
‘place’
or
‘location’.
It is the name for the
Thai Parliament
Building (fig.)
in
Dusit,
located along the
Chao Phraya
River in
Bangkok,
and in short referred to as
Ahkaan Rattasapha.
Also transliterated
Sappaya-Saphasathan, Sappaya-Saphasathaan and
Sappayasaphasathaan.
回
Sapria
Name for a genus of parasitic flowering
plants (fig.),
found in the tropical forests of South and Southeast Asia and that attach
themselves to the roots of a host vine, specifically plants of the genus Vitis
and Tetrastigma, the latter also being the sole host for parasitic species of
the
rafflesia. Sarpia flowers
are approximately 20 centimeters in diameter and have ten lobe-like petals,
which are bright red in colour, with either yellowish or white dots. There are
just three species, which all occurs also in Thailand, namely Sapria himalayana,
Sapria ram and Sapria poilanei. In Thai, they are generally referred to as
krathohn reusih (กระโถนฤๅษี), i.e. ‘reusi's
spittoon’, whereas the different species are known separately as krathohn phra
reusih (กระโถนพระฤๅษี) or ‘phra
reusi's spittoon’, krathohn
Phra Ram
(กระโถนพระราม) or ‘Rama's
spittoon’, and krathohn
nang sidah (กระโถนนางสีดา),
or ‘lady
Sida's
spittoon’, respectively.
回
Sapta Sindhava (सप्तसिन्धव)
Sanskrit. Term referring to the seven great
rivers mentioned in the
Vedas,
i.e. the
Ganges,
Jumna,
Sarasvati
(now replaced by the small
present-day Sarsuti river that joins the Ghaggar river), Satlej,
Parushni, Marudvridha and Arjikija. Those are the five rivers of the
Punjab along with the Sarasvati, which has since disappeared, and
the Indus. Sometimes the term refers to the seven great world seas.
See also
panjanatie.
回
Saraburi (สระบุรี)
Thai.
Name of a province (map)
and its capital city in Central Thailand, 110 kms north of
Bangkok.
READ
ON.
回
sarai (สาหร่าย)
Thai term for ‘seaweed’.
回
sarai phuang a-ngun
(สาหร่ายพวงองุ่น)
Thai. ‘Clustered grapes
seaweed’. Name for a kind of edible green algae from the coastal
regions of the Indo-Pacific, with the scientific designation
Caulerpa lentillifera. It grows in small clusters on a stem as tiny,
soft and succulent bubbles. In English, it is known as sea-grapes or
grape algae and is sometimes referred to as green caviar.
回
sarai ruang peung (สาหร่ายรวงผึ้ง)
Thai. ‘Seaweed honeycomb’.
Architectural term for a decorative part, sometimes attached over
doorways or windows of traditional buildings, such as temples or
palaces. It consists of triangular pieces of carved wood, that seem
to droop like jelly or seaweed (sarai) from the lintel on which it
is attached, and with a form and pattern that is reminiscent of
honeycombs (fig.)
that hang from a tree branch (fig.),
roof's edge or eave, hence the name.
回
saranae (สะระแหน่)
Thai umbrella name for various mint plants, such as Mentha cordifolia, an edible, aromatic herb
commonly known as ‘marsh mint’ and ‘kitchen mint’, and Melissa
officinalis, which is commonly known as ‘lemon balm’
or ‘balm mint’.
Whereas both
plants have small, bright green, serrated leaves,
Mentha cordifolia
has purplish-brown stems,
while Melissa officinalis has green
stems.
Both
species are
used in Thai
cooking, but also eaten fresh or used as garnish. It is also
the source of menthol, a mint-tasting organic alcohol found in its oil, and used
as a flavouring as well as to relieve local pain. Saranae is also used for the
terms
‘mint’ and ‘peppermint’, which typically refers to certain extracts
of the plants from either species.
回
saranai
A
Cham-wind
instrument, sometimes referred to as the Cham oboe. In Vietnamese, it is called
kèn saranai, with kèn being a similar, yet Vietnamese wind instrument, with a
double reed and a conical wooden body, which in turn is reminiscent of the North
Indian shehnai.
The saranai plays an important role in traditional orchestras of the Cham
people, and is used on many occasions, such as festivals and funerals. It
consists of three main parts, i.e. 1. the reed, made from a palm leaf of a tree
with the botanical name Corypha saribus, and attached to a small metal pipe; 2.
the body, a hollow wooden cylinder, which tapers soemwhat towards the end and
with eight holes, of which seven are placed in a straight line and at equal
distances from each other, and the eighth hole at the end on the opposite side
of the last of the seven holes; and 3. the bell, made of precious wood and which
gradually gets bigger. It is the Cham counterpart of the Thai
pih.
回
Saranatrai (สรณตรัย)
See
Traisarana.
回
saraphi (สารภี)
Thai name for a flowering shrub or small
tree, classified in the family Calophyllaceae and with the botanical
designations Mammea siamensis and
Ochrocarpus siamensis. It is endemic
in
Thailand,
but also occurs in other countries of mainland Southeast Asia, such as Laos,
Cambodia and
Vietnam. In southern Thailand, it is referred to as sroiphi
(สร้อยภี), which is pronounced soiphi.
This evergreen tree bears small oval fruits
and blooms
fragrant yellow or white flowers.
回
Saranrom (สราญรมย์)
Thai.
Name of a former palace in
Rattanakosin,
which in full is generally referred to as
Phra Rachawang
Saranrom, i.e.
‘Saranrom Palace’.
READ ON.
回
Sarasvati (सरस्वती, สรัสวดี)
1. Sanskrit. The
Hindu
goddess of art and
learning.
READ ON.
回
2. Sanskrit-Thai. Name of a former river in India, part of
the
Sapta Sindhava
and of which the goddess Sarasvati was originally a personification. When the
river dried up in a desert, as mentioned in the
Mahabharata, the
goddess in question developed an independent identity and got a new meaning.
Today the Sarasvati has been replaced by a small river that joins the Ghaggar
river and is called Sarsuti.
回
Sarawat Thahaan (สารวัตรทหาร)
Thai for ‘Military Police’, against
thahaan sarawat
which means ‘military policeman’.
Each branch of the Thai armed
forces has its own military police force, all abbreviated สห (SH), initials that
stand for สารวัตรทหาร (Sarawat
Thahaan). See also
Royal Thai Police.
回
saree (साड़ी)
Hindi. Name for the traditional dress worn by girls and
women in India, as well as in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Malaysia, Bhutan, and
Bangladesh. It consists of a lengthy colourful piece of unstitched cloth, often
decorated with glittery flecks and bands, and which is wrapped around the waist
and draped over the shoulder. The small glittery mirror-like ornaments stitched
on the outside not only reflect the sunlight, but are also meant to turn away
evil and bad luck, similar to the mirrors placed over doorways in India (fig.).
It is typically between 5 and 6 meters long and the loose end of the saree can
also be used to cover the head to act as a headscarf or as a ghunghat (घूँघट),
i.e. a ‘veil’. Also transliterated sari or sarih. Compare with
kurta
(fig.).
回
Sareungka Matsaya (ศฤงคมัสยา)
Thai-Sanskrit. Name of a mythological
creature, described as a magical
fish
with a unicorn, i.e. a single horn, on its
forehead.
READ ON.
回
sarikah lin thong (สาริกาลิ้นทอง)
Thai. ‘Golden-tongue
Myna’. Name of a kind of
bird-shaped charm, either in the form of an
amulet
or a
talisman,
as a kind of
takrut,
a scared
tattoo,
or printed on a
pah prachiad,
usually in combination with
yan-signs
and a
kata (or sacred
script), and is hence also referred to as yan sarikah. As an amulet, it
often appears as a pair of birds, usually in a rather simple shape, e.g. carved
from wood in a rough way and
typically with some
yan-signs
written on it (fig.),
and −if as a pair− often tied together with a small piece of
cloth in several different colours and known as
pah phrae mongkon.
Also transcribed sarika lin tong and often shortened to just sarikah or sarika.
See also
nok ihyang sarikah.
回
Sariputta (สาริพุทธา)
Pali-Thai. Name of a wandering ascetic monk
who, when he encountered the teachings of the
Buddha,
became one of his chief disciples and one of the
Ten Principal Disciples. He often preached the
Dhamma and
was given the title Dhammasenaapati, i.e. ‘General of the Dhamma’.
He is regarded as the founder of the
Abhidhamma
tradition. Sariputta died on a full moon, just a few months before
the Buddha, and having achieved
parinippahn.
In Burmese religious art he is usually depicted together with
Mogallana
(fig.),
seated in front of a Buddha image. In Thailand he is more likely
seen in a standing pose, also in front of Buddha images. In Sanskrit
Sariputtra.
回
Sariputtra (शारिपुत्र,
สารีบุตร)
Sanskrit-Thai for
Sariputta.
回
Sarnath (सारनाथ)
Location, also known as
Isipatana, near Varanasi in North India, where
the
Buddha
held his first
public discourse
after he had
attained
Enlightenment. This first
sermon was
given to the
panjawakkie or five
ascetics in a deer park.
Formerly named
Mrigadava.
See also
dhammachakka.
See
MAP.
回
sarong (โสร่ง)
Thai. Garment consisting of a
waistcloth hanging from the hips, as worn in India and in some
countries of Southeast Asia. In Thailand the pattern of a sarong
often indicates which part of the country one comes from. Girls may
wear a similar waistcloth called
phah thung
(fig.).
Burmese style sarongs are usually longer than those worn in
Thailand. See also
longyi
(fig.),
pah nung
and
sabong.
回
sarsom (सरसों)
Hindi for ‘mustard’, i.e. oriental mustard plants of the
genus Brassica juncea, a plant related to the edible Brassica campestris,
commonly known as Cantonese vegetable or Chinese mustard cabbage (fig.),
and in Thai as
phak kwahng tung.
The seeds of the Indian mustard plant can be prepared into mustard, as well as
into mustard oil, while its leaves can be eaten as mustard greens. Many parts of
northern India Indian mustard plant fields, as oriental mustard is said to
originate from this region, i.e. the foothills of the
Himalayas (fig.).
The plant and its flowers are confusingly similar to those of rape or rapeseed,
another member of the family Brassicaceae, with the botanical name Brassica
napus and a leading source in the production of vegetable oil.
回
Sarus Crane
Common name for a species of crane, with the scientific
designation Grus antigone. Standing 152 to 156 centimeter tall, the Sarus Crane
is the tallest flying bird in the world. It is found in parts of South and
Southeast Asia, as well as of Australia. It is easily distinguished from other
cranes by its overall grey colour and the bare red head and upper neck, which
often also has some black, and the pale to greyish crown (fig.).
Its legs are pinkish-grey. In India, this bird is honoured as a bearer of good
fortune (fig.).
Sarus Cranes pair for life and their faithful nature has led them to be
venerated as symbols of marital bliss. To help strengthen their partnerships the
cranes perform elegant courtship dances.
See also WILDLIFE PICTURES.
回
Sarvanivarana Vishkambhin (सर्वनिवारणविष्कम्भिन्)
Sanskrit. ‘Every Hindrance Obstructing’ or
‘Every Obstacle Impeding’. Name of the mediator
bodhisattva, who
is one of the
Eight Great Bodhisattvas.
READ ON.
回
satahban (สถาบัน)
Thai for an institution for higher education.
See
education.
回
Satahban Kukrit (สถาบันคึกฤทธิ์)
Thai name for the Kukrit Institute, which is
named after the former Thai Prime Minister,
Momratchawong
Kukrit Pramoht, whom in
2009 was named as a World Historic Important Figure by UNESCO. The project to
build the institute was begun generating power to celebrate the 100th anniversary of M.R.
Kukrit’s birth on 20 April 2011, the day on which the
institute was officially opened to the public by Princess Maha
Chakri
Sirindhorn,
and which was also commemorated by issuing of a set of four postage stamps on
M.R. Kukrit Pramoht (fig.).
The institute is located on a 3,500m²
plot of land owned by the Treasury Department, and which is part of a public
park near
Bangkok's financial district. The institue celebrates the life of this
extraordinary man and features his achievements both in politics and in society.
See also
Kukrit Heritage Home and
MAP.
回
satang (สตางค์)
Thai. The satang is Thai currency equivalent
to one-hundredth part of a
baht.
Existing coins are the silver coloured coins of 1, 5 and 10 satang,
and the brass coloured coins of 25 (fig.)
and 50 satang (fig.),
although only those of 25 and 50 satang are circulated. See also
tambun sai
baat (fig.)
and
satang roo.
回
satang roo (สตางค์รู)
Thai. Name for a
satang coin from the
reign of
Rama
V (fig.),
which had a round hole
in the center in
order to string them together to create a higher value or easily carry them
around in bulk (fig.).
On one side a
chakra (fig.),
a weapon of
Vishnu
(fig.) and an
element on the coat of arms
of the
Chakri
Dynasty
(fig.), is embossed.
Compare with
fang kong qian,
ancient Chinese coins (fig.).
回
Satanih Klahng Krung Thep Aphiwat
(สถานีกลางกรุงเทพอภิวัฒน์)
Thai.
‘Bangkok
Prosperity Central Station’
or ‘Bangkok Revolutionary
Central Station’ (fig.).
New name granted by
King
Rama X
for the
Bang Seu Grand Station
in September 2022, on the request of the
Cabinet Secretariat,
while
additionally, the
Royal Household Bureau has informed the Cabinet Secretariat that the King also
named the State Railway of Thailand’s (SRT) Light Red Line commuter train route,
that runs from Bang Seu (บางซื่อ) to Taling Chan (ตลิ่งชัน), Nakhon Withi (นครวิถี),
whereas the Dark Red Line commuter train route, linking Bang Seu (บางซื่อ) and
Rangsit (รังสิต), received the official name Thani Ratthaya (ธานีรัถยา). See
also
Bang Seu Grand Station.
回
satay (สะเต๊ะ)
Thai.
Name of any kind of skewered food.
READ ON.
回
sathan (สถาน)
1. Thai for ‘place’,
‘site’ and ‘location’.
回
2. Thai name for a species of
jasmine,
with the botanical binomial designation Jasminum grandiflorum.
回
sathit (สถิต)
Thai for
‘static’, ‘to stand’, ‘to stay’,
‘to remain’, ‘to live’,
especially of a person who is in a high position, i.e.
‘to hold a high position’.
回
Sathorn
(สาทร)
Thai.
Name of an area, a
canal (fig.) and a road in
Bangkok, which is also transliterated Sathon and which is
named after
Luang Sathon Rajayukta.
回
Sati (सती)
Sanskrit. ‘The virtuous one’. Name of the first consort of
Shiva and an aspect or form of
Devi, who in her
next life incarnated as
Parvati (fig.).
She is a personification of the divine Prakriti, the basic matter of which the
Universe consists, and took human birth as a daughter of
Daksha. As a daughter of the latter she
is also known as
Dakshayani, and
because she has a turmeric-golden complexion she is accordingly also named
Gauri, the ‘Turmeric-hued One’.
回
satkona (षट्कोण)
Sanskrit name for a hexagram, i.e. a six-pointed star,
which is composed by putting together two equilateral triangles, one pointed up
and the other pointed down, with the intersection being the shape of an even
hexagon. It is often found as a decorative symbol in Indian architecture, both
Muslim and
Hindu. In Hindu
iconography, the three top triangles of the
star represent the
Trimurti, i.e. the Hindu divine triad
Vishnu,
Brahma and
Shiva (fig.),
whilst the three bottom triangles represent those deities' consorts or
shakti, that is
Lakshmi,
Sarasvati
and
Parvati
respectively, each of whom are positioned on the opposite side of
the corresponding male deity's triangle. As such, it represents the union
between male and female, and thus creation, akin to the union of the two
triangles of the
bando
held by Shiva, a
hourglass-shaped drum (fig.)
that represents the
primordial sound and rhythm from which the universe emerged. The triangular
shape of the drum also represents this concept of creation, i.e. the upward side
symbolizes the male creative principle or
linga (fig.),
the downward side represents the female creative principle or
yoni (fig.),
and creation begins where the two triangles meet. The satkona is hence sometimes
represented with the
ohm sign (fig.)
in its centre, which represents the primordial sound that was present at the
creation of the Universe. The six-pointed star is also used as a
mandala, then called
satkona
yantra. In Islamic architecture and
artifacts, the symbol is referred to as the Star of David, a king and prophet of
the Old Testament, which is revered by both Muslims and Jews alike. Also
transcribed Sadkona or Shatkona.
回
sat lomkheun sangkasih (สัตว์ลมขึ้นสังกะสี)
Thai. ‘Zinc wind-up animal’.
Name for a toy
animal made from tin.
READ ON.
回
sa-to (สะตอ)
Northern Thai name for a briefly deciduous tree to 35
meter high, with a red-brown bark and small buttress roots. It has creamy-white
flowers, tightly packed into globular heads on very long, drooping stalks, 30 to
45 centimeters in length. Its strap-shaped, 30 to 45 centimeters long, slightly
twisted, pod-like fruit grows in clusters on a swelling known as a receptacle,
at the end of a long drooping stalk. They are bright green when young and turn
glossy black when mature, with edible seeds arranged horizontally across the
pods and clearly visible from the outside.
The beans, usually gathered from the wild, are a popular ingredient in several
local dishes, such as sa-to phad
kung
(sa-to seeds stir fried with shrimps -
fig.),
and can be found on markets, sold in bunches, still in the pod, or just the
seeds separately (fig.),
sold in plastic bags. The tree is rather uncommon and grows always close to
streams. The flowers secrete a nectar and are pollinated by
bats.
The Thai word sa-to is used to refer to any kind of Parkia
Tree (fig.), most commonly Parkia
speciosa but also Parkia leiophylla. In addition, there are two
subspecies from Central Thailand, i.e. Parkia sumatrana and Parkia timoriana.
The pods of Parkia sumatrana are spirally twisted, and its seeds are arranged
diagonally across the pods, whereas Parkia timoriana has straight pods, which
are slightly swollen over the seeds. Sometimes transcribed sato, sataw or
similar, and also known by the names bitter bean, twisted cluster bean and stink
bean.
回
sato (สาโท)
Thai rice wine, an not yet distilled,
alcoholic beverage. It is traditionally made from glutinous or
sticky
rice, yeast mixed with a
starter culture called look paeng to assist the fermentation
process, and water. Steamed sticky rice is mixed with the starter
culture and kept in a fermentation tank for three days to allow the
starch in the rice to change to sugar. Then water, twice the amount
of the rice, is added and a second fermentation takes of about five
to seven days to be completed. After this the rice wine is squeezed
from this substance and filtered. It is sometimes mixed with fruit
juice. It is produced mainly in
Isaan where
it is usually sold in large earthen jars. Also known as
lao-u (เหล้าอุ).
See also
lao khao.
回
sat prajam wan (สัตว์ประจำวัน)
Thai.
‘Animal per day’.
System in Thailand in which each day of the week corresponds with a
certain mythological or real animal,
that is, the
Garuda
(fig.)
for Sunday, the
tiger
(fig.)
for Monday, a
lion
(fig.)
or horse for Tuesday, an elephant for Wednesday, that is a
phlaay
or
male tusked
elephant (fig.) before noon and a
phang
or
female tusk-less (i.e.
actually short-tusked)
elephant
(fig.) for the afternoon or
evening, a
rat
for Thursday (fig.), a Guinea pig
(fig.) for Friday and a serpent or
snake
for Saturday. The choice of animals is derived from the mounts of
seven important gods, who in turn are associated with celestial
bodies laid out in the
dao prajam
wan
system. Animals assigned to the days of the week vary in the
different Southeast Asian countries, and may as well differ locally.
In
Myanmar (fig.),
the animals are the same as in Thailand, but the snake
for Saturday is referred to as the
naga (fig.).
See also
wan tua,
thep prajam wan,
Phra prajam wan
and
sih prajam
wan.
回
Satrud (สัตรุด)
Twin brother of
Lakshmana
and the incarnation of
Vishnu's
club.
回
sattaphan (สัตภัณฑ์)
Thai.
‘Altar screen’. A richly decorated heavy screen intended to be
placed in front of an altar. They are made explicitly as
tamboon
making offerings to monasteries and feature
seven spiked candle posts, referring to the seven mountains
surrounding
Mt. Meru
(fig.).
回
Sattasoon (สัทธาสูร)
Thai. Name of a giant or
yak
from the
Ramakien.
He has a red complexion, has
tah jorakae, i.e. ‘crocodile eyes’ in which the
eyelid covers the upper-part of the eyeball,
and wears a
chadah-style crown
(fig.).
He is the king of Krung Atsadong/Asadong (กรุงอัสดงค์), which is also referred
to as
Meuang
Atsadong/Asadong
(เมืองอัสดง). He is an ally of
Totsakan,
whom he joined in battle
against
Rama,
together with Wirunjambang (วิรุณจำบัง), a
prince and a son of
thao
Lastian (ลัสเตียน),
i.e. Asuraphong (อสุรพงศ์),
with
Nang
Ratchada (รัชฎา).
回
Satul (สตูล)
Another transcription for
Satun.
回
Satu Lokapala (စတုလောကပါလ)
Burmese.
‘Four
Lokapala’
or
‘four keepers of the world’. The four guardians that
protect the world by presiding over the four points of the compass. In
Myanmar,
they are often seen at Buddhist temples and
pagodas, usually erected
around a tall post, which is decorated at the top, usually with mythological
animals, such as the
hintha,
nagas, etc.
They are dressed in royal attire and always in a standing pose,
most commonly
with the
hands brought
together as in a respectful greeting, though
sometimes they may hold a
conch (fig.)
or a different
attribute
each, usually with one of them
holding a conch and thus reminiscent of
Thagyamin
(fig.),
the Lord of the
Nats.
The term is related to the Thai-Pali word
jatulohkabahn.
Satu is pronounced sa-too.
回
Satun (สตูล)
Thai.
Name of a province (map)
and its capital city on the southern west coast of the Thai
peninsula, 973 kms south of
Bangkok.
READ ON.
回
Satya (सत्य)
Sanskrit.
‘Truth’.
Another
name for
Krita,
first of the four
yugas.
回
satyagraha (सत्याग्रह)
Hindi.
‘Insistence
on (agraha) truth
(satya)’.
A term coined and
developed by
Mohandas Karamchand
Gandhi (fig.),
i.e.
Mahatma Gandhi,
and which refers to his philosophy and practice of non-violent resistance, which
he used in his struggles for social justice
in South Africa and against British rule in India.
回
saung-gauk (စောင်းကောက်)
See
Burmese harp.
回
Savang Vadhana (สว่างวัฒนา)
Thai. Another spelling for
Sawang Watthana.
回
Savatti (สาวัตถี)
Place in India where the
Buddha performed a miracle in an attempt to convince disbelievers.
回
Sawang Khiri Tham (สว่างคีรีธรรม)
Thai. Name of a
Mahayana Buddhist shrine in
Loei
dedicated to the Chinese goddess of mercy
Kuan Yin,
who in Thai is referred to as
Phra Mae Kwan Im.
The complex, which belongs to the Sawang Khiri Tham Foundation, features a large
golden statue of Kuan Yin located on the roof of the Wihaan Maha Bodhisat Kwan
Im Phankorn (วิหารมหาโพธิสัตว์กวนอิมพันกร), as well as a building known as
Wihaan Phuttha Chayanti (วิหารพุทธชยันตี), which is dedicated to various deities
from both Mahayana and
Theravada
Buddhism.
See EXPLORER'S MAP,
TRAVEL PICTURE, and
WATCH VIDEO.
回
Sawang Watthana (สว่างวัฒนา)
Thai. Name of
Sri Savarindira, a
consort of King
Chulalongkorn
(Rama
V -
fig.),
and who is bestowed with the title Queen Grandmother of Thailand,
since she is the grandmother of both
King
Ananda Mahidol (Rama
VIII) and King
Bhumipol Adulyadej
(Rama IX).
She was also the mother of Prince
Wajirunhit,
the nation's first ever Crown Prince (fig.),
whom however died of typhoid at age sixteen, as well as of
Mahidol Adulyadej.
Queen Sawang Watthana was born on 10 September 1862, as the
daughter of
King
Mongkut
and his Consort Queen Piyamawadi
Sri Phatcharinthra Mata,
which is sometimes transliterated Piyamavadi Sri Bajarindra Mata (ปิยมาวดี
ศรีพัชรินทรมาตา), and passed away on 17 December 1955. She was a full sister of
both Queen
Sunandha Kumariratana
and Queen
Saowapha
Phongsri, all of whom became consorts to
Rama V. The 150th Anniversary of the Chakri Dynasty her birth was commemorated with three
series of Thai postage stamps, the first one issued on 10 September 2010, the
second on 10 September 2011 (fig.),
and the third on 10 September 2012 (fig.).
She is also known by the name Phra Phanwassah Ayyikah
Chao,
and the
Phra Phanwassah Building (map
-
fig.)
within the compound of the contemporary
Somdet
Phra
Boromma
Racha
Thewih Na Sri Racha
(สมเด็จพระบรมราชเทวี ณ ศรีราชา) Hospital in
Chonburi
Province, which she founded, is
named after her, and today houses a museum dedicated to her majesty (fig.),
whilst in the garden a memorial (fig.)
contains
her statue (map
-
fig.).
She also established the Queen's Housing Resort (fig.),
a hospice built on stilts in the sea (fig.),
and known in Thai as Reuan Nai Thalae (เรือนในทะเล), i.e. ‘Dwelling in the Sea’
(map
-
fig.).
Pronounced Sawaang Watthanah and also spelled Savang Vadhana.
回
Sawankhalok (สวรรคโลก)
1. A present-day
amphur in
Sukhothai,
in the North of central Thailand and famous for its ceramic
earthenware made there between the 14th and 16th centuries AD. Its
old name was
Sri
Satchanalai, nowadays a
historical park with ancient ruins and more than two hundred kilns
from the past (fig.).
See MAP and
WATCH VIDEO.
回
2. Name of ceramic earthenware from
Sawankhalok made between the 14th and 16th centuries AD. The style
was influenced by Chinese art from the Song Dynasty and pottery of
this period imported by
China,
from
Sukhothai
and
Ayutthaya,
was called
Sangkalok,
a mispronunciation of Sawankhalok. A typical characteristic is the
tattoo-like design on its figurines (fig.).
回
sawankot (สวรรคต)
Thai.
Rajasap
for ‘dying’. Also called
sinphrachon.
See also
anchern jut.
回
sawarot (เสาวรส)
Thai for
passionfruit.
回
sawatdi (สวัสดี)
Thai. ‘Be blessed’.
Official greeting used when first meeting someone and to a lesser
extend also when parting.
READ ON.
回
Saw Yun (စောယွမ်း)
Burmese. Name of the King and founder of the
14th century
Sagaing Kingdom, a small realm on the west bank of the Irrawaddy
River near present-day Mandalay, that in 1315 AD gained autonomy of the larger
Myinsaing Kingdom, which was ruled by Saw Yun's father King Thihathu, and after
whose death Sagaing became fully independent. As the eldest biological son of
King Thihathu, Saw Yun had resented and rebelled against his father after the
King had appointed Saw Yun's stepbrother as heir-apparent to the throne of
Myinsaing, rather than his own son, due to the fact that the latter's mother was
a commoner. Instead Saw Yun was made governor of Sagaing, which he consequently
seized and made into a rival kingdom. After the split, the remaining part of the Myinsaing Kingdom became the Pinya Kingdom. In full, this ruler is known as
Athinkhaya
Saw Yun (fig.).
He died in 1327, leaving behind four children, three sons and a daughter. All of
his sons became king of Sagaing while his only daughter became the mother of
the
Shan
King
Thadominbya
(fig.), who in
1365 AD
founded the Kingdom of
Ava.
回
Sayaam (สยาม)
Thai pronunciation for
Siam.
回
Sayaam Thewathiraat (สยามเทวาธิราช)
See
Siam
Thewathiraat.
回
sayaek daang (แสยกด่าง)
Thai name for a succulent
ornamental shrub of the family Euphorbiaceae, with the botanical
name Pedilanthus tithymaa senior monk or abbot of a monasterydes variegatus. It originates from the
Americas and has alternate green leaves mottled (daang) and bordered
with pale yellowish, and arranged on thick dark-green zigzag stems,
that grow to about 50 centimeters in length. In English, its common
name is Devil's Backbone, though it is also known as Zigzag Plant
and a variety of other names.
回
sayadaw
(ဆရာတော်)
Burmese. An honorific term for a senior monk
or abbot of a monastery in
Myanmar.
The term literally means
‘royal teacher’ and initially referred to the senior monks who
taught at the former Burmese royal courts. The more distinguished ones are
sometimes referred to as
sayadawgyi, with gyi being an affix of
reverence meaning ‘great’. See also
Nyaunggan Sayadaw and
Thathanabaing.
回
sayadawgyi (ဆရာတော်ကြီး)
Burmese. ‘Great royal teacher’. Title of
reverence used for a more distinguished
sayadaw, i.e.
a senior monk or abbot of a monastery in
Myanmar.
It is the Burmese equivalent of a bishop and comparable to the term
Luang Pho
used in
Thailand.
回
Scaly-breasted Bulbul
Common name for a species of bulbul with the scientific
designation Pycnonotus squamatus and which is found in Southeast Asia, including
Thailand, Burma, Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as Borneo and Brunei. It is
characterized by scaly white marks on a black breast and flanks, which
distinguishes it from all other species of bulbul. Also distinctive is its black
head with a contrasting white throat. It has yellow-olive wings with dark grey
primaries, whilst its rump and vent are bright yellow to orange. Its tail is
black with tiny white tips on the outer feathers (fig.).
This fruit-eating bird is a common resident in southern, peninsular Thailand. In
Thai named
nok parod ok laai kled.
回
Scaly-breasted Munia
A roughly 11 centimeter tall, small
gregarious bird, with the binomial name Lonchura punctulata, and which has at
least two subspecies. Adults have a stubby dark bill, plain brown upperparts,
often with somewhat paler uppertail-coverts, and a dark brown throat. Its
underparts are white, with distinctive brown (in Lonchura punctulata topela -
fig.) or black (in
Lonchura punctulata subundulata) scale markings, and creamy white
undertail-coverts and belly. The sexes are similar (fig.),
but juveniles lack the scaly markings and instead have uniform buff underparts,
whilst their upperparts are pale brown (fig.).
It is a very common resident throughout Thailand, except in parts of the
southern peninsula. It frequents open woodland and cultivation, and feeds mainly
on seeds. Also known as Nutmeg Mannikin and Spice Finch (fig.),
and in Thai as
nok kratid khee moo.
See also
WILDLIFE PICTURES.
回
Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker
A species of bird, with the scientific
name Dicaeum cruentatum. It belongs to the family Dicaeidae and the description
cruentatum derives from the Latin verb cruentare, which means
‘to stain with blood’ and
refers to the male's red or ‘bloodstained’
crown, neck, back, uppertail-coverts and rump (fig.).
Besides the red back, males have a white chin, belly and vent, with black bill,
legs and feet, whilst the sides of their head and breast is blackish, and their
wings blackish blue. Females are brownish olive above with only a red rump and
red uppertail-coverts, and pale underparts (fig.).
Juveniles are similar to females, but have a slightly darker crown and nape, and
no red at all, but instead have orange-tinged uppertail-coverts, and their legs
and feet are rather grey, whilst the bill is mostly pinkish-orange with a dark
tip (fig.),
especially with regards to the lower mandible, whereas the upper mandible may
have a more extensive dark tip, sometimes leaving only the base of the upper
mandible pinkish-orange. It is found in Southeast Asia, as well as in parts of
South and East Asia. In Thailand, it is known as
nok sih chomphoo suan,
and with a size of a mere 8.5 to 9 centimeters, it is the smallest bird in the
country (fig.),
together with the Golden-bellied Flyeater (Gerygone sulphurea) and some other
species of flowerpecker, such as the
Plain Flowerpecker,
all with an identical size.
See also WILDLIFE PICTURE.
回
Scarlet Milkweed
Common designation for a flowering plant, with the botanical
name
Asclepias curassavica.
It is widely grown as an ornamental garden plant for its yellowish flowers with
hanging reddish-orange petals, that bloom in clusters at the extremity of the
stems (fig.).
The plant also has medicinal value in herbal therapeutically treatments. The
stem is used as medication for heart disease and the fresh leaves are used to
repel parasites. Also called Blood Flower and Mexican Butterfly Weed, due to its
source of food for butterflies. In Thai, it is known as fai deuan ha
(ไฟเดือนห้า), which translates as ‘fifth month fire’.
回
Scarlet Minivet
Common name of an up to
22 centimeter tall passerine bird, with the
scientific name Pericrocotus flammeus. This Scarlet
Minivet is found in tropical and subtropical southern Asia, from the Indian
subcontinent east to southern China, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Their
habitat consists of forests and well-wooded areas, including gardens, especially
in montane regions.
There are many subspecies, but of the
nominate race, males have a black head and black upperparts, and scarlet
underparts. In addition, the tail, rump and long wings also have patches
of red, though the scarlet colour varies across populations, and may be any
shade of red or even orange. Females are grey above, with a yellow face and
underparts. Otherwise they are similar, but the scarlet colour is
replaced by yellow. These birds typically glean for insects, which they
sometimes flush out of the foliage by beating their wings. In Thai, this bird is
called
nok phaya fai yai,
i.e. ‘Great(er)
phaya
fire bird’. In 1980, this bird was depicted on the last
stamp of a set of four Thai postage stamps featuring Thai birds (fig.).
See also
Long-tailed Minivet
(fig.)
and
Short-billed Minivet (fig.).
回
Scarlet Passion Flower
Name of a species of vine and
passionflower, that originates
from central America and the Amazon region, and has the botanical designation Passiflora coccinea. It is also commonly known as Red Passion Flower and in Thai
it is called sri mahlah (ศรีมาลา). Its small wine-red fruits have edible pulp.
The vine bears showy flowers, with red petals and white-purple corona filaments
that surround the elongated floral axis, that is topped by the ovary, from which
sprout three purplish styles with stigmas that consist of lobe-like pads, with a
whitish tip and that grow facing downward, while at its bottom the ovary is
surrounded by the purplish filaments of the stamen, which have greenish-yellow
anthers.
回
Scarlet Skimmer
Name of a tropical Asian
dragonfly, native to East
and Southeast Asia. It has the scientific name Crocothemis servilia servilia and
belongs to the family Libellulidae. Males are scarlet red (fig.),
but females are of a dark yellowish brown colour (fig.).
Both sexes have transparent wings with yellow and brown venation, and amber wing
patches at the base of their wings. Both also have a characteristic black dorsal
stripe at the centre of the abdomen. It is also called Crimson Darter and Ruddy
Marsh Skimmer, and in Thai it is known as
malaeng poh ban boh.
See also WILDLIFE PICTURES.
回
Schomburgk's Deer
Name for a graceful species of deer with
the binomial name Cervus schomburgki, which occurred in Thailand, but is now
extinct.
It was dark brown with lighter underparts, while the underside of the tail was
white. The stag had the largest antlers of all
deer species found in the country, with up to 33 tines.
It inhabited the swampy plains of central Thailand, especially in the
Chao Phraya
River valley. Its natural habitat declined with the rise of commercial rice
production and avoiding dense vegetation, they were easy targets for hunters.
The wild population of
Schomburgk's Deer
hence became extinct in 1932, probably due to over-hunting,
whilst the last captive animal died in 1938. In Thai it is known as saman (สมัน)
or neua saman (เนื้อสมัน) and is displayed on the logo of the
Zoological Park Organization of Thailand.
回
scorpion
See
maengpong.
回
Scorpion Fly
Common name for a
flying insect with the scientific designation Panorpa communis.
READ ON.
回
Scott's Market
Former name of a market in Yangon, which was built in 1926
and named after James George Scott, a British civil servant at that time. After
independence from British rule, the market was renamed
Bogyoke Aung San Market.
回
Scrambled Egg Tree
See
song bah dahn.
回
scripture cabinet
A
lacquer
cabinet used in temple libraries to hold palm leaf Buddhist
manuscripts to protect them from humidity, insects, etc. It is
placed usually in the
ho trai
or library, generally a wooden building on pillars placed in a basin
to keep creeping vermin out. In Thai called
tuh phra
thamma.
回
Sea Almond
See
hoo kwahng.
回
Sea Anemone
See
dokmai thalae.
回
sea bean
Name for a seed of any of a number of tropical
plants and trees of which the seeds are dispersed by floating upon
the ocean currents. In Thailand this mainly refers to a large seed
that sits within a long podlike seed-vessel and grows from a large
woody vine with the scientific name Entada rheedii which belongs to
the family of Leguminosae-Mimosoideae. The shrub grows along brooks
and rivers in the tropical rain forest and drops its seeds one by
one from its pod into the waterway where they start to drift towards
the sea. Once they have reached the open sea they travel with the
ocean currents until they wash up on a beach somewhere, perhaps
thousands of miles away from their origin. Sea beans are buoyant
because of an air pocket within the seed and their hard outer
covering helps them survive their long-distance journey. The seeds
can be polished to a nice shine and are made into garlands and
jewelry by hill tribe people, whereas children use the seeds in
tossing games (fig.)
and the pod as a musical instrument. Also called drift seed. In Thai
called
sabah.
回
sea coconut
Common name for a rare and protected species
of
coconut palm,
with the botanical name Lodoicea maldivica, that bears large seemingly double
coconuts
and is native to certain islands, hence the name. Its peculiar shape,
resembling two kidneys merged together like a
Siamese twin,
have led to its nickname, i.e. lady's butt coconut. It is so rare and highly
prized that a single coconut reportedly can fetch up to 30,000 baht on the
market. Also commonly known as double coconut and by the
French designation coco de mer.
In Thai, it has several designations, including
ton maprao
faed (ต้นมะพร้าวแฝด), i.e. ‘twin coconut tree’;
ton
maprao
thalae (ต้นมะพร้าวทะเล) or
ton taan
thalae (ต้นตาลทะเล),
i.e. ‘sea coconut’ and ‘sea palm’, respectively;
as well as the less flattering maprao
toot negro
(มะพร้าวตูดนิโกร),
i.e.
‘negro's butt coconut’.
See also
poo maphrao.
回
sea cucumber
See
pling thalae.
回
SEA Games
Abbreviation for Southeast Asian Games, a
biennial sports event (fig.),
that was first held in 1959 and hosted by
Bangkok. It was
initially organized under the name SEAP Games, i.e. Southeast Asian Peninsular
Games, and included the six founding members
Thailand,
Burma, Malaya,
Laos,
South
Vietnam and
Cambodia.
When
Singapore in 1965 gained independence, it was included as a member in its
own right. When in
1977 also Indonesia and The Philippines were included the name was changed to
Southeast Asian Games (fig.).
Though variable per event and organizing country, the games may have as much as
43 different types of sport
(fig.)
with some, such as
takraw
(fig.),
being typically Southeast Asian disciplines. Currently, the games have
participants from Southeast Asian
11 countries and is regulated by the Southeast Asian Games Federation, which is
supervised by the International Olympic Committee and the Olympic Council of
Asia.
Present countries include Thailand,
Myanmar,
Malaysia, Laos,
Vietnam, Cambodia,
Indonesia, The Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, and East Timor.
So far, Thailand has hosted the event six times, the last time in 2007, in
Nakhon Ratchasima.
Its logo consists of a ring of ten circles,
one for each of the the ten
ASEAN nations. When the games were first held in
1959, under the then name SEAP Games, the logo had just six circles, one for
each of the founding member countries (fig.).
回
sea
grapes
See
sarai phuang a-ngun.
回
Sea Gypsies
See
Chao Le.
回
seahorse
See
mah nahm.
回
sea
jelly
See
maeng kaphrun.
回
Sea
Roach
See
malaeng saab thalae.
回
SEATO
Abbreviation of ‘Southeast Asia Treaty Organization’.
Formally established on 23 February 1955 in
Bangkok, though the initial treaty
was signed on 8 September 1954, as a unified response and collective defense
against Communism in China and Southeast Asia, with the support of the United
States and as part of the Truman Doctrine, which sought to create collective
bilateral defense treaties. During the inaugural meeting, chaired by the Thai
foreign minister prince Wan Waithayakon, it was announced that SEATO's
headquarters would be located in Bangkok. Besides the US and Thailand, initial
members included Great Britain, France, Australia, New Zealand, The Philippines,
and Pakistan, which was included because East Pakistan, today's Bangladesh, was
geographically close to Southeast Asia. Later, also Taiwan became a member,
while South Korea and South
Vietnam joined as dialogue partners. During the
Vietnam War, the US sought to make the regional conflict into a SEATO collective
defense problem, but failed to do so, as members did not agree to help each
other militarily. As a result, first Pakistan and later France withdrew from the
organization, which eventually was formally dissolved on 30 June 1977. After
all, during the first conference, then prime minister
Phibun Songkram
had told the delegates, that the organization's goal was to ‘preserve freedom
and peace with honour, and promote economic and social wellbeing’, rather than
promising direct military support.
Its flag and logo consists of a sky blue field with a white shield,
longitudinal lines, which are blue on white, but reverse to white on blue in the
lower right quadrant, and in the middle is a yellow stalk, with seven levels and
a pinnacle. Whereas blue symbolizes peace and stability, yellow stands for
prosperity, and the lower right quadrant refers to Southeast Asia, the working
area of the organization. The seven levels of the stalk are understood to refer
to the initial number of country members, headed by the pinnacle, which may
either refer to the US, as the initiator of the treaty, or to Thailand, a main
player and the initial host, as well as the country where the organization's
headquarters were located.
回
sea
urchin
Name for a typically spiny, often globular
animal, that lives on the seabed and of which a wide variety of species exist.
They belong to the phylum of
echinoderms, which also includes
sea cucumbers, i.e. their
closest relatives.
These creatures move about
slowly, either crawling with tube-like tentacles or pushing themselves with
their spines. They feed primarily on algae but some species also eat slow-moving
or sessile (immotile) animals. Among their predators are sea otters,
starfish,
and humans, notwithstanding their often razor-sharp spikes that in some species
are also
venomous. The most dangerous sea urchin is the Toxic Flower Urchin (Toxopneustes
pileolus) which occurs in the Indo-West Pacific and is capable of delivering
extremely painful and medically significant stings when touched. It has venom
injecting fangs that deliver a poison that may stay in the victim's system and
can keep stinging for years. In Thai known as
men thalae,
i.e. literally ‘sea porcupine’. In English, they are also nicknamed
Hedgehogs of the
Sea, as they not only resemble hedgehogs but also because the name urchin derives from the old French term herichun, which means
‘hedgehog’. Sea urchins can live for up to 200 years.
回
sedge
See
kok.
回
see (สี)
1. Thai. ‘Peel’ and ‘rub’. To mill or husk
(rice). Also transcribed sih or si, as in
silom.
See also
rohng see khao.
回
2. Thai for ‘colour’, ‘paint’ and ‘dye’. Also transcribed si or sih.
回
sek (เสก)
Thai. To charm, to cast a spell. As in
sekpao.
The term is also used to express blessings, in which water is
sprinkled or poured out, as in
rod nahm mon.
See also
kong hod.
回
sekpao (เสกเป่า)
Thai. To charm or cast a spell (sek)
by muttering a magic formula and blow (pao) with the mouth as if to
transfer the magic to the object or person. This practice is usually
performed by a senior monk, a village headman or an elder to bless
or wish someone good luck prior to a long journey, an important task
ahead, etc.
回
self-mummification
See
sokushinbutsu.
回
sema (เสมา)
See
bai sema.
回
sen
(เส้น)
Thai unit of
length, equal to 40 meters.
回
Sena
(সেন)
Bengali. A Hindu dynasty in East India during
the 12th century AD, following the
Pala
dynasties and which school of art is known as the Pala Sena style.
回
seng-phe (เซง-เพ)
Thai. A
Thai Yai
sweet from the province of
Tak, cooked from black
(deep purple)
sticky
rice,
sugarcane
juice and
coconut milk, and
baked or grilled, with
coconut
cream topping.
回
Seni Pramoht (เสนีย์ ปราโมช)
Three-time Prime Minister of Thailand,
i.e. from 17 September 1945 to 13 January 1946, from 26 February 1975 to 14
March 1975, and from 20 April to 6 October 1976. Between his second and third
term, his brother
Kukrit Pramoht (fig.)
was Prime Minister, i.e.
from 14 March 1975 to 20 April 1976. Usually
transcribed Seni Pramoj or Seni Pramoch, but
actually pronounced Seni Pramoht (Pramote).
回
sepparoot
Penan.
Term for branchless, straight, natural wooden stems, that are stripped bare of
their bark, after which fine wooden curls are sliced from the pale whitish
sapwood at different intervals, yet leaving these curled wooden strips attached
on one end, so that they hang around the stick like dangling ornaments. The ca.
2 meter tall sticks are created to honour the forest and its animals on which
the
Penan
people depend for their livelihoods, and are placed in the ground to pay respect
to the animals the Penan hunt and to appease their spirits.
回
serban
Malay. Term for a turban, which in
Malaysia is still
worn as part of the traditional dress of the
sultans (fig.).
回
sericulture
The production of
silk, also known as
silk farming.
回
sesame
Name of an East Indian plant with the botanical name
Sesamum indicum. It has about 20 species,
whaich are
found in tropical and subtropical regions, and is cultivated for its
oil-yielding seeds, which may be brown, white (fig.) or black, and are rich
in calcium, magnesium and iron.
Myanmar,
India and
China
are global commercial hubs for the cultivation and production of
black sesame seeds. White seeds are black seeds that have been
hulled while brown seeds are white seeds that have been enhanced by
toasting. Sesame is an annual plant that grows to about a meter tall, with
opposite lanceolate leaves which are between 4 and 14 centimeters
long. It bears white to purple, tubular flowers
(fig.),
which are 3 to 5 centimeters long. However, there are also some wild
varieties. One of those, found in northern Thailand, has
broad leaves and stalks of which the upper parts are covered with small, 1 to 3 centimeters long,
hairy
calyces, that are green in colour and grow horizontally, and each of
those contains around three tiny seeds. When dried, sesame seeds are
edible and are used to make candy bars (fig.).
It is said that sesame seeds have a soporific effect and it is given
to children to induce sleep, cf. Sesame Street which is broadcast
before children's bedtime. In Thai called
nga
and candy made from it is called nga lua and nga tad.
See also
krayahsaad
and
nga mon.
回
Sesame Leaves
See
nga mon.
回
Sesha (शेष)
See
Shesha.
回
Sethi Khamfan (เศรษฐีคำฝั้น)
Thai. Name of the eight son of Prince Chai Kaew of
Lampang and thus a
descendant from the house of
Thipchakratiwong.
Between 1805 and 1815 he also governed as the ruler of
Lamphun. Later, from
1823 to 1825, he was a
Chao Luang,
a Siamese vassal prince who ruled as the third king of
Lan Na under the
suzerainty of
Rattanakosin.
See also
list of Thai kings.
回
seua (เสือ)
Thai for ‘tiger’.
Tigers are native to much of eastern and southern Asia and the
subspecies native to Thailand is known as the Indochinese tiger,
which in Thailand still occurs in the wild, mostly in National
Parks. A good way to see tigers in the kingdom is in Sri Racha Tiger Zoo in
Chonburi
province, which claims a population of 200 tigers, a large facility
though the infamous Xiongsen Bear and Tiger Mountain Village (map
-
fig.)
in scenic Guilin (fig.),
in southern
China,
with an alleged 1,800 animals, seems to posses the world's biggest
captive population of tigers, but this grim and outdated wildlife
park has been accused of being a front for the sinister and illicit
trade in tiger body parts and sale of tiger bone wine, and allegedly
featured a live feeding show, in which calves were put into tiger
enclosures to be mauled to death and eaten in front of whooping
family audiences. In Sai Yok district,
just North of
Kanchanaburi
town, is the infamous Tiger Temple (map
-
fig.)
called
Wat Pah
Luang
Tah
Maha
Bua
Yanasampannoh (วัดป่าหลวงตามหาบัว ญาณสัมปันโน),
where a
Buddhist
monk and his supporters
rehabilitated domesticated tigers back into the wild. Yet, the temple over time became a
tourist attraction and soon allegations were made that the tigers
were being mistreated for commercial gain, which led to the
confiscation and removal of the ca. 150 tigers by the Thai
authorities, and the temple was closed to the public. Though this
wild
animal is most commonly orange with near white underparts and dark
vertical stripes, there are also so-called white tigers (fig.)
which are- though technically known by the name chinchilla
albinistic- not albinos, but tigers with a genetic condition that
all but eliminates fur pigmentation. Besides this, tigers are often
depicted in Thai art and in temples. They are associated with
reusi
who is usually dressed in tiger fur and dwells in, or in the
proximity of caves.
Shiva
is often seated on tiger fur (fig.).
In Thai mythology tigers
are related to Saturday and the mount of
Phra Sao, the
god of Saturday, is a tiger. In Chinese and Indian mythology, the
tiger is the seat of
Zhao Gong Ming
and
Parvati,
respectively. The tiger is also the third animal in the
Chinese zodiac.
Since its forehead (fig.)
has a marking that resembles the Chinese character wang (王), meaning
‘king’, the tiger is in Chinese culture regarded as the King of the
Animals (fig.)
and represents royalty and fearlessness.
Since tigers represents
strength they are often associated with certain aphrodisiacs and
although they have no scientific medical value traditional Chinese
medicine promotes tiger based drugs. Also called phayak (พยัคฆ์),
especially in mythology, and in Sanskrit called
viagra.
See also
tiger claw
(fig.).
See also
THEMATIC STREET LIGHT.
回
seua dao (เสือดาว)
Thai. ‘Starry tiger’. Common Thai name for the
Leopard.
回
seua fai (เสือไฟ)
Thai. ‘Fire tiger’. Name for the
Asian Golden Cat.
回
seua kohng (เสือโค้ง)
Thai. ‘Arching tiger’. See
Camouflage Tree.
回
seua kruy (เสื้อครุย)
1. Thai. A long white ceremonial gown as worn
by a
brahman
priest or a candidate for the Thai Buddhist monkhood (fig.).
回
2. Thai. An academic gown. They can be of any
colour, depending on the university's choice or tradition. It
typically has one main colour, often
indigo, black (fig.),
red or white which is then embroidered with colourful borders and/or
ribbons, defining the related faculty or specialty. They are worn by
students on the day of their graduation when they receive their
diploma and sometimes by academic staff and graduate students on
special occasions. They are usually available from rental shops (fig.)
around the universities.
回
seua laai mek (เสือลายเมฆ)
Thai name for the
Clouded Leopard.
回
seua mo hom (เสื้อม่อฮ่อม/เสื้อหม้อห้อม)
Thai. A blue cotton farmer's shirt, sometimes
worn with a similar pair of trousers and with a
pahkaomah
around the waist. The blue
colour of the shirt is acquired from a plant called
krahm, known
in Northern
Thailand as hom, by
soaking it in water. Next this solution is mixed with chalk and left
to soak for two days and nights (fig.).
The blue substance obtained is subsequently blend with a liquid
gained from water mixed with ashes, a procedure that gives a
reaction making the blue chalky substance suitable for submerging
the cotton. Next, cotton material is immersed repeatedly until it
has absorbed the dye, and hung to dry in the sun (fig.).
This process is repeated up to four times, until the typical dark
blue colour is obtained.
Its name is derived from the earthen pot (mo/moh) in which the
shirt (seua) is dyed in.
Native to northern Thailand it is often produced in
Phrae
province. Also transcribed seua moh hom.
回
seua phaew (เสือแผ้ว)
Thai. ‘Clean tiger’. A name for the
Fishing Cat, next to
seua pla.
回
seua pla (เสือปลา)
Thai. ‘Fish tiger’. A name for the
Fishing Cat, next to
seua phaew.
回
seua racha pataen (เสื้อราชปะแตน)
Thai. ‘Royal pattern shirt’.
Name of a long-sleeved jacket with a
Mandarin collar or Mao collar, i.e. a
stand-up collar, that if white in colour and with five buttons is since 1980
used as the uniform of civil servants, and is the reintroduction of an earlier
form of uniform that since the reign of King
Rama V until 1932
was commonly worn by civil servants, and consisted of a white jacket worn over a
navy blue
johng kraben, a loin cloth that is passed
between the legs and tucked in at the wearer's lower back
(fig.),
and that was actually referred to as the purple cloth and typically worn with
closed-toe shoes. It was introduced after King Rama V visited India in 1872, and
the name racha pataen is a distortion of its original designation racha pattern.
Since its initial introduction,
the jacket has been popular
with the upper and middle classes
for a long time.
See also TRAVEL
PICTURES.
回
seubchatah (สืบชะตา)
Thai. ‘To follow, to descend from, or to
succeed in fate, fortune or luck’.
Animist
ritual ceremony, initially especially in northern Thailand, but
nowadays increasingly also found in other places around the nation.
In English, it is usually referred to as
the
succession ceremony and in it a
sacred white thread, called
sai sin,
is
spanned across the interior of the
bot,
wihaan or even outdoors, usually
starting from a Buddha image, often the temple's principal statue. It will be connected to the
heads of the monks and the people sitting underneath it on the
floor, or on chairs if outdoors, with additional vertical threads
hanging from the horizontal ones. This physical
connection symbolizes the spiritual one. A
shaman will conduct a rite
whilst Buddhist
monks
are
invited to preach. The ceremony, believed to prolong life, can be held
at any time and its host will reward the shaman for his service,
usually with cash, though the event may also be organized by a
temple with a senior monk leading it. During this event in northern
Thailand, sometimes also wooden logs,
known as
mai kham or
mai kham sarih, are placed against a
bodhi tree
to symbolically support it (fig.).
Compare with
Toh Chatah Chiwit.
WATCH VIDEO.
回
seung (ซึง)
Thai. A traditional musical instrument, somewhat
comparable to a guitar. It is made from hardwood and has either four or six
strings, which are most often made of steel wire, and nine raised frets. This
plucked lute-like string instrument is from the northern region of
Lan Na
and somewhat like the
krajab pih, an ancient
instrument used in the classical music of central Thailand. Also transcribed
sung.
回
seung swing (เซิ้งสวิง)
Thai. ‘Net song and dance’. A
Thai folk dance from
Isaan,
in which the participants dance while holding
a small fishing net called swing, and usually also have a small
bamboo
basket on their
belt to hold the day's
catch and which in Thai is known as a
takong or
kong (fig.).
The term seung refers to a kind of musical song-and-dance from
northeastern Thailand.
See also POSTAGE STAMP.
回
Seven Gods of Fortune
Name given to seven deities worshipped in
Japan, most of whom derive from the
Eight Immortals
of
China.
READ ON.
回
Seven-striped Barb
Common name for a species of freshwater
fish, with the scientific designation Probarbus
jullieni, and also commonly known as Jullien's Golden Carp.
READ ON.
回
Sgaw (สะกอ)
Another
spelling for
Sakoh.
回
shadow play
See
nang thalung
and
nang yai.
回
Shaikh Ahámad-e Qomi
See
Sheikh Ahmad Qomi.
回
Shaikh al-Islam (شيخ الإسلام)
See
Sheikh al-Islam.
回
Shaivism
The cult of
Shiva
(fig.),
which has several different sects and which philosophy claims to encompass all
facets of Hindu thought. Its followers
are known as
Saivites
(fig.).
See also
Shivaism.
回
sha ji xia hou (杀鸡吓猴)
Chinese. ‘Kill the chicken to scare the
monkeys’. According to an ancient story, there once was a man who raised
monkeys, which became more and more naughty and ill-behaved as they grew up,
often destroying his belongings. Hence, one day the man caught a chicken and
assembled the monkeys. He killed the cock in front of the monkeys and told them
that if they wouldn't behave and stop causing trouble, they would end up just
like the chicken. The monkeys
were frightened and became obedient ever after. Hence this
ancient idiom is used metaphorically to mean to frighten somebody by punishing
someone else, i.e. to punish an individual as an example to others.
回
Shakra (शक्र)
Sanskrit. ‘Mighty’, ‘powerful’ or ‘the mighty one’. An
epithet for
Indra, used
mainly in
Buddhism.
It can also mean ‘radiant’ or ‘bright’, and in mythology it refers to the
Adityas,
whereas shakradhanus means ‘rainbow’. See also
Thagyamin.
回
shakti (शक्ति)
1. Sanskrit. ‘Strength’. The
consort of a Hindu god personifying the female energy of that god.
So is
Parvati
e.g. the
shakti of
Shiva.
In Hindu art, if the shakti is depicted on the side of the
corresponding male deity, it is usually to his left, i.e. closest to
his heart, which suggests that he holds her close to his heart. In
Thai sakti (ศักติ).
回
2. Sanskrit. ‘Strength’. The name of the Hindu goddess of strength.
回
shakuhachi (尺八を)
Japanese. Name for a type of
bamboo
flute played by the mendicant monks the
Komuso sect of
Zen
Buddhism in Japan during the 17th to
mid-19th century AD, in order to beg for alms and for meditation
so as to achieve the desired state of Emptiness.
回
Shakya (शक्य)
Sanskrit. ‘Capable, able’. The clan or tribe
to which prince
Siddhartha belonged who became the historical
Buddha.
In Pali
Sakya.
回
Shakyamuni
(शक्यमुनि)
Sanskrit. ‘Sage of the
Shakya
clan’. A name for the historical
Buddha.
In Pali Sakyamuni.
回
shaman
Name for a priest from
Shamanism, in
which some priests enter a trance and consequently make
contact with the supernatural. Compare with the Burmese
natsaw.
回
Shamanism
A primitive belief in which some priests or
shamans enter
a trance and consequently make contact with the supernatural.
回
Shambhala (शम्भल)
Sanskrit.
Name of a mythical
kingdom in
Tibetan Buddhism,
said to be ruled by
Maitreya, a
bodhisattva now
living in
Tushita heaven and
waiting to be reborn as a future
Buddha
in order to restore faith.
In Thai, known as Samphala (ศัมภละ), which is sometimes also transcribed
Shambhala.
回
Shampoo Ginger
Common name for a species of wild
ginger
with the botanical name Zingiber zerumbet and which is also referred to as Wild
Ginger, Bitter Ginger and Pinecone Ginger. It has thick bracts that are
initially reddish-pink below and yellowish-green above, and eventually turn
completely dark pinkish-red. It bears white flowers that sprout from the bracts. In Thai, it is known as
kratheua.
回
shamuak (ฉมวก)
Thai for harpoon, a barbed, fish-hook-like missile with a rope
attached, for catching fish. It is not completely legal. See also
pramong.
回
Shan (ฉาน, ရှမ်း)
1. Thai-Burmese. An ethnic group of
Tai
origin, that lives for the most part in
Myanmar's Shan State
(fig.),
but also inhabits adjacent regions of Thailand and
China.
There are five major groups, which are further divided into numerous
subgroups. Among the five major groups are the
Tai Yai (fig.),
who also live in West and Northwest Thailand, where they are also
known as
Ngiaw.
回
2. A language spoken mostly in
Myanmar's Shan State,
but also in Kachin State, in northern Thailand, and in
Xishuangbanna
Dai Autonomous Prefecture of
Yunnan
Province in southern
China.
回
Shan baun-bi (ရှမ်းဘောင်းဘီ)
Burmese. ‘Shan pants
or Shan trousers’. Name for long
baggy trousers, akin to the Thai
kaangkaeng le
(fig.),
and commonly worn by men in rural
Myanmar,
especially as part of the traditional dress of many of the ethnic groups. The
Shan baun-bi is lightweight and very spacious. It is worn wrapped around the
waist and folded over to keep
them in place (fig.),
which differs from most Thai models that are usually
tied with a string from the back, to form a belt.
Also transcribed Shan baung-bi.
回
Shan Cai (善财)
Chinese. ‘To cherish wealth’, usually
referred to as ‘Child of Wealth’. Chinese name for
Sudhana,
a youth from India who was seeking
Enlightenment
and on his quest studied under 53 teachers, including
Avalokitesvara
and
Maitreya.
He is finally taught that wisdom only exists for the sake of putting it into
practice. In the Tale of
Kuan Yin
and the Southern Seas, he is described as a disabled boy who was given a new,
healthy and handsome body, by jumping of a cliff after Kuan Yin, leaving his
disabled body in the ravine. After this, he became Kuan Yin's acolyte and is
therefore at times portrayed at her side (fig.),
often together with
Long Nu, a later female
acolyte of Kuan Yin.
In another story, described in the Precious Scrolls,
Shan
Cai became her acolyte after she appeared in the middle of the ocean. This
episode is often portrayed in art with the boy walking on the waves across the
sea to join with her (fig.).
In the classical Chinese novel
Journey to
the West,
he is known as Red Boy. Also transliterated Shan Tsai.
回
Shan Da Wang (山大王)
Chinese. ‘Great
Mountain King’. Name of
a
Mountain-Protection King, a deity in
Taoism.
READ
ON.
回
shan zi (山子)
Chinese. ‘Mountain offspring’ or ‘small mountains’. Name
of a Chinese art form in which miniature sceneries and landscapes are carved
from small to medium-sized natural rocks and
boulders (fig.),
usually in its interior after it has been split open, while using and
maintaining existing outlines in the natural shape of the rock. The finished work is
typically put on a decorative wooden stand. See also
Chinese rockery.
回
Shaolin (少林)
Chinese. Though the name literally translates
as ‘Young Forest’, it in fact refers to the location of a Buddhist
monastery in
China's
Henan province (fig.).
Shao (少) refers namely to Mount Shaoshi (少室山), the ‘Young Home’
mountain on which the monastery is built. Lin (林) indeed means
‘forest’, but the full name of the monastery is in reality Shaolin
Si (少林寺), with the word si (寺), meaning ‘Buddhist temple’ or ‘court
office’. The name should thus be interpreted as ‘Buddhist temple in
the woods of Mount Shaoshi’. The monastery initially served as a
defense against bandits (fig.)
and contributed to the development of a martial arts form (fig.),
consisting of nineteen different types (fig.),
which lay at the origin of Chinese fighting sports, including the
renowned
Kung Fu
(fig.).
It is practiced by the fighting monks (fig.)
of the Shaolin order in China, but has followers
worldwide. Now the term Shaolin is more often than not used in
reference to this martial art, though the Shaolin monastery
also stands at the origin of
Zen Buddhism.
Monks that ordain into the order and accept to follow its nine rules
are given the
jieba, i.e.
nine rounded marks that are burned onto the head with
incense sticks
(fig.),
in three rows of three (fig.).
The temple
is also known for its famed
Pagoda Forest (fig.).
See also
Bodhidharma.
See also TRAVEL PICTURES (1)
and
(2).
回
shark
See
chalaam.
回
Sha Wujing (沙悟净)
Chinese. ‘Sand understanding purity’. Name of a fallen
immortal who was punished by the
Jade Emperor for breaking
a crystal goblet. He was exiled from heaven, where he previously was the General
who Raises the Curtain, and sent to the mortal world as a hideous sand demon. On
earth he dwelt in the quicksand river where he attacked innocent passers-by and
received weekly punishments from heaven. In search of powerful bodyguards to
protect the monk Xuanzang on his
Journey to
the West, he
was recruited by
Kuan Yin in
exchange for relief from his punishment. After the pilgrimage he was rewarded
and transformed into a
luohan.
His weapon of choice is a
Monk's Spade
(fig.),
i.e. a double-headed staff, with a crescent-moon blade at one end (fig.)
and a spade at the other. In English, he is also known as Friar Sandy.
See also .
回
Sheikh Ahmad Qomi
Arabic. Name of a Persian expatriate trader who lived in
Siam
for 26 years. He was born in the Islamic centre of Tainajahar in Qom and is said
to have arrived at
Ayutthaya
in 1602 AD, during the rule of King
Naresuan the Great, of whom he received
official permission to stake out two suitable sites, one for his residence,
another for his religious and trading quarters. His mission to Siam was twofold:
firstly, to open a trading post, secondly, to bring Islamic teachings of the
Shi'ite Sect to Siam. Having settled, he embarked upon developing his Islamic
mission and his trading post, and within a decade the Shi'ite Chao Sen Sect was
firmly established and the trading mission prospered. While becoming somewhat
prosperous on the way, he gained a reputation of being an honest and reliant
merchant. It was during this period that he married a young lady by the name of
Ob Chuay who bore him two sons and a daughter. The eldest son, was named Chuen,
the second one died before reaching his teens, while his daughter was named Chi.
He rose to favour with King
Song Tham
(1610-1628),
who appointed him to the highest administrative positions and put him in charge
of Siam's entire trade with the Middle East and Muslim India. He was appointed
the first holder of the title of
Chularachamontrih,
a Thai version of the Muslim office of
Sheikh al-Islam. His
later descendants, known as the
Bunnag family, continued
their prominent role in Siamese politics and trade, well into the
Bangkok period. Also transcribed Shaikh Ahámad-e Qomi.
回
Sheikh al-Islam (شيخ الإسلام)
Arabic. ‘Islamic tribal elder’ or ‘revered
old man of Islam’, sometimes translated as ‘Islamic scholar’. A title and office
of superior authority in the issues of
Islam
which is supposed to be bestowed upon followers of the
Koran who acquired
deep knowledge of its principles and are of age, wise in Islam and reputable
among peers. In Thailand this office is called
Chularachamontrih.
Also transcribed Shaikh al-Islam, Sheikh ul-Islam or similar.
回
She Jiang (蛇将)
1. Chinese.
‘Snake
General’
or ‘Military Commander
[with a] Serpent’.
Name one of the four guardians at the gate of Tian Zi Dian
(天子殿), i.e. the
‘Palace
of the Son of Heaven’,
usually referred to in English as the
‘Emperor's
Hall’
in
Diyu, the Taoist
Hell, the other three
guardians being the Chicken Feet Ghost
Ji Jiao Gui
(fig.),
the
White Impermanence
Bai Wu Chang (fig.),
and the Eagle General
Ying Jiang (fig.).
This demon
has a black complexion, downward growing fangs, bulging eyes, and
holds a snake, which in the middle is curled around his
neck.
At Fengdu Ghost City
(fig.),
the Snake General is displayed next
to the Eagle General (fig.).
回
2. Chinese.
‘Snake
General’.
Name of a
military
commander,
who served under
the
Black
Warrior
Xuanwu,
i.e. the
Taoist
protector god of the North (fig.),
together with the Tortoise
General Gui Jiang (fig.).
回
sheng (笙)
Chinese. Name for a
traditional Chinese reed mouth organ, said to be one of the oldest
Chinese instruments
still in use today. The modern version consists of a metal mouth-piece and
vertical
bamboo and sometimes
also metal pipes.
The name sheng may also be used to refer to a small
bottle gourd
wind instrument with bamboo pipes (fig.),
which is played by some Thai hill tribes (fig.),
who often dance and swing the instrument from side to side while playing (fig.).
Due to the multiple pipes (fig.),
its sound is polyphonic. The latter
is comparable to the
lu sheng, another
gourd-shaped musical instrument, but with larger bamboo pipes or reeds (fig.).
回
Shen Nong (神农)
Chinese. Literally ‘god of agriculture’, a
designation for the first farmer and founder of herbal medicine, as well as an
early emperor and the god of husbandry. He is traditionally seen as one of the
three Emperors who are credited for creating Chinese culture, together with
Fu Xi
and
Huang Di (fig.),
the
Yellow Emperor. He is the
author of
China's earliest book on pharmacology
compiled systematically. It is believed that he lived around 2700 BC. According
to legend, Shen Nong was a also skilled ruler, a creative scientist and patron
of the arts, commonly known as the ‘divine healer’. He is attributed with
inventing
tea,
as well as discovering the medicinal benefits of numerous other plants. His
farsighted edicts required, among other things, that all drinking water be
boiled as a hygienic precaution. One summer day while visiting a distant region
of his realm, he and the court stopped to rest. In accordance with his ruling,
the servants began to boil water for the court to drink. Dried leaves from a
nearby bush fell into the boiling water, and a brown liquid was infused into the
water. As a scientist, the Emperor was interested in the new liquid, drank some,
and found it very refreshing. And so, according to legend,
tea
was discovered in 2737 BC. Regularly
transcribed Shennong or Shen Nung,
and in Thai also referred to as Iamtee or Iantee.
His title as emperor was
Yan Di, which means ‘Flame Emperor’, and as one of the
Si Shi,
he is known as Shen Nong-shi. See also
cha.
See also
LIST OF CHINESE RULERS.
回
Shesha (शेष)
Mythological serpent with a
thousand heads, symbol of the cosmic waters and the animal on which
the Hindu god
Vishnu
rests, especially during
the nights that separate two cosmic periods. Also known as
Ananta
and
Vasuki.
回
shi (世)
Chinese for ‘generation’ and also a homonym with
shi, which is part of the word
shi liu, meaning ‘pomegranate’.
See also
thabthim.