THAILAND

REPORTED BY:
DAPHNIE GERD-AN RIVERA
JONARD B. REDOR
Origins
The earliest literature of the Thai people was written in Chinese until
the 13th century, then in Sanskrit and Pali from India.
Indian influence
Thai literature was traditionally heavily influenced by Indian culture
from the 13th century. Thailand's national epic is a version of the Ramayana
called the Ramakien. A number of versions of the epic were lost in the
destruction of Ayutthaya in 1767. Three versions currently exist. One of
these was prepared under the supervision (and partly written by) King Rama
I. His son, Rama II, rewrote some parts for khon drama. The main differences
from the original are an extended role for the monkey god Hanuman and
the addition of a happy ending.
The most important poet in Thai literature was Sunthorn Phu, who is
best known for his romantic adventure story Phra Aphai Mani and for nine
travel pieces called Nirats.
Kings Rama V and Rama VI were also writers, mainly of non-fiction
works as part of their programme to combine Western knowledge with
traditional Thai culture. The story Lilit Phra Lo (ลิลิตพระลอ) was voted the best

20th century

20th century Thai writers tended to produce light fiction rather than
literature. But increasingly, individual writers are being recognized for
producing more serious works, including writers like Kukrit Pramoj, Kulap
Saipradit, (penname Siburapha), and Botan. Some of the their works have
been translated into English. The Isan region of Thailand has produced two
notably sociocritical writers in Khamsing Srinawk and Pira Sudham. Notably,
Pira Sudham writes in English.

Thailand has had a number of expatriate writers in the 20th century as well.
The Bangkok Writers Group is currently publishing fiction by Indian author
G.Y. Gopinath, the fabulist A.D. Thompson, as well as non-fiction by Gary
Dale Cearley
 LITERATURE

Thai Traditional Literature is essentially religious. Most of the literature in the

old days consisted of works on Buddhism and Hinduism directly or indirectly.
Whatever culture the Thai people brought with them from their homeland in
Southern China where they had been in contact with Chinese culture for
centuries was adapted to its later conception of Buddhism, their adopted
religion. Traces of their original culture may be found here and there in a
disguised and weak form embedded in their literature. Most of the works of
emotive literature were written in verse in various patterns. Five prominent
examples of such works may be cited briefly.
1. The Romance of Khun Chang Khun Phaen, an indigenous story of love
and pathos, at time humorous, of a triangular love plot of one heroine with
two lovers. The story, apart from its beautiful expressions, contains a mine of
information on old beliefs and social customs of the Thai before the impact of
Western culture. The story as is known has been translated into English and
French.

2. Ramakian (or Ramakirti in transliteration) is the story based on the

famous Indian epic, Ramayana. It is unique, containing many episodes and
details which are not to be found in the original epic, but showing traces of
contact with certain versions of the Ramayana in India, Malaysia, Java and
Cambodia. There is an English translation.
Classical literature, written in verse, dates from the Ayutthaya period
(1351–1767). It includes religious works such as Maha chat (“The Great
Birth”),
3. Thelater rewritten
Romance of as Maha chat kham luang (“The Royal Version of the
Inao.
Great Birth”), the Thai version of the Vessantara jataka, which recounts the
This is a translation from the well-known story of adventures of the
story of the future Buddha’s penultimate life on earth; Lilit phra Lo (“The
national Javanese hero prince. It is written in a refined and perfect style of
Story of Prince Lo”), a tragic romance, widely regarded as one of the greatest
the Thai Language and meant for dramatic performance.
of Thai poetic works, and Lilit Yuan phai (“The Defeat of the Yuan”), a
historical work, celebrating Ayutthaya’s defeat of the forces of the northern
Lan Na kingdom.
The reign of King Narai (1656–88) is seen as a golden era, in which
writers were welcomed at the royal court, and new verse forms were
developed; some of the most highly regarded nirat poems—a genre
characterized by the themes of journeying, separation, and love-longing—
date from this period, including Si Prat’s famous Nirat khlong kamsuan (“A
Mournful Journey”), describing his journey into exile in Nakhon Sri
Thammarat.
4. Sam Kok.
Much literature was lost in the sack of Ayutthaya by Hsinbyushin of Myanmar
(Burma) This is a translation
in 1767. After the from San Kuo
restoration of Chi,
Thai asovereignty,
Chinese historical
and theromance of
the Three Kingdoms.
establishment of a newUnlike
capitalthe
at three proceeding
Bangkok, many lawones, it isreligious
codes, written in prose
works,
with
and perfect
literary expressions
texts of styleThese
were rewritten. of theinclude
language.
the Ramakian, a Thai version
of the Indian Ramayana, which was composed during the reign of Rama I
(1782–1809); Khun Chang Khun Phaen, an epic poem full of martial and
amatory exploits, which took its title from the two main protagonists; and
Phra Aphaimani, named after its hero. The second and third both date from
the reign of Rama II (1809–24).
Translations of best-selling Western fiction by authors such as Marie Corelli,
William Le Queux, Charles Garvice, H. Rider Haggard, Sax Rohmer, Anthony
Hope, andAphai
5. Phra Arthur Mani.
Conan Doyle, began to appear at the beginning of the 20th
century, but by the mid-1920s original Thai stories, often serialized in
This isand
newspapers a romantic
magazinestalebefore
written in verse
their by onein
publication ofathe most
book, famous
had and
become
popular
more poetsMost
popular. of Thailand. It is annovels,
were romantic imaginary tale ofinvolving
typically love, intrigue
a poorand
boy–rich
girl (or rich boy–poor girl) theme, in which the plot was brought to a happy of
adventure, and reflects some ideas of the people towards the Europeans
the last century. There is an English translation in concise form by one Prem
Chaya.
The employment of prose in Thai emotive literature along the lines of
the Western style is of recent date due obviously to the influence7 of
Western literature.
The earliest literature, that of the Sukhothai period (13th to mid-14th
century), survives chiefly in stone inscriptions, which provide vivid accounts
of contemporary life. The most famous of these is the Ram kham haeng
inscription of 1292, in which King Ram kham haeng records the economic
abundance of his kingdom and the benevolence of his rule.
 DRAMA

In the purely classical form, Thai drama and dance are indivisible.
The Khon masked drama is derived from Indian temple rituals and
dancing and draws its story line from the Ramakien, the Thai version of the
Indian epic Ramayana. During the Ayutthaya period, the Khon was acted by
accomplished male court retainers playing both male and female roles
because until the 19th century the movements were thought too strenuous for
women to perform. By the mid 1800s both men and women were appearing
on stage together.
Performances of Khon are characterized by vigorous, highly-formalized
action. Acting and dancing are inseparable, each step having a definite
meaning which is emphasized by precisely defined music to suggest walking,
marching laughing, etc. because some actors and actresses are masked and
cannot speak, narrative verses are usually recited and sung by a chorus that
sits with the accompanying woodwind, gong and drum ensemble. The leading
male and female performers do not wear masks and on some occasions they
may speak.

POETRY
Poetry has been featured extensively in Thai literature, and constituted the near-exclusive
majority of literary works up to the early Rattanakosin period (early 19th century). It consists of
five main forms, known as khlong, chan, kap, klon and rai; some of these developed
indigenously while others were borrowed from other languages. Thai poetry dates to the
Sukhothai period (13th–14th centuries) and flourished under Ayutthaya (14th–18th centuries),
during which it developed into its current forms. Though many works were lost to the Burmese
conquest of Ayutthaya in 1767, sponsorship by subsequent kings helped revive the art, with new
works created by many great poets, including Sunthorn Phu (1786–1855). Prose writing as a
literary form was introduced as a Western import during the reign of King Mongkut (1851–68)
and gradually gained popularity, though poetry saw a revival during the reign of King
Vajiravudh (1910–25), who authored and sponsored both traditional poetry and the newer
literary forms. Poetry's popularity as a mainstream form of literature gradually declined
afterwards, although it is still written and read, and is regularly employed ceremonially.
Forms
Thai poetic works follow established prosodic forms, known as chanthalak (Thai: ฉันทลักษณ์, pronounced
[tɕʰǎntʰalák]). Almost all have rules governing the exact metre and rhyme structure, i.e. the number of syllables
in each line and which syllable rhymes with which. Certain forms also specify the tone or tone marks of
syllables; others have requirements of syllable "heaviness". Alliteration and within-line rhyming are also often
employed, but are not required by the rules.
 Khlong
The khlong (โคลง, [kʰlōːŋ]) is the among oldest Thai poetic forms. This is reflected in its requirements
on the tone markings of certain syllables, which must be marked with mai ek (ไม้เอก, [máj èːk], ◌่) or mai tho
(ไม้โท, [máj tʰōː], ◌้). This was likely derived from when the Thai language had three tones (as opposed to
today's five, a split which occurred during the Ayutthaya period), two of which corresponded directly to the
aforementioned marks. It is usually regarded as an advanced and sophisticated poetic form.
In khlong, a stanza (bot, บท, [bòt]) has a number of lines (bat, บาท, [bàːt], from Pali and Sanskrit pāda),
depending on the type. The bat are subdivided into two wak (วรรค, [wák], from Sanskrit varga). The first wak
has five syllables, the second has a variable number, also depending on the type, and may be optional. The type
of khlong is named by the number of bat in a stanza; it may also be divided into two main types: khlong suphap
(โคลงสุภาพ, [kʰlōːŋ sù.pʰâːp]) and khlong dan (โคลงดั้น, [kʰlōːŋ dân]). The two differ in the number of syllables in
the second wak of the final bat and inter-stanza rhyming rules.

Khlong si suphap
The khlong si suphap (โคลงสี่ สุภาพ, [kʰlōːŋ sìː sù.pʰâːp]) is the most common form still currently
employed. It has four bat per stanza (si translates as four). The first wak of each bat has five syllables. The
second wak has two or four syllables in the first and third bat, two syllables in the second, and four syllables in
the fourth. Mai ek is required for seven syllables and Mai tho is required for four, as shown below. "Dead
word" syllables are allowed in place of syllables which require mai ek, and changing the spelling of words to
satisfy the criteria is usually acceptable.

Chan
The chan (ฉันท์, [tɕʰǎn] from Pali chando), is derived from Pali and Sanskrit metres, and
based on the Vuttodaya, a Sri Lankan treatise on Pali prosody. It developed during the Ayutthaya
period, and became a prominent poetic form, but declined afterwards until it resurfaced in a 1913
revival. The main feature of the chan is its requirements on the "heaviness" of each syllable.
Syllables are classified as either "light" (lahu, ลหุ , [lahù]), those with a short vowel and open
ending, or "heavy" (kharu, ครุ , [kʰarú]; See also Light and heavy syllables under Sanskrit
prosody). The Thai metres follow their Pali/Sanskrit origins, with added rhyming schemes.
Modern authors have also invented new forms for their compositions. Two traditional forms are
shown here.

Kap
There are several forms of kap (กาพย์, [kàːp]), each with its specific metre and rhyming rules. The
kap may have originated either from the Indic metres or from Cambodian forms.

Kap yani
The kap yani (กาพย์ยานี , [kàːp jāː.nīː], or yani sip et, sip et meaning eleven, referring to the number
of syllables per bat) has two bat per stanza. Each has two wak, with five and six syllables. It is
slow in rhythm, and usually used to describe beauty and nature. The following plan shows the
rhyming scheme in two stanzas; the spaces show the usual rhythmic breaks (not shown in
writing).
 Kap chabang
The kap chabang (กาพย์ฉบัง, [kàːp tɕʰa.bāŋ], or chabang sip hok, sip hok meaning sixteen, the
number of syllables per stanza) has three wak per stanza, with six syllables in the first and third,
and four syllables in the second. It is often used for narratives, and often accompanies the chan.

Klon
In the generic sense, klon (กลอน, [klɔ̄ːn]) originally referred to any type of poetry. In the
narrow sense it refers to a more recently developed form where a stanza has four wak, each with
the same number of syllables. It is usually considered an original Thai form. The klon metres are
named by the number of syllables in a wak, e.g. klon hok has six syllables per wak (hok means
six). All metres have the same rhyming scheme, and there are also requirements on the tone of
the final syllable of each wak. The klon is also divided into several types according to their
manner of composition, with klon suphap being the basic form.
The following plan shows the structure of klon suphap (two stanzas) in the most common
eight-syllable variety, which was employed extensively by Sunthorn Phu, and is the most
common form of the Rattanakosin period. The letters in parentheses represent alternative
rhyming syllables. In practice, occasional wak with seven or nine syllables are also acceptable.

Rai
The rai (ร่ าย, [râːj]) is probably the oldest Thai poetic form and was used in laws and chronicles. It is
also the simplest. It consists of a continuing series of wak of unspecified number, usually with five syllables
each, and with rhymes from the last syllable of a wak to the first, second or third of the next. Some variations
don't specify the number of syllables per wak and are actually a form of rhymed prose. A composition
consisting of rai alternating with (and ending with) khlong is known as lilit and suggests that the khlong
developed from the rai. The following is the form of rai known as rai boran.

Reading
When read aloud, Thai poetry may be read conventionally, or in a melodic fashion known as thamnong
sano, lit pleasing melody). Thamnong sano has many melodic styles, and there are also other specific styles
used for certain performances, such as sepha. Thamnong sano reading is often featured in student competitions,
along with other forms of language-related performances.
 NOVELS
Lakorn Haeng Cheewit (1929) - the work of royal-blood author M.C. Arkartdamkerng Rabibhat.
Karmanit (1930) - classical translation of Buddhist literature by the philosophers Sathirakoses
and Nakapratheep.
Damrong Phrathet (1931) - romantic fiction with peace and women's rights themes by Vethang.
Nueng Nai Roi (1934) - a story of the well-to-do by pioneer female novelist Dokmaisod.
Bangrachan (1936) - based on Mai Muangderm, the great historical battle between Thailand and
Burma.
Pol Nikorn Gim-nguan -Classical, popular comic fiction by Por Intarapalit.
Puchana Sibthit (1939) - historical romance by Yakob.
Peking Nakorn Haeng Kwarmlang (1943) - the story of Thai students in China during the
revolution by Sod Kuramalohit
Ying Kon Chua (1946) - Thailand's first protagonist prostitute created by Kor Surangkanang.
Mueng Nimitr (1948) - utopian ideology by M.R. Nimitmongkol Nawarat.
Pattaya (1951) - social novel satirising the pro-military and socialist movement written under the
still anonymous pen-name Daohang.
Phaendin Nee Kongkrai (1952) - Srirat Sathapanawat's look at corruption and discrimination.
Si Phaendin (1954) - the life of a court lady by M.R. Kukrit Pramoj.
Lae Pai Kangnar (1955) - Sriburapa's social comment.
Pisaj (1957) - Seni Saowapong's book on a love tainted by class discrimination.
Tung Maharaj (1964) - Malai Chupinit's novel based in the South.
Mahabandit Haeng Mitilanakorn (1964) - Yaem Prapathong's Buddhist novel.
Seplay Boy Chaorai (1969) - Acclaimed as Rong Wongsawan's verson of The Tortilla Flat by John
Steinbeck.
Jodmaay Jark Muang Thai (1970) - Botan's depiction of the lives of Chinese immigrants.
Rao Likit Bon Lumsop Vasitthi - Ror Jantapimpa's romance set during World War II.
 STORY, NOVEL AND
EPIC
RAMAKIEN
The Ramakien (รามเกียรติ์, "Glory of Rama", sometimes also spelled
Ramakian) is Thailand's national epic, derived from the Hindu epic
Ramayana. The word is derived from Sanskrit word Rāmākhyāna, (Rāma
+ Ākhyana) where Akhyana means a long story or epic.
A number of versions of the epic were lost in the destruction of
Ayutthaya in 1767. Three versions currently exist, one of which was
prepared in 1797 under the supervision of (and partly written by) King
Rama I. His son, Rama II, rewrote some parts of his father's version for
khon drama. The work has had an important influence on Thai literature,
art and drama (both the khon and nang dramas being derived from it).
While the main story is identical to that of the Ramayana, many
other aspects were transposed into a Thai context, such as the clothes,
weapons, topography, and elements of nature, which are described as
being Thai in style. Although Thailand is considered a Theravada
Buddhist society, the Hindu mythology latent in the Ramakien serves to
provide Thai legends with a creation myth, as well as representations of
various spirits which complement beliefs derived from Thai animism.

SHORT STORIES
Nor Mor Sor's Nitarn Vetal (1918) - translated from Indian literature.
Tanom Mahapaoraya's Plaay Maliwan and other short stories.
Jantri Siribunrod's Pudab Duang Arthit and other science fiction.
Arjin Panjapan's Muang Rae - a set of short stories about miners' lives.
Loa Kam Hom's Fah Bor Kan and other stories.
Dr Saneur Intarasuksri's Puernk