NY Times On Thai Nickname Battle By The Ministry Of Purity

[tiger tanaka]

August 29, 2007

In Thai Cultural Battle, Name-Calling Is Encouraged

By THOMAS FULLER

BANGKOK, Aug. 23 — America has Tom, Dick and Harry. Thailand has Pig, Money and Fat.

For as long as people here can remember, children have been given playful nicknames — classics include Shrimp, Chubby and Crab — that are carried into adulthood.

But now, to the consternation of some nickname purists, children are being given such offbeat English-language nicknames as Mafia or Seven — as in 7-Eleven, the convenience store.

The spread of foreign names mirrors a rapidly urbanizing society that has absorbed any number of influences, including Hollywood, fast-food chains and English Premier League soccer.

The trend worries Vira Rojpojchanarat, the permanent secretary of the Thai Ministry of Culture. Mr. Vira, whose nickname is the relatively unimaginative Ra, is embarking on a campaign to revive the simple and often more pastoral nicknames of yore.

“It’s important because it’s about the usage of the Thai language,” Mr. Vira, an architect by training, said in his office decorated with Thai theatrical masks and a small Buddhist altar. “We worry that Thai culture will vanish.”

With help from language experts at the Royal Institute, the official arbiter of the Thai language, Mr. Vira plans to produce by the end of the year a collection of thousands of old-fashioned nicknames, listed by such wholesome categories as colors, animals and fruit and including simple favorites like Yaay (big), Ouan (fat) and Dam (black).

Published in a small booklet, the names will be distributed to the news media and libraries, and posted on the Internet.

“We can’t force people,” Mr. Vira said. “It’s their right to have their own ideas. But what we can do is give them options by producing this handbook.”

The Culture Ministry’s plans have not yet been made public, but some Thais, when told about the nickname campaign, were skeptical.

“I don’t agree with this; it’s unnecessary,” said Manthanee Akaracharanrya, a 29-year-old real estate contractor. Ms. Manthanee, whose nickname is Money, says having an English name is practical because it is easier for foreigners to pronounce, unlike Thai names, which are tonal and can include sounds alien to non-Thai speakers.

Her name has meaning, Ms. Manthanee said. Her father chose Money because she was born on Nov. 29, around the time his paycheck landed. Her elder brother is named Bonus because he was born on Chinese New Year, when some companies hand out extra cash. And her younger brother is called Bank, because it fit the theme.

Korakoad Wongsinchai, an English teacher at a private primary school in Bangkok, is also not sure whether the Culture Ministry’s campaign will stem the tide of English names. “Parents think they are modern names,” Ms. Korakoad said of the foreign nicknames. “Thai names are from 20 years ago.”

More than half of her students have English names, she said, offering this sampling: Tomcruise, Elizabeth, Army, Kiwi, Charlie and God. One apparently gourmand family named their child Gateaux, the French word for cakes.

“I think a lot of parents get the names from television or magazines,” she said.

Ms. Korakoad, 30, carries the nickname Moo (Pig), a traditional name that Mr. Vira approves of and says will be in the booklet.

After years of hearing about the spread of foreign nicknames, Mr. Vira says he was spurred into action in July when he saw the results of a survey of almost 3,000 students in and around the city of Khon Khaen, in northeastern Thailand.

In one classroom there were three children nicknamed Bank. To tell them apart, fellow pupils had renamed the children Big Bank, Medium Bank and Small Bank.

Forty percent of secondary students and 56 percent of primary students had English nicknames, the survey showed, compared with just 6 percent of university students, indicating a clear trend among the youngest Thais, Mr. Vira said.

Ball was the most popular English nickname — possibly because it is the nickname of a well-known Thai tennis star, Paradorn Srichaphan — followed by Oil and Bank.

The most common Thai nicknames were Lek (small), Ng (one) and Mai (new).

Mr. Vira, who is the most senior civil servant in the Culture Ministry, says his mission is to preserve what he calls Thai-ness: “not only the Thai language but Thai dress, Thai food — everything that shows Thai identity.”

The year 2007 (2550 according to Thailand’s Buddhist calendar) has been proclaimed the Year of Promoting Correct Thai Usage, he said, and the nickname campaign is part of that effort.

From a purely practical point of view, Mr. Vira added, having a foreign name like Apple or Bank may be cute for a child, “but once you’re an old man with no teeth, it doesn’t match with the name.”

[Solosiam]

Can't help feeling sorry for some of the kids called "Cartoon", "Makro" etc...

[WaiWai]

“We can’t force people,” Mr. Vira said. “It’s their right to have their own ideas. But what we can do is give them options by producing this handbook.”

[chownah]

Three of the neighborhood kids:

Football

Book

Earth

[bkkmick]

A kid at my kids school is nicknamed 'Password'. Weird.

[lazeeboy]

A kid at my kids school is nicknamed 'Password'. Weird.

i have a nephew called beckham ,becks for short ......

[qualtrough]

The most common Thai nicknames were Lek (small), Ng (one) and Mai (new).????

[WAERTH]

The most common Thai nicknames were Lek (small), Ng (one) and Mai (new).????

That should be Neung .... not ng.

Waerth

[Maestro]

Just don’t call your child “Apple” – Thai pronunciation “appen” – and then, after bringing apples home from the market, tell your maid “say appen nay tuu yen”. Apparently one mother of a child nicknamed “Apple” did it and upon her return home found her baby child dead in the refrigerator. Sad.

--

Maestro

[Jersey_UK]

The most common Thai nicknames were Lek (small), Ng (one) and Mai (new).????

We must drink in different places

[Jingthing]

Kind of makes me want to have Thai baby and name it Iphone.

Edited August 29, 2007 by Jingthing

[Jimjim]

Just don’t call your child “Apple” – Thai pronunciation “appen” – and then, after bringing apples home from the market, tell your maid “say appen nay tuu yen”. Apparently one mother of a child nicknamed “Apple” did it and upon her return home found her baby child dead in the refrigerator. Sad.

--

Maestro

If true, that would be one stupid maid.

[Gumballl]

Well I guess it is up to us foreign devils to corrupt Thai society any chance we get. Let's see if I can come up with some nicknames:

Deniece

Denephew

<deleted> (pronounced shi-theed)

Jim Naseum

Chuck Roast

IMF

Junta

Po'

Up2U

SameSame

Only in LOS would nicknames be such a big deal. Maybe the gov't ought to start mandating that everyone have a middle-name (recorded on their birth certificates).

Edited August 29, 2007 by Gumballl

[CalicoConsulting]

Korakoad Wongsinchai, an English teacher at a private primary school in Bangkok, is also not sure whether the Culture Ministry's campaign will stem the tide of English names. "Parents think they are modern names," Ms. Korakoad said of the foreign nicknames. "Thai names are from 20 years ago."

What's wrong with being old enough to remember 20 years ago? Sometimes it's easier to remember than yesterday.

[Orangutan]

My 5 month old nephew...Nuclear!

-O

[CalicoConsulting]

My 5 month old nephew...Nuclear!

-O

Well, that's better than naming him Nukular.

[jasreeve17]

Some of my favourite names from the Uni:-

nud_e (a boy).

Off.

Fine.

A.

Pop.

Tom (a girl).

Mameaow.

Dear.

Tax.

Nut.

Chicken.

Koki.

Act.

[Sing_Sling]

And yet another example of how insecure this whole place is about themselves.

(Reminds me of the French actions to preserve and spread the use of French- at least it is still a world language)

[page449]

Heck, and Terdsak was just beginning to respond to his Anglo nickname Colostomy Bag.

[tijnebijn]

I know a guy , his nick name is ######thong.

Its thai for pumpkin I believe . Funny in our ears.

[tijnebijn]

I know a guy , his nick name is ######thong.

Its thai for pumpkin I believe . Funny in our ears.

Oh yeah see , the automatic system deletes the word .

Even it is just a normal word in Thai , fuc. thong maybe does it .

[Jingthing]

I think the Anglo nicknames are very amusing. Hope they don't read this new book. Good bet that.

[KhaoNiaw]

When his son was born during a World Cup, a friend named him Fifa.

[tijnebijn]

I don't understand what they worry about all the time anyway .

Thai people are still Thai people . If you want everything to stay the same as a zillion years ago .....whatever.

Would be a big joke if they announce back in Holland that everybody should walk on wooden clomping (shoes) again,

because it is cultural and that they are scared it will vanish away , it already has except some small fishing villages.

Wake up ministry , the Thais want to live the lives they feel comfortable with , not one kind of old fashioned moron

announcing these crap all the time.

[WaiWai]

'Ice' top English nickname for kids

Residents in this central province were keen on giving their children nicknames in English and "Ice" was the favourite, Culture Minister Khunying Khaisri Sriaroon said yesterday. Published on September 5, 2007

The other popular English names were "May" and "Fluke" while "Ploy", "Nam" and "Sai" were the top Thai nicknames.

The Trat Cultural Office surveyed 7,244 children from kindergarten to third-graders and found that 53 per cent of them had English nicknames and 44 per cent Thai nicknames. About 1 per cent each had Korean, Japanese, Chinese or Arabic nicknames.

The media played a crucial role in parents choosing to call their kids after famous actors, singers, tools and musical instruments.

Foreign languages have crept into people's daily lives, so Thai language promotion was very necessary, she said.

Permanent secretary Vira Rojpojchanarat said the Culture Ministry would next week gather usage problems and hold a meeting of experts before drawing up guidelines for a master plan to promote Thai and local dialects.

The ministry will also organise a seminar on His Majesty the King's literature and language genius in December, he added.

The Nation

TRAT

Tools !

Edited September 5, 2007 by WaiWai

[CalicoConsulting]

My Thai name is Chatupon. Which is, I must admit, a far better choice than Therdsak.

[kmart]

I spoke to a Khun "Krit-arit" on the phone this morning at work. I struggled to maintain composure...

... The same with Khun Turdtoon yesterday.

[WaiWai]

Khun "Krit-arit"

Don't get it ?

[liketobe]

I don't understand what they worry about all the time anyway .

Thai people are still Thai people . If you want everything to stay the same as a zillion years ago .....whatever.

Would be a big joke if they announce back in Holland that everybody should walk on wooden clomping (shoes) again,

because it is cultural and that they are scared it will vanish away , it already has except some small fishing villages.

Wake up ministry , the Thais want to live the lives they feel comfortable with , not one kind of old fashioned moron

announcing these crap all the time.

You think so? me two....me three

[mrtoad]

With all the various things going on in the country, and this is the latest "important issue", dear, oh dear.

On a lighter note, some good names that I have come across

Internet

James Bond

Mobile

Copter

Jedi

Bean - after Mr Bean maybe?

Whiskey - A parents favourite tipple?

Chivas - See Whiskey

Beer - See Whiskey

Pepsi

Dome - a fan of the Millenium dome?