Baht Simpson Posted February 14, 2005 Share Posted February 14, 2005 Most Thais I have met tend to have nicknames like Gor or Mek etc. They don't always appear to be shortened versions of their full names and I was wondering how they chose them. A friend has two young girls whose nicknames are Fanta and Pop, which is quite amusing. Any other funny ones? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boo Posted February 14, 2005 Share Posted February 14, 2005 The real names tend to be their official Buddha names (usually but not always chosen by monks in accordance with your fortune) so parents will choose a name in which to refer to their children, these names are usually not so nice ( oan=fat, Moo - Pig etc) as superstious thais will not want to tempt fate by giving their child a boastful name. Some children as they get older (school age) will then choose their own nickname which tends to get confusing with family members calling them one thing & friends using the other & I know quite a lot of thai freinds who have then chosen a western nickname after working in tourist areas as it's easier for farang to pronounce All in all can get very confusing if you know someone by one name & someone knows them by another Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darknight Posted February 14, 2005 Share Posted February 14, 2005 Most Thais I have met tend to have nicknames like Gor or Mek etc. They don't always appear to be shortened versions of their full names and I was wondering how they chose them. A friend has two young girls whose nicknames are Fanta and Pop, which is quite amusing. Any other funny ones? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> They get nicknames at birth to prevent "Phii" from stealing them when they know there real name. Most names are animal names or inanimat objects. like 'pla'=fish 'ling"=monkey , colors like Deng="red", ect.. thinl modern names from western cultures are starting to creep in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darknight Posted February 14, 2005 Share Posted February 14, 2005 The real names tend to be their official Buddha names (usually but not always chosen by monks in accordance with your fortune) so parents will choose a name in which to refer to their children, these names are usually not so nice ( oan=fat, Moo - Pig etc) as superstious thais will not want to tempt fate by giving their child a boastful name. Some children as they get older (school age) will then choose their own nickname which tends to get confusing with family members calling them one thing & friends using the other & I know quite a lot of thai freinds who have then chosen a western nickname after working in tourist areas as it's easier for farang to pronounce All in all can get very confusing if you know someone by one name & someone knows them by another <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Indeed boo My wife's real name is Rawita Her nick name is path, or tolek, or phon... Sometimes i have to ask friends you talking about who? which then turns out to be my wife Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
otherstuff1957 Posted February 14, 2005 Share Posted February 14, 2005 I've noticed that older Thais have nicknames like Nok, Noi, Nui, Bee, Oo, Toon, Egg, Lee, Hom, Meow, Moo, etc... While a lot of school children have English nicknames like Champ, Garfield, Homerun, Basketball, Bill, Mint, Earn, Pop, and so on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boo Posted February 14, 2005 Share Posted February 14, 2005 Hubby has gone through life with his "real name" being the cause of some mirth amongst freinds & new aquantancies as it has traditionally been a ladies name but when he was born & taken to the temple the monks said this name would be VERY fortuitious for him & so he was stuck with it. In the beginning of the Siam empire it WAS a kings name but over the course of generations turned to be a female name. A bit like the thai equivilant of a name called Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OxfordWill Posted February 14, 2005 Share Posted February 14, 2005 I would bet on 'Nat' being the most popular nickname in Thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gburns57au Posted February 14, 2005 Share Posted February 14, 2005 I would bet on 'Nat' being the most popular nickname in Thailand. Nope...has to be Noi or Lek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
britmaveric Posted February 14, 2005 Share Posted February 14, 2005 Nok up there too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toastwars Posted February 14, 2005 Share Posted February 14, 2005 On Koh Chang a bar near where I stay is owned by a Katoy lady who introduced herself as "Emma Thompson", this was two years and many trips ago ad myself and all my friends still refer to her in the third person, "will Emma Thompsons get me a beer please?"..."how much will Emma Thompson be charging for the meals?" "does Emma Thompson have any pinapple left?" ect ect Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuchok Posted February 14, 2005 Share Posted February 14, 2005 I know this is not Thai, but a Samoan couple named their first born "Nitrous Oxide"........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toastwars Posted February 14, 2005 Share Posted February 14, 2005 I called my first born "Jesus". He died for our sins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boo Posted February 14, 2005 Share Posted February 14, 2005 Chuchok, why on earth would they do that??? Most popular man thai name has got to be Dum, pretty much every thai man I have ever met from Nakorn si thammarat is called Dum, so many in fact that it became a running joke. Whenever someone asked where they were from & they answered "nakohn si thammarat" the next question was always "is your name Dum?" At least 95% answered yes, how did you know?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuchok Posted February 14, 2005 Share Posted February 14, 2005 Chuchok, why on earth would they do that??? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> reason....they sometimes name their kids after famous people or things...nitrous oxcide, because it helped the mum during child birth Wandering around Samoa are many ,Jesus Christs, Elvis and Apollo's etc.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayenram Posted February 14, 2005 Share Posted February 14, 2005 I was told many moons ago that some kids are nicknamed after the craving their mother had during pregnancy. I've known a few; "Pun", "Beer", "Khung", "Poo", etc., however, I've yet to come across "Banana Pizza". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neeranam Posted February 14, 2005 Share Posted February 14, 2005 Ain't it got to do with there only being a limited no. of Thai legal names? I know a guy who has sons called 'beer' and 'booze'!! Maybe it is also that Thais think that they can't have more than a first name and a surname. I was told that my kids couldn't have a western name or a middle name - wrong, they have both a western first name and a Thai middle name on the Thai Birth certificate, along with my surname, spelt wrongly and means something silly. If you are having kids be very careful what you call them, as they might get the piss taken when they are at school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diggerbasher Posted February 15, 2005 Share Posted February 15, 2005 The kids next door are Gai,Moo and Paa.The mother is an animal lover ,but they do get the micky taken when together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McAttack Posted February 15, 2005 Share Posted February 15, 2005 It took me some time getting used to my wifes many names. I call her Sopha (her "real" name) but I have heard her answer to Meow (cat), Mai (new) and La (last of three children). I have to remember who knows her by what name when I'm talking to them. Sopha uses only one name for me...daaarrrllliiiiiinnnnnnngggggg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazza Posted February 15, 2005 Share Posted February 15, 2005 Thai-Chinese christians are a real pain. They have their real name. A nickname used by their family and maybe one shortened from their real name like 'Porn' from Pornthip, Pornsawan, etc. Then they'll have a nickname that will be used by their friends. And of course they'll adopt a christian name, usually it'll be John or James. Only humorous nicknames I've come across that I can recall are; Dumbo, Super (superman) Toffee, Mimi, Kii (shit) Bond, Boss seems to be getting popular even though it's pronounced 'Bot'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anna234cn Posted February 15, 2005 Share Posted February 15, 2005 I have been thinking about this question for a long time and asked some Thai friends. Everytime they just gimme a smile and no answer. I met a man called "Hot" and a girl called "Gay", and lots of P' Nut (Peanut). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
britmaveric Posted February 15, 2005 Share Posted February 15, 2005 I've known "Popcorn" used as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dclaryjr Posted February 15, 2005 Share Posted February 15, 2005 Wy wife already had two children when we were married. Their real names were Tienchai and Khunchit but they went by nicknames. When I brought them back to the U.S., I had to come up with anglicized spelling so they could use them in school. So they had their names legally changed to Nigh and Dome. (I guess the oldest could have been Nye). Many years later, the oldest was a starting running back and kick returner on his high school football team. After he ran back the opening kickoff, the stadium announcer pronounced his name "Nij" (with a short i). Guess I should have used Nye! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanb741 Posted February 15, 2005 Share Posted February 15, 2005 Well my wife's first name is Arvepan (Thai Chinese) but here in the UK and back in Thailand she is called 'Pat'. Her maiden name is a real nightmare for people in the UK - it is 'Rungrodborirux' but pronounced nothing like it is spelled! Thank goodness she now has my surname! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
booma Posted February 15, 2005 Share Posted February 15, 2005 I would bet on 'Nat' being the most popular nickname in Thailand. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Nope...has to be Noi or Lek <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I agree with Lek and Noi, Pong is common too What does Pong mean by the way? and by the way if you want to ask someone there nickname it is Khun Cheu Len Arai? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
booma Posted February 15, 2005 Share Posted February 15, 2005 I met a girl called Dimple, a young boy called Beer. I think they are all great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaladmak Posted February 16, 2005 Share Posted February 16, 2005 I want Thai nickname - How I can get one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaiboxer Posted February 16, 2005 Share Posted February 16, 2005 Yes, "Cheu len arai krap/ka?" means "What is a your nickname?" Len simply means "play" and can be used for sports and stuff...like "Len giilaa arai krap/ka?" means "What sport(s) do you play?" Dum is a common nickname...I once met a Thai boxer with really dark skin and it was no surprise when he told me his name was Dum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_Pat_Pong Posted February 16, 2005 Share Posted February 16, 2005 I want Thai nickname - How I can get one? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> It seems to me that you have one already ( albeit not an apt nickname ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chonabot Posted February 16, 2005 Share Posted February 16, 2005 Sopha uses only one name for me...daaarrrllliiiiiinnnnnnngggggg <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Or is that Dak-ling ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
booma Posted February 17, 2005 Share Posted February 17, 2005 Yes, "Cheu len arai krap/ka?" means "What is a your nickname?" Len simply means "play" and can be used for sports and stuff...like "Len giilaa arai krap/ka?" means "What sport(s) do you play?"Dum is a common nickname...I once met a Thai boxer with really dark skin and it was no surprise when he told me his name was Dum. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I thought 'len' was more like fun as in when you say 'phom pud len' means i'm joking. but then I suppose 'play talk' works aswell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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