Did Thai steal from Khmer culture?

[SOTIRIOS]

........duh.....India......Sri Lanka......et al......

....just about everything Thai has originated elsewhere.....

[shadmo63]

"Ridiculous title to a ridiculous topic.

We are sharing this planet, exchanging ideas and ideals.

Look at any place on the planet and you will see the exchange."

Not rediculous...Thailand is great at taking, and not giving.

Check your history...'Muay Thai' is really 'Muay Khmer'...case in point.

Yes the word "steal" is a little bit harsh in the OP. Have the west "stolen" yoga from India too? And Christianity from Israel? Yes "borrowed" is a better description.

"Thailand is great at taking, and not giving. " - extremely ignorant and unnecessary comment IMO. You have to wonder what the <deleted> the Thai bashers on TV are doing in Thailand, if they seriously hold some of the opinions they espouse? Just go home if you dont like the place or its culture!! I suppose you would also think Thailand should give Isarn back to Laos? Just my opinion but Thailand has given the world the best cuisine ever invented. Khmer food? Very average, and what is good seems to have a Thai influence.

They still use a number of Brahmans to perform holy cleansing rituals at the Thai Kings coronation ceremony as was also done in the Ayuthaya Kingdom before that, from which modern Thailand (Siam) copies most of its rituals. Not sure but I figure the rituals of the Khmer kingdom must have been copied from some early Indian kingdom before that. I saw a video of a Cambodian Kings coronation from last century and many parts of the ritual were exactly the same as a Thai coronation. Obviously all these Kingdoms have similar history and are rooted in Hinduism overlain with Buddhism and all this comes from India. And Thai, especially in the religious sphere, is full of Sanskrit and Pali words which they stole too.

If the OP wants to get pedantic it could be argued that India didn't exist back then as it is a modern British creation within the last 400 years as before they united the subcontinent there were just many kings and rajahs and shahs and emperors controlling many different smaller kingdoms etc.

[Beetlejuice]

Ridiculous title to a ridiculous topic.

We are sharing this planet, exchanging ideas and ideals.

Look at any place on the planet and you will see the exchange.

Nobody is against exchange but one must always acknowledge the source of contribution/give credit to the giver.

Taking it from someone and calling it entirely as one's own is downright wrong.

Of cultures in all regions of the world, there is going to be similarities between the peoples of countries closest to each other, unless the inhabitants are not native and only go back a few generations in those countries, for example white South Africans and white Australians.

Everyone dating far enough back has a common ancestor but in what used to be called, indo-China, the peoples are more or less of the same race, have similar cultural backgrounds and can identify more with each other than of those from the West or other parts of the world.

Basically the temple dispute is a load of crap, as both the Cambodians and Thais are mostly Buddhist, the religion probably originating from India and China, with slight variations, as in differences between protestants and Catholics. It`s really a power thing and having sovereignty over the area, the attitudes being on both sides; winner takes all, there is no room for compromise and so the dispute continues.

[cdohrman]

Dose a bear shit in woods? of course they stole it from the Khmer, the Khmer sort of

stole it from the people of ancient India, where all this Buddha business originated to start

with...

Angkor Wat had relatively little to do with Buddhism, beside a short period during the Jayavarman VII reign, it was mainly build following Hindu believe, and yes, the Hindu religion came with traders from India and spread all over South East Asia except The Philippines. Bali (and eastern Java) is a living example of the Hinduism that ruled most parts at that time. Buddhism became state religion much later after the Thais beaten up the Khmer at Angkor Wat and the subsequent decline of the Khmer Empire. I guess the Thai king saw the rich and big city of Angkor Wat (up to 1 Million people) at that time and realised that there was something to learn (and to take) from the Khmers and took whatever he saw of cultural value including (the legend says) 1000 of Apsara dancers, plenty of gold and bronze statues (obvious), the language but most important the refined concept of the God-King and all the myths that comes with it and as we know it till today. Beside, up to today there are plenty of words and location names based on the original Khmer expression all around eastern Thailand and Bangkok.

But then, there are plenty of Scandinavian, German and French words in the English language and I do not expect a bow of the Brits to their Eastern 'influencers'. I guess it is the way how cultural evolution works, take the best and rewrite the history books claiming it is your inherited national greatness. Makes everybody feel good and superior, doesn't it. .... Well, I guess there is little American can claim.

[Asianbloke]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

"Ridiculous title to a ridiculous topic.

We are sharing this planet, exchanging ideas and ideals.

Look at any place on the planet and you will see the exchange."

Not rediculous...Thailand is great at taking, and not giving.

Check your history...'Muay Thai' is really 'Muay Khmer'...case in point.

Yeah, and the potato originated in South America and the guitar in such n such.....

Not to mention, every language in existence was once just one language. Its not stealing. Cultures evolved.

And the Thai/Kymer boxing example is just ridiculous. Two guy bashing each others heads. Gimme a break! Everyone does that.

How much of Europe "stole" Roman culture...and they "stole" it from the Greeks.

Another Thai bashing thread. Pathetic.

Thai/Khmer boxing in turn encompasses many aspects & techniques of the Indian Hindu epic, Ramayana which later was modified to Ramakien in Thailand.

It was meant to be an excellent defence skill but now exists as an entertainment form in its current avatar.

Even Khmer classical Apsara dance (& later Thai) derives from Indian courtly dance which has its

origins to the 'Apsaras' of Hindu mythology, the heavenly courtesans.

[samran]

I think for the purposes of this thread I am going to 'steal' the Gallic shrug of the shoulder.

[HeavyDrinker]

Basically the temple dispute is a load of crap, as both the Cambodians and Thais are mostly Buddhist, the religion probably originating from India and China, with slight variations, as in differences between protestants and Catholics. It`s really a power thing and having sovereignty over the area, the attitudes being on both sides; winner takes all, there is no room for compromise and so the dispute continues.

I take it you're thinking of Prasat Preah Viharn which is essentially Hindu in devotion (Shiva) yet still has nothing to do with anything behind the dispute...

[Water Buffalo]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

"Ridiculous title to a ridiculous topic.

We are sharing this planet, exchanging ideas and ideals.

Look at any place on the planet and you will see the exchange."

Not rediculous...Thailand is great at taking, and not giving.

Check your history...'Muay Thai' is really 'Muay Khmer'...case in point.

Yeah, and the potato originated in South America and the guitar in such n such.....

Not to mention, every language in existence was once just one language. Its not stealing. Cultures evolved.

And the Thai/Kymer boxing example is just ridiculous. Two guy bashing each others heads. Gimme a break! Everyone does that.

How much of Europe "stole" Roman culture...and they "stole" it from the Greeks.

Another Thai bashing thread. Pathetic.

Thai/Khmer boxing in turn encompasses many aspects & techniques of the Indian Hindu epic, Ramayana which later was modified to Ramakien in Thailand.

It was meant to be an excellent defence skill but now exists as an entertainment form in its current avatar.

Even Khmer classical Apsara dance (& later Thai) derives from Indian courtly dance which has its

origins to the 'Apsaras' of Hindu mythology, the heavenly courtesans.

This thread gets even more sad when we realise you only started it so you could talk about how India's influence has been felt far and wide. It isn't really about Thailand stealing Kymer culture, it is about Thailand not appreciating India's influence which (apparently) the Kymers do.

I won't thank the Roman's for the English alphabet. I won't thank China (or India) for tea. I won't thank South America for potatoes. I won't thank Greece for their enlightenment and the birth of western civilization (apparently).

And please don't expect Thais to thank Sri Lanka for their tea, or India for their alphabet, or Buddhism!

[Imale]

A forthcoming paper by Acharn Chatri Prakitnonthakan argues that what is called 'Lopburi' art by Thais is fictitious (it is Khmer art) and the category was created in a nationalist attempt by the Siamese elite of over a century ago to claim it as 'Siamese' and thereby not have to explain why this art and architecture is found all over the east and northeast of Thailand (including even sites in Bangkok). Similarly Lanna art was previously regarded as Lao until Siam wanted to annexe northern Thailand to create the modern Siam, when 'Lao Lanna' temples suddenly acquired distinctive characteristics that made them 'Thai Lanna'.

Since the development of the nation state, national education systems have regularly been used as a way of trying to create and perpetuate a national consciousness. Sadly this has often meant imposing a nationalist framework on teaching, especially of history and the national language. Thailand is not alone in this.

[Estrada]

Did Thai steal from Khmer culture?

You're obviously new to the place, otherwise you'd know just like everybody that the Khmers stole from the Thais. Like the pesky Burmese, the Malay, these Lao buffalos and these horrifying Viets. All these low-lives sub-humans rightfully deserve to be enslaved for life, their wives raped and their children sold to prostitution rings.

In fact, Thailand invented The Khmers. And the Thais invented Culture. Actually, I don't see why you don't know that, you ignorant farang, go back to your country, you know nothing. And you smell bad. You deserve that we steal your money, and the rest. Go away now before I (with 5 friends) stab you until you fall to the ground. You lizard.

Moderators please delete this offensive racist post.

[Asianbloke]

"Ridiculous title to a ridiculous topic.

We are sharing this planet, exchanging ideas and ideals.

Look at any place on the planet and you will see the exchange."

Not rediculous...Thailand is great at taking, and not giving.

Check your history...'Muay Thai' is really 'Muay Khmer'...case in point.

Yes the word "steal" is a little bit harsh in the OP. Have the west "stolen" yoga from India too? And Christianity from Israel? Yes "borrowed" is a better description.

"Thailand is great at taking, and not giving. " - extremely ignorant and unnecessary comment IMO. You have to wonder what the <deleted> the Thai bashers on TV are doing in Thailand, if they seriously hold some of the opinions they espouse? Just go home if you dont like the place or its culture!! I suppose you would also think Thailand should give Isarn back to Laos? Just my opinion but Thailand has given the world the best cuisine ever invented. Khmer food? Very average, and what is good seems to have a Thai influence.

They still use a number of Brahmans to perform holy cleansing rituals at the Thai Kings coronation ceremony as was also done in the Ayuthaya Kingdom before that, from which modern Thailand (Siam) copies most of its rituals. Not sure but I figure the rituals of the Khmer kingdom must have been copied from some early Indian kingdom before that. I saw a video of a Cambodian Kings coronation from last century and many parts of the ritual were exactly the same as a Thai coronation. Obviously all these Kingdoms have similar history and are rooted in Hinduism overlain with Buddhism and all this comes from India. And Thai, especially in the religious sphere, is full of Sanskrit and Pali words which they stole too.

If the OP wants to get pedantic it could be argued that India didn't exist back then as it is a modern British creation within the last 400 years as before they united the subcontinent there were just many kings and rajahs and shahs and emperors controlling many different smaller kingdoms etc.

Well, I wouldn't say that yoga was stolen from Indian for the west does acknowledge its Indian origins.

As far as the British theory who claimed that India had been a merely a collection of warring states/kingdoms who were on guard and fought amongst themselves, I will ditch that theory

Unified India thanks to British rule.

If we read about Indian history it had existed as unified empire (largely) a long time before the British and the Islamic invasions (from Central Asia) as 'Bharat' as mentioned in the Indian epics and later on, under a couple of Indian rulers.

The British white man's burden theory didn't work and fit well with the Indian masses for they found in India, a flourishing civilization, much ahead of its time in both science, arts and medicine.

Hence,, such 'westerners' weren't able to practice the usual civilizing the 'heathens' in case of India.

The success that they were able to achieve among indigenous people of Americas or some Asian nations of Philippines (completely christianized) wasn't possible in India.

[Water Buffalo]

"Ridiculous title to a ridiculous topic.

We are sharing this planet, exchanging ideas and ideals.

Look at any place on the planet and you will see the exchange."

Not rediculous...Thailand is great at taking, and not giving.

Check your history...'Muay Thai' is really 'Muay Khmer'...case in point.

Yes the word "steal" is a little bit harsh in the OP. Have the west "stolen" yoga from India too? And Christianity from Israel? Yes "borrowed" is a better description.

"Thailand is great at taking, and not giving. " - extremely ignorant and unnecessary comment IMO. You have to wonder what the <deleted> the Thai bashers on TV are doing in Thailand, if they seriously hold some of the opinions they espouse? Just go home if you dont like the place or its culture!! I suppose you would also think Thailand should give Isarn back to Laos? Just my opinion but Thailand has given the world the best cuisine ever invented. Khmer food? Very average, and what is good seems to have a Thai influence.

They still use a number of Brahmans to perform holy cleansing rituals at the Thai Kings coronation ceremony as was also done in the Ayuthaya Kingdom before that, from which modern Thailand (Siam) copies most of its rituals. Not sure but I figure the rituals of the Khmer kingdom must have been copied from some early Indian kingdom before that. I saw a video of a Cambodian Kings coronation from last century and many parts of the ritual were exactly the same as a Thai coronation. Obviously all these Kingdoms have similar history and are rooted in Hinduism overlain with Buddhism and all this comes from India. And Thai, especially in the religious sphere, is full of Sanskrit and Pali words which they stole too.

If the OP wants to get pedantic it could be argued that India didn't exist back then as it is a modern British creation within the last 400 years as before they united the subcontinent there were just many kings and rajahs and shahs and emperors controlling many different smaller kingdoms etc.

Well, I wouldn't say that yoga was stolen from Indian for the west does acknowledge its Indian origins.

As far as the British theory who claimed that India had been a merely a collection of warring states/kingdoms who were on guard and fought amongst themselves, I will ditch that theory

Unified India thanks to British rule.

If we read about Indian history it had existed as unified empire (largely) a long time before the British and the Islamic invasions (from Central Asia) as 'Bharat' as mentioned in the Indian epics and later on, under a couple of Indian rulers.

The British white man's burden theory didn't work and fit well with the Indian masses for they found in India, a flourishing civilization, much ahead of its time in both science, arts and medicine.

Hence,, such 'westerners' weren't able to practice the usual civilizing the 'heathens' in case of India.

The success that they were able to achieve among indigenous people of Americas or some Asian nations of Philippines (completely christianized) wasn't possible in India.

Congratulations you come from India.

This thread ought to be closed. It has nothing to do with Thailand.

[Asianbloke]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

"Ridiculous title to a ridiculous topic.

We are sharing this planet, exchanging ideas and ideals.

Look at any place on the planet and you will see the exchange."

Not rediculous...Thailand is great at taking, and not giving.

Check your history...'Muay Thai' is really 'Muay Khmer'...case in point.

Yeah, and the potato originated in South America and the guitar in such n such.....

Not to mention, every language in existence was once just one language. Its not stealing. Cultures evolved.

And the Thai/Kymer boxing example is just ridiculous. Two guy bashing each others heads. Gimme a break! Everyone does that.

How much of Europe "stole" Roman culture...and they "stole" it from the Greeks.

Another Thai bashing thread. Pathetic.

Thai/Khmer boxing in turn encompasses many aspects & techniques of the Indian Hindu epic, Ramayana which later was modified to Ramakien in Thailand.

It was meant to be an excellent defence skill but now exists as an entertainment form in its current avatar.

Even Khmer classical Apsara dance (& later Thai) derives from Indian courtly dance which has its

origins to the 'Apsaras' of Hindu mythology, the heavenly courtesans.

This thread gets even more sad when we realise you only started it so you could talk about how India's influence has been felt far and wide. It isn't really about Thailand stealing Kymer culture, it is about Thailand not appreciating India's influence which (apparently) the Kymers do.

I won't thank the Roman's for the English alphabet. I won't thank China (or India) for tea. I won't thank South America for potatoes. I won't thank Greece for their enlightenment and the birth of western civilization (apparently).

And please don't expect Thais to thank Sri Lanka for their tea, or India for their alphabet, or Buddhism!

I never had any such intention else I would have titled my post in a completely different manner.

I am not asking Thai to offer thanks but a mere acknowledgement would be fine.

The least that one should do is to malign original inventors to be the 'copycats'.

That is wrong and can't be justified.

We openly admit have adopted the afternoon ritual of having tea from British or their sport 'cricket' as our national past time and even the influence (though limited) they had on our eating habits in form of imports like sandwiches, cakes, cookies etc.

We don't claim them to be our creations and it doesn't belittle us as a nation.

I am actually quite interested in Thai culture and language. I am even learning that language via self-study.

I love Thai culture and it all started after I happened to watch Thai movie. The beautiful similarities between our cultures that I noticed in the movie were endearing. I tried to study it deeply.

However, I also found that the Khmer influence runs deep in Thai culture and giving Khmer its long-awaited due is important.

Edited March 31, 2014 by lokesh

[wym]

As someone who's had many SOs that are first-language Khmer Thai nationals, I have to agree with the OP about this issue.

Of course every culture grows out of the ones that came before, and India is certainly the root of many cherished parts of cultures in this part of the world.

But that's pretty irrelevant to anything important by today's standards.

In the process of building up Thai nationalism, the powers that be - Central Thai culture - is an imperialist force, using the "education" system to systematically denigrate and wipe out competing local cultures.

Khmer-speakers aren't even aware that their language has its own writing system, have no idea that their culture is older than, their history richer than that of the Thais.

Only recently has it become possible to even study these languages as an academic discipline at the tertiary level, still isn't offered in primary or secondary.

Thailand is a complete failure if you value multi-culturalism.

[Suradit69]

"Borrowed" is a far more apt word. Modern Thai Culture can trace it's roots from many sources.

The archaic and ridiculous over-love of uniforms, especially in public office, here to this very day, stems from Plaek Pibulsongkram's admiration of how smart Mussolini's fascists were in their uniforms.

Indeed as above, Thai (and Cambodian) cultures owe a lot to India....good luck ever getting a Thai to admit that debt...especially to their Cambodian neighbours. Some won't even admit the twain were almost a homogeneous entity for more than 6 centuries....

"The archaic and ridiculous over-love of uniforms, especially in public office, here to this very day, stems from Plaek Pibulsongkram's admiration of how smart Mussolini's fascists were in their uniforms. "

So it's the love of Mussolini that explains this phenomenon??:

[sirchai]

When I steal your mobile phone than I have it and you don't have it anymore.

But steal culture? I steal your culture so now I have it and you are without culture?

I guess you mean they copied some aspects of Khmer culture?

Like the dance.

[dighambara]

The question i s backward...

The Khmer were only one of the many colonies of the 'Outer Indian Empire', which collapsed in the 14th century, due to Bubonic Plague.

Ayuttaya was a vassal state first of Dvatavati, and later Khmer.

When Khmer collapsed, Ayuttaya helped build 'Cambodia' out of the ashes.

Naturally, Ayuttaya filled the void and took over control of the new 'dead lands'; Malaya, Yunan, Laos, Cambodia, et.al.

Over tinme, ciultures blend, so your question is very similar to 'Did the British steal from the Saxons..??'

Thai, Malay, Vietnamese, Lao and Cambodians all inherited some of the old Khmer culture, but none are fully Khmer.

[Beetlejuice]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

"Ridiculous title to a ridiculous topic.

We are sharing this planet, exchanging ideas and ideals.

Look at any place on the planet and you will see the exchange."

Not rediculous...Thailand is great at taking, and not giving.

Check your history...'Muay Thai' is really 'Muay Khmer'...case in point.

Yeah, and the potato originated in South America and the guitar in such n such.....

Not to mention, every language in existence was once just one language. Its not stealing. Cultures evolved.

And the Thai/Kymer boxing example is just ridiculous. Two guy bashing each others heads. Gimme a break! Everyone does that.

How much of Europe "stole" Roman culture...and they "stole" it from the Greeks.

Another Thai bashing thread. Pathetic.

Thai/Khmer boxing in turn encompasses many aspects & techniques of the Indian Hindu epic, Ramayana which later was modified to Ramakien in Thailand.

It was meant to be an excellent defence skill but now exists as an entertainment form in its current avatar.

Even Khmer classical Apsara dance (& later Thai) derives from Indian courtly dance which has its

origins to the 'Apsaras' of Hindu mythology, the heavenly courtesans.

This thread gets even more sad when we realise you only started it so you could talk about how India's influence has been felt far and wide. It isn't really about Thailand stealing Kymer culture, it is about Thailand not appreciating India's influence which (apparently) the Kymers do.

I won't thank the Roman's for the English alphabet. I won't thank China (or India) for tea. I won't thank South America for potatoes. I won't thank Greece for their enlightenment and the birth of western civilization (apparently).

And please don't expect Thais to thank Sri Lanka for their tea, or India for their alphabet, or Buddhism!

India has had a major influence world wide, especially regarding their curries.

Only the way I see it, we have the recipe now, so is there really any need for them to stay?

[sdanielmcev]

I am curious. As I am not yet fluent in reading Thai script, is what the OP states in Thai history books?

And beyond that, why should Thais say "thank you?" We mostly know history from what is written and dug up, which is very little. Would the pride still be there if these traditions were from, say, Poughkeepsie?

[Thongkorn]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

"Ridiculous title to a ridiculous topic.

We are sharing this planet, exchanging ideas and ideals.

Look at any place on the planet and you will see the exchange."

Not rediculous...Thailand is great at taking, and not giving.

Check your history...'Muay Thai' is really 'Muay Khmer'...case in point.

Yeah, and the potato originated in South America and the guitar in such n such.....

Not to mention, every language in existence was once just one language. Its not stealing. Cultures evolved.

And the Thai/Kymer boxing example is just ridiculous. Two guy bashing each others heads. Gimme a break! Everyone does that.

How much of Europe "stole" Roman culture...and they "stole" it from the Greeks.

Another Thai bashing thread. Pathetic.

I don't think Europe stole from the Romans , they imposed it on there conquests. But they had the sense to incorporate Things into there own and use it to there advantage

.

[wym]

I am curious. As I am not yet fluent in reading Thai script, is what the OP states in Thai history books?

And beyond that, why should Thais say "thank you?" We mostly know history from what is written and dug up, which is very little. Would the pride still be there if these traditions were from, say, Poughkeepsie?

You don't have to be fluent reading, just ask the Thais you know.

Very very few are even aware of how much of their language and culture originated from elsewhere, nor even that those cultures are much older and richer than their own.

At least well-educated Europeans are aware of the fact they were still living in mud huts and wearing animal skins while Islamic culture had well-developed science and higher maths, arts music, was going through its enlightenment hundreds of years before it started to penetrate into Europe, ending their "dark ages".

Here even university graduates have no clue, nor any interest.

Fact is they're brainwashed to hate the Burmese and Khmer even more than they do the Indians, so even if they were to somehow become informed of the facts they'd never acknowledge that awareness publicly.

But really this "injustice" doesn't really rank compared to those affecting real people here and now, and the OP's indignation on the topic is just as fueled by ignorant obsolete ethnocentricity and nationalism.

[Thongkorn]

I am curious. As I am not yet fluent in reading Thai script, is what the OP states in Thai history books?

And beyond that, why should Thais say "thank you?" We mostly know history from what is written and dug up, which is very little. Would the pride still be there if these traditions were from, say, Poughkeepsie?

You don't have to be fluent reading, just ask the Thais you know.

Very very few are even aware of how much of their language and culture originated from elsewhere, nor even that those cultures are much older and richer than their own.

At least well-educated Europeans are aware of the fact they were still living in mud huts and wearing animal skins while Islamic culture had well-developed science and higher maths, arts music, was going through its enlightenment hundreds of years before it started to penetrate into Europe, ending their "dark ages".

Here even university graduates have no clue, nor any interest.

Fact is they're brainwashed to hate the Burmese and Khmer even more than they do the Indians, so even if they were to somehow become informed of the facts they'd never acknowledge that awareness publicly.

But really this "injustice" doesn't really rank compared to those affecting real people here and now, and the OP's indignation on the topic is just as fueled by ignorant obsolete ethnocentricity and nationalism.

I agree with most you say, but most Thai people are to busy trying to survive to worry about there history, only the people with money get educated in Thailand, to any degree. Thai people came from China, they came South to avoid the constant fighting with Gengas Cann, The Thai people where actually a tribe called Thi, the took land from most of the Surrounding Country's. The rest is History so to speak. As for Brain washing, most of us are, even today, our retrospective governments only tell you what they want you to know , the same as in the past for Thai people. and the present. We in the west can go and look up about most things, In Thailand, and a lot of other Country's things are Banned. So people can only learn what they are permitted to.

[paz]

Not to mention, every language in existence was once just one language. Its not stealing. Cultures evolved.

Actually that's a myth. Check any linguistics text book to find that separate families of languages had started and evolved separately.

And the Thai/Kymer boxing example is just ridiculous. Two guy bashing each others heads. Gimme a break! Everyone does that.

How much of Europe "stole" Roman culture...and they "stole" it from the Greeks.

Another Thai bashing thread. Pathetic.

Not pathetic. Not everyone is assuming as you. OP asked some candid questions and a simple discussion followed.

Edited March 31, 2014 by paz

[Asianbloke]

As someone who's had many SOs that are first-language Khmer Thai nationals, I have to agree with the OP about this issue.

Of course every culture grows out of the ones that came before, and India is certainly the root of many cherished parts of cultures in this part of the world.

But that's pretty irrelevant to anything important by today's standards.

In the process of building up Thai nationalism, the powers that be - Central Thai culture - is an imperialist force, using the "education" system to systematically denigrate and wipe out competing local cultures.

Khmer-speakers aren't even aware that their language has its own writing system, have no idea that their culture is older than, their history richer than that of the Thais.

Only recently has it become possible to even study these languages as an academic discipline at the tertiary level, still isn't offered in primary or secondary.

Thailand is a complete failure if you value multi-culturalism.

Yes, the policy of Thaification is to be blamed. The Muslim unrest in the southern Thai states is a glaring example of Thai policies gone wrong.

Edited March 31, 2014 by lokesh

[Pompey50]

Actually, name one thing that Thai's have 'invented' that the world is using.

Not only did they not invent anything of worth or value...but their attempt to counterfiet and copy other items and procedures falls way short of the mark.

Red Bull! and errrm.........errrm.........ah okay well I did name 1

[Donnie Brasco]

If you go and visit Angkor Wat , you will see the Kinaree carved on the walls . The symbol used on every Thai currency note and government documents.Comes as a shock to most Thais, they don't know their own history.

Not only are Thais IGNORANT of their own history, they are proud, redneck PROUD of that ignorance.

This ignorance is worn like a badge of honour: Better to be ignorant than to admit the importance or the significance on ANY contribution from anyone else.

The Thai Space Programme is a perfect example of this.

Every year in Yasothon, Thai astro-scientists fire off hundreds of sophisticated rocket-propelled devices without a word of a acknowledgement to Robert Goddard or Werner Von Braun.

"Sometimes, 'fuggedabowdit' just means fuggedabowdit. . . . "

Edited March 31, 2014 by Donnie Brasco

[Donnie Brasco]

As someone who's had many SOs that are first-language Khmer Thai nationals, I have to agree with the OP about this issue.

Of course every culture grows out of the ones that came before, and India is certainly the root of many cherished parts of cultures in this part of the world.

But that's pretty irrelevant to anything important by today's standards.

In the process of building up Thai nationalism, the powers that be - Central Thai culture - is an imperialist force, using the "education" system to systematically denigrate and wipe out competing local cultures.

Khmer-speakers aren't even aware that their language has its own writing system, have no idea that their culture is older than, their history richer than that of the Thais.

Only recently has it become possible to even study these languages as an academic discipline at the tertiary level, still isn't offered in primary or secondary.

Thailand is a complete failure if you value multi-culturalism.

Yes, the policy of Thaification is to be blamed. The Muslim unrest in the southern Thai states is a glaring example of Thai policies gone wrong.

Actually Lokesh the Thai policy in the South is a British legacy.

It's typical of a departing colonial entity to leave plenty of opportunity for wars like this.

The British at their best.

"Sometimes, 'fuggedabowdit' just means fuggedabowdit. . . . "

[Asianbloke]

As someone who's had many SOs that are first-language Khmer Thai nationals, I have to agree with the OP about this issue.

Of course every culture grows out of the ones that came before, and India is certainly the root of many cherished parts of cultures in this part of the world.

But that's pretty irrelevant to anything important by today's standards.

In the process of building up Thai nationalism, the powers that be - Central Thai culture - is an imperialist force, using the "education" system to systematically denigrate and wipe out competing local cultures.

Khmer-speakers aren't even aware that their language has its own writing system, have no idea that their culture is older than, their history richer than that of the Thais.

Only recently has it become possible to even study these languages as an academic discipline at the tertiary level, still isn't offered in primary or secondary.

Thailand is a complete failure if you value multi-culturalism.

Yes, the policy of Thaification is to be blamed. The Muslim unrest in the southern Thai states is a glaring example of Thai policies gone wrong.

Actually Lokesh the Thai policy in the South is a British legacy.

It's typical of a departing colonial entity to leave plenty of opportunity for wars like this.

The British at their best.

"Sometimes, 'fuggedabowdit' just means fuggedabowdit. . . . "

I guess you are right for I can see parallels of the British legacy in Indian history too. India's independence from British came at a price - a separate Islamic country of Pakistan was craved out of Indian territory ( not to mention the unrest with mass-scale cross-country migration that ensued )

[Donnie Brasco]

Actually, name one thing that Thai's have 'invented' that the world is using.

Not only did they not invent anything of worth or value...but their attempt to counterfiet and copy other items and procedures falls way short of the mark.

Mediocrity and mendacity.

In fact I hear that Thailand has proposed that mediocrity and mendacity be included as demonstrator events in the next OLYMPICS !!!

"Sometimes, 'fuggedabowdit' just means fuggedabowdit. . . . "

[Donnie Brasco]

Was the Thai National Anthem not "derived" from the Polish national anthem ?Z

The Thais appropriated it and improved it.

Just listen (s-s-s-so-Kay) it'll only take a moment . . . . . to Thai "pop music".

Ferkrissakes just about every second phrase is purloined from the annals of the Western discography.

And go-go bars. C'mon people. The sight of twenty or thirty butt naked fillies giggling away as they are poking and tweaking one and other had little to do with San Francisco's Whiskey a Go-Go of the Sixties and EVERYTHING to do with the apsaras and temple prostitutes appearing at during different evolutions and iterations throughout the long history of Hinduism.

Look it up. Google it.

"Sometimes, 'fuggedabowdit' just means fuggedabowdit. . . . "