Elephant

Why do Thai people treat elephants with such respect, even when wild elephants wander out of the forest to eat villagers’ crops? This lesson looks at the elephant as a national symbol of Thailand and its role in Thai history, from war elephants to the legendary elephant duel, ยุทธหัตถี (yút-thá-hàt-thǐi). It also covers the white elephant that once appeared on the Thai flag.

You’ll also learn the names for male and female elephants, and the different classifiers Thai uses depending on the elephant:
ช้าง 1 ตัว (cháang nʉ̀ng dtuua) – a wild elephant
ช้าง 1 เชือก (cháang nʉ̀ng chʉ̂ak) – a domestic elephant
ช้าง 1 ช้าง (cháang nʉ̀ng cháang) – an elephant in royal or national service
ช้าง 1 โขลง (cháang nʉ̀ng khlǒong) – a herd of elephants

There’s also musth, mahouts, the Surin Elephant Festival, and Thai films like Tom Yum Goong, Khan Kluay and The Legend of King Naresuan.

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Thai Names and Our English Spelling

Have you ever wondered why Thai names written in English can be so hard to read? In this episode, discover the difference between Thai real names and nicknames, why many real names come from Pali or Sanskrit or are chosen with help from fortune telling, and why Thai people themselves often struggle to read Thai names written in English letters. Hear real-life mix-ups where callers misread names like Sanga, Usa, Thawon and Ongart, and test yourself by guessing how each romanised name should really be said! Thai Vocabulary: ชื่อจริง (chʉ̂ʉ jing) – Real name ชื่อเล่น (chʉ̂ʉ lên) – Nickname นามสกุล (naam sà-kun) – Surname ดูดวง (duu duang) – To have your fortune told A fun look at Thai culture showing that reading Thai names is tricky for Thai people too!

Elephant

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