Why Do Thai Temples Have Chinese Paintings?

Why Do Thai Temples Have Chinese Paintings?

While wandering the richly decorated halls of the most famous temples in Bangkok few visitors ever notice the framed paintings that hang above the windows and doors. If you do notice them, you might find that the imagery is conspicuously different, even out of place...
Artistic Thai Lacquerware Invokes Baroque Style

Artistic Thai Lacquerware Invokes Baroque Style

The word “baroque” might make you think of the Palace of Versailles or the Vatican. Afterall, it’s a European term used to describe a very vivid period in European art. Yet Siamese art and Italian churches have much more in common than you might think. “Baroque”...
Learn the Meaning of “You” in the Thai Language

Learn the Meaning of “You” in the Thai Language

As I mull over what to order for a rare dinner out, my server crouches down beside me and, pointing to a menu item, says, “Perhaps pi puying would like this?” Of course, I’m translating everything he said, except for pi puying. Pi puying is Thai for “older sibling who...