THAILAND ASEAN LITERATURE

KINGDOM OF SIAM Amazing Thailand BSCA 3104 Jimzel Caaway Crisha Maureen Castro Ansel Joseph Pral Christine Salindo

BACKGROUND OF THAILAND ·Official Name: Kingdom of Thailand ·Thailand’s National Flag consists of Five horizontal bands of red, white, and blue that represent the unity of the nation, purity of religion, and the monarchy, respectively. ·Thailand (meaning Land of the Free) ·Thailand is known as being the Land of Smiles and renowned for the welcoming and warm disposition of its culture and people. ·Thailand, formerly known as Siam, is a country in Southeast Asia that is situated in the Indochinese Peninsula's geographic center. It occupies an area of 514,000 square kilometers (319,194 square miles), making it the sixteenth largest country in the world. And a population of over 70,216,357 as of November 2022, based on Worldometer elaboration of the latest United Nations data CULTURE AND TRADITIONS THAILAND’S CULTURE AND TRADITIONS Family is the most important If parents work far away, it is not strange to thing in Thai culture. In see children being raised by grandparents or aunts and uncles. Younger family members are Thailand, families almost also expected to help with elderly care either always come first. It is common for several generations to live in terms of finance or household responsibilities together in Thai families. Thai (or sometimes both).Thai people greet each people call a lot of people other with a wai (pressing their palms brothers and sisters. Thais together as they bow or curtsy) to show maintain strong ties to their respect. Thais try to live with a jai yen (a cool home villages even if they move heart), so it’s uncommon to see them away for work. expressing extreme emotions Monks are highly respected. Monks are highly revered and respected in Thai culture and disrespecting a monk is a huge no-no. There are designated seats on public transport for monks, for example, and people should always give up their seat to a monk if no other is available. If you act inappropriately around a monk in Thailand you can be sure that regular people around you will quickly point out your errors with disapproval. Superstitions are widespread. Often connected to the belief in ghosts and spirits, Thailand is a land of superstitions. It is customary for people to consult a fortune teller or monk for an auspicious date before arranging a wedding, buying a home, test driving a car, and other situations. AMAZING THAILAND 1

THAILAND’S LITERATURE The country has had a literate culture from its beginning. Its phonetic alphabet was invented by King Ramkhamhaeng in 1283 and was derived originally from a form of the Brahmi script of Southern Indian called Grantha (Pongsak 2001). The majority of the languages spoken in Thailand are members of one of four major language families: Tai (a subfamily of Tai-Kadai languages), Mon-Khmer (a subfamily of Austroasiatic languages), Austronesian, and Sino-Tibetan. English is also frequently used in Thailand for business and several official functions. It is an obligatory subject from the primary grades onward, but only those who continue past those grades, notably those who attend elite schools, develop significant fluency in the language. Pre-Assessment WORD HUNT The hidden word can be placed in any position. Please identify the words that pertain to the answer to each of the following questions. 1.It is referred to as the \"Land of Smiles\" and is recognized for the hospitable and friendly nature of its people and culture. 2.From 1945-1949 Thailand is formerly known as. 3.It is the capital of Thailand, known as the City of Angel, and is home to the recognizable Wat Arun, Wat Pho, and Emerald Buddha Temple (Wat Phra Kaew) as well as an ultramodern metropolis. 4.It is the democratic, constitutional monarchy that is used in Thailand. 5.It is the majority religion in Thailand. 6.Thai Literature was traditionally heavily influenced by Indian culture, it is one of the most important Thai literary works. 7.It is regarded as the most significant aspect of Thai culture and is generally placed first. 8. They are highly revered and respected in Thai culture. And if you act inappropriately around them in Thailand you can be sure that regular people around you will quickly point out your errors with disapproval. 9. It is seen as the most spiritual part of the body, and you should never touch it as it is considered disrespectful. 10. It is an act of pressing their palms together as they bow or curtsy to show respect. AMAZING THAILAND 2

ANSWER Literary Piece The title story, “A Drop of Glass,” is a socialist-realist account of the hardships that Thai factory workers have to deal with on a daily basis. Although there is no actual main character, still the story focuses, at least at first, on Anong, a young woman from the countryside whose job was to “pick up each glass, held it to the light and examine it closely. If she found any bubbles or scratches in it, she put it into one box; those which were perfect she put into another.” Living in very poor conditions, Anong sends most of her salary back home while she could not help wishing she had a proper bed to lie on, with a proper pillow and mattress. She has to suffer at the unscrupulous nature of the factory manager who blames her for not doing her designated job properly. Mr. Liang, the driver, tells her that she should accept the criticism because “We’re just poor people and we have to go along with what they say. You can take it. Just ignore them. We’ve all got something or other that makes us feel low, you know. I’m just the same. …But then you’re a girl. There’s nothing you can do. The only thing for you to do is not let it bother you. Just get on with your work, that’s the best way.” A Drop of Glass and Other Stories by Sidaoru’ang gives very valuable insights into the mind of the Thai working class and their struggle in the context of the 1973 Thai student uprising and the immediate aftermath AMAZING THAILAND 3

backgroundof the AUTHOR Wanna Thappanon Sawatsi (born 1943) is a Thai writer, writing under the pen name “Sidaoru’ang”. She was the third child of Samro’ng Thappananon and Thalom Unlapatho’n and one of ten children. The daughter of a railway worker and a market vendor, she was born Wanna Thappanon in Phitsanulok province. She was unable to complete her schooling because of her family's financial problems and went to work in Bangkok at the age of twelve. Between 1973 and 1976, she wrote a series of short stories about the lives of the poor and underprivileged in Thai society; her stories played an important role in the development of the Thai Wannakam Puea Chevit (Literature For Life) genre. TRIVIA ABOUT LITERATURE Wanna's journey to become a writer is a story in and of itself. Wanna, who grew up in a low-income family in the province of Phitsanulok, dropped out of Prathom 4 and relocated to Bangkok in search of work. She was the epitome of the blue-collar worker, having worked as a waiter, maid, and in a glass factory. . Those who knew Wanna remember her as a bookish young woman who spent all of her free time reading. At the glass factory the various jobs which she performed earned her a basic one hundred and twenty baht per month, all but twenty of which she sent home to her mother. She was obliged to work seven days a week, but her wages were cut by four baht per day if she were absent due to sickness. She supplemented her basic salary by working an overtime shift from 6pm until midnight, so gaining herself an extra three baht per shift. AMAZING THAILAND 4

Anong – a young woman from countryside whose job was to select glass at the factory. CHARA Thawin – a man slightly younger than Anong and a coworker of her. CTERS Dom – head of box making section who worked by the door to the glass sorting room. Manager – a Chinese person who run the glass factory. Chairman – a thai police officer who owns the campany. Mr.Liang – driver of company Volkswagen van (a senior of Anong) Wichai – a delivery boy alongside Liang. SETTINGS Factory AThis is a Thai short story entitled \"a drop of glass,\" and it depicts a socialist-realist account of the hardships that Thai factory workers face on a daily basis. The story is based on the true story of the author, Sidaoru' Ang, who has personally experienced the hardships of Thai laborers as she has previously worked in factories and as a maid in various Thai and foreign households. Despite the fact that there is no actual main character, the story initially focuses on PLOT/ Anong. She is a young woman from the countryside whose job it is to pick up a glass, hold it up to the light, and carefully examine it. If the glass has any bubbles or scratches, it will be placed in one box, and those that are perfect will be placed in another. Anong lives in deplorable SUMMARYconditions, with the majority of her earnings going to her family, and she wishes she could sleep in a proper bed with a proper pillow and mattress. Anong is distressed by the factory manager's attitude, which accuses her of failing to perform her assigned duties properly. Mr. Liang, the driver, tells her that she should accept the criticism because they’re just poor people and they need to go along with what they say. CONFLICT Man vs. Man THEME Hardship of Thai Labourer MESSAGE/LESSON The moral of the story is that even if you come from a poor family and have faced difficulties in your life, you should not become so desperate that you assume your situation will remain forever. Don't succumb to annoyance or feel inadequate; you must learn to express yourself because no one else will. When one begins with themselves, other changes will naturally follow. Having a laborer is necessary, and being a laborer is totally fine. We couldn't produce goods and services without workers. A laborer is a part of a production process that is necessary for our economy to grow. It is difficult to be a laborer when the manager does not treat the workers fairly. Everyone deserves to be treated fairly and with respect at all times. Even if you are poor or not, we are all equal. AMAZING THAILAND 5

POST ASSESSMENT 1. Do you believe in the quotation of \"If you are born poor it's not your mistake, but if you die poor it's your mistake\"? 2. Are people who live in poverty lazy? 3.Does wealth contribute to cruel speech and actions toward the poor? 4.What Is the Biggest Challenge You've Faced In Work? references References Thailand - History Background - Kingdom, Thais, Percent, and King - StateUniversity.com https://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/1524/Thailand-HISTORY- BACKGROUND.html#ixzz7lGv1ugnd https://www.britannica.com/place/Thailand/Tai https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/28470/1/10672629.pdf AMAAZMINAGZTINHGAITLHAANIDLAND 1 6

\" a Glimpse into the heart of thailand\"