Gwangju International Center

Welcome to Thailand!

Presenter:  Monruedee Moonkhum

Date: June 16th, 2012

Review Writer: Song Jeong Hyo

Proof-reader: Bradley Weiss

Have you ever thought about where you would go and what you would do if you ever visited Thailand? This talk provided a good deal of useful information on that very topic! The presenter was a native of Thailand, so she was able to share a lot of helpful knowledge and valuable sightseeing recommendations from first-hand experience. Overall, her presentation was not only full of useful details but was also really interesting, and made for another enjoyable GIC Talk. This talk is very helpful and useful for us. I thought her presentation was really interesting so enjoyed the GIC Talk time that day.

The topic was “Welcome to Thailand”, presented by Monruedee Moonkhum. At the beginning of her presentation she stated that wanted to provide the audience with some basic information and general facts about her country. These included essentials such as Thailand’s capital, form of government, currency, religions, and population statistics. Then, the presenter moved on to some more detailed information about Thailand, including such topics as the meaning of the country’s name, discussion of Thai monks and temples, the flag, national symbols, the nation’s holidays, weather, culture, etc. I found the part focused on culture to be especially interesting and in particular the discussion of the wai, the Thai form of greeting, and how Thais employ different greetings according to the person. This was new and interesting information for me and probably many others in the audience. Another highlight was the discussion of Thai festivals, which included Song Kran, Loy Krathong, and the Chinese Vegetarian Festival. Loy Krathong is a Thai tradition which has been conducted for a long time. It is held from the middle of the eleventh to the middle of the twelfth lunar month, which is during the flood season. When the moon shines at night, it makes the rivers clear, and during the night of the full moon, many people float a small raft (Krathong) on a river. For Thai people, life is like a river and most things are centered along rivers. They believe that floating a raft on the river is a way to honor and pay respect to, as well as offer apology to, the Goddess of Water. It is symbolic of letting go of all of one's negative emotions, so that we one can start a better life. People will also cut their fingernails as a symbol of letting go of the bad parts of themselves. The Chinese Vegetarian Festival is observed every October. The purpose is to bring good fortune to those who follow the custom. During the festival, people of Chinese descent adhere to a strict vegetarian or vegan diet for 10 days to achieve spiritual cleansing.

Thailand is home to many kinds of food, some of which is similar to Korean food, but some is uniquely Thai. Some of the common ingredients in Thai cooking include ginger, garlic, chili, pepper, lemon grass, basil leaves, and coconut milk. Thailand is also a paradise for tropical fruits. At any time during the year dozens of fruits can be found at market. These include durian, rambutan, magosteen, longans, lychee, and langsat.

The speaker also discussed the various means of transportation in Thailand, including is colored taxis, vans, buses, subway, motorcycles, pickup trucks, etc. For me, the most were the colored taxis and pickup trucks. If I ever get a chance to visit Thailand, I definitely want to ride in a pickup truck.

The speaker’s final topic was discussion of the various regions of Thailand. The northern region is near the mountains, and is marked by forests, fertile valleys, and a cool, pleasant climate. The economy of the area is mainly centered on raising cattle and growing crops such as rice. It is, unfortunately, the poorest region, due to drought. Papaya salad with sticky rice is the region’s main dishes. The central region is the main rice-growing region of Thailand. This region is marked by large cities with all kinds of people from different backgrounds, as well as by its abundant seafood, sweet tangerines, and mangos. The southern region is hilly and mountainous, covered mainly by rainforests and stretches from the Gulf of Thailand to the Indian Ocean.

This talk managed to be both very interesting and highly informative. There were many things the audiences could take away from the presentation, and it was an enjoyable experience for all.