Culture Capsule:
<img src="https://lbconvert.travel.blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/b53bd-img.png (Grade 10) English class, the students were asked to think of items to include in a "culture capsule". Bear in mind, my class is made up of urban Bangkok sixteen year-old Thai students. It would be interesting to see what people of different cultural, socio-political, ethnic, and age groups would have come up with, and how the list might have appeared different. As a matter of fact, the culture of central Thailand is vastly different from that of the northern, northeastern (Issan) or southern regions. The prompt was something like this:
“If you were to create a list of items to represent Thailand to someone who has never been there, what would you include?”
This is the complete list that my students came up with:
1. Royal Thai Elephants
Learn More: Elephant Welfare in Thailand
2. Thai Dance and Cultural Performances
Erawan Shrine in downtown Chit Lom, Bangkok, offering prayers for good fortune. The dances tell traditional Thai stories, and the costumes and music are an integral part of Thai culture. Pictured above is an example of khon, a traditional Thai masked opera depicting scenes from the Ramakien, Thailand’s national epic, derived from the ancient Hindu epic *Ramayana.
3. Temples / Religion
Read More: Top 5 Temples in Bangkok
4. Floating Markets
See: Amphawa Floating Market Travel Guide (near Bangkok)
5. Tom Yum Soup
Pad Thai
If you’ve only had one Thai dish, chances are you’ve tried pad Thai. Pad Thai, a fried noodle dish with shrimp or chicken, fresh lime, and peanuts is a street food favorite throughout the country, and variants are found in Bangkok, the northern mountains, and in the south. It’s the national dish of Thailand, although it was only developed in the twentieth century.
7. Mango Sticky Rice
with a portrait of the princess in the background
These things are definitely a rip-off, but they’re fun. You can overpay by about 400-500% versus a metered cab, but you can’t deny that they’re an iconic sight around town. They aren’t how locals travel by any means, and really only cater to tourists, however you can’t miss these brightly-colored auto-rickshaws careening around the city. They are literally built around a moped, and the battery sits between the drivers feet. They are named for the sound they make, “
tuk tuk…”
Read More: Should You Take a Tuk-Tuk in Bangkok?
9. Cha Yen – Thai Iced Tea
Thai, Buddhist, and Royal standards
You see flags all over Thailand. The national flag flies from almost every building, but the royal standards are a common sight as well. The king and queen are represented by yellow and blue flag, because they were born on a Monday and Friday respectively. Other members of the royal family have their own flags too, but you don’t often see them unless it’s a special celebration honoring that person. The dark gold flag with the wheel depicted on it is the flag of Thai Buddhism, and often flies at temples.
12. Shopping Malls
global marketing
A wai is the traditional respectful greeting in Thailand. You put your hands together in a prayer-like manner and bow your head. People wai at different levels to show different degrees of respect. When my students wai me, they have to bow deeply, and when I see the headmistress at my school, I have to wai to her like my students do to me!
14. Portraits of the King and Queen
There are portraits of the royal family everywhere. Our school has a portrait in every classroom.
Here’s a tip: if you are going to eat at a Thai restaurant in the US or abroad, check to make sure that they have displayed a portrait of the king and queen. If you see one, it’s very likely that the food will be high-quality and authentic, as the restaurant is probably owned and operated by Thais.
15. Thai Alphabet
นี้เป็นภาษาไทย
(This is Thai)
The Thai alphabet consists of 44 consonants and 28 vowels. My students are very proud of their alphabet, as it represents an important part of Thai heritage. They were very proud when they taught me how to write my name!
I’ve been learning to read and write Thai this year, and it’s not going too poorly! Because Thai is an alphabet system (instead of a character-based system like Chinese), it is phonetic, and not so difficult once you figure out how it works. It’s complicated, but I think it is a cool script
16. The Chao Phraya River
Ayutthaya, and the river was its lifeblood that helped the city boom into the modern metropolis that it is today. Today, the Grand Palace and most of the oldest parts of the city sit along the banks of the “River of Kings”.
17. Durian, the King of Fruit
mangosteen
The thick purple skin will stain your fingers, but peel it back and you’ll find a sweet, soft, white center. Mangosteen is the Queen of Fruits in Thailand, and is recognized for its cooling properties.
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Thailand is an ancient country with a rich culture. Although the modern world has definitely arrived in Bangkok, traditional ways of life have not been forgotten. My students may be glued to their iPhones, and they may love Instagram and Snapchat, but they will never forget to wai, or go to the temple to make merit. If you’ll pardon the cliche, Thailand is a kingdom where the old and the new converge, and it is a beautiful place.
LB convert 
