Thailand has some really interesting names. Yes, they may follow the Western European tradition of a given name followed by a family name, unlike the patterns of their East Asian cousins. Yet for most people uncommon with the Thai language, the names of people belonging to the kingdom are generally difficult to pronounce and a muddle of confusion. But look no further, The Thaiger is on hand to give a brief explanation of how Thais get their names.
Thai families don’t randomly name their children, they often ask monks to find suitable names for their kids. Gender, date of birth and time are deciding factors. Every name will have a meaning, for example, Petchploy or Petpailin, which means an expensive, or precious gemstone. Their nicknames will likely be a shortened version of their first names, like Ploy or Petch. And it’s quite common for Thais not to know their friend’s first…
