Published By: Satavisha

The Less-explored Cultural Similarities Between Thailand And India

Thailand receives scores of Indian travelers throughout the year and it is not surprising that both India and Thailand have languages, traditions, cultures, and festivals that are incredibly similar.

Many people are not aware of the fact that Thailand and South India are very much alike in respect of traditions and religion. This is the reason why the largest Thai festivals and Indian festivals aren’t very different and are celebrated in a similar manner. This blend of traditions and cultures across borders is fascinating! From Namaste to Sawasdee, let us uncover some interesting cultural similarities between the two countries.

Ramayana and Ramakien

The national epic of Thailand, Ramakien is a derivation of the Hindu epic of India, Ramayana. The Thai Ramakien translates to ‘Glory of Rama’ and is an adaptation with the same characters. For instance, Lord Rama is the son of king Thao Thotsarot and queen Nang Kausuriya who are known as king Dasharatha and queen Kaushalya in Ramayana. Similarly, Nang Sida, the wife of Rama is known as Sita in the Indian epic. The names adopted into Ramakien are closely similar, making it easy to identify each character from Ramayana.

The Kingdom of Ayutthaya and Ayodhya

The name of Ayutthaya is adopted from the name of the Indian holy city of Ayodhya. King Uthong (r. 1351-1369), the first ruler of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya, made two significant contributions to Thai history: the promotion of Theravada Buddhism as the official religion to differentiate his kingdom from the neighboring Hindu kingdom of Angkor and the compilation of the Dharmaśāstra, a legal code based on Hindu sources.

Gods and deities

Buddhism intertwines with Hinduism in Thai culture. Thai shrines and temples of Lord Vishnu, Brahma, Ganesha, and Indra are quite famous and a must-visit. It is important to note that the Indian belief in Hindu mythology of Trimurti – Brahma (PhraPhrom), Vishnu (PhraNarai), and Shiva (PhraIsuan) as the creator, preserver, and destroyer is prevalent in Thailand too.

Namaste and Sawasdee

Namaste or the Indian AñjaliMudrā is called wai in Thailand. The word that is usually spoken with the wai as a farewell or greeting is “sawasdee” derived from the Sanskrit word svastika, meaning ‘well-being’.

Similar festivals

Some Thai festivals bear resounding similarities with Indian festivals. For instance, Thailand’s Songkran and India’s Holi are both festivals where water is splashed on each other. Songkran is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘samkranti’ which also sounds similar to Sankranti, a harvest festival, celebrated in India.

Traditional attires

With Indian traders traveling to Thailand and the prevalence of Hinduism, a different form of Saree became popular in Thai culture. Sabai, the Thai traditional wear closely resembles the Indian saree and is draped similarly on the shoulder too. The Jong-Graben also has stark similarities with the Indian Dhoti.

These cultural similarities and shared social interactions make the Indo-Thai bond stronger.