Since ancient times, India has played a significant role in shaping Thailand’s cultural heritage. Ranging from food, religion, dance, literature and ceremonies, read on to learn more about this cultural transfer. Food You will see lots of Indian and Chinese influences in the Thai cuisines and cooking methods. Though Thailand has its own unique palate, including sweet and sour, spicy and bitter flavours, the earlier foreign trade played a key role in refining the flavours of Thailand. Curries are believed to be brought by Buddhist monks from India; the most popular Masaman curry is a concoction of many Indian spices, including cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric, coriander, cumin and chilli powder. Religion Over 95% of Thailand’s population are Buddhists practising Theravada Buddhism. We all know Buddhism was born in India in the 6th century BC and later spread across Asia, including Thailand. Although Thailand’s constitution gives religious freedom, the King of Thailand should be Theravada Buddhist. You can also see Indian deities such as Lord Garuda, Lord Vishnu, Lord Ganesha in several Thai temples and government buildings. Ceremonies Several key Thai ceremonies, including marriage, merit-making, ordination and cremation, have been adopted from Indian traditions. Although Buddha plays a major role in defining the Thai way of life, Thai culture is also influenced by Hindu deities and ceremonial rites. Even the royal ceremonies carried out have such inspirations. Literature and dance art Traditional Thai dramas, dance and literature, are deeply influenced by Indian legends. One of the most important Thai literary pieces, The Ramakien,was derived from the Indian Hindu epic, Ramayana. Even the classical Thai dance ‘Khon’ and ‘Lakhon’ draw inspiration from the great epic,Ramakien. Language King Ramkhamhaeng the Great studies ancient Indian languages and modelled Phasa Thai, the Thai language based on Indian Sanskrit and Pali alphabets. After gradually evolving for over 700 years, the current Thai language has 44 characters and is also strongly influenced by English, Chinese, Malay and Khmer languages. Thai is a tonal language in which each word spoken with a different tone means differently. Clothes Indian traders travelled to Thailand with luxuries, Silk and Sarees. As a result, different types of sarees became part of Thai culture. Sbai, the Thai saree, is worn like any Indian saree, and the Jong-Graben dress has a stark resemblance to the Indian Dhoti. Next time when you visit Thailand, keep in mind to identify such things or practices that remind you of how Indian culture has influenced the Thai way of life.
