Talk:Thai honorifics

Missing honorifics
There are numerous honorifics used in Thailand (or, at least, rural Thailand) that should be added to these lists. I'd do it, but my own Thai spelling skills are very poor. Among the honorifics I have in mind are:

Tit -- used for any young male who has been a monk

Sia -- used for wealthy businessman

Ba -- used for certain older males, as in a popular song from several years ago "Ba, ba, ba ..."

Tao Gaa -- boss

Jaa -- used for (female?) businessperson

Seua -- used for major rural gang-leaders (now obsolescent?)

I think there are several others; these are just a few I remember off the top of my head.Septimus.stevens (talk) 13:04, 27 July 2013 (UTC)


 * The above terms are colloquial and informal, but they are used everywhere (not only in rural areas).
 * 'tit' (ทิด; ) – a male having been a Buddhist monk, whether the male is young or aged.
 * 'sia' (เสี่ย; probably from Chinese) – a wealthy male, a wealthy Chinese male.
 * 'ba' (บา) – teacher.
 * 'tao gaa' (เถ้าแก่; ; from Chinese "头家") – a wealthy Chinese male, a Chinese male who owns a business. The term also refers to a person presiding over an engagement ceremony and an inner palace officer.
 * 'jaa' (เจ๊; ; from Chinese "姐") refers to:
 * an elder sister of the speaker;
 * a woman older than the speaker (used in friendly or disrespectful manner)
 * a homo.
 * 'seua' (เสือ; ) literally means a tiger and can refer to a skillful but wicked person.
 * Other terms include:
 * 'chao khrua' (เจ้าขรัว), 'chao sua' (เจ้าสัว) and 'che sua' (เจ๊สัว) refer to a wealthy Chinese mle.
 * 'tai thao' (ใต้เท้า) means lord (as honorific title), and literally means 'the person whose feet are above me'. It is currently used for the judicial officers (and can sometimes be translated as 'My Lord' or 'My Lady').
 * 'phra khun chao' (พระคุณเจ้า) and 'chao ku' (เจ้ากู) are used for a monk whom the speaker respects.
 * 'chao khun' (เจ้าคุณ), 'chao phra khun' (เจ้าพระคุณ) and 'chao pra khun' (เจ้าประคุณ) are used for a monk holding the clerical office of 'rachakhana' (ราชาคณะ).
 * 'maha bophit' (มหาบพิตร) or 'boromma bophit' (บรมบพิตร) is used by a monk and refers to the king or queen.
 * 'pha-na than' (ฯพณฯ) is translated as '(His/Her/Your) Honour' or '(His/Her/Your) Excellency'. The term was abolished by the Office of the Prime Minister on 1 September 1943.
 * 'o' (ออ) is an archaic title of a male commoner.
 * 'amdaeng' (อำแดง) is an archaic title of a female commoner.
 * 'maha' (มหา) is the title of a monk having passed the third level of monastic examination.
 * 'pho liang' (พ่อเลี้ยง) is used by the Northern Thais and refers to a medical officer or a wealthy man. A female equivalent is 'mae liang' (แม่เลี้ยง).
 * 'pho luang' (พ่อหลวง) is used by the Northern Thais and refers to a local leader, such as village chief, commune chief, mayor, etc. A female equivalent is 'mae luang' (แม่หลวง).
 * 'chao' (เจ้า) is the title of a Northern Thai prince or princess.
 * --Aristitleism (talk) 13:59, 27 July 2013 (UTC)


 * Thanks for answering. I think these terms should be added to the article.  (By the way,  "'ba' (บา) – teacher" is a term applied to my wife's father, now deceased.  I've heard a little about his role many years ago -- it wasn't exactly "teacher" !) Septimus.stevens (talk) 17:33, 27 July 2013 (UTC)

Now, the term 'ba' may be deemed obsolete and is usually used for religion-related persons, such as monks. There are some doublets and triplets which consist of the word 'ba':
 * 'khru ba' (ครูบา) – Both 'khru' and 'ba' mean teacher. 'Khru Ba' is usually used by the Northern Thais as a title for a Buddhist monk, e.g. the renowned Khru Ba Si Wichai (ครูบาศรีวิชัย).
 * 'khru ba achan' (ครูบาอาจารย์) – The words 'khru', 'ba' and 'achan' all mean teacher. The term 'khru ba achan' just means 'teacher' and is frequently used in legal contexts. For example:
 * "ครูบาอาจารย์ นายจ้าง หรือบุคคลอื่นซึ่งรับดูแลบุคคลผู้ไร้ความสามารถอยู่เป็นนิตย์ก็ดี ชั่วครั้งคราวก็ดี จำต้องรับผิดร่วมกับผู้ไร้ความสามารถในการละเมิดซึ่งเขาได้กระทำลงในระหว่างที่อยู่ในความดูแลของตน ถ้าหากพิสูจน์ได้ว่าบุคคลนั้น ๆ มิได้ใช้ความระมัดระวังตามสมควร"
 * "'A teacher, employer or other person who undertakes the supervision of an incapacitated person, either permanently or temporarily, is jointly liable with such person for any wrongful act committed by the latter whilst under his supervision, provided that it can be proved that he has not exercised proper care.'"

The common titles for teachers, instructors, lecturers, etc., are 'khru' (ครู) and 'achan' (อาจารย์). For example, Achan Kittisak (อาจารย์กิตติศักดิ์) = Professor/Lecturer/Instructor/Teacher/Master Kittisak; this Thai word is from Sanskrit ācārya and is used in the same manner as Japanese 'sensei' (先生).

--Aristitleism (talk) 20:11, 27 July 2013 (UTC)


 * Moreover, there are local honorifics, such as 'nai hua' (นายหัว) which is used by the Southern Thais to refer to a chief, leader, employer or business owner, and 'nai hoi' (นายฮ้อย) which is used by the Northeastern Thais to refer to a chief trader, chief merchant, business owner, wealthy person, respectful person or influential person (traditionally, it refers to a person who gains wealth from trading in beasts of burden). --Aristitleism (talk) 21:38, 27 July 2013 (UTC)


 * Oops! The "honorific" I meant was ป๋า (Pa) but I wrote it incorrectly as "ba."  You can hear Yui the popular singer sing the song I meant ("Pa Pa") here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyjiSHd6FMA  Google translates the word as Daddy.  My wife informs me that, in the song, this rarish "honorific" refers to Playboy.  The meaning applied to her father may have been slightly different.
 * I do hope you add some of these important "honorifics" to the page. (I edit some Wikipedia pages, but not Thai ones.)Septimus.stevens (talk) 06:07, 28 July 2013 (UTC)


 * Ah! 'Pa' (ป๋า) is an aphetic variant of 'papa' (ป๊ะป๋า). 'Pa' is probably from Chinese bà (爸), but the Royal Institute's Dictionary of New Words, Volume 1, recorded that 'pa' (ป๋า) is from English papa.
 * 'Papa' (ป๊ะป๋า) is an informal term for 'father' and can be translated as 'dad' or 'daddy'. 'Pa' originally means the same as 'papa' (dad). A female equivalent is 'ma' (ม้า), which may be from Chinese mā (妈). 'Ma' is shortened from 'mama' (หม่าม้า), which is possibly from Chinese mā ma (妈妈). But if the Royal Institute said that 'pa' is from English papa, then 'ma' and 'mama' may also be from English mama. Personally, I think these words are of Chinese origin, because they are only used by Thai people of Chinese descent, whilst the other Thais would use 'pho' (พ่อ) and 'mae' (แม่).
 * 'Pa' (ป๋า) can also refer to a prodigal or promiscuous man (usually an adult man who is wealthy and loves to spend his money on young women). Those women are colloquially called 'nu' (หนู, which originally refers to a child or children). So, the man is called 'pa' (dad). This usage reflects certain secret, illegal or immoral relationships, but some 'dads' may openly have 'children'. In this meaning, the words 'sia' (เสี่ย) and 'pa' can be used interchangeably.
 * There are some similar words:
 * 'Pa' (ป๊า) and 'papa' (ปะป๊า) – both only mean father.
 * 'Mama' (มาม่า) only means madam (chief prostitute or woman in charge of prostitution house). Other Thai words for madam include 'mamasang' (มาม่าซัง), which is derived from Japanese mama-san (ママさん), and 'mae lao' (แม่เล้า, literally "mother of the coop").
 * As Thai is a tonal language, 'papa' (ป๊ะป๋า), 'papa' (ปะป๊า), 'pa' (ป๋า), 'pa' (ป๊า), 'mama' (หม่าม้า) and 'mama' (มาม่า) are pronounced differently.
 * --Aristitleism (talk) 09:24, 28 July 2013 (UTC)