The Thai Idioms about the Lotus showing how Thai Culture relates to Vietnamese Culture

Abstract

This research article aimed to study Thai culture as shown in Thai idioms about the lotus in connection with Vietnamese culture. The result showed that four Thai idioms about the lotus, which were ‘bua mâi chám náam mâi kùn’ (Neither let a lotus get bruised nor let water get turbid), ‘det dō̜kmai wai khūa det būa mai wai yai’ (Plucking a flower and lotus without keeping its stems), ‘hen kongčhak pen dō̜kbūa’ (Mistaking blades for a lotus), and ‘mǣsāibūa tǣngtūa khāng’ (Waiting Lady), reflected aspects of Thai culture and lifestyle, which were food culture, behavior and relationship of people in the society, belief in Buddhism, and language. Thai people have been very observant about lotuses in their daily lives, such as planting lotuses in the pond, plucking lotuses and their gossamer, and food preparation from lotus stems. All of these have brought to be created as idioms to portray values, beliefs, traditions, and attitudes of Thai society. Therefore, the lotus has associated with the Thai lifestyle, which has been a common characteristic with Vietnamese people who have valued the lotus as well, as has showed through food, religion and the analogy of lotus and the relationship of people in society. Therefore, Vietnamese students who studied Thai idioms about the lotus could understand Thai culture more clearly by using the lotus as a medium.