Why do some Thai people who name their children English names want to give them animal names??? My mom's?

nickname for my sister and I is "Dog". We knew Thai people who named their children stuff like "Tiger" and "Bunny". Also one was named after a flower "Tulip" These were their birth names! Luckily, our mother did not subject us to this public humiliation. She usually only calls us "Dog" in private.

Why do some Thai people who name their children English names want to give them animal names??? My mom's?
I'm Thai and normally parents will not give "dog" to their child. I think they called you "Puppy" or "Luk Mah" (Thai language)
Reply:It's nothing offensive. It had been the custom of Thai parents to give nicknames to their children that were derived from names of objects, animals, insects, flowers, things. I guess it's the same as the way the American Indians of the old West gave names to their children (Big Bear, Starlight, Roaring Thunder, etc).



So, it is normal for Thais to have nicknames like Pet (Duck), Tao (Turtle), Oot (Camel), Chom-poo (Pink), Dao (Star), Fah (Sky), Mot (Ant), Taeng-mo (Watermelon), Pooh (Crab), Maew (Cat), Gai (Chicken), Fon (Rain).



But of course in the Western culture, it is offensive and demeaning to call someone a pig, dog, snake, or a chicken.



Strange, huh?.
Reply:My cousin named his son Golf since he loves playing golf. and its not a nickname.
Reply:but most thai-language nicknames mean the same sorts of things:



Gai = chicken

Pom = hair

Noi or Lek = Little

Som = orange

Nok = bird



etc etc
Reply:Because proper first names in Thailand tend to be long and/or are uniquely meaningful and "official" - they are no the type of words people will use on a day to day basis to call each other in a household. That is why "cute" nicknames are given and are used in the family or close friends. It is NOT a humiliation on parents part. They are not used to belittle the kids.

Even word like Ouan (fat) - is not used to as a way of name calling or bullying like western culture of today. Sometimes, these names are even used as "opposite" characteristics - I have known people called Lek (small) but in fact they are tall and solid or Ouan (fat) when the person is quite thin.



Even if other people know your nickname - if it is convenient, it will still be used - BUT in a respectful way. For instance - my nick name is Ngaw (the sound that a cat makes - in Thai) - my relatives call me Phi Ngaw - because I am older- and Phi is used for an older brother or sister (or cousins). Whereas - the workers in my aunty's office will call me Khun Ngaw - as in "Mister" Ngaw. It is more convenient and less formal than calling me by my proper name (which I am not going t divulge here - as you will not be able to pronounce it and it is rather long)







The point I am making is - the nicknames are NOT seen as "humiliations" or degrading . It's just a name to call someone.
Reply:A Thai family I know called their son Heartbeat, Hart for short. Others have names like Gop (frog) Moo (pig) Nok (bird).

Thai peaple have an official name as well as a nick name that they are Known to all by.

When Thai people in my area ( not sure if this is nation wide ) become parents, they become Known as Mother of.......... or father of..........their first born
Reply:Giving nicknames to Thai children from young is an old tradition that stemmed from the belief that evil spirits are present everywhere and are on the lookout to take away beautiful babies from their parents. Hence the parents will give their children beautiful names but will instead call them by their nicknames so as to divert these evil spirits from going after their children. In fact the uglier the nicknames, the safer it was to be for the babies. Hence all Thais have a nickname given at birth, besides their own names.
Reply:I give proper names for my 3 children. And their nicknames are Gorilla, Baboon and Chimp.
Reply:You are not the only one raising the question re use of English names as nick names. The discussion is ongoing, but of course nobody is able to provide clear cut answers.







There was a big article in New York Times on August 29th. The article is now in archive, so I can only show exerpt



America has Tom, Dick and Harry. Thailand has Pig, Money and Fat. For as long as people here can remember, children have been given playful nicknames -- classics include Shrimp, Chubby and Crab -- that are carried into adulthood. But now, to the consternation of some nickname purists, children ..... With help from language experts at the Royal Institute, the official arbiter of the Thai language, Mr. Vira plans to produce by the end of the year a collection of thousands of old-fashioned nicknames, listed by such wholesome categories as colors, animals and fruit and including simple favorites like Yaay (big), Ouan (fat) and Dam (black). Published in a small booklet, the names will be distributed to the news media and libraries, and posted on the Internet





And as translated and summarized from Puchatkarn, August 30, 2007 ...

Culture Minister Khunying Khaisri Sriaroon said the ministry would carry out His Majesty the King's suggestion to promote better usage of the Thai language. The ministry will collaborate with other ministries, including the Education and Foreign Affairs ministries, in a campaign to promote the Thai language, clothing and lifestyle among both Thai people inside and outside the country. The minister admitted the campaign might be difficult as Thailand is an open country.
Reply:the way i understand it pet names are never meant as an insult,the thai perception of a pig isn't the same as a western one and dog (or puppy as someone has said) isn't a gross insult like in islamic countries.My friends call me moo bin(flying pig) or chang nam (hippo).....I think good old fashioned tongue in cheek humour is fantastic and our differences and frailties should be celebrated

Ive never heard of anyone called kwai before though
Reply:I'm not a Thia person, but my mom called me Godzilla.
Reply:why not ask your parents.
Reply:N is right, you should ask you parents!



But anyways, I've never heard anybody calling their children 'dog,' that not right.



Still, as for other English names, they don't know any so anything English will do, or they think it sounds cool, but truthfully to anyone speaking English as a native language, its like WTF?!?!