Thai literature

Thai literature is the stories and writings of the Thai people, mostly written in the Thai language. Long ago, most imaginative works in Thai were written as poetry, while prose was used mainly for historical records and legal documents. Because of this, Thai poetry has many different forms and styles.

Even though many works were lost when the city of Ayutthaya was damaged in 1767, Thailand still has many long poetic tales. Some of these tales are original, and others come from stories outside Thailand. This makes Thai literature different from that of nearby countries like China and Japan, where long poetic tales are not common.

Thai classical literature had a big influence on the writing of nearby countries, especially Cambodia and Burma. It helped shape the stories and traditions of these places.

The development of Thai classical literature

Thai literature started with poetry, while prose was used mainly for recording history and laws. Early Thai poetry included forms like rai, khlong, kap, and klon. The khlong style is very old and was shared by Tai language speakers. An early example is the epic poem Thao Hung Thao Cheuang, which tells the story of a Khmer noble warrior.

Indian culture had a big influence on Thai literature through Buddhism and Hinduism. Thai poets used new poetic meters from India, which meant borrowing many words from Sanskrit and Pali. This change happened quickly during the time of King Boromma-trailokkanat (1448–1488), who made Siam an empire. This new way of writing helped create a special Thai literary identity. Thai poets wrote in many styles, from fun verses to elegant poems. They also made new forms by mixing different styles, like Lilit and Kap hor Klong. Learning these classical styles needed studying Pali and Sanskrit, so serious poetry was mostly for nobles. But common people were also encouraged to learn some of these words for better jobs.

Thailand’s national epic is the Ramakien, a version of the Ramayana from the Lavo Kingdom. The story of Ramakien became important for Thai culture, and Ayutthaya was named after Rama’s holy city of Ayodhya. Thai kings are still called “Rama.” The epic inspired classical Thai drama and dance forms like khon and lakhon. After Ayutthaya was destroyed in 1767, only three versions of Ramakien survived. One version was made by King Rama I, with his son Rama II adding changes for drama, including a happy ending and a bigger role for the monkey god Hanuman.

Literature of the Sukhothai period

The Thai alphabet started around 1283. One of the first works was an inscription by King Ram Khamhaeng from 1292. This inscription tells about the king and important events in the kingdom.

Many early Thai books were influenced by Theravada Buddhism. An important early book is Trai Phum Phra Ruang, written in the 14th century. This book describes three levels of the universe and the mythical beings who live there. It is believed to have been written by King LiThai of Sukhothai.

Literature of the Ayutthaya period

One of the important works from the early Ayutthaya period is Lilit Ongkan Chaeng Nam, an incantation in verse spoken before important gatherings. It was used in ceremonies to show loyalty and build strong relationships between leaders.

Lilit poetry

A lilit is a special kind of poetry that mixes different poetic styles to create a beautiful rhythm. One of the oldest lilit poems is Lilit Yuan Phai, also called "the defeat of the Yuan." This epic war poem tells the story of battles between King Borommatrailokkanat and King Tilokaraj of Lan Na. Another famous lilit is Lilit Phra Lo, a tragic love story that combines many poetic forms.

Maha-chat Kham Luang: the "Great Birth" sermon

Mahachat Kham Luang is a Thai version of the story of Vessantara Bodhisatta, one of the last lives before he became the Buddha. This story was written by order of King Borommatrailokkanat and is told in a mix of Pali verses and Thai poetry.

Royal panegyrics

Royal panegyrics are poems that praise kings. One early example is the Eulogy of King Prasat Thong, and another is the Eulogy of King Narai, which describes the Lopburi palace and an elephant hunt.

Nirat: The Siamese tradition of parting and longing poetry

Nirat poetry expresses feelings of missing someone far away. These poems often describe journeys and the poet’s thoughts of a loved one. One famous example is Nirat Hariphunchai, a journey from Chiang Mai to Wat Phra That Hariphunchai in Lamphun.

The Siamese epic Khun Chang Khun Phaen

Khun Chang Khun Phaen is a famous Thai folktale combining romance and adventure. It tells the story of Khun Phaen, a magical general, and his complicated love life. This epic grew over time through storytelling and was later written down as a long poem.

The folk legend of Sri Thanonchai

Sri Thanonchai is a clever trickster character in Thai stories. He is known for his wit and for getting into and out of tricky situations.

The Legend of Phra Malai (1737)

The story of Phra Malai is a religious adventure written by Prince Thammathibet in 1737. It follows a Buddhist monk who travels to the afterlife to teach Buddha’s lessons.

Other notable works from the Ayutthaya period

Some other important works include Sue-ko Kham Chan by Phra Maha Raja-Kru, a story about friendship between a calf and a tiger cub, and Jindamanee, the first Thai grammar book. There are also many dramatic works called lakhon, including famous plays like Sāng-thong and Inao.

Early Rattanakosin period

With the start of the Rattanakosin era, Thai literature grew a lot and became very rich. This time focused on bringing back important books that were lost during wars. Many poems were made again by poets and singers who remembered them. But some books were lost forever because of the war.

The royal poets of this time not only brought back old books but also made them better. The Ramakien epic, for example, was rewritten to be more careful and clear. These poets followed strict rules, which made the poetry more beautiful but harder for everyday people to understand.

During this time, Sunthorn Phu became a new kind of poet. He wrote in a simpler style called klon suphap, which many people could enjoy. His work in this style is still famous in Thai literature. This period also saw improvements in stories, with new translations of books from other countries.

King Phra Phutthaloetla Naphalai, also known as King Rama II, was a great poet and supporter of artists. His time is called the "golden age of Rattanakosin literature." With his support, many important books were brought back and made better. King Rama II wrote many plays based on old stories and folktales, such as Inao, Krai Thong, Kawee, Sang Thong, Sang Sín Chai, and Chaiya Chet.

Sunthorn Phu, known as "the bard of Rattanakosin," is most famous for his epic poem Phra Aphai Mani. He started writing it in 1822 and finished in 1844. This long poem tells the story of Prince Aphai Mani, who learns to play music so well that his flute can control people, animals, and gods. The story has adventures and love, and ends with Phra Aphai choosing to live in peace in the forest.

Phra Aphai Mani is a very big poem, with over 600,000 words. Sunthorn Phu originally planned a shorter version but made it longer over many years. The story includes ideas from Western myths and real places.

Sunthorn Phu is also known for his nirat poems, which talk about feelings of missing someone. His style was more fun and easy to like than earlier poets, so he was popular with ordinary people. He was one of the first Thai writers to make a living by selling his stories.

Modern Thai literature

Kings Rama V and Rama VI were also writers. They wrote non-fiction books to mix Western knowledge with Thai traditions. The story Lilit Phra Lo was chosen as the best lilit work in 1916 by King Rama VI's literary club. It is based on an old tale from Thai folklore about King Phra Lo and his love for two sisters, Phra Phuean and Phra Phaeng.

During the 1900s, Thai writers often wrote light stories, but some created more serious works. Famous writers include Kukrit Pramoj, Kulap Saipradit (known as Siburapha), Supa Sirisingh (called Botan), and others. Some of their books have been translated into English. The Isan area of Thailand also had writers who talked about society, like Khamsing Srinawk and Pira Sudham, who writes in English. Thailand also had writers from other countries, such as those in the Bangkok Writers Group.

Thai literary influence on neighbouring countries

Thai literature, especially its poetry, has influenced nearby countries like Burma and Cambodia.

In Burma, Thai culture mixed with Burmese culture in two important periods. The first was from 1564 to 1583 when Thailand was ruled by Burma. Many Thai styles of poetry, like emotional verses called yadu, were adopted by Burmese writers. Later, after Thailand's Ayutthaya Kingdom fell in 1767, more Thai artists and poets moved to Burma. They brought the Thai version of the story Ramayana, called Ramakien, which became popular in Burma as Yama Zatdaw. Many songs and poems came from Thai.

In Cambodia, Thai culture became very strong during the Thonburi Kingdom. Cambodian artists learned from Thai teachers, and some Cambodian royalty lived in Thailand. This led to many Thai stories and styles being used in Cambodian literature. The Cambodian version of Ramayana, called Reamker, was translated from Thai. Thai dramas were also performed in Cambodia during this time.