Thai Kites
For Thais, kite flying is an ancient sport with it own rules and regulations and heritage involving everyone from king to commoner. Kite flying as a sport has been popular since the Sukhothai period in the thirteenth century some 700 years ago
Pukpao kite
Chula kite
Every summer between March and April, when the southwest monsoon wind sweeps across Bangkok, people flock to the Phramance Ground to enjoy the fun of kite flying. Thais make and fly kites in all sizes and forms; serpents, owls, faces, cartoon characters, and many more. However, the annual contest is between pakpao, the female kite and chula, the male kite. Pakpao is a diamond-shaped kite with a long tail. Its weapon is a long loop hanging from its flying string with which it tries to snare its opponent. Chula is a five-star shaped kite whose weapon consists of three to five champa or bamboo hooks space along the flying string. The object of the game is for chula to snap at pakpao and draw her back across the line into male territory,or for the agile smaller pakpao to throw her loop or her tail around chula and to drag him down on her side
Thai Musical Instruments
Most Thai musical instruments are indigenous to Thailand to Thailand. Even those which show the influence of neighboring countries in Southeast Asia as well as India and China have been influence to become uniquely Thai.
Phin nam tao
Krachappi
Sung
There are many different kinds of Thai musical instrument, and from early times they have been played in groups or ensembles. Thai musical ensembles perform at ceremonies, plays, cultural show, and funerals.
Thai musical instruments can be classified by the manner in which they are played . There are four main types as follows:
A. Plucking instruments are those with strings which are plucked. There ae five of them, namely chakhey,(zither) , krachappi, phin man tao , pin pia and sung . The chakhey is probably the most important instrument in this group. It was played in Ayutthaya period as a solo instrument and has become part of the string ensemble since the early Rattanakosin peroud.
B.String and bow instruments are like fiddles with strings which are bowed. The bow may pass over or between the strings. There are three stringed fiddles (so sam sai ) , tenor fiddles (so duang ), baritone fiddles (so u ) and northen-style fiddles (sa lo)
Ranad ek
C. Percussion instruments are the most varied. There are more than 30 kind of them. They are made of wood, metal or leather. Included in this class are:
C.1 Those made of wood, such as krap, tenor xylophone ( ranat ek ) and baritone xylophone ( ranad thum )
Ranad thum
C.2 Those made of metal such as metal tenor xylophone ( ranat ek lek ), metal baritone xylophone ( ranat thum lek) , small or finger cymbals (ching), large cymbals (chap) and gongs (khong).
Ranad ek lek
C.3 Those made of leather such as drums of all kinds.
D. Wind instruments include oboe ( pi ), flute ( khlui ) , bamboo pipes ( khaen ), horn ( trae ) and conch ( sang ).
