Thai Women of Art and Spiritual Power

Women of Thailand Carry the Light.

From every walk of life, women in Thailand are central to society. They have a woman Prime Minister, and a woman Attorney General. Thailand is number one in the world for women CFOs! 

Thai women own and run businesses, raise the next generation, and as top scholars and scientists they are  pushing the boundaries of human knowledge. 

Young woman carries a symbolic lantern in the Festival of Lights parade, Chiang Mai, 2022. 

Wisdom, Grace, Power

Naturally, have women have always contributed very strongly to the cultural traditions of Thailand. I could see it in every manifestation of the past, such as in the museums.

Prajñāpāramitā Devi, in Buddhist thought, the personification of wisdom also known as the "Great Mother." From the Dvaravati period, about 7th-11th century AD. 

In the National Museum in Bangkok, there were many sculptures of Prajnaparamita. I am not knowledgeable about Buddhism (although my grandmother and auntie were very devout in Taiwan) --  but the fact that perfect wisdom and transcendental knowledge are portrayed as female is way cool. A bit like Sophia in Greek hellenic traditions...

Bronze miniature of a dancing goddess holding a knife. Dvaravati art shows the strong Indian influence in Thailand during this time.

Women are everywhere in Thai temple art, if you look carefully.  

Beautiful gilded wooden figure of a goddess at Wat Loi Kroh, in Chiang Mai. This is from the Lan Na kingdom in the 1360s. 

In Ratchaburi, we visited a wonderful puppet museum that is keeping the art form alive. Thai puppeteers dance, sing, and act while holding their huge puppets.

Lovely Nang Sida from legendary times, in puppet form; traditional Thai leather puppets can be as tall as a person!  

...And Dinner with Friends

After all that art history and culture, it's time to sit down together over a fantastic Thai dinner! Our friend Mod, the Chiang Mai geophysicist, brought us to one of her favorite places overlooking the Ping River.  

Spicy savory yellow curry, with chicken and "pea eggplants." They actually teeny little round eggplants, kind of crunchy and tangy which adds complexity to the warmth of the curry. 

Pineapple fried rice shows a Burma influence. Bits of sweet juicy pineapple are included in the rice, and the dish is served in a scooped out pineapple shell. Oh man. 

If Thailand has a national soup, Tom Kha Kai is it! Yeah, I showed it before. But the smooth rich coconut milk broth, bay leaves, lemon grass, and those red chilis, combine to make a soup you could never get tired of.