[majestictwelve]

KARNJANA KARNJANATAWE
Bangkok Post



This is Thim, who's just turned two. That hairless head might make you mistake her for a boy. The cute topknot, decorated with a tiny tiara, is called a jook.

Thim was born in an ethnic-Mon community in Bang Kradee, a neighbourhood in the Bangkok district of Bang Khunthian. Many of the kids there are given traditional hairstyles: jook for the girls and either koh (hair shaved except for a small tuft on top of the head) or klae (hair shaved except for a small tuft left to grow over each ear) for the boys.

Mon people - and, in the old days, Thais, too - believe in the existence of a malevolent spirit which is so fond of beautiful young children that it will attempt to steal them away. Parents, therefore, would think up ways of making their toddlers appear unattractive to the spectre, one of which was by having the youngsters sport odd-looking hairstyles until they reached a certain age. It was also thought that keeping the head clean-shaven would protect children from contracting skin diseases, as well as making it a lot easier to shampoo!

The topknot can only be removed by a monk. When the time comes, Thim's family may join with several other clans and host a meal for nine monks, prior to which the phra will officiate over a topknot-cutting ceremony. This might happen when Thim is old enough to go to school. Some of the boys, though, might wear their koh until they're in their preteens.

[bUqLfXRI]

KARNJANA KARNJANATAWE
Bangkok Post



This is Thim, who's just turned two. That hairless head might make you mistake her for a boy. The cute topknot, decorated with a tiny tiara, is called a jook.

Thim was born in an ethnic-Mon community in Bang Kradee, a neighbourhood in the Bangkok district of Bang Khunthian. Many of the kids there are given traditional hairstyles: jook for the girls and either koh (hair shaved except for a small tuft on top of the head) or klae (hair shaved except for a small tuft left to grow over each ear) for the boys.

Mon people - and, in the old days, Thais, too - believe in the existence of a malevolent spirit which is so fond of beautiful young children that it will attempt to steal them away. Parents, therefore, would think up ways of making their toddlers appear unattractive to the spectre, one of which was by having the youngsters sport odd-looking hairstyles until they reached a certain age. It was also thought that keeping the head clean-shaven would protect children from contracting skin diseases, as well as making it a lot easier to shampoo!

The topknot can only be removed by a monk. When the time comes, Thim's family may join with several other clans and host a meal for nine monks, prior to which the phra will officiate over a topknot-cutting ceremony. This might happen when Thim is old enough to go to school. Some of the boys, though, might wear their koh until they're in their preteens.

yeah, and apart from the hairstyle and all, when you see an adorable baby, you can't directly praise that lil thing like "na-ruk jung loey", "suay-makmak" or anything that's pleasant or maybe even true to the fact. It's superstition that you have to say everything in opposite, like for eg, "na-gliet jung loey" ( so ugly! ) hehehe. The reason? Something like what is mentioned on the above, some spirit might take them away. Some supersitition huh?! lol.

[KojlinMakolvin]

Well the hair style looks good to me.

[monologue]

Great hairstyle, I always thought it was for staying cool in the summer heat. I want a haircut just like that.