Khon Kaen Uni Has Tai Noi Signage At Main Gate

[Flashermac]

 

Khon Kaen University's main gate signs now include Tai Noi, used to display the Thai Lao language, and the same font used in the Isan Culture Maintenance and Revitalisation Programme.

 

This is the first time a major public university in the Northeast has acknowledged the Thai Lao identity in this way. The move supports the draft Thai National Language Policy and shows that a decentralised education system is required, which recognises regional and local identity, enhanced through the formal incorporation of regional and local languages in the Thai education system and local bureaucracy.

 

The story is on www.facebook.com /icmrpthailand.

 

"As part of Khon Kaen University's drive towards greater multiculturalism and respect for local culture and language, the main gate signage of KKU has been changed to include Isan, technically 'Thai Lao'. The new script is an ancient Thai script called Tai Noi and dates back to Sukhothai-period King Lithaim, who reigned from 1346-74, although it continued to be used up to the 20th century in temple-based education and is also the chosen script for the revitalisation of Thai Lao by the ICMRP."

 

The script was designed by the Fine Arts Faculty at KKU in association with experts from the Culture Department and the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. It is an example of inter-faculty synergies in favour of pluralism ICMRP is helping to generate.

 

 

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Khon-Kaen-Uni-has-Tai-Noi-signage-at-main-gate-30226965.html

[cavanami]

Driven by the Uni many times when I go up country.

 

Most of the people I know living up there all speak Lao.

[Flashermac]

My Mrs told me the graduate department at Chiang Mai Uni required all students to take a semester of Kham Muang (aka Northern Thai), including learning the now seldom-used alphabet. Kham Muang is her first language and she thought the class was easy and boring. But the Bangkok students had to struggle. That was Chiang Mai's subtle revenge against the many from Central Thailand and Issan who have moved to their city.

 

I always find it fascinating when the Bangkok taxi driver I've been chatting in Thai with gets a phone call from his wife and automatically switches to Issan Lao. Thais may not be so great in English, but they are usually fluent in several languages. How many of the Farangs who look down on them can say that?

 

When Thaksin had his red shirts march on the army base where Abhisit's government was meeting during the protests 3 years ago, the army met them at the gate and welcomed them in Issan Lao. They told the red shirts the soldiers were not their enemies. They were their sons, their brothers, their husbands. They got the red shirts laughing and joking with them, which extremely pissed off the red shirt leaders.

[cavanami]

I often see the bond between Isaan people. They seem to fall into place and get along quite well.

[Flashermac]

I've been told that when buses arrive at Mochit from Issan, employers will often have someone calling out job offers in Issan Lao to them. Don't forget that two PMs of Thailand have had Issan Lao roots.

 

It is the same with Northerners. My wife one day was buying some waffles from a Bangkok street vendor. She accidentally slipped into Kham Muang. The vendor replied in the same language and they both broke out into big grins. It is not so common to meet a fellow northerner in Bangkok, since there are only about 6 million Kham Muang speakers. There may be as many as 20 million who speak Issan Lao.