The Naga, or king snake, with its beard and pointed crown, is the half-brother of the garuda. Base on mythology, the two had the same father and their mothers were sisters. There is only one garuda, but there are one thousand nagas, all sworn enemies of the snake-eating half-brother. In many northern Thai temple stairway the handrails depict the great Naga, the many-headed bearded serpent with its pointed crown. The Naga is often found in Thai architecture and also frequently portrayed giving comfort and shade to the meditating Buddha, the coils of the great snake acting as a cushion while the many heads function as an umbrella.
Assignment 2Thai body language
Smiles
Smiling is consider one of the trademarks of the Thai people – this is, after all, The Land of Smiles. Thais tend to smile about anything.
You may find it a bit odd at first to have complete strangers smiling at you on the bus, in a restaurant or passing on the street. But to Thais, smiling is a friendly, quiet, Thai way to say hello.
So smile back; it’s polite and it will make you feel happier and more relaxed, too.
