Kinnporsche, Volume 4, page 25
MADAM YOK: Porsche’s former employer and owner of the Root Club.
KORN THEERAPANYAKUL: Kinn’s father and the current head of the main branch of the Theerapanyakul mafia family, aka the Major Clan.
‘KHUN’ TANKHUN THEERAPANYAKUL: Kinn’s eldest brother.
‘KIM’ KIMHAN THEERAPANYAKUL: Kinn’s youngest brother.
‘VEGAS’ KORAWIT THEERAPANYAKUL: The eldest son of the Minor Clan.
‘MACAU’: The youngest son of the Minor Clan.
ZEK-KANT: Korn’s younger brother and head of the Minor Clan.
TAY AND TIME: Kinn’s friends.
‘BIG’: Kinn’s former lead bodyguard, before Porsche took over his position.
‘PETE’: Tankhun’s lead bodyguard, who temporarily switched positions with Porsche.
‘POL’, ‘P’JESS’, AND ‘ARM’: Tankhun’s other bodyguards.
‘NONT’: Kim’s lead bodyguard.
‘CHAN’: Korn’s secretary.
TAWAN: Kinn’s ex-boyfriend.
MEK: Tawan’s younger brother and a friend of Kinn’s from high school.
Names Guide
Thai names follow the western pattern of a given name followed by a family name. Thais are also given a nickname, which is more commonly used when Thais refer to their family, friends, and close acquaintances in their daily life. Thai nicknames can be anything the parents find appealing, a nickname their friends prefer to call them, or even nonsensical words in foreign languages.
In Thailand, it is unusual for people to use someone’s surname in casual conversation, unless specifically required. To formally refer to a person, given names are preferred.
Thai honorifics
P’/PHI: (IPA pronounciation: /pʰiː˥˩/): A gender-neutral honorific term used to address older siblings, friends, and acquaintances. It can be used as a prefix (P’[name]), a pronoun, or informally used to address unknown people (e.g. store clerks, or shopkeepers).
N’/NONG: (IPA pronunciation: /nɔːŋ˦˥/): Used to address younger people, in the same manner as “phi.”
Teochew honorifics
The Thai Chinese are the largest minority group in Thailand, integrated through several waves of immigration. Of these, just over half are Teochew, from the Chaoshan region. Families with Teochew roots may still occasionally use the Teochew dialect, especially when referring to other family members. Some of the terms that appear in this novel are as follows:
HIA: Elder brother
BE: Older brother of one’s father
ZEK: Younger brother of one’s father
GOU: Older or younger sister of one’s father
AGONG: Grandfather
Thai Dialects
The Thai language has four major regional dialects: Central, Northern, Northeastern, and Southern, corresponding to the major geographical/cultural regions.
CENTRAL THAI is the official language of the country, used in official settings, education, news reporting, and media. Most Thais are able to communicate in Central Thai, though those from the north, northeastern, and southern parts of the country typically also speak their regional dialect.
NORTHERN THAI (Kam Mueang) is considered soft and pleasant-sounding. It is derived from the language of the Lanna Kingdom (now part of northern Thailand).
NORTHEASTERN THAI (Isan) is heavily influenced by the Lao language. Although it is very similar to Central Thai, the difference in tonal patterns, vowel qualities, and common vocabulary can make Northeastern Thai challenging for people who only speak Central Thai.
SOUTHERN THAI (Pak Tai) is the fastest-spoken dialect. It has a more distinct intonation and sharp rhythm that lends it a melodic quality compared to Central Thai. Since the south of Thailand is close to Malaysia, the Southern dialect has influences from the Malay language and has several Malay loanwords.
The main dialect used by the characters of this novel is Central Thai. However, there are various instances of characters using other dialects, to show a character’s roots or for comedic effect—for example, Pete and his family speak Southern Thai, as they come from the islands off the coast of Chumphon in the south. These instances of other dialects have been localized to other American English dialects/accents, which may not be an exact match, but the closest possible equivalent to preserve literary style.
Footnotes
Side Story: Vegas × Pete 7
[1] Modified lyrics to Redeem You Back (Tai Ter Keun Maa) by Pu Pongsit Kampee.
[2] A large town on the Thai-Malaysian border and one of the main economic hubs in the area.
[3] Meat dry-fried in red curry paste.
[4] An extremely spicy Southern-style sour curry made with fresh turmeric, which gives it a distinctive deep-yellow color.
Chapter 36: Parting
[5] “Nakinn” is a variant of “Nak” or “Naki,” the Thai word for “Naga”: a race of semidivine serpents from Buddhist mythology.
[6] Meaning “kingdom.”
[7] An archaic word for summer.
[8] Malong Kongkaeng by Poj Sai Indy; the lyrics Khun is singing are nonsense.
[9] “So” is a teochew term of address for the wife of one’s older brother.
[10] A sala is large, shaded pavilion used as a public gathering place.
[11] At Thai Buddhist funerals, monks are invited to chant the Abhidharma.
[12] A Thai-Chinese tradition tracing back to Chinese ancestral worship. Joss paper “money” and other paper crafts are burned for the deceased to use in the afterlife, with modern varieties including credit cards and cars.
[13] A traditional dessert of tiny pancakes made with rice flour, sugar, and coconut milk.
Side Story: Vegas × Pete 8
[14] A common superstition in Thai and some other Asian cultures is that people talking about you behind your back, or just mentioning you in your absence, will make you sneeze.
[15] Blood Type Personality is a pseudoscientific belief from Japan that one’s blood type can predetermine one’s personality and compatibility with others. It is also popular in other Asian countries outside of Japan, including Thailand.
[16] Lyrics from Kae Lub Ta (Just Close My Eyes) by the Thai rock band Bodyslam.
[17] Rad na is a Thai-Chinese dish of stir-fried noodles in a thick gravy, with boiled vegetables, mushrooms, and pork or chicken.
Side Story: Vegas × Pete 9
[18] The name “rad na” means “to pour over.”
[19] Mahalai Wua Chon (Bullfight University) by Phattalung Band.
Chapter 37: Topsy-Turvy
[20] The morning after cremation, the deceased’s ashes are gathered, then taken for loi angkarn, or the ceremonial scattering of the ashes over water, either at sea or a major river.
[21] Burning chili peppers and salt together is a folk method to place a curse on someone.
[22] An abbreviated Chant of Mettā, a Buddhist chant.
[23] A variety of shark fin soup known for its decadent ingredients. The name comes from the idea that it’s so tempting, even the Buddha, a vegetarian, would leap over the wall of a temple to try it.
[24] Thai Buddhists commonly keep an altar with the Buddha’s statue inside the house, to which residents may pray, light incense, and make offerings. If a home is particularly religious—or just particularly large, like the Theerapanyakul family home—there may be an entire room dedicated to this.
Thank you for reading!
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Daemi, Kinnporsche, Volume 4
