Prof. Pawit Mahasarinand, chairman of the Department of Dramatic Arts, Chulalongkorn University, gave a lecture on Thailand’s performing arts and culture at TNUA in April.

The lecture was arranged by TNUA’s International Master of the Arts Program in Cultural and Creative Industries (IMCCI) program jointly with the ROC Ministry of Culture in line with a series of government activities to promote cultural exchange with Southeast Asian countries.

In his lecture that took place on April 14, Prof. Pawit Mahasarinand discussed the kinds of performances that Thai people like.

Thailand does not simply translate or adapt other cultures, but make adjustments to suit the local culture, said the professor from Chulalongkorn University, one of TNUA’s sister schools in Thailand.

Because of its geographical location, Thailand absorbs the cultures of many of its neighbors, and therefore it is no hard to see that there are elements of the Chinese, Indian and western cultures in Thai music, dance and theatre, he said.

Prof. Pawit Mahasarinand noted that Thailand, as one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, naturally offers entertainment designed specifically for tourists, such as ladyboy shows, Khon dance, and musicals incorporating Muay Thai.

The locals are more interested in musicals of historical themes, comedy and fantasies. There are also theatre productions adapted from Chinese films, but the Thai audiences mostly love stories full of local cultural elements.

Thai music, dance and theatre are characterized by an integration of local and foreign cultures, the professor concluded.