Culture and festivalsBuddhist amulet noun
- prá high
- krûeang falling
- High: start high and go a little higher, a bit tense; don’t let it fall.
- Falling: start high and drop clearly, like a firm “No!”
Classifier: องค์ong · counting word for Buddha images, royalty and gods
How to use it
พระเครื่องprá-krûeang are small Buddha images, or images of revered monks, blessed by monks and worn on a necklace for protection and luck. In speech they're often just พระprá: แขวนพระkwǎen prá is to wear an amulet, always above the waist. Collecting them is a serious hobby, with magazines, experts and markets such as Tha Phra Chan in Bangkok. Out of respect, Thais don't "buy" an amulet: they เช่าพระchâo prá, "rent" it.
Other spellings you'll see
There's no single official way to write Thai in English letters. We mark the tone of every syllable; online you'll also find:
- phra khruang
- phra kreung
- prakruang
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More culture and festivals in Thai
All culture and festivals- เพลงชาติ pleeng-châat National anthem
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