Culture & Religion

Sunthorn Phu, Thailand's most famous poet, lived in Rayong province (1786-1855). He was inspired to write his masterpiece, "The Anthem of Phra Iphaimanee", during a visit to Ko Samet island which he called Koh Kaew Pissadan, or the island of the many jewels. The poem tells the story of a young prince, banished from the palace by his father, the King, because he wanted to study music instead of the art of war, who is kidnapped by a giantess from the sea. The giantess imprisons him in a hidden cave on a remote island because she has fallen in love with him. Eventually, with the help of a beautiful mermaid, he escapes, and they make their way to Ko Samet island, where they fall in love. One day a beautiful princess gets shipwrecked on Ko Samet and Phra Iphaimanee, smitten by her beauty, decides to sail away with her. The giantess, still in pursuit, creates a storm, but the prince is able to put her to sleep by playing his magic flute and they escape. The little mermaid's heart is broken, but she understands that the prince belongs to another world.

All Thai school children learn the story of Phra Iphaimanee and in the provinces on the eastern seaboard there are annual commemorations and revivals of Sunthorn Phu's poem. To this day there are statutes of the poet, and of the fictional prince, Phra Iphaimanee, the giantess and the little mermaid in Rayong province.

Buddhism has been, for many centuries, the most important influence on the lives of the people of the province. In their daily lives, and especially on holy days, the people honor the Buddha, His teachings, and the monks who strive to follow the precepts of the Enlightened One.

Reverence for the King and the royal family is also integral to an understanding of the people of Rayong, as well as other provinces. Visitors should bear in mind that any denigration of the King is a serious crime in Thailand, and while Thai people are generally tolerant of foreigners, they will not put up with any insult to the royal family.

In Rayong there is also a significant minority of Thai-Chinese who, in addition to worshipping the Buddha, also venerate shrines devoted to Taoism or Confucianism. In keeping with the traditional Thai spirit of tolerance for all religious practices, the Muslim and Christian traditions are also followed by some residents of the province.

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