On the same day as the Thai New Year, the Graduate Student Association Thai International Club held its sixth annual "Thai Night" on Monday, using traditional food, music and dance to entertain and enlighten the participants.
According to Methee Chiewanichakorn, president of the Thai International Club and a graduate student at UB, this year's Thai Night improved on the previous two celebrations, which only featured traditional Thai food. Monday's festivities included traditional Thai dancing and music.
"There is nothing quite like Thailand," said David Engel, director of international programs for the School of Law and the GSA's club advisor. "There is something special about their culture."
Mark Steinberg, a junior psychology major, said he participated in the event as a way to catch a glimpse of Thai culture.
"I like to learn how other cultures do things, so I can appreciate it more without having to go there," Steinberg said. "It's a privilege to see this in Buffalo and to get to know the people around you."
A PowerPoint presentation prior to the buffet-style dinner educated the audience about various aspects of Thai food. According to the presentation, Thai cuisine features a variety of flavors, from sweet to spicy and sour to salty.
The dishes served in the buffet featured the wide range of Thai flavors, from the spicy chicken gapow to the sweet and crunchy mee krob.
Shortly after dinner, a dancer named in the program as Uui performed the Ram Aoy Porn, which event emcee Kim Khunngan, a sophomore media studies major, said is a dance of prosperity.
The dance, accompanied by a slow drumbeat and a woman chanting, featured precise hand movements and controlled foot movements. The dancer was dressed in traditional Thai dress, which consisted of a purple silk dress with gold accents and a white sash.
After the dance, a short video on Thai culture was presented. Afterwards, the emcees hosted an impromptu quiz, offering prizes to attendees that correctly answered questions about Thai culture.
"This is to see who was paying attention," joked Khunngan.
Kitiya Suvannasankha, a graduate student, performed the second dance, which was a dance from the northeast region of Thailand that is traditionally performed at joyful occasions. The audience clapped along with the music and the upbeat tempo of the dance.
The evening concluded with a live martial arts demonstration by Siam #1, a Toronto-based group that specializes in Thai boxing.
Two members of the group, Eric Wu and Jason Brown, fought a two-round match as part of the demonstration. The audience shouted out as the blows landed.
"I wanted people to learn what our culture is," Chiewanichakorn said. "I want them to feel what Thai is really like, not just what they see on television."
According to Charlie Siew, a graduate economics student who has attended various culture nights at UB, Thai Night fulfilled Chiewanichakorn's goal.
"(Thai Night) introduces culture to people like myself," Siew said. "I don't know much about Thai culture, their food, or their people."
