A spiky hairdo. A close-shaved hairstyle with graphic patterns. Multi-colour hair. A mohawk. A skinhead. Messy hair swept up in every direction, a la Korean actors.
Youths these days seem to have endless options when it comes to what hairstyle they would like to wear.
Several decades ago, however, Thai youngsters, whether male or female, had only four hairstyles to choose from — Jook, Klae, Koh and Pia.
A Jook hairstyle is a top knot, while Pia features a pigtail. The Klae and Koh hairstyles are quite similar, except that a Koh usually means a single ponytail while Klae refers to two or more ponytails.
Thai children in the past wore all four hairstyles with the rest of their head cleanly shaved.
Anek Nawigamune, an expert on ancient Thai lifestyles, said only the hair at the crown or cowlick was kept as a top knot, pigtail or ponytail as it was believed the lock would protect children from bad spirits and ill health.
Nittaya Amphaiwan, a kindergarten teacher in Samut Songkhram who did a study on the topic, wrote in an article that the half-shaved hairstyles of Thai children in the past could have evolved out of the need to keep children's heads free of problems brought about by the hot weather.
Also, Thais believe the crown is the most important part of the body. As parents did not wish to disturb the top of their child's head at a time as it would still be fragile when they needed to shave the hair off, they would leave a lock of hair there which naturally grew long and needed to be tidied up as a top knot, ponytail or pigtail.
The four hairstyles were considered the clear markers of childhood. Once the children reached adolescence — at the age of 11 for girls and around 13 for boys — they would have their top knots, ponytails or pigtails removed.
This was usually done in a religious ceremony, a rite of passage for ordinary people and a solemn, grandiose event for royalty.
Phra Ratchakhru Wamthepmunee, a head Brahmin, wrote in a prologue to a book on the top-knot removal royal ceremony, or Phra Ratchaphithee Sokan, that he believed the top knot hairstyle of Thai children was influenced by Brahmin beliefs.
According to him, Brahmin deities are depicted with their long hair swept up in a top knot.
"Thai people might have adopted the style for children as a way to let them stay under the protection of the gods," Phra Ratchakhru said.
