Here's looking at you, kid

Sunny

Thai skin - or maybe Asian skin in general - is unlike western skin.

It is more sensitive to sunlight, for a start. When my Thai friends complain about the sun, it's not just because they are afraid of ending up with tanned skin, with the social stigma that comes attached to the 'black' look. It's because the sun starts burning Thai skin quickly.

I used to take a Thai student friend of mine running on the rooftop of my condo. He could stand direct exposure to the sunlight for perhaps just 10-15 seconds, before his skin started to burn.

If a Thai friend visits the sea for just a couple of days, he can come back looking so dark his skin does indeed look almost black. But the sun is not the only factor which can make the Thai complexion darken. Lack of sleep can also play a part.

My boyfriend comes from a Chinese background, so is whiter than most of his friends. His looks are what Thais call na ta ti (หน้าตาตี๋ๆ) , where the ti word, with a rising tone, actually means Chinese lad, but can also be used to refer to the pale-skinned Chinese look.

He does not seem to darken easily, but then he avoids the sun. However, skin colour is among the favourite topics of conversation for Maiyuu and his friends, especially if someone appears to be looking darker than usual.

The guy above is Thai actor Sunny Suwanmethanon, from the movie Dear Dakanda. He has looks which Thais like to call kem (เข้ม), for deep in colour, or dark, or kom (คม), for sharp, which in this context refers to 'strong' looks.

It is usually associated with full-length, thick eyebrows, facial hair, tanned rather than pale skin, and full red lips.

However, Sunny, who is look kreung (ลูกครึ่ง, or half-caste), is pale-skinned rather than tanned, so in his case we could use a combination word to describe him as ti kom (ตี๋คม).

The word ti (ตี๋) is apt for someone with small, single-hooded eyes. Many Thais have large, doe-like eyes. However, if they are also pale-skinned, like Chinese, then the same word can apply.