Northern Thai Research Articles

The study of the Northern Thai dialect: Phonetic variations of Sao Wa sub-variant in Chiang Rai province

The study of the Northern Thai dialect: Phonetic variations of Sao Wa sub-variant in Chiang Rai province

The study of the Northern Thai dialect: Phonetic variations of Sao Wa sub-variant in Chiang Rai province

The study of the Northern Thai dialect: Phonetic variations of Sao Wa sub-variant in Chiang Rai province

Causal Model of Health Literacy in Thai Older Adults with Knee Osteoarthritis

Knee osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis causing disability among older adults. Proper self-care is vital and achievable with health literacy. Thai older adults with knee osteoarthritis have been found to have inadequate health literacy, and poor selfcare behaviors for this condition. The purpose of this descriptive cross-sectional study was to test a causal model of health literacy in Thai older adults with knee osteoarthritis, depicting relationships among provider-patient communication, patient engagement, cognitive function, knowledge of knee osteoarthritis, Internet use, social support, social participation, and health literacy. Participants comprised 318 older adults with knee osteoarthritis, selected using multi-stage random sampling from nine community hospitals in a northern Thai province. Data were collected using a demographic data form, the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire, the Provider-patient Communication Scale, the Patient Health Engagement Scale, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Basic, the Arthritis Knowledge Scale, the Internet Use Questionnaire, the Social Support Questionnaire, and the Community Participation of the Elderly Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s product moment correlation, and structural equation modeling. The final model fitted with empirical data and explained 36% of the variance in health literacy with Internet use as the strongest predictor directly affecting health literacy. Internet use and social participation had positive direct and indirect effects on health literacy via cognitive function. Cognitive function and social support positively directly affected health literacy. Patient engagement negatively affected health literacy indirectly via Internet use. Knowledge of knee osteoarthritis and provider-patient communication did not affect health literacy directly or indirectly. In conclusion, nurses should design interventions to promote health literacy of this population by highlighting Internet use, social participation, cognitive function, social support, and patient engagement, with testing in clinical practice.

Turbaned Northern Thai-ness: selective transnationalism, situational ethnicity and local cultural intimacy among Chiang Mai Punjabis

ABSTRACT Chiang Mai is home to approximately 400 diasporic Punjabis, some of whom are sixth-generation residents of Thailand. While their transnational orientation, distinct sartorial choices and cultural practices might present them as outsiders to essential Thainess, Northern Thai Punjabis transgress the national image of Thainess and subjectively consider themselves to be Northern (Lanna) Thais. At the same time, these Thai citizens avail themselves of Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) status for privileged access to economic, cultural and educational resources in India. Based on 51 in-depth interviews and 17 focus group studies among resident Hindu, Sikh and Namdhari Sikh communities in Northern Thailand, this research explores family histories, selective transnationalism, and regional Lanna identities among these overseas Punjabis. As this article will argue, while Punjabi Thais maintain their networks and cultural connections with an historic ancestral homeland, they also cultivate forms of local cultural intimacy in ways which leapfrog the linguistic and cultural hegemony of Thai national identity.

Antioxidant Activities and Characterization of Polyphenols from Selected Northern Thai Rice Husks: Relation with Seed Attributes

Rice production generates a significant amount of agricultural waste. This study aimed to give results related to the existence of antioxidant phenols in agricultural waste of selected Northern Thai rice varieties. The antioxidant activities, contents of total flavonoids and phenolic compounds in the ethanolic rice husk extract were evaluated. The highest antioxidant activities were found in the variety PES1CMU, with 2,2ʹ-azinobis-3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl as 679.66 and 4.16 mmol/(L·g) trolox equivalent, respectively, ferric reducing antioxidant power as 0.87 mmol/(L·g) Fe2+, total phenolic content as 29.90 mmol/(L·g) gallic acid and total flavonoid content as 12.16 mg/g catechin equivalent. Polyphenol compounds were identified mainly by standard polyphenols using the liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, with the highest contents of phytic acid, o-coumaric acid, naringin and kaempferol. The non-glutenous and wetland ecotypes of rice husk samples were the richest in antioxidant activities and polyphenol contents characterized by using principal component analysis. The glutenous rice husk contained higher antioxidant activities than the rest. Interestingly, quercetin is a significant phenolic compound that positively correlated with the overall antioxidant activities of rice husk. This finding will be relevant for future application of rice husk antioxidant components in the production of functional ingredients as well as for the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Burning for a Beloved Mushroom: Northern Thai Environmentalism and the Contested Narratives of a Wild Delicacy

Burning for a Beloved Mushroom: Northern Thai Environmentalism and the Contested Narratives of a Wild Delicacy

Development of an Information System to Support Occupational Therapy Services from Hospital to Community

Background: Information systems for occupational therapy (OT) services need to adapt effectively for improving performance by taking advantage of digital technology. Objective: This research aimed to develop an information system for supporting occupational therapy services in the community. Methods: This study used a mixed methods research design divided into two phases. Phase I: system requirements were gathered from nine occupational therapists who represented each of the nine provinces in northern Thailand. Focus groups and in-depth interviews were used in detail to explore the system requirements for occupational therapy services in the community. This information system applied a responsive web design. Phase II: usability testing, involved thirty occupational therapists in a northern network, who were selected to evaluate an information system by using a questionnaire. Results: Results showed that participants requested two components: 1) Occupational Therapist data, and 2) a referral system. The information system could be used by occupational therapists in a northern Thai OT network to insert their own information actively for providing a referral system. The overall usability assessment was at a high level (mean ± SD = 4.27 ± 0.07). Conclusion: This study concluded that an OT digital network system may offer a strategy to support OT services from hospital to community in a complex system of healthcare.

The larvae of caddisfly species (Insecta, Trichoptera) in northern Thai streams and their relationships to environmental variables

There have been few systematic studies on Trichoptera larvae in Thailand. The larval stages of the endemic species remain mostly unknown. Continued work on describing the larval stages of species will improve the precision of water quality monitoring metrics and enable ecological studies of species. This paper describes the unknown larvae of Hydropsyche pallipenne Banks 1938 and Hydropsyche askalaphos Malicky & Chantaramongkol 2000, with their identities deduced from the fact that both the larvae described here and identifiable adult specimens were sampled at the same location. Also, the effects of environmental variables on the distribution of caddisfly larvae in northern Thai streams were investigated. In total, 41 taxa from seven streams were identified, representing twenty-four genera and thirteen families. The Hydropsychidae were the most numerous family collected, accounting for 1,487 specimens (54%). Trichopteran abundance (for Triaenodes sp., Marilia sumatrana, Amphipsyche meridiana, Hydropsyche askalaphos, Leptocerus sp., Ganonema sp., Chimarra cf. akkaorum, Cheumatopsyche cf. dubitans, Macrostemum sp., and Leptocerus sp.) is influenced by environmental factors such as water temperature, dissolved oxygen, total dissolved solids, ammonia nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, and pH. Because of their significant responses to environmental fluctuations, the caddisfly assemblage proved useful in identifying variations in water quality conditions in northern Thai streams.

The Development of Youth Network for Strengthening Social Adaptation of Thai Vulnerable Juveniles

The purposes of the study were 1) to examine the effects of a youth network on vulnerable youths’ social adaptation knowledge, 2) to examine the vulnerable youths’ satisfaction with the youth network on social adaptation development, and 3) to examine the effects of a youth network on vulnerable youths’ changes in behaviors of social adaptation. The participants consisted of 302 vulnerable youths in the northern Thai province of Khon Kaen selected by a systematic sampling method. A group of 10 authorities was also chosen purposively to join the interview session. The instruments included a youth network plan, a social adaptation test, and an interview form. Frequency, percentage, mean score, S.D, and t-test were used to examine the data. The content analysis assessed qualitative data. The findings study reveals how a planned youth network resulted in the acquisition of knowledge, attitudes, and desirable behavior among youngsters at risk.

Development and Feasibility of the Emergency Medical Services Hub for Northern Thai Older Adults: An Action Research Study

Most older adults have unique needs and are suffering from chronic diseases. It is important to have quick and easy access to emergency medical services. Three-phase action research aimed to develop and assess the feasibility of implementing the Emergency Medical Service Hub for Older Adults Model in Upper Northern Thailand was conducted. In phase I and phase II, 27 emergency healthcare providers and 10 older adults were purposively recruited, and in phase III 16 emergency healthcare providers evaluated the feasibility of the model. The framework guided the study was based on action research methodologyand six emergency medical services system functions. Data were collected via in-depth interviews, observation, and self-report of the implementation feasibility questionnaire. All research instruments were validated by three experts, yielded a content validity index of 0.80-1, and the reliability test of the implementation feasibility questionnaire revealed a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.81. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and content analysis.The final model consisted of six components: effective communication, registry and database, geographic information system, effective emergency medical service team, one-stop service emergency department for older adults, and continuum of care. Overall, the possibility of the model implementation was rated as high. The benefit and safety aspect of implementing the model was at the highest level, followed by its applicability. The use of the model is likely to benefit older adults. Effective implementation requires proper resource support and future study to examine the effectiveness of the model in a full-scale clinical trial is recommended.

Comparison of unweighted and item response theory-based weighted sum scoring for the Nine-Questions Depression-Rating Scale in the Northern Thai Dialect

BackgroundThe Nine-Questions Depression-Rating Scale (9Q) has been developed as an alternative assessment tool for assessing the severity of depressive symptoms in Thai adults. The traditional unweighted sum scoring approach does not account for differences in the loadings of the items on the actual severity. Therefore, we developed an Item Response Theory (IRT)-based weighted sum scoring approach to provide a scoring method that is more precise than the unweighted sum score.MethodsSecondary data from a study on the criterion-related validity of the 9Q in the northern Thai dialect was used in this study. All participants were interviewed to obtain demographic data and screened/evaluated for major depressive disorder and the severity of the associated depressive symptoms, followed by diagnosis by a psychiatrist for major depressive disorder. IRT models were used to estimate the discrimination and threshold parameters. Differential item functioning (DIF) of responses to each item between males and females was compared using likelihood-ratio tests. The IRT-based weighed sum scores of the individual items are defined as the linear combination of individual response weighted with the discrimination and threshold parameters divided by the plausible maximum score based on the graded-response model (GRM) for the 9Q score (9Q-GRM) or the nominal-response model (NRM) for categorical combinations of the intensity and frequency of symptoms from the 9Q responses (9QSF-NRM). The performances of the two scoring procedures were compared using relative precision.ResultsOf the 1,355 participants, 1,000 and 355 participants were randomly selected for the developmental and validation group for the IRT-based weighted scoring, respectively. the gender-related DIF were presented for items 2 and 5 for the 9Q-GRM, while most items (except for items 3 and 6) for the 9QSF-NRM, which could be used to separately estimate the parameters between genders. The 9Q-GRM model accounting for DIF had a higher precision (16.7%) than the unweighted sum-score approach.DiscussionOur findings suggest that weighted sum scoring with the IRT parameters can improve the scoring when using 9Q to measure the severity of the depressive symptoms in Thai adults. Accounting for DIF between the genders resulted in higher precision for IRT-based weighted scoring.

Labour of Devotion: Material Construction and Charisma of Saintly Monks in the Myanmar–Thai Border Region

The Myanmar–Thai border area has been the stage for charismatic monks revered by the populace following three religious traditions: the northern Thai tradition of khruba worship, Myanmar Buddhism in the peripheries, and Karen history of seeking variable millenarian leaders. Their practices are characterised by the construction of large Buddhist structures; the formation of a community of devotees; ascetic and/or moral practices; and a diversity of followers including ethnic minorities. The construction is enabled by donations from those wielding political and economic power, and through the massive labour of devotees. Minorities and impoverished populations provide the labour of devotion towards religious construction, gaining sustenance by the monk’s compassion. This article examines the process of material construction of enormous architectural structures such as pagodas. This involves the labour of devotees, in this case namely the Karen minorities, which in turn expands the capacity for further merit-making and thereby increases the saints’ charisma.

Enhancing Thai-English Translation Capabilities of EFL Undergraduates with the Principle of Haujai Nakpraj (Learned-man Approach)

Knowledge of subject-verb agreement (concord) plays a vital role in Thai-English translation by EFL undergraduates because the knowledge foundation of concord is essential for Thai-English translation. Complicated rules of concord cause problems for EFL undergraduates’ when it comes to Thai-English translation. Their knowledge can be developed and improved utilizing a specific Thai learning style called Haujai Nakpraj Learning Style (HNLS) which means “Learned-man Approach or The Heart of the Learned man”. This pre-experimental preliminary research used a one-group pre-test and post-test design study aiming at improving the knowledge of concord. It hopes to achieve this through the activities designed based on the principle of the Haujai Nakpraj Learning Style (HNLS). The goal is to enhance the ability of nine EFL Northern Thai undergraduate students in Thai-English translation as a sample group enrolled in the Introduction to Translation Course during the summer semester of the 2020 academic year in comparison to the Thai-English translation ability of EFL Thai undergraduates.Data collection instruments consisted of pre-test and post-test with 62 items divided into two sections. The first 32 items concentrate on testing subject-verb agreement knowledge in addition to 30 multiple-choice items testing the Thai-English translation ability of the sample group together with threeThai-English translation subjective tests as qualitative data. The statistics used in the data analysis was the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test employed to compare the average scores of the target group’s pre-test and post-test. The findings revealed that the average score of the post-test on knowledge of subject-verb agreement in Thai-English translation was significantly higher than the average score of the pre-test at 0.05 level. In qualitative data analysis, findings revealed the sample group received high and average translation marks, with scores ranging from 16 to 20 for high, 11 to 15 for average, and 5 to 10 for low.This result suggested that the activities are effective to a certain extent as they can be applied for EFL learners in the translation source language (SL) to the target language (TL) context.

Association of HLA-DRB1*15:02:01, DQB1*05:01:24 and DPB1*13:01:01 in Thai patients with systemic sclerosis.

HLA studies in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) have shown variable results. This study aimed to examine the association of HLA class I and II risk alleles in Thai SSc patients, and clarify the contribution of risk HLA alleles to the pathogenesis and clinical manifestations. Blood samples from 92 SSc patients and 135 healthy controls (HCs) were collected. Eleven loci of the HLA class I (HLA-A, B, and C) and class II (HLA-DR, DP, and DQ) genes were determined by a 3-field (6-digit) analysis using the Next Generation DNA Sequencing (NGS) method. Anti-topoisomerase-I antibodies (ATA) and anti-centromere antibodies (ACA) were identified by ELISA methods. Allele frequencies (AFs) of HLA-DRB1*15:02:01, DRB5*01:02:01, DQB1*05:01:24, DPB1*13:01:01, and DQA1*01:01:01 were increased significantly in the whole SSc and SSc patients with positive ATA, but with negative ACA (SSc/ATA+/ACA-). Of these, DPB1*13:01:01 was the most susceptible allele. The DRB1*15:02:01, DQB1:05:01:24, and DPB1*13:01:01 alleles were estimated to locate on the unique haplotype, and haplotype frequency was estimated to be significantly higher than those in the HCs (p=0.002). The linkage analysis of DRB1*15/16 revealed that most of the DRB1*15:02:01 alleles were linked to DRB5*01:02:01 or DRB5*01:08:01N. The linkage of DRB1*16:02:01 to DRB5*01:01:01 was observed frequently. The associations of risk alleles with several SSc clinical features were observed. HLA-DRB1*15:02:01, DRB5*01:02:01, DQB1*05:01:24, and DPB1*13:01:01 on the unique haplotype were associated with the pathogenesis and clinical features of SSc in Thai patients. The linkage of DRB1*15:02:01 to DRB5*01:08:01N was observed commonly in northern Thai patients.

Antioxidant activity and antidiabetic activities of Northern Thai indigenous edible plant extracts and their phytochemical constituents

Diabetes mellitus is the most common non-infective disease characterized by hyperglycemia (high level of blood glucose). Formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in long termed-hyperglycemia and oxidative stress are the key factors to accelerate diabetic complications. To screen potential candidates for treating diabetes, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, antioxidant activity from crude extracts of some Thai edible plants were primarily assessed, and the inhibiting potential of diabetes and its complications provided from some of these plants were evaluated in terms of their inhibitory activities of α-amylase, α-glycosidase, and AGEs formation. The highest amounts of phenolic and flavonoid compounds were found in the ethanolic extract of Caesalpinia mimosoides (S20, 12.63 ± 1.70 mg GAE/g DW) and Glochidion hirsutum (S8, 3.02 ± 0.25 mg CE/g DW), respectively. The highest antioxidant activity was found in Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi (S26, 217.94 ± 32.30 μg AAE/g DW) whereas the highest inhibitory activities of α-amylase and α-glycosidase were obtained from Basella alba L. (S11, IC50 = 0.21 ± 0.01 mg/ml) and S. terebinthifolius (S26, IC50 = 0.05 ± 0.02 mg/ml) respectively. The inhibitory effects of AGEs formation were studied in vitro using two model systems: BSA-glucose and BSA-methylglycoxal (MGO). The extracts of Glochidion hirsutum (Roxb.) Voigt (S8, IC50 = 0.20 ± 0.01 mg/ml) and Polygonum odoratum Lour. (S13, IC50 = 0.03 ± 0.01 mg/ml) exhibited the inhibitory activity of AGEs formation derived from glucose (BSA-glucose system) stronger than aminoguanidine (AG) (0.26 ± 0.00 mg/ml), which is a common AGEs formation inhibitory drug. By BSA-MGO assay, the inhibition of some selected extracts in this study (G. hirsutum, G. sphaerogynum, and S. terebinthifolius with IC50 = 0.11 ± 0.01, 0.11 ± 0.01, and 0.10 ± 0.00 mg/ml, respectively) were slightly less efficient than AG (the IC50 = 0.06 ± 0.00 mg/ml). These results indicated that some selected Thai edible plants in this present study provided potential applications towards the prevention of diabetes and their complications via the inhibitory of α-amylase, α-glycosidase, AGEs formation, and oxidative stress. This fundamental information would be important for alternative drug discovery and nutritional recommendations for diabetic patients.

Seroepidemiological study of Japanese encephalitis virus in Chiang Mai: Immunity and susceptibility 28 years after introduction of a vaccination programme.

BackgroundThailand has introduced a nationwide vaccination against Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) into National Immunization Programme since the 1990’s. To improve the understanding of immunity and susceptibility of the population after 28 years of a vaccination programme, we conducted a JEV seroepidemiological study in a JEV-endemic area of Thailand.MethodsAn age-stratified, population-based, seroepidemiological study was conducted in Chiang Mai, Thailand–a northern Thai province where is an endemic area of Japanese encephalitis. Nine districts were chosen based on administrative definition: rural (n = 3); urban (n = 3); and peri-urban (n = 3). Within each district, eligible participants were randomly selected from 3 age groups: adolescents (10–20 years); adults (21–50 years); and older adults/elderly (≥51 years) by computer randomization. Plaque reduction neutralization tests (PRNT50 and PRNT90) were performed to measure neutralizing antibodies to JEV. To account for the cross-reactivity of JEV and other flaviviruses, JEV seroprotection was defined according to age, previous history of JEV vaccination, and PRNT50/PRNT90 levels of study participants.ResultsOverall, 279 adolescents, 297 adults, and 297 older adults/elderly were enrolled from nine districts. Age-stratified, protocol-defined, cluster-adjusted JEV seroprotection rates were 61% (95% CI: 48–73%), 43% (95% CI: 31–57%), and 52% (95% CI: 37–67%) for adolescents, adults, and older adults/elderly, respectively. Living in peri-urban districts, having a history of prior dengue virus infection, and previously receiving mouse brain-derived JEV vaccine were significantly associated with seroprotection to JEV in adolescents. Older age and male sex were associated with seroprotection for adults; and only male sex was the associated factor for older adults/elderly (P <0.05).ConclusionsApproximately half of population living in a JEV-endemic area demonstrated seroprotection to JEV. Ongoing nationwide surveillance on JEV seropepidemiology is an important strategy to understand the evolving population-level immunity to JEV, and to help formulating the appropriate recommendations on JE immunization.

Allele Frequencies and Forensic Statistical Parameters for 21 Autosomal Short Tandem Repeats (STRs) loci in Northern Thai Population

Background: Although the genetic information of STRs has been established over the entire world, the differentcharacteristics between populations influenced the STRs information. FBI’s guideline recommended to expandadditional number of STRs loci to increase power of discrimination and exclusion. Unfortunately, the currentdata of STRs in northern Thai population have not fully covered additional loci. The aim of this study is to obtainaccurate allele frequencies of STRs among northern Thai population.Methods: The genetic profiles ofunrelated individuals were characterized by Investigator 24 plex Go kit. Allelefrequencies and forensic statistical parameters were calculated within GenoProof®3and Arlequin ver 3.5.2.2.Results: The SE33 and TH01 loci represented largest and lowest number of different alleles, respectively. Therewas no significant deviation from the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) after Bonferroni correction in all loci(p=0.002). The SE33 locus showed the greatest PD and PE, whereas the TPOX represented the lowest PD and PE.The studied population (northern Thai) appear to be most closely related to previously reported populationscontaining of Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese based on allele frequency.Conclusion: Our results recommended that current autosomal STRs data extended the application of STRs typingin parentage analyses and human identification among the localized population in northern region of Thailanddue to highly informative polymorphic data.

Interlacing China and Taiwan: Tea Production, Chinese-language Education and the Territorial Politics of Re-Sinicization in the Northern Borderlands of Thailand

AbstractWhile most ethnic Chinese in northern Thailand are Thai citizens now, their everyday lives are a site where we can witness the political power entanglement of China, Taiwan and Thailand. With this in mind, this paper aims to look into the relationship between global China and overseas Chinese from the perspective of the ethnic Chinese in the northern borderlands of Thailand. The purpose is not just to disclose the multiplicity of global China in people's everyday lives, but also to complicate the picture of overseas Chinese as portrayed in top-down grand narratives about global China. I argue that the ongoing re-Sinicization in South-East Asia and the territorial geopolitics among China, Taiwan and Thailand have opened a conceptual space for the ethnic Chinese in northern Thailand to flexibly articulate themselves within the changing geopolitical economy. I use tea production and related Chinese-language education programmes, two separate but intertwined cases, to address these issues. By looking beyond the competition, conflict and dilemmas between China and Taiwan, I argue that Taiwan's previous engagement with agricultural transfer to Thailand and the rooting of pro-Taiwan identity and discourse in language education have paradoxically paved a way for China to stretch its influence into the everyday lives of the Chinese communities in the northern Thai borderlands.

Incidence of Death from Stroke and Brains of Stroke Victim Cadavers in Northern Thailand

Abstract Stroke is a leading cause of death in Thailand. However, there are varying numbers of regional stroke patients. This study aims to report the ranking of stroke as the cause of death in Northern Thai cadavers and to investigate the brains of stroke victim cadavers. A retrograde study was used to obtain data about cadavers and gross examinations were performed on the brains of the stroke victim cadavers housed in the Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University in the years 2019-2020. The results showed that death from stroke among the cadavers in the Northern Thailand increased during 2016-2018. Stroke was ranked as the fourth and fifth leading cause of death. The stroke victims were primarily aged over 60 years. The incidence of stroke in males was significantly higher than that of females. Approximately 92.7% of total stroke brains were the intracerebral hemorrhagic type stroke. About 41.7% of the intracerebral hemorrhagic brains had occurred with intraventricular hemorrhage and 16.7% of those occurred with subarachnoid hemorrhage. The hemorrhagic sizes varied from 5.66 to 260.43 ml. The territories of the cortical branches of the middle cerebral artery were the most common hemorrhages, making up 22.9% of total vascular territories. In conclusion, stroke was the fourth and fifth leading cause of death in the self-donated population in the Northern Thailand. Intracerebral hemorrhagic stroke was the main cause the death. Additionally, the vascular territories of the stroke might be related to the likelihood of death. Keywords: Stroke, Cerebrovascular disease, Cadavers, Intracerebral hemorrhage, Northern Thailand

Believe it and/or not: Opening up to ontological pluralities in Northern Thailand

In this article, I argue that the study of belief in anthropology generally connotes an “either/or” dichotomy—either one believes something or one does not—which exceeds the concept of belief and stems from monotheistic and totalizing biases rampant throughout the discipline. Thus, I take up John Mair's recent call to study cultures of belief in relation to cosmo- and pluriverse politics. Drawing on a Pali philosophical lineage, I list overlapping ways people invoke belief and believing in northern Thailand. I then argue that a local kaleidoscopic theory of mind, in step with this logic of listing, can provide inroads to patterns, modes, and styles of belief inaccessible within prevailing anthropological paradigms. By playing with academic form as well as the somewhat out of fashion concept of belief, I highlight a particular sense of karmic contingency and related assumptions about multiplicity—of perspectives and of realities. This study of belief in turn serves at once to underscore pluralities as experienced in northern Thai contexts, to suggest such possibilities elsewhere, and to draw attention to the consequential limitations placed on conceptual landscapes by the underlying ontological assumptions of dominant forms of western knowledge production.