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BANGKOK - FOR as long as people in Thailand can remember, children have been given playful nicknames, classics include Shrimp, Chubby and Crab, which are carried into adulthood.
But now, to the consternation of some nickname purists, children are being given such offbeat English-language nicknames such as Mafia or Seven - as in 7-Eleven, the convenience store.
The spread of foreign names mirrors a rapidly urbanising society which has absorbed many influences, including Hollywood, fast-food chains and English Premier League soccer.
The trend worries Vira Rojpojchanarat, the Permanent Secretary of the Thai Ministry of Culture. He is campaigning to revive the simple and often more pastoral nicknames of yore.
'It's important because it's about the usage of the Thai language,' said Mr Vira. 'We worry that Thai culture will vanish.'
With help from experts at the Royal Institute, the official arbiter of the Thai language, he plans to publish a collection of old-fashioned nicknames.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
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