Southern-style Thai

The taxi driver who gave me a ride today hails from the South of Thailand where these characters stuck to the console in his cab originate. These three figures are from Nang Talung, a type of folk shadow play that involves puppets made out of cut and perforated leather. Typical characters include demons, comedians, hermits, gods, and royalty, and the themes range from family conflict to the adventures of a wandering hero. At one point during the ride, I looked up at the driver and realized that he resembled one of those guys with a big belly and a long pointer finger.