ABSTRACT
This story is testament to the enduring appeal and cultural influence of the great South Asian epic, the Ramayana. Like the Mahabharata, which holds immense appeal in Indonesia, the Ramayanas hold on the mainland world is powerful. The story has been reconceptualized numerous times in Thai literary history, from the tales of Prince Samuttakote contained in this volume, to the later Ramakian, which was rewritten by the Thai monarch, to this latest incarnation. In this version, the updating and localization of the story is complete, for it situates the main characters in later twentieth-century Bangkok. In the original Ramayana tale Hanuman is the monkey king who allies with Rama in his battles against the demon king Thotsa-kan, who has kidnapped Sita. Moreover, as the tales English translator, Susan Kepner, has pointed out, this Hanuman is not the energetic, magical, and indestructible monkey king, but rather a fragile young boy.
