Likit LaLaeng

Likit LaLaeng is a teacher and artist who revived the art of Galeh puppetry, a traditional Hokkien Chinese folk art in Phuket that harmoniously blends song, music, and puppetry. He learned the art from Pae Kiao-Diroj Lert-ekkul of the Jui Tui Tao Bo Keng Shrine and has been teaching it to students at Satree Phuket School since 2011 to preserve the local culture. This script for a Galeh (Chinese puppet) performance tells the story of a scholar who journeys to the capital to sit for the imperial examination. When his provisions run out along the way, he prays to the Jade Emperor Songte for survival and for success in becoming the top scholar. Sustained by sugarcane, he survives the journey and ultimately attains the rank of Zhuangyuan. Upon returning home, he sets up an offering table to the deities, presenting sugarcane as a symbol of perseverance and filial piety. Through LaLeang’s revival, Galeh puppetry has become one of Phuket’s valuable cultural legacies.