Illustrated with numerous examples of shadowy figures from two Thai and two Swedish collections, this is a description of the southern Thai popular tradition of shadow theatre and its differences with the central Thai classical school. This form of puppet theater made its appearance in southern Thailand in the 17th century, and remains popular today. In addition to well-known folk tales and episodes from such South Asian classics as the Ramayana, this form of shadow puppet theater has been influenced by modern literature and TV, and new plays based on events in modern life are