Barami

Barami (Thai: บารมี; from Pali pāramī) is a deeply ingrained and significant sociological and political concept in Thai culture, particularly within its Theravada Buddhist framework. While often translated as "prestige," "charisma," "virtue," or "moral perfection," barami encompasses a broader sense of innate, superhuman power and influence derived from accumulated good karma and virtuous actions over many lifetimes. It is analogous to the Burmese concept of hpone. The concept of barami has been attributed with enabling the escalation of power of Thailand's judiciary and other elite institutions in the modern era. These entities have increasingly steered Thailand's constitutional regime away from liberal democracy.