Tamra Maew Description

There is no poem in the Tamra Maew which clearly describes the appearance of the Thai Tonkinese. This coat and eye color lies most closely to the Wichienmaat, and perhaps a cat of this color hundreds of years ago would be considered a Wichienmaat, but by today's standards it is not.

In the west, the Tonkinese breed was created by cross breeding American Siamese and American Burmese cats and represents an intermediary between the two breeds. In Thailand, this in-between color is common and naturally occurring. They are somewhere between the dark brown Thai Burmese and the lighter Wichienmaat. This is perhaps the most common Maew Boran cat and the color you are most likely to encounter on the streets of Thailand.

Despite the common occurrence of this color, it is not intentionally bred by breeders in Thailand because there is no description of this cat in the Tamra Maew (Cat Poems), a loose standard used by many breeders. It is nevertheless a beautiful cat and can found in many homes throughout Thailand.