Early in the earth's history, mankind was uncivilized, rude, and brutal, and not yet settled to agriculture. Man's ingratitude to the Heavenly Spirit so angered the chief of the gods that he unloosed an enormous flood upon the earth from which only three chiefs escaped, Khun Khan, Khun Khek, and Khun Pu Lang Song. They made submission to the chief of the gods and remained with him in heaven until the floods subsided. At that time, they returned to earth with a buffalo, which helped them lay out rice fields in the great plain around Dien Bien Phu and then died. From the nostrils of the dead buffalo there grew an enormous plant bearing gourds from which there soon came loud noises. When the gourds were pierced, mankind came pouring out to populate the earth.
— From "Thailand, A Short History"
Therefore the three little brothers have been named: Khun Khan, Khun Khek, and Khun Pu Lang Song.
Oh... and since I don't think I've ever explained it before, the mother and two uncles — Pridi, Phibun, and Pramoj — are named after three World-War-2 era Prime Ministers of Thailand. I'm sure that goes over with a dull thud here on my blog, but it does get an amused raised eyebrow from Thai people.
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