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Bet Paun or Hiding Game

Bet Paun is a game where young boys and girls always play on the night of the dawn. This game is played indefinitely in any season or month, as long as there is leisure time and no limit to the number of people. The measure of this game consists of the one who hides the others and the searcher. When the searcher catching the hide players and rounded their ears.

Bet Paun or Hiding Game © Buddhist Institute 1964
Bet Paun or Hiding Game © Buddhist Institute 1964

How to play: Firstly, they are gathered up boys and girls in the same age about 5 to 10 people up. Then, they divided into two equal parts, one female or one male or mixed up. They have defined a place called “Ti” and hid somewhere else without let the searcher side find them, while the searcher side was standing with eye closed or sealed. The norm of this game is the eye-closed; which they promise that whoever intends to see where the hider is hidden, and they will be blind “S’oy Phnek”. In the next few minutes, those in the eyes-closed open their eyes and shout “Berk Kom Rob Bai Khom Kai Rok Nak Na Min Mok Anh Rok Khern”. Then, they choose someone who a bit taller for waiting and protecting the place by not letting the hiders come in. And, the leftovers are looking for the hided players in every conceivable place. If any of the searchers see the hiders, they will chase after them and rounded ears. If they can catch the hiders that called “Over”, and if the hider comes into the spot, they are free from rounded ears. While the hider arrives on the spot, they have to shout out “I’m in”. If not shouting, the searchers will chase them and rounded their ears again. When the searchers find all the hidden or few of them, they will change their position searcher to hider and vice versa. This game can be referred to as exercising on the running and jumping.

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