I started compiling this information not long after I got here and
the list has been growing ever since. I wanted to have more of this in my normal posts but I really
didn't know how to fit it in. So instead you get a summary of the Thai
Culture in one big post - a la Megan Anton. I thought it was fitting
to post it this week
since I have been here for just over seven weeks and I have about seven
to
go. So here is my take on the Thai culture - smack dab in the middle of
my adventure. Some of this information
is common knowledge in Thailand, some I have learned from the experts
and some is just my humble opinion.
Religion
Religion
is extremely important here. The country is 95% Buddhist and you don't
have to look far to see signs of it. It is said that Bangkok alone has
between 400 and 500 temples. Religion is taught in school, morning
prayers are said at assembly every morning and many times there is a
small temple on the grounds. Buddhism in Thailand is influenced by
traditional beliefs regarding natural and ancestral spirits. Offerings
of food and water are presented to keep these spirits happy. Many Thai
households own 'spirit houses', a small ornate and colorful house where they believe
the household spirits live. If these spirits aren't happy then it is
believed they will inhabit the larger house and cause chaos. You can
find these spirit houses outside of almost every Thai home as well as in
public places, where people make public offerings. Monks are high in
the hierarchy of Thai society and demand their own religious protocol.
Thai monks are forbidden to physical contact with women, so therefore
women are expected to make way for passing monks to make sure that
contact does not accidentally occur. When making offerings, women place
donations at the feet of the monks since directly handing things to the
monk is not allowed.
King
If religion
is number one in Thailand, then the king is number two. Thailand has
been a constitutional monarchy since 1932 and the current king, King
Bhumibol Adulyadej or King Rama IX was corrinated in 1946, making him
the longest ruling monarch in the world. The king is well loved and
respected through out the country and you can see his picture and flag
just about everywhere. But take this information with a grain of salt
for it is a crime to disrespect the king in anyway. People are still
punished for criticizing the king. It is also rude to step on any Thai currency that has fallen on the ground, since the king appears on all money.
Attitude
As
in many Asian cultures, the notion of face is very important in
Thailand. Thai people generally don't show emotion and one should be
careful to place blame or do anything to cause another person loose
face. It is very important to stay calm and avoid conflict.
Disagreements and disputes are often settled with a smile and the phrase
‘Mai Pen Rai’ meaning ‘it’s nothing’ or ‘it doesn’t matter.’ This
reflects the disposition towards minimizing any arguments whatsoever. The idea of individuality is virtually unknown here. The society as a whole is more important than the individual members and it is best to follow the crowd. Children are never taught the phrase 'just be yourself' and 'everybody is special.' Rather prefer not to stand out from everybody else.
Head & Feet
A
very important social norm here is the respect shown to a persons
head. It is the highest part of the body and therefor should be
respected. It is rude to touch somebodies head, especially strangers.
(This is a tough one, especially working with children) It is also
considered rude to place your feet above another persons head, mostly
because the feet are seen as the least important and dirtiest part of
the body. One should never point with their feet or move anything with
them. You should also never step over people, books or food. General
rule of thumb is to avoid showing the bottoms of your feet to anybody.
(It's harder than it sounds. I'm always putting my feet on chairs while
I'm sitting down or crossing my legs so one foot is flapping around.)
Respect
If
the culture of Thailand had to be summed up in one word, for me it
would be respect. Children are taught at a very young age to respect
their elders and how to perform a wai, the traditional Thai greeting.
When walking past adults or strangers, children will lower their heads
or bend down a little bit. It is considered very rude to walk proudly
past somebody or stand over someone.
Thai culture is
also very polite. When speaking with others, especially strangers,
Thais will always add Kha (females) or Krap (males) to the end of the
sentence. After a few exchanges the Kha/Krap is dropped and the
conversation carries on. Sometimes it is used to say 'yes' or agree
with somebody; or to mean 'this one please' when pointing at something.
There is no translation for it and it is strictly for politeness. (My
boss at my school in Bangkok would often use it even when she spoke
English. I often heard her say "Good Morning Kha")
Beauty
Appearance
is very important to the Thais, especially women. They
take pride in their appearance and will go to great lengths to keep
their skin out of the sun. Women often wear removable sleeves when in
direct sunlight, and guard their face with umbrellas, newspapers, large
hats or whatever they can find. (although this does seem to help with
the heat somewhat) They even go so far as to whiten their skin.
Almost all beauty product come with some sort of whitening agent in
them, and I mean all beauty products. Lotions, sunscreens, face wash,
body wash, even deodorants have whiteners. I have to spend extra time
in the beauty department reading labels to make sure I don't
accidentally buy something with a whitener in it. I'm not comfortable
bleaching my skin mostly because it's not good for you, but also because
I feel like I am pale enough already and I don't need lotions to make
me any more pale. Frankly I'd like to try to get
less pale while I'm here if I can.
Food & Drink
Thai
food is notoriously spicy and full of robust flavors, and with over 40
different ethnic groups- Thai food is extremely varied with many
different ingredients and preparations throughout the country. They
use a variety of spices such as lime, garlic, lemongrass, basil,
cilantro, as well as various types of chilies and curry pastes. Pork,
shrimp, tofu, sausage and chicken are the most common 'meats' in any
dish. It is very rare to find beef here as Buddhists don't believe in
eating anything bigger than yourself. Staples include eggs, rice, and noodles.
Vegetables include eggplant, potato, cucumber, tomato, pumpkin, morning
glory and bean sprouts. Thai fruit includes your well known apples,
bananas, pineapples and grapes as well as rose apples, guavas, mangoes,
limes, coconuts and many many others.
Pork fried rice;
red curry soup with chicken, vegetables, and white rice; a spicy papaya
salad called Som Tam which features tomatoes, garlic, chili, cucumber
and long slivers of papaya; Pad Thai, a fried noddle dish with bean
sprouts, egg, cilantro, lime, fish sauce and peanuts are all among my
favorite Thai dishes.
In my opinion, Thai iced tea
and coffee are the best there around. The Thais make a mean iced tea, brewed
from strong black tea and sweetened with condensed milk. Thai iced
coffee is brewed using strong black coffee and sweetened with sugar,
heavy cream and quickly poured over ice. Both are sweet, cold and cheap
and feel amazing in the sweltering Thai sun. God bless the Thais!
One of the best parts of eating in Thailand is the condiments. A variety of
sauces and spices are served with each meal such as sugar, sweet chili
sauce, dried chili flakes and
nam pla (literally means chili water) consisting of fish sauce, garlic, lime juice and chopped chilies.
Thai
food is eaten with a spoon in your dominant hand and fork in the other.
The fork is used to push food onto the spoon, which is really an
efficient system for shoveling tasty Thai food into you mouth.
Chopsticks are only used for noodle dishes or soups. It is almost
impossible to find a knife.
It is impossible to sum
up variety and diversity of any culture's cuisine, especially Thailand.
I have left lots of important things out, (street food, desserts, fried
foods, alcohol, I could go on) but this is just small sample of what I
have found to be my favorite.
Other Random Facts:
Family is
very important, as reflected in the language. There are 4 words for
aunt and 4 words for uncle alone, depending on whether it is your mother
or fathers older or younger sibling.
When beckoning people or hailing a cab never gesture with
your palm up, rather with your palm down, palm up is reserved for dogs.
In the
Buddhist calender
it is the year 2555, but calendars with include both years. The number
5 in Thai is pronounced 'ha' so sometimes this year is referred to as
the laughing year. Likewise, when Thai's need to shorthand laughing on
Facebook or Skype chat, instead of writing 'hahaha' they write 5555.
Kinda cute huh?
Wednesdays are considered to be
unlucky in Thailand. You are advised not to get your hair cut, get
married or buy a lottery ticket on Wednesdays. In the country many
shops are only open for half the day or completely closed. (I'm not
quite sure why but I think it has something to do with odd numbers being
unlucky) All days of the week carry a significance, with their own
color, moon and God and the day of the week you were born on is said to
have an influence on your personality and your lucky days and colors.
