Thais have a philosophy of keeping their cool and not losing their temper; jai yen (cool heart). To raise your voice and lose your temper is not good form and confrontation is to be avoided. However, that doesn’t mean that every Thai person you meet will be the stereotype happy-go-lucky person you see in all [...]
Body Language in Thailand
October 18, 2006 By
Despite Thailand’s apparently laid-back and relaxed attitude, it can be surprisingly easy for unaware visitors to cause offence. Manners are important to Thai people and what may be acceptable in Western society is not always appropriate in Thailand. Thai people consider the head and shoulders to be the most important part of the body as [...]
Land of Smiles
October 1, 2006 By
Thailand is famously known as the ‘Land of Smiles’, and for good reason. But a Thai smile does not automatically mean that the person is happy. This can lead to misunderstandings between Westerners and Thais. Here is an example from my second trip to Thailand. I was in an internet cafe near Sukhumvit in Bangkok. [...]
Buddhism and Merit-Making
September 21, 2006 By
Thailand is pre-dominantly Buddhist (over 90% of the population are Buddhists). I am far from being an expert on Buddhism, but living in Thailand it is impossible not to realize the impact it has on everyday life and the value placed on merit-making. There is a Thai saying which says that “if you do good [...]
