5 Things I learnt about Thailand after living there for 2 years and some months
I came to Bangkok, Thailand in October 2012 and left it in April 2015. During my stay in Thailand, I learnt about drastically different people, values and customs. I had my own share of surprises, aha-moments as well as confusions. Things are never easy abroad and the first couple of months were both highly enjoyable and particularly challenging. Now that I look back at my experience in Thailand, I can reflect on what I had learnt about that country and its people and I decided to share it with you. So here they are:
1. Life can be unbelievably cheap…
Don’t get me wrong. There are places to go and visit that would cost a lot in local currency but let me make one thing absolutely clear: If you are on a pension from a Western country, it is definitely very cheap for you. If you get three or four thousand dollars for your pension, you can live like a king. Consider that a very delicious meal in Bangkok would cost you about 2 USD; consider that your rent would be somewhere between 300 to 1000 USD; consider as well that flying to some of the most gorgeous islands in the world would cost you only 100 (a return ticket!). So you may even have the luxury to indulge yourself in whatever you want.
2. It’s a laid-back country…
“Mai pen rai”. It’s one of the first phrases you will learn in Thailand and it means: “No problem” or “Don’t worry about it!!”. It is used so often and so unanimously that you will learn it quickly and then begin to understand that Thais rarely take anything seriously. Your car has broken down and you have to take the bus. Well, main pen rai or who cares? You are five minutes late for work, well, that’s all right. “Mei pen rai” Don’t get stressed out. You have had a bad night with your girlfriend. Mai pen rai, don’t worry about it.
3. Face is everything.
It is probably a social protocol in the East in general. I have heard this to be true in China or Japan. Nonetheless, it is an essential fact of social relations. People are absolutely terrified about losing their face in public and they will do anything to nip it in the bud. The students in the class won’t answer a question even if they are almost certain about the answer. The reasoning behind this is that: “What if I am wrong and others laugh at me? Better to keep my face rather than risk losing it.” Furthermore, they absolutely hate talking about the weaknesses of themselves or even their workplace. If you start complaining that it is awfully hot at your work and make an issue of it, Thais will feel let down as if you are belittling them because of that. They feel that they do not measure up. So Thais rarely welcome any kind of criticism from others, especially foreigners.
4. Once a foreigner, always a foreigner…
Thais are incredibly hospitable and welcoming towards foreigners, particularly visitors. But a foreigner is a foreigner. There is and always will be a fine, invisible line between you and Thais. You can stay as much as you want in Thailand but you won’t ever be integrated. No one will give you the same weight and consideration as a local. In other words, you are a guest in this country and they will do their best to let you enjoy your time but forget about being considered seriously. If you have the best plans in the world to improve your workplace, they won’t be taken very seriously because you are a foreigner and frankly your ideas do not count so much because of that.
5. Your skin color weighs a lot….
This is a sad but important fact about life in Thailand. Thais give an incredible importance to the color of skin. Needless to say, Caucasians with their white skin are loved everywhere they go and if they happen to have blond hair and blue eyes, they are practically worshipped. On the other side of spectrum, Thais have a hidden mistrust towards Blacks. They do not have much admiration for them and they often have a harder time gaining the respect of Thais.