Cultural Note

The following come from observations or what I've been told by Thai people.  First, Thais love to smile and laugh. For instance, when in a taxi, if you kill a fly out of the blue, the taxi driver may shout "that was my pet!" in Thai, which will alarm the party, and then make everyone laugh so hard they cry.  When you speak Thai to them with an English accent, they will also smile (more of a yay! than a making-fun-of-the-dumb-american smile). if you don't speak Thai, but they know you can, they will ask that you say something in Thai.  It was described to my partner-in-crime Timmy and I that Thai people love 3 things - shopping, chatting, and shitting.  I can understand the first two at least, but I'm pretty sure the 3rd should be 'eating'-there's food everywhere and Kai/Nui were always offering to feed us!  The Thais are also a very respectful people.  If they are unsure, they will ask your age so as to ascertain which title of respect to give you.  If people are about the same age, they will usually just use their first name or nickname.  That's another thing I've noticed, almost everyone has a nickname.  Probably because they have really long names…for instance, my RA goes by Bamboo. (that one's easy to remember!!! My roommates, Nuna and Mem, don't go by their real names either, or even shortened down from what I can tell. Nuna's name is Wanlipa, for instance. Nuna means 'rat' in Thai, and its true she does slightly resemble a rat (not in an ugly way!).  Another interesting tidbit about Thai culture is that before purchasing a car, Thais visit a monk, and the monk determines which color car they should get (based on their birth year), and when they should buy it.  Then, after purchase, the monk will bless the car so as to appease the spirit within.  If the buyer doesn't consult a monk, it is believed that the spirit will be uncontrollable and probably will get in an accident.  Since most taxis are hot pink, the monk tells the driver which color should be put down on the title, so that the spirit can still be appeased.