By: Jordan Clouse

TH A ILA N D

February 4,

M aterialCulture
Waterways, both river and canal, are Thailand's most

important means of inland transport.

Men wear suits to work, children wear uniforms to

school, and weekends Thai people wear normal

clothing, such as t-shirt and jeans. Traditional Thai
clothing are made from silk.
In Bangkok, Thailand is known as the gemstone capital

of the world, since colored gems from all over the world
are cut and polished here.

N onm aterialCulture
Thailand is a land that is strongly enclosed in Buddhism

and beliefs.
90% of the people in Thailand practice Buddhism.
Buddhists believed that the real and rightful way to

peace is to put away all desires and live sufficiently.

Sym bols
The Garuda is a figure

from both Buddhist and

Hindu mythology. It is a
symbol of royal family
and authority in Thailand.
In legend the Royal White

Elephant brought sacred

power. It brought fertility.
For the kings of Burma
and Siam, the possession
of these sacred beasts
became very important. A
king who had many fine
white elephants would be
successful - his kingdom
would prosper and his
reign be long. If his white
elephants died, it foretold
disaster for the king and
his kingdom. The Thailand
flag is also the
background in the image.

Language
There are 74 individual languages in Thailand.

Thai, Lahu, and Chinese Mandarin are some of

the main languages they use in Thailand.

Values

The most important values that Thai people hold to are

respect, self-control, and a non-confrontational attitude. No
matter how frustrated or upset a person might feel, he or she
will always try to maintain a positive and friendly attitude, a
sense of humor, and a smile. Showing anger is a great shame
of the Thai people.

Thai culture is deeply influenced by religion. With around 95%

of the country being Buddhist, the belief system and values of
Buddhism play a huge role in day-to-day life.

Family is central to Thai life. Although many newly-married

couples will set up their own households, it is not uncommon
for extended family to live with them.

Another important value is in the Thai culture is the sanuk.

Sanuk is a wide-reaching idea that embodies the playfulness
and sense of humor that is so central to life in Thailand.

Custom s and Etiquette

The wai is the traditional form of greeting, given by the lower

person status to the higher person status. Raising both hands,

palms joined with the fingers pointing upwards as if in prayer,
lightly touching the body somewhere between the chest and the
forehead, is the standard form. The wai is a sign of respect and
courtesy. Respect and courtesy are demonstrated by the height at
which the hands are held and how low the head comes down to
meet the thumbs of both hands.
If invited to a Thai's home, a gift is not expected, although it will be

appreciated. They should avoid wrapping the gift in green, blue, or

black, because those are used at funerals. Gold and yellow are
considered royal colors. Red is only given to a Chinese Thai.
When at dinner, arrive close to the appointed time, although being

a few minutes late will not cause offence. Check to see if the host is
wearing shoes. If not, remove yours before entering the house.
They also have to check with the guest to confirm their dress code.

Traditions
Thailands traditions revolve around respect.
Thailand has traditions where the people pray for rain.

In northeastern Thailand, there is the Rocket Festival

which they have at the beginning of a rainy season.
Eating is a communal activity and many matters of

etiquette deal with social status. The leader of the

group will invite you to begin eating.

H olidays
Loy Krathong is one of Thailands most important

holidays. Loy means float, and a krathong is a special

Thai floating sculpture particular to the holiday. As the
exact date of the holiday is determined by the Thai
lunar calendar, the date is different each year. The
holiday normally falls in November and festival and
parade days differ slightly from city to city.
This holiday has been celebrated for centuries, usually

to mark the end of the rainy season. Thousands of

paper lanterns are released into the night sky to
symbolically ward off bad luck, while rivers are covered
by floating flower lanterns, adorned with candles and
joss sticks, cast into waterways to wish for good luck.

Subculture and Counterculture

A subculture in Thailand would be that they have

Ladyboys. Ladyboys are young men who turn

themselves into women, by cross-dressing or surgically,
with the help of hormones. They are a natural part of
Thai culture. Because their Buddhist culture is more
concerned with what happens to the human spirit than
what happens to the body, changing from male to
female is not seen as a big deal and forms a normal
part of the rich tapestry of life.

Bibliography
http://www.reachtoteachrecruiting.com/guides/thailand/c

ulture-in-thailand
/
http://

www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/tha
iland-country-profile.html
https://
sites.google.com/site/natapornthoheng/cultural-values/th
ai-cultural
http://www.ethnologue.com/country/TH/languages

W hataspects ofthis culture w ould Am ericans be able

to easily relate to?
Thailand and the United States are known as the

country of freedom. At the individual or national level,

both of them seem to be freedom-loving; they tend to
resist outside control and have high personal
independence.
Both people can make realistic assessments and

flexible adjustments as they search for ways to solve

problems of mutual concern.

W hatparts ofthis culture w ould have Am ericans

experiencing culture shock?

Thai culture relies on indirect language, while the American culture

is based on direct verbal communication.

Thai people tend to be non-confrontational and keep anger in while

Americans are open and direct criticism is seen as helpful and often
used in business.

Time is an element in American culture that is crucial. Thai culture,

time is not that important and their culture is based in the present,
the current time.

When dining, Thailand people do not use left hand, leave food on
your plate, and when finished, place knife and fork together on
plate.

When there is a visitor Thailand people give the host a gift, have to
wait to open the gift, and they always take shoes off right away.

Topics to avoid in Thailand would be abortion, politics, religion,

racism, and homosexuality. These topics are always talked about in
America.