thaiculture

                                                                  Thai Culture

                                                   Thai Culture Notes And Stories

Nong The Taxi Driver

I was talking to a taxi driver who drives in Bangkok but who comes from the North-East of Thailand (Phak
Isaan) about his daily duties.The taxi drivers name was Nong and he works in Bangkok and sends money
back to his wife and children in the North – East and his story is typical of an everyday taxi driver from the
poorer region of Thailand.

Nong rents his taxi daily from one of the big Taxi firms here in Bangkok and collects the taxi everyday at
about 4am in the morning, fills up with fuel before venturing out to look for customers. He pays the daily rent
for the taxi to the company and pays for his own fuel and will then is on constant look out for business before
returning the taxi cab (in a clean and mint condition) by late afternoon.

Nong must negotiate the heavy traffic jams and does so without complaint, he has learnt all the short cuts
where traffic might be less, but still he can expect to sit out long periods of the day in traffic jams. I said to
him does the traffic not drive you mad and he replied of course it does, it bores me to death , but what can I
do.

On returning his cab he hopes that the day has been kind to him on the customer front and with the traffic
congestion and that he has made enough money to pay the rent on his cab, pay towards his own Bangkok
accommodation and other living expenses and be able to send money back to the family. Now we all have
to work and we all encounter life’s challenges and problems from time to time, but Nong slogs away daily
and refuses to complain about his circumstances.












      Tips On Taxi's

A lot of the taxi drivers in Bangkok are from the North - East of Thailand known as the region of Phak
Issan and is quite probable that they don't know how to speak or read English, so communication can
be difficult. They come down from the North - East looking for work, so producing a map or document
of where you want to go in English will most likely be useless. Try to get hold of the maps that are
around which have Thai script writing on as well. These can be found at various places in Bangkok
including currency exchange establishments and tourist information stops.

Having said the above, it is also possible that if the driver spent limited or no time at all at school then
he might not be able to read his own language either. In this case it is best to offer a '' mai pen rai '' to
the driver with a big smile and find another taxi. '' Mai pen rai'' has many meanings, but in this case it
is a polite way to say '' oh never mind driver don't worry we will stop here for a while''.

There are thousands of taxi's in Bangkok alone and many different colours. I have always found the
Yellow and Green taxi's very good as these are driven by the owner, whilst the rest are rented by the
day.

A ride in a tuk-tuk is an experience to have if in Thailand for the first time, but I don't advise too many
trips as you are exposed to higher levels of pollution, little if any protection in the event of an accident
and finally if taking one it is best to agree the fare before getting in. Tuk- tuk drivers seem notorious at
charging inflated prices if you have not agreed on a price before hand and it can cause unpleasant
endings.

Of course not all tuk-tuk drivers are the same in fact some are marvellous, so If you do like the tuk-tuk
then get to know a driver that you can trust, if you are staying in the same area for a while.

The Culture Of Group Oriented Versus Individualist

Its a generalisation as I suppose most things are to say that westerners are more of an individual based
culture and the Thai more group oriented. Of course there are exceptions I know, but for the most part this
appears to be true.

I for one am English and could think of nothing worse than a bunch of uninvited people descending upon me,
I like my own space and for that I make no apologies. However my wife is Thai from the city of Nakhon
Sawan and likes nothing more than a bunch of uninvited guests to turn up. and usually it is a lot more Thais
with a lot of food and this is how it has always been the own space finding individualist and the group
orientated friend receiver.

In the beginning I did my best with the meeting and greeting scene , but it was not long before I found myself
being pulled towards the solitary confinement of my study. In any relationships there are trials and
tribulations, but in a cross-cultural relationship the understanding of one’s culture and personality are
incredibly important. I have always made big efforts to learn and understand Thai culture hence limiting the
amount of cultural gaffe’s I might carry out accidentally in Thailand, but it is very difficult not to put your big
western foot in it somewhere along the line.

However my wife knew right from the start that I was not going to be moulded in to something I was not and
let me stay comfortably in my space. Now if your thinking he seems to have it his own way then please think
again as there is no way in the world my wife would be anything but herself and in my book that is how it
should be. Have you ever tried to make a Thai do something it does not want to, the picture I am forming in
my mind right now is me trying to pull a stubborn mule that won’t budge. So life in a cross cultural
relationship/marriage can swing from side-splitting laughter to hair pulling frustration or from hair pulling
frustration to side-splitting laughter ( and that’s on both sides of the equation,but if you’re looking for an
answer as to which side is worse, then my wife at this stage in life has a lot more hair than I do), but usually it
is all those ingredients in a 24 hour period. The one thing it is not is dull.

Tips

The Head:

The head is considered the most noblest part of the body to the Thai, so be careful not to touch or come in
contact with the top of the head.
Do not lift things over people's heads.
Be careful not to touch anyone's head by accident on public transport or in areas with lots of people.
If you do happen to touch the top of someone's head then a simple apology combined with a smile should
defuse the situation.

       Kaw thot khrap (by male speakers) or a

       Kaw thot kha (by female speakers)                                                To say you are sorry

     The Feet:

Are considered the lowest form of the body in more ways than one and even considered dirty.
It is an insult to point the sole of the foot at anyone it is much like the one fingered salute over here in the west.
Don't use the feet to point at anyone or anything.
Don't touch anyone with your feet.
Don't open doors with your feet
Finally don't step over anyone, ask them to move instead.

Again if you do unintentionally offend anybody then follow the apology advice above.

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There are many types of taxi's and many colours,
but I have always found the Green and Yellow
taxi's to be one of the most comfortable and most
reliable.

The ubiquitous Tuk-Tuk.
A great experience for new arrivals, but
Make sure with Tuk-Tuk drivers you
agree the price before getting in.

Three is normally a crowd, but Thai
people enjoy the company of friends
for social outings for shopping, eating
or even travelling together.