During our time in Thailand we've learned a potpourri of various historical facts, figures, and interesting cultural etiquette tidbits, so I thought I'd post a misc. blog highlighting them:
- The sacred and taboo parts of one's body in Thailand are the head and feet. For Thai's, the head is the most sacred part of the body, while the feet are the lowest and the filthiest. One never touches a Thai person’s head; at the same time, one must not show the soles of one's feet to anyone, or use feet to point to something.
- Losing one's temper is considered a form of temporary insanity in Thailand. The Thai people coexist with a philosophy of "mai bpen rai" or "nevermind, no worries". Even in the congested, infamous traffic of Bangkok, it is rare to hear the honking of a horn. In the workplace and in life, yelling or scolding a person is considered deeply offensive.
- Instead of shaking hands, Thai's “wai” to greet people. The “wai” is a short bow done with hands held fingertips-together close to your chest or face. The wai evolved from an ancient greeting used to show that neither party was carrying weapons. The wai is layered with intricacies of class, gender, and age. The inferior party initiates the wai and holds it higher and longer than the superior, and one should not wai children or workers.
- In traditional dating rituals, a father will test his daughter's suitor to see how strong of a man he is by offering him green, red, and yellow peppers. If the man chooses to eat green peppers, the father questions his strength, but if instead he chooses yellow peppers, he is immediately welcomed into the family.
- Thai food is flavorfully fabulous! We have enjoyed trying a variety of new dishes, and have particularly enjoyed the diverse Asian fruits available, including the rambutan Chris is eating above. Mangosteen, dragonfruit, and durians are just a few fruits to enjoy along with more commonly known papayas, mangoes, coconuts, and pineapples. Thai basil, tamarind, coriander, chilies, and lemongrass are some of our favorite spices enjoyed with Thai dishes, and my new favorite soup is the traditional "Tom Kha Gai" chicken in coconut milk soup.
- Lotus flowers are amazing and have strong symbolic ties to many Asian religions including Buddhism. The lotus flower starts as a small flower down at the bottom of a pond in the mud and muck. It slowly grows up towards the waters surface continually moving towards the light. Once it come to the surface of the water the lotus flower begins to blossom and turn into a beautiful flower. Within Hinduism and Buddhism the lotus flower has become a symbol for awakening to the spiritual reality of life. It is the symbol of purity and the most important flower in Thailand. Chris and I will be going back home to Chanhassen, Minnesota, where we live near Lotus Lake, with a new appreciation!
- The royal family is the most revered institution in Thailand, and speaking ill or critizing royalty could result in a jail sentence and considered deeply offensive by the Thai people. Sacred sites connected to royalty can not be photographed. Stepping on money is offensive because Thai money has a likeness of the King
- The monkhood is a respected institution that comes just below royalty in the social hierarchy. It is prohibited for a monk to touch a woman or to receive anything directly from her. Monks can only eat food before noon, because eating after mid-day is seen as contributing to one's lust. Monks can be seen on the streets in the morning with bowls collecting food from Thai people. Monks cannot be vegetarian, they must eat whatever food is "collected". The Thai people offer food to monks to earn merit because it is believed that the food passes through the monk's body to the souls of their ancestors. So if one's great-grandmother likes a certian dish, this dish can be prepared for a monk and through the monk nourish the soul of the deceased.
- The average Thai makes the equivalent of US $3,333 annually (or 100,000 Thai Baht, where 30 Baht = $1). The Minimum wage is 300 Baht/$10 a day
- Automotive assembly (not production) in Thailand for the Japanese is a large industry. Thailand is refered to as the "Detroit of Asia" due to the vast number of autos that are assembled here. The flooding last year severely disrupted Toyota and Honda's global supply chains.
- European cars or any auto not assembled in Thailand, i.e. Mercedes, are taxed at a 340% (!) rate in Thailand. A Thai's first car purchase is completely tax deductible.
- Rice exports from Thailand constitutes 25% of the world's total rice market.
- 66% of Thai people are farmers, and they have a great influence in the government.
- 52% of the country are owned by 20% of the people.
- The Kingdom of Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia to avoid European colonization. Thailand has English influence from the West (i.e. Burma) and French influence from the East (i.e. Cambodia). To avoid war with European powers, the Thai King gave land to each of those countries.
- 95% of the Thai people are Buddhist, 4% Muslim, and 1% Christian. Reincarnation is a widely accepted belief across Thailand. One earns or loses merit in each life until a soul reaches enlightenment. Once enlightenment is achieved, there is no more need for life and death. No religious wars have occurred in Thailand.
- As a Buddhist, one's greatest merit in life that can be achieved is to build a temple. There are 31,200 temples in Thailand, with 4,000 temples in Bangkok alone. Many temples still contain relics of the Buddha, for example a piece of the Buddha's breastbone rests in the Chedi of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha at the Royal Palace.
- Monks who are "city" monks wear saffron colored robes, and the "forest" monks wear brown colored robes. Giving robes to monks is another way to earn merit (karma).
- A symbol of beauty in Thailand is the "whiteness" of skin. Sunbathed skin is often the symbol of the peasant, someone who works in the fields or the streets. As Westerners look for the sun to become sunbathed, the Thai people look to escape it. Thailand is well-known for being a cheap place for a sex change and plastic surgery.
- Thai's follow the tradition of life cycles every 12 years. For example, the King recently celebrated his 85th birthday, entering into his 7th life cycle. The Buddha lived to be 87 years old in a time when the average life expectancy was 40. Many statues of the Buddha portray him with long ears, a sign of long life.
- In Thai tradition, there is an astrological rule (which has influence from Hindu mythology) that assigns color for each day of the week. The color is assigned based on the color of the God who protects the day. These colors of the day are the traditional Thai birthday colors. For example, the Thai King was born on Monday and the Queen on Friday, so there are many yellow and blue flags throughout the country honoring their royalty.
Day Color of the day Planet God of the day Sunday red Sun Surya Monday yellow Moon Chandra Tuesday pink Mars Mangala Wednesday green Mercury Budha Thursday orange Jupiter Brihaspati Friday light blue Venus Shukra Saturday purple Saturn Shani
