The Thai Psyche

[jaha]

We recently had an excellent post about “face” and “losing face” and the way this dictates the behaviour and attitude of Asian people. It was well argued and I'm sure a lot of people got a good insight into the Asian psyche.

 

However, there are attitudes and behaviours that seem in direct contrast with the arguments made and it may be worthwhile to raise another thought provoking post (I'll try a light-hearted post next) However, please do not make this a flaming post about local people, I am looking for clues to get a better understanding.

 

I'll start by quoting a few things from the “face” post (apologies for taking them out of context)..

“Group harmony is of utmost importance.”

“They are much more concerned with how they appear to others”.

“What others think of one..... becomes a significant social force for ensuring conformity.”

 

In the context of this thread, let's look at a few examples.

You live in a housing estate, where one or two house owners have dogs that bark all day and all night causing profound disturbance to neighbours, even preventing school children from sleeping at night. There is not a single Thai person that will confront the situation, complain or even raise the matter to the estate manager because they dislike direct confrontation.

 

Look at the roads.

You make a u-turn and a Thai rounds you on the outside and cuts right in front of you.

You wait at a traffic light and a Thai driver enters the right-hand turn lane in order to pass the whole queue and then cuts right in front of everybody.

You see drivers double parking, blocking half the street causing traffic jams.

You see people running through red lights every single day, endangering other people.

 

Here's the issue. I am supposed to show 100% tolerance to the cretin who acts in a complete selfish and arrogant manner. He, or she, can act without the slightest consideration to others and people will even accommodate them by slowing down letting them pass. HOW doe you explain this? I have asked many Thais the question: “Just where does tolerance stop and consideration for other people start?”

 

Somebody wants to tell me that this sort of behaviour, or this type of attitude, represents “group harmony”, “acceptable appearance”, or that it represents a social force for ensuring conformity? I don't pretend to understand, but I have been told that there is no clear concept of “right vs wrong”, everything is seen in “grey” and each situation is handled without offense or confrontation.

 

In contrast, a driver who tries this in a U.S., U.K. or European city would run the risk of being chopped to pieces with a meat cleaver. Certainly, they would be thoroughly abused.

 

You live with it and you tolerate it (or try to) because you have no other choice as nobody is going to change an entire population. Many Thais will called this “freedom” and many farangs will agree. “Here I can do what I like”.

 

It would be good if this post does not deteriorate into an argument about whether it is good or bad. We are stuck with it so this question is quite irrelevant. However, contributions attempting to explain or place into some social context this apparent contradiction between “face and conformity” and the apparent individualistic, selfish and arrogant behaviour will be helpful to us all.

[Dr.Winston]

Just because they don't like to confront you doesn't mean that they won't take actions.

 

I can tell that that in your first example that rather than tell you off about your dogs behaviour somebody would just Poison the dog. No confrontation, just action.

Edited June 9, 2008 by Dr.Winston O'Boogie

[Angelo]

Don't spend too much time on it. It's rife with contraditions and over generalizations that in my experience, many Thais don't even follow or only do when it bennefits them. Just show common decency, respect and restraint and you'll be fine.