Culture
Social Organization
- Thailand's society structure is a hierarchy. Buddhism being the main religion there, people believe that Karma creates the structure. People who have a higher place in society are said to have obtained it in that person's previous lives. Someone of a high place has to look after people in lower ranks, and in return he gains respect, obedience, thankfulness, and loyalty. Generally, the oldest and higher ranking person receives the most respect out of the other ranks and age. (kochangvr.com) The social hierarchy depends on a person's age, occupation, and wealth. Peasant farmers are at the bottom, next are the merchants and artisans, and then government officials. A persons rank and age determines how they are greeted and treated by other people (Hays).
- In Thailand, there is the Patron-Client relationship, which is where the patron provides protection and occasionally financial aid, and in return the client gives their services and support to their patron (Hays).
- At the beginning of the twentieth-century, the social structure was divided into three main classes: children of the reigning king and his immediate predecessors, government officials (nobles given their status by the king) come next, and the peasants were last. Buddhists and the Chinese had a status outside of those three classes. The Chinese in Thailand were laborers and small traders during this time period. After World War II, the Chinese began to become bankers and businessmen, which moved them up higher into the social classes. (Hays)
- Families in Thailand often house several generations in one household. The eldest man in a household is the patriarch, and the rest of the family in that household act in accordance to his decisions.
- Newly weds generally stay with their parents until they are expecting their first child. Before a man can propose to a woman, the man has to meet with her whole family and be approved. (KoChangVR.com)
Customs & Traditions
Basic things to know when going to Thailand-
Business Etiquette:
Basic things to know when going to Thailand-
- Greeting- The "wai", which is pressing your palms together and slightly bowing your head, with the hands at chest level, chin level, upper lip level,or nose level. It is considered rude if the fingertips pass eye level. When using this greeting, the other person's social status determines what level the thumbs should be on; the higher the rank, the higher the hands are, the higher the social class, and monks don't return the "wai" (eDiplomat).
- Thailand can also be called "The Land of Smiles". In Thailand, smiles can show a person's amusement, embarrassment, to be excused and forgiven for a minor offense, and to thank someone. (YWAM Thailand)
- When eating with a group, the leader has to invite the other people of the group to eat. (Glasgow)
- When invited to social events and dinners, you should wait for the host or hostess to introduce you to everyone that is attending, as this tells them your social status and theirs, which is important to the "wai" and how low you should bow. (Kwintessential)
- Before entering someone else's house, check and see if there are any shoes outside the door, if there is, that means you should take your shoes off before entering, as not taking your shoes off could be disrespectful. (Kwintessential)
- Always arrive close to the set time because being late could cause offense to the host or hostess. (Kwintessential)
- Thais use the first names of people, with the word "Khun" in front of it. Khun is a form of address that can be used towards men and women.
- Actions that are considered rude are touching someone on the top of their head, pointing at someone, and having your feet pointed towards someone. (Glasgow, About)
- Showing to much emotion or losing your temper in public is considered improper. (Howard)
- Chopsticks are used to eat noodles.
- The spoon is held in the right hand and fork is held in the left hand.
- Forks should be used to scoop things into the spoon.
- You can begin eating as soon as you are served.
- Always leave a little food on your plate to show that you are full, as leaving nothing shows that you are still hungry.
- Never leave rice on your plate because it is seen as wasteful.
- Don't take the last scoop from a bowl.
- Always wait to be asked for a second serving.
- Never lick your fingers.
Business Etiquette:
- Business attire needs to be conservative.
- Make sure that your shoes are polished because Thais judge you on clothing and accessories.
- Be on time for meetings, which shows respect to who you're meeting with.
- Appointments for meetings should always be planned one month in advance.
Clothing:
- Women usually wear knee-length skirts with a matching top or blouse. They also wear long wrap around skirts with floral blouses. Traditional clothing is hand-made from raw silk. In big cities, such as Bangkok, people wear westernized clothing, and only wear traditional clothing on special occasions.(Maps of World)
- Men usually wear fisherman pants and cotton vests. (Maps of World)
Traditions:
Sports:
- Songkran, also known as the Thai Water Festival, is Thai New Year. This holiday officially lasts from April 13th to April 15th, but some people celebrate it longer. The Thai Water Festival is about fresh starts and purification. To celebrate this holiday, people splash each other with water, even strangers! Splashing or sprinkling people with water indicates bad thoughts and actions being washed away and bringing good luck to that person. People use water canons and buckets to splash each other, sometimes adding ice, just for fun. Songkran is a religious festival, so people purify Buddha statues (pouring scented water onto the statue), and go to temples and shrines during the festival. Elders are also honored during this holiday by having younger people pour water over their hands. (About.com)
- The Royal Ploughing Ceremony is a ceremony indicating the beginning of the rice-planting season. This is a religious and important ceremony, and is held in the Grand Palace complex in Bangkok. The Royal Ploughing Ceremony is split into two rituals: the first ritual being The Cultivating Ceremony, and the second being The Ploughing Ceremony.The Cultivating Ceremony is held in the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in the Grand Palace. The ceremony consists of the Lord of the Harvest blessing the seeds, rice paddy, and ceremonial items used for The Ploughing Ceremony the next day. The King oversees everything, and gives the rings and sword to the Lord of the Harvest to the use the next day. The Ploughing ceremony is held in a plot of land near the Grand Palace. This ceremony is where the Lord of the Harvest performing rituals that predict the conditions in the upcoming rice season. The Lord of the Harvest also starts the ploughing of the ground, along with sacred bulls, umbrella holders, drummers, and the Celestial Maidens who carry a basket of rice seeds. After the ploughing, the bulls are shown seven foodstuffs, and whatever choices they make predicts which crops will be plentiful for the coming season. At the very end of the ceremony, the Lord of the Harvest sprinkles rice seeds over the plowed area. Some people try to get some of the seeds and take them home to use as good luck charms for their own crops. (About.com)
Sports:
- Popular sports in Thailand include golf, deep-sea fishing, bowling, and tennis. Traditional sports include Thai boxing, kite-fighting, boat-racing, and takraw. (Maps of World) Takraw is sort of a combination between volleyball and soccer. Below is a video of some Thai kids playing Takraw. Kite fighting is where one kite tries to take down all of the other kites competing. (AsianSportsNet)
Art & Literature:
- Traditional Thai art was influenced by Buddhist traditions, brought over to Thailand from India, as well as neighboring countries. Buddhist art is the most popular type of Thai art since it is the official religion. Art in ancient Thailand was first influenced by Buddhist traditions brought over from India, but as time went on the different kingdoms and empires, and eventually came to the art you would see around Thailand today. Different types of Buddhist art includes paintings and sculptures of Buddha. (New World Encyclopedia)
- The earliest literature in Thailand was written in stone, and talked about contemporary life. Classic literature in Thailand was written in verse, and religious books about Buddha were written like this. 1656-1688 was referred to as the golden era because writers would be welcomed into the royal court, and nirat poems developed from writing new forms of verses. Nirat poems were generally about journeying, separation, and long-longing. During the 1920s writers began to write about social issues seriously. In the 1940s, writers made novels about social injustice, but didn't last long because during the 1950s and 1960s freedom of speech was restricted. Eventually, a new generation of writers began to write about social injustice again, which led to the overthrowing of the military government in 1973. During the 1980s, rapid economic and social changes were happening, allowing writers to find new themes. (New World Encyclopedia)
- The main dramatic dance of Thailand is Thai dance. This dance can be divided into two categories: classical dance (khon and lakhon) and folk dance (likay). Kohn is a dance that dramatizes the Hindu epic, the Ramayana. Dancers wear specific colors that are associated to what part they play. Lakhon has a wider variety of stories including folk tales than khon, and is usually performed in female groups instead of having individual roles. Likay can include singing and comedy. Likay is performed usually at village festivals. (New World Encyclopedia)
- Shadow puppetry began at the beginning of the 15th century, and often showed different episodes from the Ramakien. The puppets are made from pierced cowhide or buffalo hide, and can weigh anywhere from 6-9 lbs. This type of puppetry is performed behind a transparent screen with a bright light or fire used to cast shadows on the screen. (New World Encyclopedia)
- Art and literature have been used in Thailand to show opinions on topics and tell stories.
- The video to the bottom left shows behind the scenes of a shadow puppet show, and the video to the bottom right demonstrates what a shadow puppet show would look like.
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Religion
- The official religion of Thailand is Buddhism. About 95% of the population is Buddhism, about 4% is Muslim, and .5% is Christianity. There is some Hinduism and Sikh minorities, but are mainly in Bangkok. (Reach to Teach)
- Buddhism is more of a way of life than a religion. Buddhism does not have a central deity, but has a central figure: Buddha (Siddartha Gautama). Buddhists believe in Karma, rebirth, Nirvana (sheer enlightenment), and meditation. There are many different divisions of Buddhism, but Theravada Buddhism is the most predominant division.
- Theravada Buddhism (The Teachings of the Elders) is different from the other different types of Buddhism because the school of Theravadins have the earliest teachings of Buddha. Rituals are not as emphasized like they are in other divisions of Buddhism.
- Buddha actually means "enlightened one".
- Sikhism is a way of life that tells people that they should be devoted to God, truthful at all times, and equality of mankind. This religion was founded about 500 years ago. (Sikhs.org)
- One of the ways Buddhism has impacted the other elements of culture is that it is what the Social Classes are based off of. Buddhists believe that Karma creates the classes, and people who are in higher classes have obtained it thorough their previous lives. Another way it has impacted the elements of culture is it impacts holidays. Songkran is a religious holiday, and people purify the Buddha statues. Buddhism also impacts the art and literature of Thailand. Most of the art in Thailand is of Buddha or things that relate to Buddha.
- The religion stickman to the bottom shows the basics of Buddhism, Thailand's main religion.
Government:
- Thailand's government is a Constitutional Monarchy, which means that they have a Prime Minister and King. The King of a Constitutional Monarchy is the Head of State, which means he signs bills from the legislature, appoints the prime minister, appoints the Buddhist main Patriarch, and is the honorary supreme commander of the armed forces. Even though he is "honorary supreme commander of the armed forces, there's not any command authority for the king. Being honorary supreme commander of the armed forces represents the bond between the king and the armed forces. The Prime Minster is responsible for symbolic activities that the king performs and is the Head of Government. (Bunbongkarn, Infoplease) A Constitutional Monarchy has the Judicial, Legislative, and Executive branches like the United States does. The Executive branch consists of the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister. The Legislative branch consists of 150 seats for the Senate, and 500 seats for the House of Representatives. Lastly, the Judicial branch consists of the Supreme Court of Justice, Constitutional Court, and the Supreme Administrative Court. (Central Intelligence Agency)
- Earlier in 2014, there were protests, some were peaceful and some were not, from the People's Democratic Reform Committee, who are anti-government. There are also people who are pro-government, called the Red-Shirts. Anti-government protestors in May surrounded Bangkok's Government House wanting the removal of the caretaker administration and replacing it with "an unelected interim government." (Hume, Moshin, and Olarn) Having an unelected interim government means having a temporary government after a political void has been created because of a government collapse. (Wikipedia) The People's Democratic Reform Committee has also been wanting to get rid of the influence former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a tycoon who was overthrown in a military coup back in 2006 and is in self-imposed exile to avoid corruption conviction. There has also been accusations towards Yingluck Shinawatra (Thaksin's sister) for abandoning rice subsidy scheme. In the end, Thailand's military took over the country, and voted in a new prime minister, General Prayuth Chan-ocha.
Economy:
- Thailand's economy is export-dependent, which means that international trades make up most of Thailand's economy. (Tourism Thailand, Wikipedia) Exports in Thailand make up 60% of the country's GDP (Gross Domestic Product).
- Thailand's exports include rice, fish, textiles, rubber, corn, sugarcane, coconuts, soybeans, jewelry, gold, automobiles, computers, and electronic devices. (Tourism Thailand, InfoPlease)
- Thailand's imports include fuels, raw materials, and capital and consumer goods. (Infoplease)
- This country's economy is considered as well-developed and has less than 1% unemployment in the work force. Thailand's economy is ranked second in Southeast Asia, after Indonesia. (Wikipedia)
- Thailand's trade policies have been formulated to encourage closer trade and investment relations with ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)and GMS (Greater Mekong Subregion) countries. (Krainara)
Photo Credits:
(From top to bottom)
(From top to bottom)
- http://www.chiangmai-chiangrai.com/lanna_clothes.html
- http://www.pbase.com/image/84015008
- http://www.gombergkites.com/update/548.html
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theravada
- https://ferrebeekeeper.wordpress.com/tag/buddha/
- Picture at top: http://www.iorise.com/?attachment_id=2329