Culture shock Thailand

THAI CULTURE
THAILAND IS A COUNTRY OF EXOTIC EASTERN CULTURE, IN WHICH ELEMENTS OF INDIAN, CHINESE, KHMER AND WESTERN CIVILIZATIONS FIT WELL.

NEW YEAR (SONGKHRAN) IS TRADITIONALLY CELEBRATED FOR THREE DAYS FROM THE TWELFTH TO THE FOURTEENTH OF APRIL. FOR THAILAND, THIS IS THE ASTRONOMICAL BEGINNING OF SPRING. MANDATORY RITUAL OF CELEBRATION - POURING WATER ON EACH OTHER. RELIGIOUS RITES IN HONOR OF BUDDHA ARE ALSO PERFORMED ON THESE DAYS.

TOUGH DAY
WEDNESDAY IS CONSIDERED THE WORST DAY OF THE WEEK IN THAILAND. DAY OF EVIL SPIRITS AND ALL SORTS OF DOMESTIC PROBLEMS. ON WEDNESDAY, YOU CAN NOT OPEN A BUSINESS OR MEET, MAKE LARGE PURCHASES. NOT EVERYONE DARES TO CUT THEIR NAILS ON THIS DAY. AND IN GENERAL, IT IS BETTER TO SIT AT HOME AND WAIT FOR THE ONSET OF THURSDAY. BECAUSE THURSDAY, ACCORDING TO LOCAL BELIEFS, IS A VERY HAPPY DAY. BY THE WAY, ACCORDING TO THE BUDDHIST TRADITION, THE COLOR OF THE ENVIRONMENT IS GREEN.

THAIS BELIEVE THAT A SPIRIT IS ALIVE ON THE TOP OF A PERSON, THEREFORE IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO BEAT A PERSON ON THE HEAD UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES OTHERWISE YOU CAN KILL THE SPIRIT.

THAILAND IS NOW 2555
THEIR SUMMER CALCULUS DOES NOT BEGIN WITH THE BIRTH OF CHRIST, BUT FROM THE DAY OF THE DEATH OF THE BUDDHA IN 543 BC. A NUMBER OF OTHER ASIAN COUNTRIES ADHERE TO THE SAME PRINCIPLE, BUT ALL HAVE A TIME VARIATION.

SMILE MORE OFTEN
ONE OF THE TRADITIONS OF THE COUNTRY PRESCRIBES A SMILE MORE OFTEN. THAILAND IS POSITIONING ITSELF AS THE LAND OF SMILES. THERE ARE MORE THAN A DOZEN TYPES OF SMILES, FOR ALL OCCASIONS. THIS TRADITION IS CONTROVERSIAL. MANY TOURISTS SAY THAT THAIS SMILE ONLY TO FARANG. MOREOVER, IF THEY HAVE MONEY. IN ADDITION, IT IS BELIEVED THAT SHOUTING AT OTHERS IS NOT ACCEPTED IN THAILAND. HOWEVER, THE LOCALS THEMSELVES ARE OFTEN HAPPY TO RAISE THEIR VOICES. SO AS FOR THIS UNOFFICIAL BAN IN THE FIRST PLACE TO FOREIGNERS. YELL AT THAI - CAN BE OFFENDED.