The "cultural" explanation that explains nothing

[Brunolem]

According to quite a few TV members, almost everything farangs complain about, when in Thailand, is related to the local culture, which must be accepted as such because, well, it's like that. 

 

A recent example concerns a member who was complaining about the unbearable noise coming from a temple close to his home (temple, disco, same same...). 

 

The complaining member was immediately told by another member that "it is their culture and no one will change it!". 

 

As if Thai culture was something unalterable that has been here for centuries, and will still be there for centuries! 

 

Like these farangs gone a bit native, my (Thai) wife uses the same excuse to explain away everything embarrassing, to which I always reply: "are you sure that nothing ever change in Thai people's behavior?" 

 

What about food? Are pizza and minimart junk food part of the unalterable Thai culture? 

 

What about clothes, cars, flat screen TVs, mobile phone addiction and so on? 

 

The fact is that there is less and less of local, Thai or else, culture, and more and more of a global culture, if one can call it that. 

 

A few decades ago, monks were not reenacting Woodstock, young Thais were not overweight like American couch potatoes, and Thai toddlers were not kept busy with Youtube by their grandparents, while their mothers were toiling in some Japanese factory 500 km away. 

 

One would wish that there would be an ancient Thai culture that would always explain Thai peoples' behavior, but unfortunately it is rather the destruction of this ancient culture that explains most of the baffling things one can witness these days... 

 

 

 

[CharlieH]

Comparing Apples to Oranges.

 

You cannot compare eating pizza to the ceremony procedure and events surrounding a funeral or religious holiday/event.

 

 

[Kwasaki]

45 minutes ago, Brunolem said:

One would wish that there would be an ancient Thai culture that would always explain Thai peoples' behavior, but unfortunately it is rather the destruction of this ancient culture that explains most of the baffling things one can witness these days... 

 Evolution affects every culture and country.

[thequietman]

38 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

Comparing Apples to Oranges.

 

You cannot compare eating pizza to the ceremony procedure and events surrounding a funeral or religious holiday/event.

 

 

Yes, but what you have mentioned was copied from another culture as are most things in the LOS. they claim to be Buddhists and yet pray to animistic gods like serpents and 3 headed elephants. They claim Thai food is unique when it is copied from neighbouring countries. I am not slamming them from this culture of copying as every nation new or old does it, but claiming it to be solely theirs is nonsense. 

 

As the OP said, putting everything down to 'their culture' when it doesn't make sense or is downright stupid or ignorant is not the answer. Yet Thai's continue to use the culture card to explain everything. 

[geoffbezoz]

19 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

 Evolution affects every culture and country.

But don't forget that this is Thailand and attempts are being made to revert the country to the feudal   system.  No doubt many Thais are incapable of understanding evolution and are scared of change.

[Brunolem]

1 hour ago, CharlieH said:

Comparing Apples to Oranges.

 

You cannot compare eating pizza to the ceremony procedure and events surrounding a funeral or religious holiday/event.

 

 

I am not comparing anything... yet I highly doubt that a funeral ceremony today looks anything like one held 50 years ago...especially the decibels part... 

 

Every aspect of the culture is changing, food, religious, leisure and so on. 

 

Thus it is meaningless to try to explain/justify a specific behavior by referring to the local culture, because the latter is constantly changing. 

[Kwasaki]

3 hours ago, geoffbezoz said:

But don't forget that this is Thailand and attempts are being made to revert the country to the feudal   system.  No doubt many Thais are incapable of understanding evolution and are scared of change.

Well I have always been Conservative. ????

[Puchaiyank]

Thailand is still a beautiful country but they have adopted the Western business model of greed and consumption...

 

Thais enjoyed a much less stressful and more rewarding simple lifestyle a few decades ago...

[swissie]

These days it has become fashionable and politically correct to explain that all absurd, illogical and outlandish behaviour as part of "my culture". I thrive on the different cultures to be found in Pattaya.
- The Thai "chef's" are freely allowed to drill in their noses during work.
- The Chinese Toddlers are allowed to defecate in public.
- The Farang is allowed to booze it up and vomit all over the pool-table. Explaining to the Police-Officer: "It's part of my culture".
One just has to love the "cultural-diversity" Pattaya has to offer.
---------------------
To foreighners, Thai-Tradition/Culture may appear to be loaded with contradictions and a zillion of daily-life "absurdities". A visit to an Immigration-Office or to your Thai-Bank, plus trying to instigate a "serious-talk" with a Thai (strictly based on logic/cause and effect), may only serve to re-enforce this perception.

 

To remain "a happy camper" in Thailand one should accept the "Absurdities" as rooted in Tradition/Culture, instead of harbouring hopes that logical-thinking (cause and effect) will take root in Thailand soon, as a large number of "Industrial-Helmsmen" in Thailand prefer to maintain a well supplied "Ghost-House" in their front yeard to assure future success in their business ventures.
By accepting those "cultural-peculiarities" it gives a Farang peace of mind and proves that he is making an effort to stay "politically-correct". Outside of financially providing for an "inner-circle" of a Thai-Micro-Cosmos, the Thai population and "the powers to be" have never asked for more. Farang contributions  (in whatever form or shape) are still based on a "voluntary" concept.

Amen.

[OneMoreFarang]

Maybe let's call it typical Thai behavior.

Is playing loud music part of the culture? Probably not. Is it typical Thai behavior? In my experience: Yes.

 

Now the question is how much we, the visitors of Thailand, want to change this typical behavior.

Most of the time I think we should accept what they do. If hundreds of Thais don't complain and only a few foreigners complain should Thais really care?

 

One of my few personal exceptions are in the traffic. I.e. I stop (with a bike) at red lights even if it's free. Maybe 10 years ago I think almost no Thai did the same. Not there seem to be more and more who also stop.

This is one area where I think it makes a lot of sense that the average Thai should change their behavior so it's worth "fighting" for.

 

I understand that loud music can be annoying and if a bar next to your home plays loud music at 3am report them. Possibly something will happen because it's against the laws. But in other situation just accept it - it makes life a lot easier.

[geronimo]

1 minute ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Maybe let's call it typical Thai behavior.

Is playing loud music part of the culture? Probably not. Is it typical Thai behavior? In my experience: Yes.

 

Now the question is how much we, the visitors of Thailand, want to change this typical behavior.

Most of the time I think we should accept what they do. If hundreds of Thais don't complain and only a few foreigners complain should Thais really care?

 

One of my few personal exceptions are in the traffic. I.e. I stop (with a bike) at red lights even if it's free. Maybe 10 years ago I think almost no Thai did the same. Not there seem to be more and more who also stop.

This is one area where I think it makes a lot of sense that the average Thai should change their behavior so it's worth "fighting" for.

 

I understand that loud music can be annoying and if a bar next to your home plays loud music at 3am report them. Possibly something will happen because it's against the laws. But in other situation just accept it - it makes life a lot easier.

Well-said Sir!

[Kwasaki]

19 hours ago, geoffbezoz said:

But don't forget that this is Thailand and attempts are being made to revert the country to the feudal   system.  No doubt many Thais are incapable of understanding evolution and are scared of change.

How can I forget Thailand is my home. ????  

If Thais don't understand evolution then they don't understand a feudal system either, the only ones scared of change are the corrupt rich me thinks.

[thaibeachlovers]

23 hours ago, Brunolem said:

A few decades ago, monks were not reenacting Woodstock, young Thais were not overweight like American couch potatoes, and Thai toddlers were not kept busy with Youtube by their grandparents, while their mothers were toiling in some Japanese factory 500 km away. 

Don't know why you think such applies only to Thais. Since I returned to the west and left LOS behind, I have found such activities are common among the "less well educated" element of society, and it seems that many are either of that category, or trying to be of that category.

 

[Brunolem]

6 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Don't know why you think such applies only to Thais. Since I returned to the west and left LOS behind, I have found such activities are common among the "less well educated" element of society, and it seems that many are either of that category, or trying to be of that category.

 

It is because you take these lines out of their context. 

 

They are used as examples to show that Thai culture is constantly changing. 

 

This doesn't mean that it is not the same elsewhere. 

 

In fact, I also wrote that Thai culture is quickly replaced with a global "culture"... meaning that the latter is conquering most countries. 

 

Nowadays, humans are in search of the lowest common denominator, and they are proving very adept at finding it. 

 

The zombie apocalypse described in many books and movies is happening, except that it not undead people eating fresh humans, but rather machines eating humans' brain. 

 

In the end, the result is similar...