My first thai Christmas

[samuttodd]

I've never been in the LOS  for Christmas.    It seems so surreal to be in a tropical country during the Holiday season.  Me and my wife are going into BKK  for Christmas Sushi of all things.    Guess this will be our first one since we Bifurcated from the USA.      I keep feeling like I'm going to run into Elvis and Bing Crosby over here.    What are some new holiday traditions you've started since coming over?

[wgdanson]

Forgetting Christmas!

[BritManToo]

Collecting the kids after school on Xmas day.

[thequietman]

They do embrace Xmas from the presents point of view. They get an unexpected gift, but also expect another at New Years. ????

 

Wife know's it's an important day for me, so she cooks a chicken, broccoli, cauliflower, stuffing and the spuds and we celebrate it with the step-son. Morning time 2morrow, will go have 2 beers with the local friend as is the Xmas thing and then come back home to the dinner.

Gifts are exchanged and I always provide the better ones cause I am more cashed up. Overall .......... a great day.

 

Wishing you a great 1st Xmas.   ???? 

[maprao]

I haven't had a "real" western Christmas in over 20 years. Never really missed it until the last few years..

Guess it age and nostalgia creeping up on me 

[URMySunshine]

Happy Buddhamas Eve to everyone. 

[thequietman]

9 minutes ago, maprao said:

I haven't had a "real" western Christmas in over 20 years. Never really missed it until the last few years..

Guess it age and nostalgia creeping up on me 

Then, you have a years notice .................. come to mine next year. As long as you are not English or a really keen yank, you are good to go. ????

[Kwasaki]

I liked getting away from Xmas and birthdays only to find 4 new years, 7 day funerals and endless festivals. ????

[ivor bigun]

Our son went to school in the UK when he was young ,so living here now we celebrate xmas just the same as we did back home ,although as i get older the novelty has worn off ,or out ,a bit like our xmas decorations ,lol

[Isaanbiker]

Is it really already December? 

[elliss]

 

     Christmas ,  try telling thai people that christmas is the celebration of the  birth Jesus .

      Their understanding of chrirsmas ,  is that faralangs , are expected to give gifts @ Xmas ..

       I am looking forward too  Budah day...555

          

 

[Psimbo]

It's your first Christmas in Thailand, not your first Thai Christmas.  There is no such thing as a 'Thai Christmas'.

[Inn Between]

I loved being in Thailand during Xmas and avoiding all the hype and commercialization going on back home. I'd send a few cards out then make some phone calls, and that was it. There was no sense in trying to exchange gifts with family or friends back home as the odds they would reach their destination was very poor. (The first 2 times I tried getting parcels sent to Thailand they disappeared and never made it.) 

 

I don't agree with eating sushi as a proper Xmas meal in Thailand, though. ???? When a colleague wasn't hosting a proper Xmas dinner, which was fairly common, I always made a point of having Isaan bar-b-que, which is B-B_Q'd chicken with somtam and sticky rice. The chicken was the obvious replacement for turkey, the sticky rice served as my stuffing, and the green papaya salad as the veggies.  Worked for me. ????

 

[samuttodd]

Well,  My wife wanted to to the sushi,   I don't care what we eat,  so long as I'm with her.

[Crossy]

We're having Xmas lunch with friends, but if we hadn't been invited it would be just another working day.

 

We do usually have a holiday barbie the Sunday before, but Madam lost her mum last week so that was cancelled in favour of the funeral ????

 

 

[Kadilo]

9 hours ago, elliss said:

 

     Christmas ,  try telling thai people that christmas is the celebration of the  birth Jesus .

      Their understanding of chrirsmas ,  is that faralangs , are expected to give gifts @ Xmas ..

       I am looking forward too  Budah day...555

          

 

He’s it’s all a bit surreal seeing thai children dressed on Santa outfits and jingle bells being piped in every shop. The commercial side of things out here has dramatically taken off. 

Out walking this morning this around the park and a group of joggers went past and wished me a happy Christmas which was nice but felt a bit strange. 
 

[BobinBKK]

19 hours ago, thequietman said:

They do embrace Xmas from the presents point of view. They get an unexpected gift, but also expect another at New Years. ????

 

Wife know's it's an important day for me, so she cooks a chicken, broccoli, cauliflower, stuffing and the spuds and we celebrate it with the step-son. Morning time 2morrow, will go have 2 beers with the local friend as is the Xmas thing and then come back home to the dinner.

Gifts are exchanged and I always provide the better ones cause I am more cashed up. Overall .......... a great day.

 

Wishing you a great 1st Xmas.   ???? 

I forget, do the Thai's know about the Easter Bunny and the children receiving gifts and candy?

[elliss]

1 hour ago, BobinBKK said:

I forget, do the Thai's know about the Easter Bunny and the children receiving gifts and candy?

 

  They know , sure .

   Jingle  bell , jingle bell , OMB ...

 

 

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, elliss said:

 

  They know , sure .

   Jingle  bell , jingle bell , OMB ...

 

 

Get them to sing 'Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer'.

It's much more fun with no RRRRs.

[samuttodd]

Well,  we had a pretty good adventure today.   

 

Hitched a lift from Wife's sister to town,  then we got on the train to wongwan Yai,  waked to the bus from there to Klong sarn ferry and crossed the Chao Phraya,   then got on the bus to sam yan midtown and had our lunch at shinkansen restaurant in level with all of the food.   

 

  I have to say I was really impressed with the food,   Had a couple of dishes I'd never had before.    One was a scallop salad sushi of some kind,  and then another one with abalone  (dishes 9 and 19 not certain because I didn't keep the menu).   If you like hotategai (creamy scallop sushi)  you should try these.

 

Back in the USA, the meal would have cost about $60.   We spent about $20 (US) (no drinks) and still have some leftover.

 

 

I was really surprised at the food.

 

Then we saw a bunch of cute kids in santa hats singining a medley of english language christmas carols.

 

Traffic wasn't bad,  only took about 45 minutes from victory monument back to maha chai.   

 

[Presnock]

47 years ago, there was absolutely nothing here that indicated it was Christmas.  Not in any store, restaurant nor media.  5 years after my first stay here, I came back with my family (wife 6-year old) and the first Xmas, the only place we noticed any Xmas deco was in a window of Central ChidLom with 3 wise men and the manger.  There were no artificial Xmas trees nor could one find a traditional western (US) Xmas meal.  Later things began to change a bit as more westerners came to Thailand and became restaurant owners and then started selling traditional meals at certain western holidays.  When I came back the next time in the '90s things had begun to change with more and more decorations and music in stores, etc.  Nowadays it is just like in the US - it is not a celebration of the birth of Christ, but it is a sale of huge proportions.  One Big C here in C/M averages sales on weekends of at least a hundred million baht but on XMAS and NY weekends they do over 200 million BaHT.   It is all about giving or at least receiving gifts and tradional US Xmas meals (turkey, dressing, pies, etc) can be purchased through the internet or you can purchase all of the items at many of the stores (TOPS, Rim Ping) or can get a full meal at restaurants like Dukes, etc)  They have come completely on the commercialization of XMAS but I seriously doubt they will ever celebrate it as the birth of Christ!  The traffic around this time of year is more hectic than ever as it is cooler here in the north and seems like everyone is here!!!  Hope all have a healthy, safe and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

 

[Emdog]

(read in Rod Sterling Twilight Zone voice)

Imagine, if you will. Small shopping mall, couple tables set up near entrance. Line of people with packages, 4 women behind tables wrapping service for Christmas presents.
Add details: the 4 wrappers are Muslim women (hijab & all that), people in line Buddhists mostly. Doing the gift bit for a Christian holiday that is not observed as holiday here, honoring a long dead Jew.. and so it goes

[HHTel]

The title should be changed.  There's no such thing as a Thai Christmas.  The poster meant he was spending Christmas in Thailand which means something different.

 

In general, you'll only see Christmas displays in cities where there are likely to be tourists.  Otherwise, it's 'business as usual'.  My grandson took a day off school for Christmas day, and that means sending him to school with a letter explaining his absence!

[CM Dad]

Yesterday, Christmas Day, I washed the windows, cleaned the fans, and watered the garden.  In the evening I had a glass of red wine along with our traditional Christmas pizza.  To further commemorate the holiday, I did not shave.  Today, I will observe what those from British Commonwealth countries call Boxing Day by cleaning the microwave...after warming up a leftover slice of Holidaze pizza, of course!  Oh, and I will think about shaving.

[CM Dad]

MELLY KISS A MUTT!

[AgMech Cowboy]

 

On 12/25/2019 at 7:00 AM, samuttodd said:

Well,  My wife wanted to to the sushi,   I don't care what we eat,  so long as I'm with her.

That's the truth and all we really need. Peace and goodwill to you and all.  (I do not miss the western Christmas not even one tiny little bit).

[neeray]

In my opinion, Christmas in most Western countries is 99% commercial, the grand sales opportunity of the year. Thailand merchants play the Christmas tunes and put up some fake decorations just to cash in on this commercial event. I don't blame them; it's called marketing.

[AgMech Cowboy]

24 minutes ago, CM Dad said:

MELLY KISS A MUTT!

Just not on it's mouth.

[fruitman]

I know who you are mate...uhmm pal....

 

[AgMech Cowboy]

14 hours ago, samuttodd said:

Well,  we had a pretty good adventure today.   

 

Hitched a lift from Wife's sister to town,  then we got on the train to wongwan Yai,  waked to the bus from there to Klong sarn ferry and crossed the Chao Phraya,   then got on the bus to sam yan midtown and had our lunch at shinkansen restaurant in level with all of the food.   

 

  I have to say I was really impressed with the food,   Had a couple of dishes I'd never had before.    One was a scallop salad sushi of some kind,  and then another one with abalone  (dishes 9 and 19 not certain because I didn't keep the menu).   If you like hotategai (creamy scallop sushi)  you should try these.

 

Back in the USA, the meal would have cost about $60.   We spent about $20 (US) (no drinks) and still have some leftover.

 

I was really surprised at the food.

 

Then we saw a bunch of cute kids in santa hats singining a medley of english language christmas carols.

 

Traffic wasn't bad,  only took about 45 minutes from victory monument back to maha chai.   

Thank you for the report. Your sharing really made my morning (and today, 26, is my birthday anniversary). I'm glad you had a wonderful time with your wife.