Thainess. What is it?

[Kalasin Jo]

I hear references to thainess from politicians, I see thainess in slogans and today outside a large secondary school was a banner which read " a quality school based on Thainess". It got me thinking.

 

So what is Thainess? What makes it unique to Thais and Thailand?

 

Is it a nationalism thing, pride in country? Is it a uniquely Thai values thing and if so what are they? Is it something that defines a person as Thai other than the obvious of birth and citizenship? Is it what General and ex PM Chan o Cha called for when he first took power and broadcast nightly to the nation, which was a return to the ways and values of a bygone age it seemed to me.

 

So what is it in your opinion.? 

 

 

[roo860]

It's not admitting it's your fault when it's blatantly obvious it is . Brake failure is a classic one.

But I do love em!

[connda]

Wai in the front; boot in the back.

[Bday Prang]

             Some might point to the concept of  "face" when trying to explain Thainess  but "face" is a common thing in asia and not unique to Thailand ,  A fundamental  part of Thainess is being extremely patriotic, slightly xenophobic and a sharing of a common bond, akin to being part of one large family,  it's them against the world in their eyes. 

             Personally I am a jealous of them,  It used to be like that everywhere once, before  the removal of  any  sense of national identity in western countries by globalism and  the "diversity" agenda. 

[VinnieK]

Thailand is a cult.

You become a member only by virtue of birth.

I hope that answers the 'Thainess' question 

[nowhereman]

Here's an easy explanation. Thainess is similar to Englishness ???? On a serious note, I was once asked by the head of English department in one of public high schools to translate a text and there was a word Thainess "Kwam Pen Thai" (ความเป็นไทย).  Instead of Thainess I translated it to Thai culture, traditions and values. I explained to my boss that Thainess was invented by someone Thai and could not be used in the same meaning with other nationalities. Though, I don't know what happened to may translation ???? 

[Olav Seglem]

I struggle to be positive-but:

They are buddists but extremely conserned about "show offs" like cars, gold, money etc.

Never take responsibility.

No pride in quality of own work.

New ideas to do things is looked upon as negative critisism.

Always seek the most easy way out.

[Kenny202]

1 hour ago, Olav Seglem said:

I struggle to be positive-but:

They are buddists but extremely conserned about "show offs" like cars, gold, money etc.

Never take responsibility.

No pride in quality of own work.

New ideas to do things is looked upon as negative critisism.

Always seek the most easy way out.

I love Thailand and Thais but the above true for not all, but many. Particularly the under 35s. But that could apply all over the world these days with "samart phones" making people dumb. Let me add to your list... illogical, irrational thinking, an inability to use any cognitive reasoning  and a tendency to start tasks in the middle or end, finishing (or usually not finishing) at the start ????

[Gecko123]

Example of "thainess":  Old woman gives food to guy arrested for shoplifting after hearing he did so out of hunger.

 

 

[2baht]

10 hours ago, Kalasin Jo said:

Is it a nationalism thing, pride in country?

Indoctrination! Cultural! 

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, 2baht said:

Indoctrination! Cultural! 

There's a lot of that indoctrination about these days- MMCC, Wokeness, PC, feminism to name but a few.

[thaibeachlovers]

IMO Thainess is just doing things the Thai way, in preference to other country's ways, unlike some countries that seem to think the US is the leader in culture.

[2baht]

4 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

There's a lot of that indoctrination about these days- MMCC, Wokeness, PC, feminism to name but a few.

I woke up at 5.00am. A noisy rooster woke me up! Is that enough wokeness for 1 day?

[freeworld]

Again, this subject gets brought up.

 

Thais being Thais, it is quite endearing actually.

[brianthainess]

Not turning up at an agreed time or even day.

When they make a wrong number call,  "Hello?" complete silence until you hang up.

I'll pay you back tomorrow that never comes.

That'll do for now.

[1FinickyOne]

5 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

I'll pay you back tomorrow that never comes.

I have had more poor Thai pay me back than wealthier farang... small sampling of course.. 

[Ben Zioner]

I have a list of adjectives, you can PM me if you want to know. 

[gungadin1]

Mia noi threatening to slice my genitals off if I see my wife

[BarraMarra]

MMM Thainess? Honesty, reliability, Trust, and helpfulness, to name a few traits of Thai people, of course, all fail.

[klauskunkel]

Thainess is used as a tool to justify contradictions

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

unlike some countries that seem to think the US is the leader in culture.

Maybe once, but not in this century. To many, the US is a country to be pitied, with its political situation and frequent shootings. Many, if they cared, might feel the same about Thailand.

[Woof999]

Not sure I can answer the question without being labelled anti Thai by some (I choose to live in Thailand and I'm marries to a Thai, so I can't be that anti Thai, but anyway....).

 

I just wish that in England it would be possible to talk about Englishness, to put the needs of the English above all else, to discriminate against anyone not English. It's not though. In that regard, I think Thailand has it spot on.

[2baht]

3 hours ago, Woof999 said:

Not sure I can answer the question without being labelled anti Thai by some (I choose to live in Thailand and I'm marries to a Thai, so I can't be that anti Thai, but anyway....).

 

I just wish that in England it would be possible to talk about Englishness, to put the needs of the English above all else, to discriminate against anyone not English. It's not though. In that regard, I think Thailand has it spot on.

That's called xenophobia as opposed to Thainess!!

[tkramer]

18 hours ago, Kalasin Jo said:

I hear references to thainess from politicians, I see thainess in slogans and today outside a large secondary school was a banner which read " a quality school based on Thainess". It got me thinking.

 

So what is Thainess? What makes it unique to Thais and Thailand?

 

Is it a nationalism thing, pride in country? Is it a uniquely Thai values thing and if so what are they? Is it something that defines a person as Thai other than the obvious of birth and citizenship? Is it what General and ex PM Chan o Cha called for when he first took power and broadcast nightly to the nation, which was a return to the ways and values of a bygone age it seemed to me.

 

So what is it in your opinion.? 

 

 

The beauty of Thai culture is that it allows you to see how humans lived, thought, and acted...10,000 years ago.

 

 

[OneMoreFarang]

Think about Karen and Sarah. And then think about Nit and Noi.

The difference is part of Thainess. 

[retarius]

It was a slogan generated for overseas promotion of tourism some time back. It was somewhat mocked and came into vernacular language as a sort of ironic reference to the campaign.

[OneMoreFarang]

5 minutes ago, tkramer said:

The beauty of Thai culture is that it allows you to see how humans lived, thought, and acted...10,000 years ago.

With smart phones in front of their faces, delivery motorcycles everywhere, etc. 

[Tropposurfer]

Its the utterly charming capacity of Thai women to have never ending orgasms. 

[JimHuaHin]

Thainess is essentially an ideology created decades ago - and subsequently altered and manipulated to deal with contemporary "crises" - by Thailand's power elite in order to enhance a sense of nationality so as to manipulate and control the Thai "masses" (as Emperor Xi is currently doing in China with respect to China's population).  While the Thai "masses" are expected to exhibit Thainess, the Thai power elite are the antithesis of Thainess, ie selfish, greedy, corrupt, etc.

[fondue zoo]

14 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

delivery motorcycles everywhere

With no idea where to go, ask somebody, hell no, thainess, check mobile map, no, thainess.  Thainess is calling 12 times to deliver a single cold cheeseburger.

Yes yes, I tip the poor bastards and am never mean, they make nothing.