Trust In Thai Culture

[SomSak64]

It seems that white lies and hiding of uncomfortable facts are very accepted in Thai society. How does this impact Thais trust of each others?

For instance, would a Thai trust his girlfriend if she disappeared for a few days and told she had visited her family? Or lend money to a co-worker and expect to get it back at the agreed time? Or would he trust a doctor giving him colored pills, ensuring him that his illness is harmless?

Could someone please tell me what is the Thai word for 'trust'? And if a Thai is really intent to prove that he is honest, what would he do? Is there any equivalent to the Christian 'swearing on the Bible'?

[maerim]

For instance, would a Thai trust his girlfriend if she disappeared for a few days and told she had visited her family? Or lend money to a co-worker and expect to get it back at the agreed time? Or would he trust a doctor giving him colored pills, ensuring him that his illness is harmless?

No.

You know the Thai's well I hope you do.

Shall I tell you the truth or shall I keep you happy.

[Candyflip]

I assume from previous topic that you want to able to trust your gf. Its simple and easy suggestion here.

If you wanna win her heart over or make her honest to you, you have to show her that no matter what she does, just be herself, you would love her anyway. Most of people tell white lies to protect their own images, to look " good" for others but they dishonest to themselves and that always creates problem of " trusting".

Just my humble opinion.

[ThaiAdventure]

Trust is earned not demanded. If your g/f earns your trust then she is trustworthy (just don't let her near your credit card )

Thais only trust family and more often than not are let down by them. Westerners have been known to dis-own family members for this reason but Thais don't seem to be too phased by this (mai bpen rai).

Lieing is more often than not because they don't want confrontation. If she knows (or even thinks that you may) be annoyed by something, she will probably lie so that the confrontation is avoided. But all us big boys and girls know you get found out in the end!!!! Make the consequences of lieing far worse than telling the truth and if she is still with you in 6 months then you can (probably) trust her!

I'm not sure of the direct translation for trust in Thai.

Thais generally refer to a trustworthy person as Jai Dii (good heart) or for un-trustworthy...Jai Dam (Black heart)

[dr_Pat_Pong]

IMHO no more or less than westerners trust one another.

[KevinN]

Kev's sick racist comments removed. As will Kev be if there's a repeat of this stuff.

DrP. I posted nothing racist,and I posted nothing that was not true,I really do not understand..and if what I posted is sick racist instead of truth then you don't need to threaten me with expulsion,,I'm outta here..

Edited December 16, 2003 by KevinN

[khunphilip]

Trust in any culture is not easy to find I remeber a saying I Heard many years ago "IF YOU NEVER REALLY TRUST ANYBODY YOU WILL NEVER BE DISAPPOINTED' but this can to lead to years of being on lonesome so somewhere some way your haveto learn to trust sobetter to trust your thai wife who youare free to live when ever you want that trust adam english woman that with the help ofthe law can screw you for everything :

Phil

[maerim]

to trust your thai wife who youare free to live when ever you want that trust adam english woman that with the help ofthe law can screw you for everything

Dunno about that but when I had the misfortune to be married to aThai in the U.K. I had a right screwing with her getting legal aid and muggins here getting whacked by a lawyer to the tune of £1,000 for half a dozen letters before I sacked them and did it myself.

She is now in the U.K. and I am here I think I came on top.

The trouble with all partners in relationships and business you are in danger of going blind by keep looking at them.

[gangstar]

Their the only lot of people i know who think its fine to grass on each other, and if their on the receiving end of it dont mind and except it, plus still be friends after the fact, familys in the country will lie to neighbours about what their daughters realy doing, in bkk,patts etc,etc.... plus the girl will lie to parents about what she dose, remember they dont lie they save face,

[maerim]

gangstar

I don't want to sound rude but could you possibly repeat your last post in a language that some of us who have a grasp on the Ingrish lanwage undertstand?

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Their the only lot of people i know who think its fine to grass on each other, and if their on the receiving end of it dont mind and except it, plus still be friends after the fact, familys in the country will lie to neighbours about what their daughters realy doing, in bkk,patts etc,etc.... plus the girl will lie to parents about what she dose, remember they dont lie they save face,

So inarticulate....is it Tomy ?

[SomSak64]

Thanks for all helpful replies so far!

I am a bit disappointed by the translation attempts. I know that Thai in some areas may seem rather lacking in vocabulary, and that you sometimes may need more words to describe a concept than you do in English. But there certainly must be a word or an expression closer to 'trust' than 'jai dii'?

Any native Thai speakers out there?

[sbk]

Talked to my Thai husband about this, and he feels that it is like anywhere, depends on the person. Some people he trusts, some people he doesn't. Have to agree with ThaiAdventure about them trusting their families regardless of what they do, my sister-in-law is constantly making trouble but next time around, he will trust her again. Can't understand it myself, I wouldn't trust the girl at all based on past experience.

Anyway, the Thai word for trust, according to him, is chuea เซือ (ooh, hope I got that spelling right!). any others?

[gangstar]

Whilst I understand gangy is off for a couple of weeks, this rankled enough to annoy me again.

I trust someone in Pattaya (south Jomtien perhaps?) may do him a mischief on Boxing Day. Preferably someone Thai.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

O.K in english then, they lie, their two faced, and above all untrust worthy, they dont trust each other, so dont trust them, its us vs. them and vice versa if ya dont believe this WAKE UP

I am wondering why in God's name are you in Thailand with your brand of sensitivity for the Thai people.

[Dove]

In Thailand trusting your parents is very important so no matter what they say, it is plain truth. Hence so many girls end up being sold to finance the family. After all I am told by my TGF, the parents gave her life. Each time she tells me that a naughty thought ring in my heard " Did her parents have her because of lust and a little miscalculation?"

My observation is that lying to parents is okay so as not to hurt them and also lying to boyfriend is okay as long as we live happily ever after. So I lie too as long as I am happy.

From my experience but use your better judgement when you speak to anyone in Thailand as the Thai Yim (smile) is very misleading. It just mean that I heard you but it does not mean that I agree with you.

[SomSak64]

sbk,

Could you (or rather your Thai husband) please enlighten me, is chuea a combined verb and noun like in English or just one of the two?

[gangstar]

Its all good DR.P

[seville]

According to the dictionary I have it's just a verb and Chua-Tuu is the full word

It also lists Wai Jai

The Noun is Kwaam Chua-Tuu and Sin-Chua

The U being pronouned like Winnie the Pooh

[translator]

Gangster - Them and Us !

Why are you in contact with the human species ?

[sbk]

According to the hubby, colloquial Thai just uses chuea --you could use chuea jai. But khwam chuea is faith, i.e religious faith.

But then he speaks Thai south so you gotta be careful the words he teaches!

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Gangster - Them and Us !

I suspect Gangster isn't the full bottle.

[gangstar]

Well pat pong we all know theres not to many full bottles around you, tipsy tipsy, gulg glug, carefull with that wine on your keyboard

[Guest IT Manager]

cheura is the thai word in English

เชื่อ

[wolf5370]

Trust = Cheur Jai (sorry not got a Thai keyboard here, so can't script it for you, but Cheur has been scripted several times above).

Cheur is the verb. Cheur Jai a noun.

I don't think Thais lie anymore than the rest of us. I just think they are more open about and accepting of it. We all lie.

However, I do also think Thais are less trusting than the west; not sure if this makes them paranoid or us gullable!

[dr_Pat_Pong]

However, I do also think Thais are less trusting than the west; not sure if this makes them paranoid or us gullable!

I think we wild westerners get the gullibility award. . I mean...right now we choose to believe in Santa

[DaveYo]

this thread needs a doctor to sort it out. i got dizzy here trying to make head or tails of it.

Daveyoti

[Sick Boy]

"wai jai" I think means "trust"

"chua" is "believe"

Khun wai jai kow dai - You can trust him.

Phom mai chua kow - I don't believe him.

Luha chua - Unbelievable. (Almost impossible to write this in English)

That's all for today class.

[francois]

they don't say, that they lie, they say that they don't say all the truth

it's a tiny bit different ... same same but different

but are we really different from this?

we don't say all the truth, not to hurt, not to have to lie ...

we don't say all the truth, because it won't be accepted ...

and so on

trust is something you get, something that sould not step back ...

it happens from time to time, here as in our countries.

francois

[sbk]

Actually chuea is used in both words, same spelling and all. Apparently it depends on the user and on the meaning of the sentence. Chuea can be used for trust equally as wai jai. Seems easier to me to use chuea for believe and wai jai for trust, that way I know for sure what I mean, but according to both people I asked, many people use them interchangeably. Confused? Great! So am I, but I got this from two different sources (husband and friend) so I guess it must be true.