Thai Social Protocol

[Beetlejuice]

I have noticed over the years that Thai social protocol or according to etiquette, seem to have one level.

For example at parties, social functions, local discos, weddings and festivals, the music is usually fast paced and rarely have I seen slow romantic, smoochy kinds of music played where people actually get close and dance with each other as they do in Western society, plus I couldn’t imagine the Thais having their own version of a knees up mother Brown or an all do the hokey cokey.

Even the Thai TV soap operas appear to be acted all at one pace and long and drawn out, neither up nor down whatever the story line.

Another example is that I have only on odd occasions seen Thai couples holding hands or snogging in public. In other words it`s all much of a muchness with very few variations or exceptions to the rule.

I don’t think it is because the Thais are not adventurous. To be honest I find this aspect of Thai behaviour confusing, or perhaps it`s us, the Westerners that have adopted the wrong protocols?

[JurgenG]

Is Thailand really different from Europe 50 years ago ?

Edited February 8, 2012 by JurgenG

[Kilgore Trout]

I thought it was the hokey pokey and "knees up mother brown," whats that? What are you planning to do to old Ma Brown?

[Soutpeel]

• Thai Social Protocol
  

Use every opportuinity possible in between playing on a smart phone to pick ones nose...

[billybobthedog]

• Thai Social Protocol
  

Use every opportuinity possible in between playing on a smart phone to pick ones nose...

and sqeeze those spots!

[Ulysses G.]

Is Thailand really different from Europe 50 years ago ?

Yes.

[geriatrickid]

It must be quite a shock for the uncouth savage farangs when they come to the LOS and see the politeness, the kindness and the social restraint. Why, just last month, the mob that knifed the Australian family on Phuket had the good manners to clean up the blood afterwards. One would never see such attentiveness of thugs cleaning off their knives and axe elsewhere. In the disposable western society, the thugs would have left the knife embedded in the chest of the victim and not considered reusing the knife. Thailand gets my nod for recycling.

Just like this thread

[red1green0]

Thai Social Protocol

Smile, treat those with more money than you like God, and those with less like sh1t. Don't think. Elvis is genius.

Good Thai.

[Beetlejuice]

This thread obviously hasn’t been a success.

Next time I will have to include, sex, nudity, swearing and lashings of un-necessary violence.

[StreetCowboy]

This thread obviously hasn’t been a success.

Next time I will have to include, sex, nudity, swearing and lashings of un-necessary violence.

OFFS! There's enough swearing without you starting.

and

Keep your clothes on, please!

SC

[thaifkrlim]

yes, the Westerners have adopted the wrong protocols such as anal sex and the Thais are not adventurous enough to penetrate the western etiquette

[onionluke]

Tempo Protocol .

I like the country songs on the radio , heavy on bass , and slow , oh so slow . They go on and on and on with that beat . How do they manage to keep from trying to get it all over and done with in 2 minutes and 11 seconds like they do back in the west ?

Ah , barley on topic again .

[onionluke]

Tempo Protocol .

I like the country songs on the radio , heavy on bass , and slow , oh so slow . They go on and on and on with that beat . How do they manage to keep from trying to get it all over and done with in 2 minutes and 11 seconds like they do back in the west ?

Ah , barley on topic again .

Don't forget a liberal dose of repitition .

Edited February 8, 2012 by onionluke

[theblether]

This thread obviously hasn’t been a success.

Next time I will have to include, sex, nudity, swearing and lashings of un-necessary violence.

A high percentage of ex-pats in Thailand don't know what "Social Protocol" means.

[David48]

What confuses me a little with your post is the headline and opening paragraph have the same vibe ... but then you delve into what you preceive as the monotone of Thai public life as opposed to Thai social protocol.

[NanLaew]

I guess the OP skipped the 'deeply conservative society' chapter in "Thailand 101."

BTW, wasn't it the Scottish Presbyterians that banned sex standing up due to the fear of dancing breaking out? Or was that the Mormons?

[licentiapoetica]

Is Thailand really different from Europe 50 years ago ?

Yes.

Thailand is of course an Asian country/culture and so not similar to Europe in many ways, but... Thailand today and Europe in the 1960s are more alike than Thailand today and Europe today. However Thailand is catching up fast - and in a decade or two will probably be a lot less conservative when it comes to social norms.

Edited February 10, 2012 by licentiapoetica

[Beetlejuice]

Is Thailand really different from Europe 50 years ago ?

Yes.

Thailand is of course an Asian country/culture and so not similar to Europe in many ways, but... Thailand today and Europe in the 1960s are more alike than Thailand today and Europe today. However Thailand is catching up fast - and in a decade or two will probably be a lot less conservative when it comes to social norms.

I totally agree with you and that your prognosis is correct.

Although I do sometimes find the Thai conservative perspectives irritating in that something’s seem to run at luke warm temperatures rather than ever getting hot, if you get my meaning? Perhaps it`s a good thing that Thais prefer to keep their activities at a reasonable level and not as in synchronization with the Western nations where many do not know when to draw the line and can be damaging to society as a whole.

Personally I have never believed in the complete permissive society. I think there is always a need to have some dictatorship and authoritarian rule of a sorts. The West is a classic example of what happens when liberalism takes over in extremes.

Thailand could lead the way regarding the main principles of a culture and how to place good values into society. This is one of the main reasons I stay here, suits me fine.