Is there such a thinng as common sense in Thailand? um No

common sense = มีสามัญสำนึก

Alltough many uneducated Thais will not understand this as it is so called "high" language and not something you would normally use in conversation.

Google translate asked if I wanted to change it to สามัญสำนึก

Why have a word(s) for something that does not exist?

Can you say Santa Clause?,Easter Bunny?, Military intelligence?

Don't get me started on religions / superstitions!

There are many many words for things that do not exist!

Well, if the concept exists, would there not be a requirement for a word to allow a reference to it.....

Often in Thailand, I just wonder if common sense exists as a concept only...

I would say that common sense looks like a dark hole here. Of course it may be argued that it means different thing to different people.

However, when I realized today my workers were using the exhaust of our lawnmover as a convenient candle holder (that's about 10 cm from its gas tank!) I just felt like there is a common ground to the meaning of common sense. And yes, I feel it like a deeply missing thing here. Day after day.

To put it simply it means for me: adjust your behaviors and decisions to an unfolding situation in order to avoid the worst outcome / get the most favorable one.

OT but , extrasensory perception also seems to be lacking , generally .

Do you know what I mean ?

There isn't a phrase because they don't have any, only thoughts for themselves.

Hold that thought. I've interviewed ten Thais so far and only have 65,999, 998 to go. You must have started before me.

Is there such a thinng as common sense in Thailand? um No

If you could give a few personal examples, it would add to the topic. Come on, you can do it.

common sense = มีสามัญสำนึก

Alltough many uneducated Thais will not understand this as it is so called "high" language and not something you would normally use in conversation.

So, in other words, even in Thailand, common sense isn't as common as it should be.

But don't consider me as being a Thai-basher. I know several intelligent and very sensible Thais.

Every country has its fair share of idiots. That's how fortunes are made - the sensible and quick-witted take advantage of everyone else's lack of common sense. Regardless of nationality, common sense just isn't as common as it once was.

Common sense is rarely common in the western world. Why would one expect it to be common here in Thailand.

There is one common sense in Thailand, which is contrary to common sense, as we westerners would see it. It is: Mai pen rai.

Op

If you had any common sense, you would know the answer to your question and wouldn't need to post it here.

"The problem with common sense is; it's not very common."

Voltaire 1789

This thread is going to end well....I can feel it....

Very logical possibility, or it could be just common sense.

My understanding and experience is that risk/reward and cause/effect understanding is to put it mildly, very difficult to find in Thailand.

If there is a need to discuss common sense,then someone is not going to understand the meaning.

Common sense is not so common anywhere any more.

I was told there isn't even a saying for common sense in the Thai language.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

They at least have the words:-

saa man sam neuk

Yes exactly correct!

common sense สามัญสำนึก săa-man săm-néuk http://www.thai2english.com/dictionary/common.html

I was told there isn't even a saying for common sense in the Thai language.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

They at least have the words:-

saa man sam neuk

Yes exactly correct!

common sense สามัญสำนึก săa-man săm-néuk http://www.thai2english.com/dictionary/common.html

Never heard it in daily use.

Says it all.

The online Thai-English dictionary that I use returns

การตัดสิน แบบพื้นๆ
gaan dtàt sĭn bàep péun péun

which, to me, means something like "basic-level deciding."

That's from

http://www.thai2english.com/dictionary/common%20sense.html

Going in the reverse direction, my wife, who is well-educated and lived in the US for 30 years, says it's

สามัญสำนึก [ สา-มัน สำ-นึก ]

săa-man săm-néuk

And the online dictionary returns it as "common sense."

So the term exists. But now that we live in Chiang Mai, we marvel at the goofy decisions we see people make around us. My wife is mostly Hainanese, born in Phayao, so the Chinese view of Thai people comes into play. I'm lucky her family shares her world view, so I'm not supporting a bunch of losers. But we only laugh and shake our heads thinking of our neighbors who make bad financial decisions and bad life decisions.

Don't get me started on the lack of logic in driving. Do these people turning left from the middle lane, while the left lane is perfectly clear, want to get rear-ended? I think the Thai people are caring and compassionate as friends and neighbors, but lack consideration while driving. If you could quietly ask one of those people blocking the road, I expect they would say something like, "Well, it never occurred to me that the rest of you drivers behind me are trying to get somewhere." Thoughtless, but not malicious.

I agree with some of the others who said it means different things to different people. That's true in a single culture, but is amplified when two (or more) cultures are involved.

I have frequently encountered "common sense" in Thailand..................just never exhibited by Thais though...............

A British friend and I were talking about the lack of common sense in Thai's. He had a great one liner. ''In this country, when it is rarely found, it is Uncommon sense.''

Op

If you had any common sense, you would know the answer to your question and wouldn't need to post it here.

So you are saying it is common sense to understand if common sense exists as a concept in a foreign culture?

and by asking it shows I have none. I would say that you appear to have common contempt. Which in my opinion is a fairly useless asset.

Common sense is not so common anywhere any more.

Back in the States when I was growing up, Logic was a required class. Debate teams were common. Not in years now. Critical thinking is now, not even an afterthought.

The ability to rationally analyze if something is true or false, possible consequences for any given act or omission, is becoming more and more rare everywhere.

Then again, I don't think the culture here ever allowed for "common sense" in the first place.

Common sense is not so common anywhere any more.

Back in the States when I was growing up, Logic was a required class. Debate teams were common. Not in years now. Critical thinking is now, not even an afterthought.

The ability to rationally analyze if something is true or false, possible consequences for any given act or omission, is becoming more and more rare everywhere.

Then again, I don't think the culture here ever allowed for "common sense" in the first place.

If it had, millions of Thais would be permenantly asking "why?".

Sure, but like most places, it's not very common.

Op

If you had any common sense, you would know the answer to your question and wouldn't need to post it here.

So you are saying it is common sense to understand if common sense exists as a concept in a foreign culture?

and by asking it shows I have none. I would say that you appear to have common contempt. Which in my opinion is a fairly useless asset.

You can't beat that ignorance. That's your opinion, not necessarily what's right, or wrong. Got that?=

dag nabit! aint nobody got any horse sense

As much as the "lack" of common sense (as I would see it) drives me nuts sometimes, I have to admit that there are times when what is "common sense" to Thais isn't to me. Seriously, a whole group of people will be going "duh" about something that Westerners would not intuit at all.

With a lot of things, Thais are looking at it from 180 degrees away from a Westerner. It just is.

Judging by the number who never wash their hands after going to the bathroom and the filthy state of so many road side eating places as just 2 small examples among many, I would say that common sense is rather rare here and that in itself is due to lack of scientific education and laziness to care about it anyway even if they do know sadly...

Judging by the number who never wash their hands after going to the bathroom and the filthy state of so many road side eating places as just 2 small examples among many, I would say that common sense is rather rare here and that in itself is due to lack of scientific education and laziness to care about it anyway even if they do know sadly...

I sometimes worry that many of my fellows struggle with poor dictionaries, when they cannot distinguish "poor hygiene (education)" from "lack of common sense". But maybe it is the poster, not their dictionary

SC

it's pretty common in my village

That's funny,I was just going to ask that question about common sense myself,but I thought that I'll do some 'search' first...and here you are

...unfortunately,after reading most of the posts,I still have no clear answer....for me 'common sense' goes close with 'logical thinking' and of course it is just my personal opinion....

...but the reason I'm here(this topic) is,that I've ask my daughter (10 years old),if she understands the meaning of 'common sense' (she goes to Thai school now),but she just had no clue,so I've ask for her dictionary and we've found the translation...so I've asked her again,if she understands now.....I've got the same 'blank' look.....

OK,I'm here in this country for quite many years and of course it is different than US,or Europe,but we all learn,sometimes from our own mistakes and I think our 'common sense' tells us not to repeat them...that's 'common sense' to me.....

...so,if you don't like mosquito bites,should you keep the screen doors closed?!