Is Thainess a good or bad thing? What does it mean to you?

[simon43]

TAT has just announced a new slogan to attract foreign tourists and they say they want foreigners to enjoy 'Thainess'.

Thainess is about the Thai people’s way of living and the feeling that visitors experience in the country.

Biut what does 'Thainess' mean to you?

I have never heard of this word until recently, and I'm sorry, but to me 'Thainess' is a word to describe everything negative about the country.

For me, it mean 'corruption, false smiles, scams, immaturity, corruption, deceitfulness, corruption....'

It does not conjure up images of happy, peaceful locals.

Is 'Thainess' meant to represent something good about the country? For me, it ranks alongside 'Don't Thai to me' as a phrase that seems to sum up the public face of this country.

When someone uses the word, what immediately flashes through your mind? Good or bad thoughts?

Simon

[cashpower]

generally a good thing although if too tight can be uncomfortable.

[Goompa]

It’s mentality and hospitality among the population that make Thailand “amazing” and therefore felt this slogan just right

I am confident it means a lot of different things to a lot of different people .

The above is also taken from the text in the Post as well, I am of the opinion that Tourism Thailand needs a new PR Council , I don't think the timing is quite right given that they have issued warnings against travel at the moment .

[Thai at Heart]

It doesn't mean anything, and to an average tourist coming from Europe, might actually have a detrimental connotation.

[rgs2001uk]

"Thainess" reminds me of how much I miss dealing with the HSBC, thankfully Aberdeen are just as competent

[pinkpanther99]

Thainess will mean many different things to many different people.

However, for most the foreign tourist coming on holiday to Thailand from Europe, they will neither know nor care what it means, which is why it is kind of daft of the TAT to use it in their new promotional campaign, as stated in the news story posted earlier today.

There is good and bad to Thainess.

Good - The smile, fun, friendliness,

Bad - The smile, corruption, two-faced, lack of common sense

You could say this about anything though - British, American, German, Australian, etc - good and bad in everything

[Thai at Heart]

Thainess will mean many different things to many different people.

However, for most the foreign tourist coming on holiday to Thailand from Europe, they will neither know nor care what it means, which is why it is kind of daft of the TAT to use it in their new promotional campaign, as stated in the news story posted earlier today.

There is good and bad to Thainess.

Good - The smile, fun, friendliness,

Bad - The smile, corruption, two-faced, lack of common sense

You could say this about anything though - British, American, German, Australian, etc - good and bad in everything

What stereotypical images come to the mind of many Europeans when asked what they associate with Thailand?

Temples or stainless steel poles?

[sam sen]

it's what makes thailand different from other countries(?)

[mancub]

The Thainess that TAT heralds is that of the long lost ideal of a friendly ,smiling ,carefree nation.

Rapid development ,greed ,and the head-long rush for all things materialistic have undermined the "old values" .

Thainess nowadays ,to those who see through the veneer of the "land of smiles" and witness the endemic corruption often means quite the opposite.

[Munger]

Thainess will mean many different things to many different people.

However, for most the foreign tourist coming on holiday to Thailand from Europe, they will neither know nor care what it means, which is why it is kind of daft of the TAT to use it in their new promotional campaign, as stated in the news story posted earlier today.

There is good and bad to Thainess.

Good - The smile, fun, friendliness,

Bad - The smile, corruption, two-faced, lack of common sense

You could say this about anything though - British, American, German, Australian, etc - good and bad in everything

What stereotypical images come to the mind of many Europeans when asked what they associate with Thailand?

Temples or stainless steel poles?

None of the above two, I would say hookers.

[Thai at Heart]

Thainess will mean many different things to many different people.

However, for most the foreign tourist coming on holiday to Thailand from Europe, they will neither know nor care what it means, which is why it is kind of daft of the TAT to use it in their new promotional campaign, as stated in the news story posted earlier today.

There is good and bad to Thainess.

Good - The smile, fun, friendliness,

Bad - The smile, corruption, two-faced, lack of common sense

You could say this about anything though - British, American, German, Australian, etc - good and bad in everything

What stereotypical images come to the mind of many Europeans when asked what they associate with Thailand?

Temples or stainless steel poles?

None of the above two, I would say hookers.

Dancing poles.

I was trying to be discrete.

[hookedondhamma]

Wow ....

Thainess is probably a fierce love of their country, and everything in it.

I don't think it's good or bad, it just is.

The weather is pleasant.

[In Search of Space]

Thais don't know what it is, everyone is different, call me cynical but it's just a marketing slogan & nothing else

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[wym]

The Thainess that TAT heralds is that of the long lost ideal of a friendly ,smiling ,carefree nation.

Rapid development ,greed ,and the head-long rush for all things materialistic have undermined the "old values" .

Thainess nowadays ,to those who see through the veneer of the "land of smiles" and witness the endemic corruption often means quite the opposite.

Sorry to be that guy, and not casting aspersions on your language ability, but the space comes after the comma not before.

[stiggy]

When I'm at a restaurant or bar it means an excuse for poor service, but with an added smile.

When I am working it means an excuse for laziness,saying yes when they should say no, but with the added smile

When I'm at any government department, it means tea money

When I'm driving it means what ever astounds me on that particular journey, I put down to Thainess

[Thai at Heart]

Thing is, I am not sure the word has a direct equivalent in thai.

[janpharma]

"Thainess" ? : "Kin, noon, kohok"...(Eat, sleep...and telling lies)...But of course with the "amazing smile"...

[benalibina]

"Thainess" ? : "Kin, noon, kohok"...(Eat, sleep...and telling lies)...But of course with the "amazing smile"...

Thats a positive view.

[Suradit69]

When someone uses the word, what immediately flashes through your mind?

The first thing that comes to mind when hearing that word is: "Oh, no, now some bored, tedious Thai Visa poster will manage to turn this into another excuse to ask ridiculous questions that are really a thinly veiled excuse to bash Thailand and turn an insignificant molehill into some bloated mountain."

The second thing that comes to mind is that Thainess conjures up the image of someone who would never waste his/her time asking people what they thought of "farangness."

[simple1]

For me the concept of 'Thainess' is captured in the Thai slogan "nation-religion-king"

[Skint]

Thainess is long gone for tourists rewind the clock at least 10 years

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[Gaccha]

Thainess is the process, the narrative, the epistemic framing, not the contents.

By all describing the contents (it's about smiles, it's about girls dancing on poles) you have found yourselves manipulated by this empty signifier. It is a power-play. It's intention is to allow certain things to be truthier than other things.

The expression when used in Thailand ("kwambpenthai") has a complex series of rules attached to exactly what it allows to be said and what effects it has. It frames the way reality is conceived. Politicians declare other politicians to not be Thai when they criticise conservative ways of doing.

Prof Pavin (in Kyoto University, read his 'A Plastic Nation') and Prof Thongchai (read his stunning 'Siam Mapped') have written extensively on this.

[wym]

Deep.

Truthier, eh?

[cashpower]

colbertism

[Tchooptip]

"Thainess" ? : "Kin, noon, kohok"...(Eat, sleep...and telling lies)...But of course with the "amazing smile"...

Thats a positive view.

Eh... yes positive possibly, I guess some with the same feelings could have added... But of course with the "hypocrite smile"...

[ppmacready]

Thainess is where you think 2+2=4 then find out its 4 and a little bit!

[ozyjon]

I looked it up on the "School of hard knocks" dictionary, it means laziness, back stabbing, my buffalo is sick, send more money etc.

Your description of 'corruption, false smiles, scams, immaturity, corruption, deceitfulness, corruption....' was mentioned but before that were many references to lazy, buffalo sick, mama sick, send money ruk you ruk me ruk the world send more money, and oh the life goes on.

[speedtripler]

when i hear thainess ,pretenious/superficial is the first words that comes to mind

[sirchai]

I'd assume that they meant Thainee and misspelled it as usual. Many guys like her, so Thainess with Thainee could be the hit. Or not.-

[473geo]

Thainess - Delivers simple pleasures I appreciate and treasure