It's all in the language

[AYJAYDEE]

Op you are a putz. You don't know Buddhism if you think Thais are true Buddhists. They aren't. They only worship to wish for wealth. The monks have benzs and fly in helicopters. I know a guy who buys his drugs from the temple. Monks collect money. That's not the tenets of Buddhism. Get off your high horse. Sounds like your bring a puppet for the thai girl. I've never met a thai who knew the truth of being a Buddhist.

ive met plenty. you couldnt get around much.

[Gecko123]

Op you are a putz. You don't know Buddhism if you think Thais are true Buddhists. They aren't. They only worship to wish for wealth. The monks have benzs and fly in helicopters. I know a guy who buys his drugs from the temple. Monks collect money. That's not the tenets of Buddhism. Get off your high horse. Sounds like your bring a puppet for the thai girl. I've never met a thai who knew the truth of being a Buddhist.

Inzman:

The point isn't whether you think the OP comes across as overly sanctimonious or not. (I share some concerns in this department as well.)

It's also besides the point to see how many examples a person can up with of Thais hypocritically violating the tenets of Buddhism. (Like all religions, there will always be ready examples of people behaving in a hypocritical manner.)

What I believe the OP was saying is that Buddhism has so deeply influenced Thai culture and Thai philosophical perspectives on life, that people who are trying to understand Thai culture better might benefit from trying to understand this religion better. He made the same point about the value of learning the language. I don't think the OP should be attacked for trying to express these points, which I believe are well-taken.

Regarding your comment that you've "never met a Thai who knew the truth of being a Buddhist," I agree that not every Thai can articulate every single fine point of Buddhist philosopy. But nor is every Christian a biblical scholar, nor has every Muslim memorized the Koran.

For me, the heart of Buddhism is striving to free yourself from suffering by becoming detached from desires, and to strive to see things through as unfiltered lense as possible in an effort to find truth. On some level, albeit not always on an intellectual level, I believe that the vast majority of Thai Buddhists understand this, and I therefore respectfully disagree with your assertion to the contrary.

[inzman]

When you go to a temple all the people are giving money all the time, this is to bring good merit in the form of wealth. Buddhista deplored wealth and the accumulation of it. Thais don't practice this. Buddhism was brought over from India and before that I think china? Thais only practice an interpretation of it which includes wealth and possessions. This is a perverted assumption of the religion. Temples accumulate wealth as a practice. Merit in Thai Buddhism is believed to derive from giving money, all this is sanctimonious to Buddihistas teaching as almost all the traits of Buddhism that are practiced in this country. Monks giving lucky lottery numbers? The head monk in one small village I know of is the biggest money lender there. The Dharma center outside of Bangkok that the elite are members of is said to hold the highest accumulation of wealth in the country outside of the royal family. Thai Buddhism is just like all other worlds religions, for profit enterprises with no real practice of the faith. I for one do not involve myself in exchanging money for merit. If I feel a need to reach a higher power, it is between myself and the celestial bodies, not giving money to other men's enterprises. Religion does and always has preyed upon peoples weakness and fragility to enrich and empower the organization. Organized religion does not bring anyone closer to their god, it only enriches the masters and dupes the mindless public.

[NoshowJones]

Why shouldn't you strive to change the things that are clearly dysfunctional and inherently "bad" in every way, especially if they affect you in your daily life? What you do need to focus on is patience though. And of course many times its better to just shrug your shoulders and smile and move on, so to speak. I don't know...in a country like Thailand where so many things have a lot of room for improvement to put it mildly, its just kind of hard to bite your tongue.

"where so many things have a lot of room for improvement" tell me a country that does not apply too. A lot depends on the individual living in that country. In every country you can say "the good outweighs the bad", or vice versa, in Thailand. In Thailand I would say "the good outweighs the bad".

[huawei]

Good post.

I wonder what percent of the Thai bashers are illiterates who are unable to speak the language fluently.

Please define fluency, I speak read and write the language, but accept I will never be fluent.

Too be honest dont think I have ever yet met a fluent farang speaker.

My limitations on the language include, religious talk (as an atheist religion is no concern of mine) legal, medical and engineering terms, Thai Law is another aspect of the language I am not fluent in, why should I be?

Op is a just showing off.

1. I speak Thai

2. I have friends that you probably don't have because I am not like you.

3. I understand Buddhism ..

4. Cultural sensitive.

He's the type who you would try to say hello to in tesco and would ignore you.

Less authentic than the guy with a wife beater and tattoos in pattaya.

[NoshowJones]

Good post.

I wonder what percent of the Thai bashers are illiterates who are unable to speak the language fluently.

Please define fluency, I speak read and write the language, but accept I will never be fluent.

Too be honest dont think I have ever yet met a fluent farang speaker.

My limitations on the language include, religious talk (as an atheist religion is no concern of mine) legal, medical and engineering terms, Thai Law is another aspect of the language I am not fluent in, why should I be?

If you can give and take instructions with a Thai you do not know over the phone, then you are a fluent Thai speaker. I know a Farang who can.

[krisb]

So you want us to go learn Buddhism to truly understand why a bunch of drunk Thais staggering around a village is actually not a bad thing? Or why their building skills are disasterous

Or learn to speak Thai to understand why their driving is really dangerous?

Save your preaching mate for someone who gives a stuff.

Absolute load of crap op.

[krisb]

Op you are a putz. You don't know Buddhism if you think Thais are true Buddhists. They aren't. They only worship to wish for wealth. The monks have benzs and fly in helicopters. I know a guy who buys his drugs from the temple. Monks collect money. That's not the tenets of Buddhism. Get off your high horse. Sounds like your bring a puppet for the thai girl. I've never met a thai who knew the truth of being a Buddhist.

[JDGRUEN]

OP - you have divided Expats into two broad groups - 'types' ... your biggest and most incorrect assumption in your article. The attitude of Expats about Thailand, Thais and Buddhism runs a wide sweeping continuum of points of view... Assuming that there are just two types is - well - just plain silly. With that base starting point - your POV - point of view can only be treated as 'vacant'.

What you describe and seem to hold as the Best and Only way to view Thailand, Thais and Buddhism is to think as you do. Which is a very sophomoric mentality...

[tifino]

the difficulties can sometimes be a 2 way street.

what do (or can) you say in response to " why you come in Buddhist Temple? You cannot be Buddhist - you not Thai

My own Monk has even let his elders know he feels sorry for me, as I am (very) tolerant and cop a lot of snide words in Thai (lucky I am not that conversant)

I don't get angry of course, but as many of the accusers don't really know how much/little I can really speak - I smile and say "I understand they have their culture"

One day my wish is the Monk gives them a head-on dhamma on acceptance/tolerance of what they don't understand fully.

Wifey and I do a lot of help around the temple, when others only go to get Good Luck from the monk.

We are becoming a sort of tall poppy, that other Thai folk look bad at us.

Even yesterday Monk gave me this RamaV amulet for special occasion: The Elder said to me the doubters will be obliged to acknowledge the significance of the amulet (which can never be bought) and that I have this official one presented to me.

...sometime, words are not needed to understand...

[Gsxrnz]

IMHO the only way you can fully understand a culture is if you're born into it and/or grow up in it. Maybe you have a chance of crossing cultures if you do it before the age of 8,and maybe you have a chance of fully understanding two cultures if you're immersed in them both from a very young age. Otherwise, I suspect that no matter how well one thinks they understand a foreign culture they entered as an adult, the truth is they will never know how well they've assimilated because their perspective is very subjective.

I think this applies equally even if the language is the same. For example, I emigrated from the UK to NZ at the age of 5. When I returned to the UK at the age of 13 for a year, I felt like a social outcast because of my Kiwi accent and my total lack of exposure to the UK schooling and social systems. I suffered for a year before my family took us back to NZ. The irony - I'd tried to assimilate so much into the UK that on my return to NZ, I suffered a little bit of culture shock due to my recently acquired Yorkshire accent and different norms of behaviour.

Converse to the OP's view, I know a Thai man that is now 48. He emigrated to New Zealand at the age of 22 and married a Kiwi. So he's been living in New Zealand most of his life. He's made three brief trips back to Thailand in that period and none in the past 12 or so years.

He is as fluent with English as any long time immigrant to an English speaking country. NZ is full of Asian immigrants from so I think I have a fairly good perspective on their levels of fluency, social integration and assimilation. I've worked with many immigrants in professional fields and interacted with them socially - it's just part of our very mixed NZ culture. He even confesses that on occasions when talking to his family on the phone in Thailand, he has to ask them to speak slowly. He has no need to use his mother tongue and he admits to struggling when he does have to use it. I asked him once what language he "thinks" in - he admitted that the thought hadn't crossed his mind for a long time, but that he does think in English and not Thai.

This man I'm talking about has excellent English skills but is not and never will be totally fluent, and neither will the vast majority of immigrants that migrated from their own countries as adults. His word knowledge is huge, but he fails to comprehend nuance and slang that are based around social mores and norms specific to NZ and/or stolen from English culture and language.

You'd think that after having more exposure to NZ than to his own culture, that he would understand the intricacies of language, social interaction etc, especially after raising three children (born in New Zealand) to adulthood. I could give countless examples, but suffice to say, while he has enjoyed watching cricket over the years and one of his sons plays the game.....he doesn't understand half of the rules or half of the language.

I think the OP's claim that it's all in the language is incorrect and only part of the story. Language is the biggest hurdle to be crossed, but an adult crossing cultures will probably never be considered to be 100% integrated, whereas his/her children probably would be.He may well think he's fully integrated because of his Thai language skills, but his view is very subjective.

[thailiketoo]

IMHO the only way you can fully understand a culture is if you're born into it and/or grow up in it. Maybe you have a chance of crossing cultures if you do it before the age of 8,and maybe you have a chance of fully understanding two cultures if you're immersed in them both from a very young age. Otherwise, I suspect that no matter how well one thinks they understand a foreign culture they entered as an adult, the truth is they will never know how well they've assimilated because their perspective is very subjective.

I think this applies equally even if the language is the same. For example, I emigrated from the UK to NZ at the age of 5. When I returned to the UK at the age of 13 for a year, I felt like a social outcast because of my Kiwi accent and my total lack of exposure to the UK schooling and social systems. I suffered for a year before my family took us back to NZ. The irony - I'd tried to assimilate so much into the UK that on my return to NZ, I suffered a little bit of culture shock due to my recently acquired Yorkshire accent and different norms of behaviour.

Converse to the OP's view, I know a Thai man that is now 48. He emigrated to New Zealand at the age of 22 and married a Kiwi. So he's been living in New Zealand most of his life. He's made three brief trips back to Thailand in that period and none in the past 12 or so years.

He is as fluent with English as any long time immigrant to an English speaking country. NZ is full of Asian immigrants from so I think I have a fairly good perspective on their levels of fluency, social integration and assimilation. I've worked with many immigrants in professional fields and interacted with them socially - it's just part of our very mixed NZ culture. He even confesses that on occasions when talking to his family on the phone in Thailand, he has to ask them to speak slowly. He has no need to use his mother tongue and he admits to struggling when he does have to use it. I asked him once what language he "thinks" in - he admitted that the thought hadn't crossed his mind for a long time, but that he does think in English and not Thai.

This man I'm talking about has excellent English skills but is not and never will be totally fluent, and neither will the vast majority of immigrants that migrated from their own countries as adults. His word knowledge is huge, but he fails to comprehend nuance and slang that are based around social mores and norms specific to NZ and/or stolen from English culture and language.

You'd think that after having more exposure to NZ than to his own culture, that he would understand the intricacies of language, social interaction etc, especially after raising three children (born in New Zealand) to adulthood. I could give countless examples, but suffice to say, while he has enjoyed watching cricket over the years and one of his sons plays the game.....he doesn't understand half of the rules or half of the language.

I think the OP's claim that it's all in the language is incorrect and only part of the story. Language is the biggest hurdle to be crossed, but an adult crossing cultures will probably never be considered to be 100% integrated, whereas his/her children probably would be.He may well think he's fully integrated because of his Thai language skills, but his view is very subjective.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_anthropology

Cultural anthropology is a branch of anthropology focused on the study of cultural variation among humans

Gee don't tell these guys "the only way you can fully understand a culture is if you're born into it and/or grow up in it" because there is a whole science dedicated to just that and those guys think they know what they are doing.

.

Cultural Anthropologist: Job Description & Career Info

Cultural anthropologists, also known as sociocultural anthropologists, study the language, art, traditions and customs of societies past and present.

http://education-portal.com/articles/Cultural_Anthropologist_Job_Description_and_Info_About_a_Career_in_Cultural_Anthropology.html

[geronimo]

i see a lot of thais that arnt as buddhist as your trying to make out,,

and please i never knock thais, BUT, when i see monks smoking, well that isnt in the buddhist teachings, neither is eating meat,

if you think,, well we the falang, or the west have improved thailand a lot,, many thais now live n houses, have running water, things they never had not to long ago,

i will agree with you on most of what you say, i dont try and change things, if thats the way they want to do it so be it,

and i dont let it get to me now, as in thai time, you will all know what i mean,, the builder says hes coming tomorow, and it could be 3 days, after a few phone calls,

i dont speak thai fluent, i get by, i would like to speak better thai, but only to sit with some of the older folk in the village and listen to there stories,

jake

does the vinaya pitaka forbid smoking and eating meat? and it wasnt the farang expats that gave thais houses and running water.

You can take from it what you wish, some take more than others.

[geronimo]

Op you are a putz. You don't know Buddhism if you think Thais are true Buddhists. They aren't. They only worship to wish for wealth. The monks have benzs and fly in helicopters. I know a guy who buys his drugs from the temple. Monks collect money. That's not the tenets of Buddhism. Get off your high horse. Sounds like your bring a puppet for the thai girl. I've never met a thai who knew the truth of being a Buddhist.

Who said Thais are true Buddhists? I have no horse. Thai girls and puppets? You've lost me there!

[Gsxrnz]

IMHO the only way you can fully understand a culture is if you're born into it and/or grow up in it. Maybe you have a chance of crossing cultures if you do it before the age of 8,and maybe you have a chance of fully understanding two cultures if you're immersed in them both from a very young age. Otherwise, I suspect that no matter how well one thinks they understand a foreign culture they entered as an adult, the truth is they will never know how well they've assimilated because their perspective is very subjective.

I think this applies equally even if the language is the same. For example, I emigrated from the UK to NZ at the age of 5. When I returned to the UK at the age of 13 for a year, I felt like a social outcast because of my Kiwi accent and my total lack of exposure to the UK schooling and social systems. I suffered for a year before my family took us back to NZ. The irony - I'd tried to assimilate so much into the UK that on my return to NZ, I suffered a little bit of culture shock due to my recently acquired Yorkshire accent and different norms of behaviour.

Converse to the OP's view, I know a Thai man that is now 48. He emigrated to New Zealand at the age of 22 and married a Kiwi. So he's been living in New Zealand most of his life. He's made three brief trips back to Thailand in that period and none in the past 12 or so years.

He is as fluent with English as any long time immigrant to an English speaking country. NZ is full of Asian immigrants from so I think I have a fairly good perspective on their levels of fluency, social integration and assimilation. I've worked with many immigrants in professional fields and interacted with them socially - it's just part of our very mixed NZ culture. He even confesses that on occasions when talking to his family on the phone in Thailand, he has to ask them to speak slowly. He has no need to use his mother tongue and he admits to struggling when he does have to use it. I asked him once what language he "thinks" in - he admitted that the thought hadn't crossed his mind for a long time, but that he does think in English and not Thai.

This man I'm talking about has excellent English skills but is not and never will be totally fluent, and neither will the vast majority of immigrants that migrated from their own countries as adults. His word knowledge is huge, but he fails to comprehend nuance and slang that are based around social mores and norms specific to NZ and/or stolen from English culture and language.

You'd think that after having more exposure to NZ than to his own culture, that he would understand the intricacies of language, social interaction etc, especially after raising three children (born in New Zealand) to adulthood. I could give countless examples, but suffice to say, while he has enjoyed watching cricket over the years and one of his sons plays the game.....he doesn't understand half of the rules or half of the language.

I think the OP's claim that it's all in the language is incorrect and only part of the story. Language is the biggest hurdle to be crossed, but an adult crossing cultures will probably never be considered to be 100% integrated, whereas his/her children probably would be.He may well think he's fully integrated because of his Thai language skills, but his view is very subjective.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_anthropology

Cultural anthropology is a branch of anthropology focused on the study of cultural variation among humans

Gee don't tell these guys "the only way you can fully understand a culture is if you're born into it and/or grow up in it" because there is a whole science dedicated to just that and those guys think they know what they are doing.

.

Cultural Anthropologist: Job Description & Career Info

Cultural anthropologists, also known as sociocultural anthropologists, study the language, art, traditions and customs of societies past and present.

http://education-portal.com/articles/Cultural_Anthropologist_Job_Description_and_Info_About_a_Career_in_Cultural_Anthropology.html

OK, Kimosabe, I won't tell them.

Not interested in applying for a job either, only pays a measly $73k at best.

You neglected to include the "IMHO....." in quoting me, so it's only my ever so humble opinion - I don't claim it to be fact or scientifically proven.

[Gringogazzer]

To not understand or ask why is just lazy. It's not just accepting, but understanding.

Your view of Thai culture/Buddhism as "living in the moment" is naive as what one does at this moment ultimately decides where we end up tomorrow.

The goal is more enlightenment later, not now.

If I have positive effects today by the reach of karma those positive effects will visit on me later, not now.

As one post said his wife only thinks for their future, when old, as does mine. Save well today to be comfortable tomorrow runs right alongside Buddism.

It's time to start to ask why, mate.

[Kwasaki]

Disagree with you OP it take all kinds to make a world they say and bloody ell, you remind me of the song " Bringing in the sheep ".

[tifino]

You know; 'Living For The Moment' is actually a very good descriptor of a Thainess outlook on life, as

- "I Want It Now" is another way to say it

[huawei]

No point learning the language if you don't experience things . Business here, schooling, the courts ( royal Thai ), dealing with the police , immigration I am pretty good at the lingo until I had to deal with all the above ..then you understand that speaking it competently is not and never will be enough when it really matters...I now use my lawyer for clarification.

The language thing is important but these days after 30 plus years here I speak exclusively English in business and at home and mostly socially..I understood as a young guy working here you can't integrate and for me no real desire to do so.Take the good , cope with the rest. Language is a must but not a panacea.

[StreetCowboy]

Oh yes, one other thing. Whenever you start to think "why do they do this"? Remember that it isn't important why, just accept that they do. Things will roll along much smoother.

Why is the why not important?

I find it much easier to accept things if I understand why they are done. I used to get angry about confusing "drive on the right" streets,but when one realises that in some cases, it prevents traffic crossing, then it makes sense. It might not be the way we do it back in the Old Country, but nevertheless, it makes sense. And I figured that out without speaking a bean of the local language.

SC

[thailiketoo]

IMHO the only way you can fully understand a culture is if you're born into it and/or grow up in it. Maybe you have a chance of crossing cultures if you do it before the age of 8,and maybe you have a chance of fully understanding two cultures if you're immersed in them both from a very young age. Otherwise, I suspect that no matter how well one thinks they understand a foreign culture they entered as an adult, the truth is they will never know how well they've assimilated because their perspective is very subjective.

I think this applies equally even if the language is the same. For example, I emigrated from the UK to NZ at the age of 5. When I returned to the UK at the age of 13 for a year, I felt like a social outcast because of my Kiwi accent and my total lack of exposure to the UK schooling and social systems. I suffered for a year before my family took us back to NZ. The irony - I'd tried to assimilate so much into the UK that on my return to NZ, I suffered a little bit of culture shock due to my recently acquired Yorkshire accent and different norms of behaviour.

Converse to the OP's view, I know a Thai man that is now 48. He emigrated to New Zealand at the age of 22 and married a Kiwi. So he's been living in New Zealand most of his life. He's made three brief trips back to Thailand in that period and none in the past 12 or so years.

He is as fluent with English as any long time immigrant to an English speaking country. NZ is full of Asian immigrants from so I think I have a fairly good perspective on their levels of fluency, social integration and assimilation. I've worked with many immigrants in professional fields and interacted with them socially - it's just part of our very mixed NZ culture. He even confesses that on occasions when talking to his family on the phone in Thailand, he has to ask them to speak slowly. He has no need to use his mother tongue and he admits to struggling when he does have to use it. I asked him once what language he "thinks" in - he admitted that the thought hadn't crossed his mind for a long time, but that he does think in English and not Thai.

This man I'm talking about has excellent English skills but is not and never will be totally fluent, and neither will the vast majority of immigrants that migrated from their own countries as adults. His word knowledge is huge, but he fails to comprehend nuance and slang that are based around social mores and norms specific to NZ and/or stolen from English culture and language.

You'd think that after having more exposure to NZ than to his own culture, that he would understand the intricacies of language, social interaction etc, especially after raising three children (born in New Zealand) to adulthood. I could give countless examples, but suffice to say, while he has enjoyed watching cricket over the years and one of his sons plays the game.....he doesn't understand half of the rules or half of the language.

I think the OP's claim that it's all in the language is incorrect and only part of the story. Language is the biggest hurdle to be crossed, but an adult crossing cultures will probably never be considered to be 100% integrated, whereas his/her children probably would be.He may well think he's fully integrated because of his Thai language skills, but his view is very subjective.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_anthropology

Cultural anthropology is a branch of anthropology focused on the study of cultural variation among humans

Gee don't tell these guys "the only way you can fully understand a culture is if you're born into it and/or grow up in it" because there is a whole science dedicated to just that and those guys think they know what they are doing.

.

Cultural Anthropologist: Job Description & Career Info

Cultural anthropologists, also known as sociocultural anthropologists, study the language, art, traditions and customs of societies past and present.

http://education-portal.com/articles/Cultural_Anthropologist_Job_Description_and_Info_About_a_Career_in_Cultural_Anthropology.html

OK, Kimosabe, I won't tell them.

Not interested in applying for a job either, only pays a measly $73k at best.

You neglected to include the "IMHO....." in quoting me, so it's only my ever so humble opinion - I don't claim it to be fact or scientifically proven.

I realize that but it's like saying the moon is made out of cheese. Does it make the statement somehow more palatable because it's your opinion?

Of course people can understand another culture; many people make a living doing just that. If you want to be educated all you have to do is google. Alexis de Tocqueville, a Frenchman is studied at all American Universities for his works on Democracy in America written in 1835 and considered defining text of the period.

It is perhaps easier to understand another's culture than your own.

Would Americans carry the majority of the load in the fight against Ebola and Isis if they knew how the rest of the world felt about them?

Does anyone really believe that Thailand understands how people from other countries feel about them?

Read Thai Visa for a while and one realizes how transparent the actions of some people in Thailand are even though they think they can get away with silly statement after silly statement and no one knows what is really happening.

[sirineou]

Oh yes, one other thing. Whenever you start to think "why do they do this"? Remember that it isn't important why, just accept that they do. Things will roll along much smoother.

Why is the why not important?

I find it much easier to accept things if I understand why they are done. I used to get angry about confusing "drive on the right" streets,but when one realises that in some cases, it prevents traffic crossing, then it makes sense. It might not be the way we do it back in the Old Country, but nevertheless, it makes sense. And I figured that out without speaking a bean of the local language.

SC

Could not agree more

The why , especially when living in a foreign culture, is extremely important.

I am talking about the honest, sincere, why, not the why used in this forum as a pretext for Thai bashing.

So many things in a foreign culture seem incomprehensible, when viewed from with in our cultural context, and what occurs is culture shock.

We see it in this forum all the time,

Many of the people in this forum engaging in Thai bashing are not bad people , I an sure if we were to meet, we would get along fine. But I am afraid they have neglected the why

As I said before, ignorance breeds fear and stress, Understanding creates respect and contentment.

And it is not necessary to understand the why with everything.

Just understand that it is that way because with in the larger cultural context, It works for the people of that culture. That is what by definition, what culture is,

[AYJAYDEE]

i see a lot of thais that arnt as buddhist as your trying to make out,,

and please i never knock thais, BUT, when i see monks smoking, well that isnt in the buddhist teachings, neither is eating meat,

if you think,, well we the falang, or the west have improved thailand a lot,, many thais now live n houses, have running water, things they never had not to long ago,

i will agree with you on most of what you say, i dont try and change things, if thats the way they want to do it so be it,

and i dont let it get to me now, as in thai time, you will all know what i mean,, the builder says hes coming tomorow, and it could be 3 days, after a few phone calls,

i dont speak thai fluent, i get by, i would like to speak better thai, but only to sit with some of the older folk in the village and listen to there stories,

jake

does the vinaya pitaka forbid smoking and eating meat? and it wasnt the farang expats that gave thais houses and running water.

You can take from it what you wish, some take more than others.

so you cant answer either?

[sdanielmcev]

I gotta disagree with this fluency idea. Also with the integrating fully. Fluency in a language means being able to read, write and speak a language, not comprehend every little idiom, saying, motto, what have you. It's being able to communicate ideas, wants, instructions, etc.

And as far as integrating with another, "different" culture, you will if you want to. Seems more of a blame game here. Are you accepted by everybody in your native culture? Probably not. Most everyone will be distinguished, and distinguishes, by their common and uncommon traits.

[Gecko123]

When you go to a temple all the people are giving money all the time, this is to bring good merit in the form of wealth. Buddhista deplored wealth and the accumulation of it. Thais don't practice this. Buddhism was brought over from India and before that I think china? Thais only practice an interpretation of it which includes wealth and possessions. This is a perverted assumption of the religion. Temples accumulate wealth as a practice. Merit in Thai Buddhism is believed to derive from giving money, all this is sanctimonious to Buddihistas teaching as almost all the traits of Buddhism that are practiced in this country. Monks giving lucky lottery numbers? The head monk in one small village I know of is the biggest money lender there. The Dharma center outside of Bangkok that the elite are members of is said to hold the highest accumulation of wealth in the country outside of the royal family. Thai Buddhism is just like all other worlds religions, for profit enterprises with no real practice of the faith. I for one do not involve myself in exchanging money for merit. If I feel a need to reach a higher power, it is between myself and the celestial bodies, not giving money to other men's enterprises. Religion does and always has preyed upon peoples weakness and fragility to enrich and empower the organization. Organized religion does not bring anyone closer to their god, it only enriches the masters and dupes the mindless public.

You keep acting as if the OP recommended that everyone should convert to Buddhism.

He didn't say that.

He said that he believed understanding the religion and the language would help understand the culture. In the same way learning Arabic and understanding the Islamic religion might help a person adjust to living in the middle East, or learning English and understanding the Christian faith might help a person adjust to living in England or America.

I would be hard pressed to come up with an example of travel advice which is more sensible or ought to be less controversial, almost to the point where the OP could be accused of offering banal advice. Why do you think every travel guide ever written for Thailand has a section on its language and religion? You're certainly entitled to your opinions about organized religion, but I think they are out of place on this thread.