Can Thais hold a secret?

[ResandePohm]

I think the discussion here is tackling this from the wrong angle. It is not "Can Thais keep a secret?" In my two years of experience in Thailand I have found that many Thais have an unprecedented urge to tell all friends, acquaintances and relatives a snippet of information that they do not know. In simpler words they love to gossip.

When I first met my girlfriend I went to her hometown and rented a bungalow in a small housing estate and she moved in. We decided that we would not discuss our relationship with others as we were still getting to know each other. However the neighbours who all knew each other became curious. Were we married, just boyfriend girlfriend, were we getting married, was I married to someone else etc etc. We said nothing. Then the gossip started. My girlfriend apparently was my, what the Thais call "small wife" or a "farang rent a wife" and I was apparently very much married. At least that is what relatives of my girlfriend were told. After about 3 months a delegation of about 5 of our female neighbours assembled in our garden and demanded to know how much i paid her per month, did I give her expensive gifts etc etc. Then someone told my landlord that I was planning on not paying any more rent. This caused a visit from the landlord who said I must leave the house even before the rent was due.

My conclusion was that Thais have an inherent urge to get one up on each other. To show they know something you don't know. If they don't know they will make things up.They need to discuss with others your secrets. They just love to gossip. So yes Thais cannot keep secrets. They need to show that they know something that you don't know. They gossip.

[AYJAYDEE]

I think the discussion here is tackling this from the wrong angle. It is not "Can Thais keep a secret?" In my two years of experience in Thailand I have found that many Thais have an unprecedented urge to tell all friends, acquaintances and relatives a snippet of information that they do not know. In simpler words they love to gossip.

When I first met my girlfriend I went to her hometown and rented a bungalow in a small housing estate and she moved in. We decided that we would not discuss our relationship with others as we were still getting to know each other. However the neighbours who all knew each other became curious. Were we married, just boyfriend girlfriend, were we getting married, was I married to someone else etc etc. We said nothing. Then the gossip started. My girlfriend apparently was my, what the Thais call "small wife" or a "farang rent a wife" and I was apparently very much married. At least that is what relatives of my girlfriend were told. After about 3 months a delegation of about 5 of our female neighbours assembled in our garden and demanded to know how much i paid her per month, did I give her expensive gifts etc etc. Then someone told my landlord that I was planning on not paying any more rent. This caused a visit from the landlord who said I must leave the house even before the rent was due.

My conclusion was that Thais have an inherent urge to get one up on each other. To show they know something you don't know. If they don't know they will make things up.They need to discuss with others your secrets. They just love to gossip. So yes Thais cannot keep secrets. They need to show that they know something that you don't know. They gossip.

people everywhere gossip. got any statistics to show thais do it more ofter?

[ukrules]

I think the discussion here is tackling this from the wrong angle. It is not "Can Thais keep a secret?" In my two years of experience in Thailand I have found that many Thais have an unprecedented urge to tell all friends, acquaintances and relatives a snippet of information that they do not know. In simpler words they love to gossip.

When I first met my girlfriend I went to her hometown and rented a bungalow in a small housing estate and she moved in. We decided that we would not discuss our relationship with others as we were still getting to know each other. However the neighbours who all knew each other became curious. Were we married, just boyfriend girlfriend, were we getting married, was I married to someone else etc etc. We said nothing. Then the gossip started. My girlfriend apparently was my, what the Thais call "small wife" or a "farang rent a wife" and I was apparently very much married. At least that is what relatives of my girlfriend were told. After about 3 months a delegation of about 5 of our female neighbours assembled in our garden and demanded to know how much i paid her per month, did I give her expensive gifts etc etc. Then someone told my landlord that I was planning on not paying any more rent. This caused a visit from the landlord who said I must leave the house even before the rent was due.

My conclusion was that Thais have an inherent urge to get one up on each other. To show they know something you don't know. If they don't know they will make things up.They need to discuss with others your secrets. They just love to gossip. So yes Thais cannot keep secrets. They need to show that they know something that you don't know. They gossip.

people everywhere gossip. got any statistics to show thais do it more ofter?

Thais gossip like crazy, what happens in the rest of the world is irrelevant in the scope of a conversation on a Thai forum about Thailand and Thai people and their customs.

[AYJAYDEE]

I think the discussion here is tackling this from the wrong angle. It is not "Can Thais keep a secret?" In my two years of experience in Thailand I have found that many Thais have an unprecedented urge to tell all friends, acquaintances and relatives a snippet of information that they do not know. In simpler words they love to gossip.

When I first met my girlfriend I went to her hometown and rented a bungalow in a small housing estate and she moved in. We decided that we would not discuss our relationship with others as we were still getting to know each other. However the neighbours who all knew each other became curious. Were we married, just boyfriend girlfriend, were we getting married, was I married to someone else etc etc. We said nothing. Then the gossip started. My girlfriend apparently was my, what the Thais call "small wife" or a "farang rent a wife" and I was apparently very much married. At least that is what relatives of my girlfriend were told. After about 3 months a delegation of about 5 of our female neighbours assembled in our garden and demanded to know how much i paid her per month, did I give her expensive gifts etc etc. Then someone told my landlord that I was planning on not paying any more rent. This caused a visit from the landlord who said I must leave the house even before the rent was due.

My conclusion was that Thais have an inherent urge to get one up on each other. To show they know something you don't know. If they don't know they will make things up.They need to discuss with others your secrets. They just love to gossip. So yes Thais cannot keep secrets. They need to show that they know something that you don't know. They gossip.

people everywhere gossip. got any statistics to show thais do it more ofter?

Thais gossip like crazy, what happens in the rest of the world is irrelevant in the scope of a conversation on a Thai forum about Thailand and Thai people and their customs.

thank you so much for your guidance!!

[AZBill]

We tried to keep a secret about coming to Thailand on short notice for my wife's best friend's wedding so as to surprise her. My wife told one friend and told her not to tell anyone. By the time we got there the whole town knew!

[SeaVisionBurma]

Inflammatory post removed