What is Thainess?

[fey]

looking to future and investing

Edited March 19, 2016 by fey

[inbangkok]

A BS, nationalistic tactic used to separate those who fall in line and those who ask too many questions.

Just look at how "Thainess" is promoted. It is done so in a way where anyone who questions the status quo is accused of not being "Thai". A classic move used by governments through history.

[inbangkok]

I have never heard a Thai call the waitress "younger sister", "nong" yes, but that does not mean younger sister ?

"Nong" does mean younger sister, or brother, and Thais use it all the time. Even for complete strangers who are younger...and "Pi" for older. The same terms are used for actual relatives as well. Kind of cool, I think.

Thank you Berkshire - I think this question is revealing much more about the posters than about the question of what is "Thainess" - which I assume is to be answered from a Thai perspective of what the word means.. and yet, people use it to bash... how sad.

Bashing Thais was not my intention but of course there is a certain element in Thai Visa who believe that to have an opinion about Thailand that doesn't agree with theirs is Thai bashing.

The question wasn't about Thais per se but their political leaders who are promoting Thainess for a politcal end. I could go on but I am sure anything more I said would be deemed as Thai bashing.

You say they are promoting it for a political end. The very idea that they are trying to bring Thailand together has nothing to do with it in your opinion. The P M said shortly after he came into power that it would take 20 years to bring unity to Thailand. That to me would be Thainess. How ever I believe (in my opinion) that Thainess is doing it the way they have always done it until the West came in and is trying and succeeding in introducing Western materialism in as a substitute for family values.

He also says things along the lines of, "if you believe this" or "if you don't agree with this".... You are not Thai. Not a very intelligent attempt at unity if I may say so myself.

And please don't claim that the west is responsible for Thai materialism. No one is forcing them to buy iPhones and post selfies on Facebook 19 times a day. They do a fine job of this stuff all on their own.....

Edited March 19, 2016 by inbangkok

[AlexRich]

I would guess that it refers to many of the unique Thai traits that bind the country together...

One example might be the familial aspect, such as referring to your waitress as "younger sister" - anyone can be called, younger sister, older brother/sister, the lady who sells the soup can be "aunite" whether a relative or not.

And ... allegedly, your boyfriend can be called "cousin". :-)

[Dante99]

I doubt very much that these politicians the OP speaks of was speaking in English. Perhaps the Thai version of the word.

So what's Thainess from the farang perspective? It's exactly the same as being proud to be an American. Or being an Australian. Or being English. Or being French. Get it, OP?

Proud to be an American? Where do you find those people? Proud to be English? You have got to be kidding.

So what's your nationality? Not proud? Ashamed? Well that's certainly your right.

It makes no difference what my nationality is except to passport issuers, immigration officers and nosey gits. (Not proud, not ashamed, really no feelings about it.)

[Dante99]

"Me? I think anyone who is proud of their nationality has serious issues. You don't choose it. You didn't work for it. You may be very lucky in that draw and you may not but taking pride in something outside of your control? It's for the foolish."

Yes thanks, like that.

[Naam]

"Me? I think anyone who is proud of their nationality has serious issues. You don't choose it. You didn't work for it. You may be very lucky in that draw and you may not but taking pride in something outside of your control? It's for the foolish."

Yes thanks, like that.

[Asheron]

"Nong" does mean younger sister, or brother, and Thais use it all the time. Even for complete strangers who are younger...and "Pi" for older. The same terms are used for actual relatives as well. Kind of cool, I think.

Thank you Berkshire - I think this question is revealing much more about the posters than about the question of what is "Thainess" - which I assume is to be answered from a Thai perspective of what the word means.. and yet, people use it to bash... how sad.

Bashing Thais was not my intention but of course there is a certain element in Thai Visa who believe that to have an opinion about Thailand that doesn't agree with theirs is Thai bashing.

The question wasn't about Thais per se but their political leaders who are promoting Thainess for a politcal end. I could go on but I am sure anything more I said would be deemed as Thai bashing.

You say they are promoting it for a political end. The very idea that they are trying to bring Thailand together has nothing to do with it in your opinion. The P M said shortly after he came into power that it would take 20 years to bring unity to Thailand. That to me would be Thainess. How ever I believe (in my opinion) that Thainess is doing it the way they have always done it until the West came in and is trying and succeeding in introducing Western materialism in as a substitute for family values.

Exactly who is holding a gun against their head forcing them to buy electronics and other material things?

[kannot]

an excuse for not doing something properly?, historically a fabrication from the 1940's

[Puwa]

A more relevant question for this forum might be "What is Northern Thainess?" In fact, locals in Chiang Mai wouldn't refer to themselves as Thai at all, but Khon Muang.

Living in Chiang Mai and being married to a Thai who has most of her family here I would have to say B S. They refer to themselves as Thais and maybe some do as Khon Muang just as some in the states refer to them selves as southerners or northerners. But still Americans. Even all the original different native tribes refer to them selves as Americans. They may identify which tribe but they still claim to be Americans.

Call it what you like, but Aae you so fluent in kham muang that you can listen in on their conversations and know? It is common for northerners to refer to people from Bangkok, for example, as khon thai. Obviously, they identify as Thai citizens, but colloquially, among themselves,they uphold the distinction.

[geronimo]

Here is the official version

Thainess means:

1. To have love for the nation, religion and the monarchy
2. To be honest, patient and have good intention for society
3. To be respectful to parents, guardians and teachers
4. To have perseverance for learning
5. To preserve the Thai culture
6. To have good morals and share with others
7. To understand that democracy has monarchy as head of the state
8. To be disciplined and have respect for the law and the elders
9. To be mindful in thought and action and follow the guidance of His Majesty the King
10. Practice the sufficiency economy philosophy guided by His Majesty the King
11. To have physical and mental strength against greed
12. To be more concerned about the public and the nation’s good than one’s own self.

Hope that clears it up.

[geronimo]

and if you want to know what farangness is, just look at the other posts!

[blueyeshk]

It's an anagram for.... Figure it out

[Berkshire]

I doubt very much that these politicians the OP speaks of was speaking in English. Perhaps the Thai version of the word.

So what's Thainess from the farang perspective? It's exactly the same as being proud to be an American. Or being an Australian. Or being English. Or being French. Get it, OP?

Proud to be an American? Where do you find those people? Proud to be English? You have got to be kidding.

So what's your nationality? Not proud? Ashamed? Well that's certainly your right.

It makes no difference what my nationality is except to passport issuers, immigration officers and nosey gits. (Not proud, not ashamed, really no feelings about it.)

Fair enough. Firstly, being patriotic isn't the same as being nationalistic. Being proud is more in your heart, not how you broadcast it to the world. It's how you'd feel if someone was mindlessly bashing your country and its peoples. Would you really have no feelings about it? Perhaps not....which is perfectly ok.

[Berkshire]

Here is the official version

Thainess means:

1. To have love for the nation, religion and the monarchy

2. To be honest, patient and have good intention for society

3. To be respectful to parents, guardians and teachers

4. To have perseverance for learning

5. To preserve the Thai culture

6. To have good morals and share with others

7. To understand that democracy has monarchy as head of the state

8. To be disciplined and have respect for the law and the elders

9. To be mindful in thought and action and follow the guidance of His Majesty the King

10. Practice the sufficiency economy philosophy guided by His Majesty the King

11. To have physical and mental strength against greed

12. To be more concerned about the public and the nation’s good than one’s own self.

Hope that clears it up.

Be careful, you may offend the OP with the truth...because it doesn't match up with his personal agenda.

[geronimo]

Here is the official version

Thainess means:

1. To have love for the nation, religion and the monarchy

2. To be honest, patient and have good intention for society

3. To be respectful to parents, guardians and teachers

4. To have perseverance for learning

5. To preserve the Thai culture

6. To have good morals and share with others

7. To understand that democracy has monarchy as head of the state

8. To be disciplined and have respect for the law and the elders

9. To be mindful in thought and action and follow the guidance of His Majesty the King

10. Practice the sufficiency economy philosophy guided by His Majesty the King

11. To have physical and mental strength against greed

12. To be more concerned about the public and the nation’s good than one’s own self.

Hope that clears it up.

Be careful, you may offend the OP with the truth...because it doesn't match up with his personal agenda.

Too many expat's come here and try to instill their own values on the Thais. They find fault in everything they do. If one was to do the same thing back home, the list would go on and on and on. These folks have happily existed in their own way for millenniums, and if you like living here, then put up with the things you don't like. It's called tolerance.

[geronimo]

and that is not aimed at the OP, but all the negative posts that followed.

[geronimo]

And just for those who constantly wonder why Thais do not follow the Buddhist path, here's an example,

Quitting smoking is simple, just do not put another cigarette in your mouth. That's it. The fact that many cannot do that does not mean the information is not correct!

[muzmurray]

I would guess that it refers to many of the unique Thai traits that bind the country together...

One example might be the familial aspect, such as referring to your waitress as "younger sister" - anyone can be called, younger sister, older brother/sister, the lady who sells the soup can be "aunite" whether a relative or not.

I have never heard a Thai call the waitress "younger sister", "nong" yes, but that does not mean younger sister ?

"Nong" does mean younger sister, or brother, and Thais use it all the time. Even for complete strangers who are younger...and "Pi" for older. The same terms are used for actual relatives as well. Kind of cool, I think.

น้องสาว = younger sister. While "nong" just means younger, though I know that they use it as slang to mean younger sister.

[kannot]

Here is the official version

Thainess means:

1. To have love for the nation, religion and the monarchy

2. To be honest, patient and have good intention for society

3. To be respectful to parents, guardians and teachers

4. To have perseverance for learning

5. To preserve the Thai culture

6. To have good morals and share with others

7. To understand that democracy has monarchy as head of the state

8. To be disciplined and have respect for the law and the elders

9. To be mindful in thought and action and follow the guidance of His Majesty the King

10. Practice the sufficiency economy philosophy guided by His Majesty the King

11. To have physical and mental strength against greed

12. To be more concerned about the public and the nation’s good than one’s own self.

Hope that clears it up.

if u inserted "not" after "to" it would be way more realistic in todays Thailandexcept "1" which is drilled into them from birth ......sadly!!

[geronimo]

Here is the official version

Thainess means:

1. To have love for the nation, religion and the monarchy

2. To be honest, patient and have good intention for society

3. To be respectful to parents, guardians and teachers

4. To have perseverance for learning

5. To preserve the Thai culture

6. To have good morals and share with others

7. To understand that democracy has monarchy as head of the state

8. To be disciplined and have respect for the law and the elders

9. To be mindful in thought and action and follow the guidance of His Majesty the King

10. Practice the sufficiency economy philosophy guided by His Majesty the King

11. To have physical and mental strength against greed

12. To be more concerned about the public and the nation’s good than one’s own self.

Hope that clears it up.

if u inserted "not" after "to" it would be way more realistic in todays Thailandexcept "1" which is drilled into them from birth ......sadly!!

As I mentioned earlier,

Quitting smoking is simple, just do not put another cigarette in your mouth. That's it. The fact that many cannot do that, does not mean the information is not correct!

With such a negative outlook on this country, I've no doubt you'd never think of living here, right?

[canuckamuck]

What is Thainess, it depends who you ask. Simply put it would be the characteristics of Thai culture that distinguish them from other cultures. Obviously there is an element of racism involved.

From the propagandist point of view these differences are beneficial. To many non Thais, they appear to be obstacles to progress. You can make up your own plus/minuses based on observations and decide for yourself if they are winning.

Edited March 20, 2016 by canuckamuck

[willyumiii]

I doubt very much that these politicians the OP speaks of was speaking in English. Perhaps the Thai version of the word.

So what's Thainess from the farang perspective? It's exactly the same as being proud to be an American. Or being an Australian. Or being English. Or being French. Get it, OP?

You have found one right here.

I am American and proud of it.

I am sure there are many more out there and many proud English people too.

You have blinded yourself with your personal opinions.

[CharlieH]

Post removed.

11) You will not post slurs, degrading or overly negative comments directed towards Thailand, specific locations, Thai institutions such as the judicial or law enforcement system, Thai culture, Thai people or any other group on the basis of race, nationality, religion, gender or sexual orientation.

[willyumiii]

What is Thainess, it depends who you ask. Simply put it would be the characteristics of Thai culture that distinguish them from other cultures. Obviously there is an element of racism involved.

From the propagandist point of view these differences are beneficial. To many non Thais, they appear to be obstacles to progress. You can make up your own plus/minuses based on observations and decide for yourself if they are winning.

I agree, but must point out that the line between racism and nationalism is often blurred in Thailand.

If you go back in history, the Thai population consists of more than one race.

I think the term nationalism is more appropriate in this instance.

[jayboy]

I doubt very much that these politicians the OP speaks of was speaking in English. Perhaps the Thai version of the word.

So what's Thainess from the farang perspective? It's exactly the same as being proud to be an American. Or being an Australian. Or being English. Or being French. Get it, OP?

No it's not the same.It's little to do with pride in country.At its most favourable interpretation it's about Thailand's history and culture.At its worst it's about insularity and arrogance.

[CharlieH]

Posts removed.

11) You will not post slurs, degrading or overly negative comments directed towards Thailand, specific locations, Thai institutions such as the judicial or law enforcement system, Thai culture, Thai people or any other group on the basis of race, nationality, religion, gender or sexual orientation.

If it becomes necessary to post this again the thread will be closed.

[thai3]

Good example today, went to immigration where leaflets were being given out. Now as far as I know Thais don't really have any official business for themselves there, Thai immigration is all about foreigners right? The leaflet was totally in Thai!. How many foreigners do they think can read Thai?

[Asheron]

You have found one right here.

I am American and proud of it.

I am sure there are many more out there and many proud English people too.

You have blinded yourself with your personal opinions.

how can one be proud of something that wasn't earned by own effort and achievement?

Does your view include all "races" in the world?

your comment demonstrates clearly that you did not understand the simple sentence i wrote.

I understood it perfectly well, i'm just asking that does your view of "shouldn't be proud of something not earned by own effort and achievement" also include all the so called "races" on planet earth. Just answer the question without the use of invectives.

[Naam]

being proud of something that they have not achieved themselves is the attitude of non-achievers