Bangkok / Travel

11 Things Thai People Do (and we don’t)

Gabi193 Comments

***What people want to know about Thais? Check my latest post about the weirdest google search terms that lead to my blog (one is really hilarious).***


Several things that relate to Thai people. The last two are worth copying right away.

  1. They eat all the time – this is easily understandable considering the fact that white rice and noodles are not exactly known for filling you up. Also the food is not an enemy to be avoided but a good excuse to spend time with friends, family and co-workers.
  2. They don’t use the knife – when it comes to table etiquette Thais use the spoon that goes in the right hand and the fork in the left one. This is not a big issue since the local food is usually finely cut. If you happen to eat chicken drumsticks you might consider using your hands 🙂 Thai Food
  3. They expect you to order as you sit on the table – in many cases this is how the story goes: I go to the restaurant, I sit, they bring me the menu and simultaneously want to take my order. I say “Just a minute please”, they say “Ok” and in 30 seconds are back ready to write down the order. Since I’m not so quick reading the menu I started taking pictures of it in the places where I usually go, so that I know what I will take before I even step in.
  4. Lunch break with the purse – Thai women leave their bags in the office and head for the lunch break taking with them only the purse, mobile and company badge (which is also used to reserve the table while choosing the food stall). Thai Street Style
  5. They add ka at the end of every sentence (or krub for men) – adding this words make the sentence sound more polite. It is similar to the English please, even though the use of ka/krub is far more extensive. Even if you don’t speak Thai at all you can still add it to anything you say – thank you ka, one coconut ka, good morning ka, f*** off ka..
  6. They show respect to the Royal family – Thais love the King and the Royal family. In honour of the King’s birthday millions of locals wear yellow shirts, t-shirts and polos. Apparently they buy a new one each year, otherwise I don’t know how to explain the infinite number sellers and queues that occupy the Bangkokian streets each time. The same happens for the Queen’s birthday, only that the color this time is blue ( thanks to all the comments below).
  7. They love their country – some Thais have traveled/lived abroad for a while, others would like to, but both categories are firm that they wouldn’t change their homeland for anything in the world.
  8. They are selfie obsessed – I take selfies, therefore I am is the philosophy Thais live by. Are they too self-centered? Maybe. Any place and time is suitable to take the picture. Even during a religious service in the temple.

    Thai selfie obsession
    Cute girls outside Siam Paragon
  9. They are obsessed with white skin – everyone knows that Asian people in general appreciate white skin. There is a whole industry behind this phenomenon. What I didn’t know was that real time whitening camera apps exist. I realized it when I was observing a girl taking a selfie. The face color I was seeing in the camera was dozen shades brighter than the real one (if you know the name of such apps please let me know because I need it).
  10. They are happy – and it’s contagious. During the months spent in Bangkok I had a favorite street vendor for squid skewers. He was a young guy and he always seemed so happy. I wondered, how could he possibly enjoy working on the street, doing the same thing every day? Was he just putting a good face? Then I realized that happiness is an attitude and it comes from within. And Thai people know something about it.
  11. They are relaxed – imagine what will happen in the Western world if the traffic light stays red for more than 10 minutes. Do you know what happens in Bangkok? Nothing! Everyone waits patiently and what is most important – silently.

11* They smell menthol breathers – it is very common to see people smelling a little tube loking like a nasal spray. Reportedly it beats the                pollution and decongests your sinus. A must try?

Have you noticed any other common behaviours of Thais?

You might also like part 2 of this article – 8 Things that only Thai people do

193 thoughts on “11 Things Thai People Do (and we don’t)”

  5. I love the blog, and you are so right and spot on the money.
    Can I suggest a few other things I have notice that Thai’s do.

    1) Talk, they talk so much and they do this while eating, yea I know other countries talk, but my girlfriend will spend hours chatting on the phone to Thailand.

    2) Carry food in little see through plastic bags, sealed with an elastic band that has been wrapped around the top, they use this for take aways, carrying food away from the temple. Its simple and very effective.

    Looking forward to your future blogs , keep them coming.

    1. Thank you for sharing, Richard. As for n.1, nobody has invented yet a portable signal blocker? It would be very useful with our thai friends! As for the plastic bag, it seemed so weird to me when I first saw it. After that I also started to take away som tams and even soups. Never tried with a drink because once you open it you have to hold it ☝?️

      2. I have lived in S.E. Asia for 5 years now. Currently in Cambodia. For the drinks in bags, Usually they are closed at the top with a straw put in. Very easy to hang from your moto bike handle while driving or hold in your hand like any other bag and enjoy a drink of tea (or other drinks) on the move.

        1. I have always believed that it could spill out very easily but if you can use it even on the bike then it must be better than I thought

  6. Other things that Thais do, that we don’t…
    1. Pick their nose in public
    2. Spend the whole meal talking on their phone, ignoring the other person they are having a meal with
    3. Drive short distances, even though walking would have been quicker (eg due to traffic or lack of parking)
    4. Purchase items purely for the sake of showing off, rather than to enjoy the intrinsic value or features of that product
    5. Say yes when they mean no

    1. You are so right, thank you! If you don’t mind I will add them to the list, crediting to you. Your n.1 reminded me that they also cut their nails in public (if it is in the bus better ).

      1. We spend lot of time on the street so we have to do everything their. Everyday that I go to work I have to be on the street around 2 hours and back home for 3 hours every single day so we use that opportunity to do many things. And once I saw some girl do their make up on a boat.
        P.s. I’m not cutting my nail in public

        1. Wow I think that is a pretty logic explanation to why so many things happen on the street/public transport 🙂 There is no time to loose 😀

      3. I also add that love picking at each other’s pimple in public. I went through a shopping centre and saw so many of the sales assistants picking each others pimple….

    2. well…the nose picking, nail clipping, buying things to show off and pretty much all the things that you mentioned, these things are not exactly “typical Thai”. i used to be server in Canada and USA and often had to tell people that nail clipping in a restaurant is a heath code violation! and if just only Thais like to buy expensive things to show off, how come these expensive purses rental sites are everywhere on the internet? i completely agree with all the things that Gabi mentioned in her blog as it is such an intersting observation but the comments that you made are borderline racist and offensive. I’m not saying that Thai people don’t do those things or we’re better than that but it’s just depend on each individuals and their manners. and yes, i’m Thai, if that what you’re wondering.

      1. Thank you gal for mentioned this.
        I totally agree with you….and yes…I am Thai.

    3. well…the nose picking, nail clipping,buying things to show off and pretty much all the things that you mentioned, these things are not “typical Thai”. i used to be server in Canada and USA and I often had to tell people that nail clipping in a restaurant is heath code violation! and if just only Thais like to buy expensive things to show off, how come these expensive purse rental sites are everywhere on the internet? I completely agree with all the thing that Gabi mentioned in her blog as it is such an intersting observation but the comments that you made are borderline racist and offensive. i’m not saying that Thai people don’t do these things or we’re better than that but it all depends on each individual and manners. and yes, I’m Thai, if you’re wondering.

    4. Personally I’m Thai and I don’t think most Thai people pick their noses in public. As for me, I’ve been told when I was young not to pick my nose or burb in public, also many of my friends were told the same way. By the way, I guess you must once saw some of the people in your country picking their noses in public places. LOL

    5. The say-yes-when-they-mean-no thing is probably just a linguistic difference. In Thai, responses to negative questions usually refer to the statement in the question itself, not the fact; for example, if you ask someone, in Thai, “aren’t you going to school today?” and he or she responds with “yes,” it means, roughly, “yes, it is true that I’m not going to school.” It’s a little confusing, though, if you respond with “no.” because that could mean either “no(, I’m not)” or “no(, it’s not true that I’m not going to school.)”, but the next utterance and the context will most likely clarify everything.

      As for the rest, well, I don’t know who you mean by “we” in your “…we don’t,” but I believe a lot of non-Thais do those rather negative things you’ve mentioned, especially the second (Have you really *never* heard of “[Insert a child’s name here], put your phone down!” in any movie’s scene at a family’s dinner table?) and the fourth. Being an internet addict or a show-off is not in the blood.

      1. re: saying yes when it’s really no…your understanding is not quite right.
        a thai *might* say yes to say a direct question like “do you understand what i just asked you”.
        its a nervous response to keep “face” and not show any weaknesses in their intellect etc…

        1. Michael, you’re the one who’s wrong. Thai people don’t need to save face or show any weaknesses in their intellect, if anything, I’m pretty sure they’re much smarter and more humble about it than you are with your comment. You totally did not understand the comment Fantasier posted. This can only be understood if you understood HOW it is said in the Thai language. It’s not a straightforward language like English where you have a robotic yes or no. “Aren’t you going?” translate to Thai (karaoke) “Mai pai ror?”, in this phrase, there’s the word “Mai”, which is also translated to the word “No”. If I simply answered “Mai” or “No”, the message is clear that I’m not going. How about this, I’ll translate the “Mai pai ror” to a more idiotic sentence for you, incase you didn’t understand its context. The dumb way of converting it to English is literally “No go?”. So now… does it make sense for your apparently bigger intellect and ego as to why Thais would say no when in your language you’re supposed to say yes? Try learning the culture a bit more and the context of their language if you don’t want to come off as a complete a-hole next time.

      1. Given that my step-mother is Thai and that I have spent a big chunk of my life growing up in Thailand, I don’t believe I am racist towards Thais. These are observations of things that I see more often when in Thailand rather than when I am in the West. It has nothing to do with the Thais as a race, but instead has to do with Thai cultural values.

    8. Not every thai does that. This comment is iqnorant and solely based on your personal experiences.

      1. I am not saying all Thais do it. Instead, it is a generalisation. However, having grown up both in Thailand and in the West, I certainly do notice that this type of behaviour is more prevalent in Thailand than in the West.

    1. Really? I was sure it was purple. Maybe it’s someone else’s ? the squid skewers are the best, yummy!

      2. The queen color is blue according to the day she was born (Friday). The same as the king, (Monday)

  13. I never visited Thailand yet but it was cool to read about Thai people, specially …

    Thank you for publishing this information kaaaa ha ha ha 😀 😀 by the way in Pakistan, India we use “Na” in same meaning as they use “Ka” … such as Please, do it na! just go for it naa! Alright, sleep naa 😀 😀 😀 and this Na is just meaning less but we love add it at end of every sentence and feel bit closer 😛

    2. Ahah thai people uses also “na” sometimes. They put it before the “kha” or “khrap”.
      It’s hard to explain how and when to use it in the usual life. But it’s also used when they talk to a public, they always finish by “na khrap”. If you watch TV, you will hear “na khrap” or “na Kha” every 20 seconds lol

    3. Hello, I happened to found this site. I’m Thai. We also use “na” at the end of sentence too. It’s more casual than ka/krab but in some situation you cannot use “na” to substitute “ka/krab”. Mostly we add “na” at the end of suggestive sentences. Like “you should do it na” (ควรทำนะ) or “This is good na” (อันนี้ดีนะ).

      1. Thank you for the comment na 🙂 I think for the foreigners is easy to just add ka/krab, in this way we can never go wrong. I have been told that ‘na’ is more informal and I definitely don’t want to be unpolite na ka

  14. That’s good all but I think color of queen’s day is blue not purple but u saw Thai people wear purple cloths cuz that is color of daughter of my king … Thank you that u come to thailand ^^

  15. No. 6, you got the color of the queen wrong. It should be blue, coresponding to her birthday which is Friday. The king and crown prince were born on Monday, therefore their flags are yellow-based. The purple one is well known for Princess Sirindhorn who was born on Saturday.

  16. I’m Thai and i agree with everything you write
    and i have other thing need you to try
    if you come to Thailand again. you can greeting / introduce yourself with a stranger
    if he/she has enough english skill
    i con firm. he/she will answer your question or talk to you what do you need. for sure

    We are so friendly . Thank you like Thailand

    1. It is true! People are very kind. They spoke to me if they didn’t know a word in English.
      It is impossible not to love Thailand 🙂

  18. *Everyone waits patiently and what is most important – silently.
    >>1 mins later = post on facebook/twitter
    😀

  19. Do you feel like you are being judge mental and perpetuating mostly bad ideals about Thailand that can also be seen in many other countries? I’m sure your country isn’t 100% on par, but what country is?

    1. I don’t feel judgemental at all. I don’t consider the above something negative. There are just things that I witness more often in Thailand than in Italy for example. For me, they are part of the Thai culture and charm.

  20. well…the nose picking, nail clipping,buying things to show off and pretty much all the things that you mentioned, these things are not exactly “typical Thai”. I used to be server in Canada and USA and often had to tell people that nail clipping in a restaurant is heath code violation! and if just only Thais like to buy expensive things to show off, how come these expensive purse rental sites are everywhere on the internet? I completely agree with all the things that Gabi mentioned in her blog as it is such an intersting observation but the comments that Peter Torjesen made are borderline racist and offensive. i’m not saying that Thai people don’t do these things or we’re better than that.To claim those negative comments to the whole nation is a little bit narrow-minded. It all depends on each individuals and manners. and yes, I’m Thai, if you’re wondering.

  23. I’m Thai and I’m one of those who not obessed with selfie and white skin. I want u to explore more what Thais ppl really are. Some of Thais are but some aren’t.

  24. I’m Thai and I like your writing 🙂
    I would like to tell you that Thai people (especially teenager and social media person)
    love too use ” 555 ” in social media like Facebook, Twitter etc.
    It’s mean “Hahaha” or can be “LOL”.
    Because in Thai language we pronounce “5” to “ห้า (Ha)”.
    so this sound like when you’re laughing and it’s a easy way to type on your keyboard.

    Love to see something like this page, this means we’re understand each other more and more.
    I’ll look forward for your writing again, Please carry on
    Thank you ka 😉

  25. All of this is in most cases, absolutely true. I’ve lived in BKK for 14 years so I know by now. Not everything is perfect in this country, but it is a great place to live and work. Most Thai people are a fun loving bunch, and who doesn’t like fun?

  26. I’m Thai and really happy that you like my country.
    But about no.11,in fact we aren’t relaxed.We have to face a terrible traffic jam that wasted you’re time in the morning 1-2 hrs.(maybe 3 hrs. or more if there is rain)everyday. We are really sick and tired of it but can’t do anything,so we have to ignored it and wait patiently like that.
    Everything have 2 sides….
    By the way, Thank you so much for all about good thing that you wrote about my country and I hope you’ll have more fun and good time,when you come back to travel here again.
    I think there are many thing that Thailand will impress you.

    1. Aahaha so you say that the drivers don’t go crazy because they have already given up? I have never thought about that. Whatever the reason, I like the result.
      Thank you for your comment. I’m sure I will be back very soon and discover more about your beautiful country.

  27. Hey Gabi,
    1) who doesn’t love their own country? Of course we do live our country…. Unless your people don’t love your own country.
    2) white people do also love selfies. I’ve seen them taking selfies all day especially white girls. It’s become a global thing.
    Otherwise, everything is pretty accurate and sensible.

    1. Hi Brandon,
      thank you for stopping by.
      I don’t know if it is a worldwide phenomenon but in Europe everyone complains about their country. Not that they don’t like it, but people rant about the taxes, the roads, the government, the education, the inflation, etc, all the time.
      As for the selfies, it is true that it is a global thing, but in Thailand people spend much more time with the front camera than elsewhere. After I returned to Europe it seemed quite normal to me taking a selfie in the middle of the street but I stopped pretty soon as people were turning heads and staring at me. Btw, the most instagrammed place in the whole world is …. Siam Paragon.

  28. All true,but the selfie thing is common sense now everywhere in the world,and as far i have seen(my wife is from the southern part of Thailand),people put off their shoes when they come inside someone’s home,even in little shops too,people respect you,blue collar or a simple hardworking average guy or girl and as i have experienced,everywhere i go,they always seem to think you’re hungry too…

  29. I am a Thai who can eat fried chicken by fork and spoon. I praticed because I don’t want to touch it. ^^
    I don’t know how forign people love their country but I suppose that Thai people know Thailand is not a perfect country but is the best place of them and me.

    1. Wow, I wasn’t able to learn to clean all the meat with the spoon only. I guess it requires more exercise. Also tom yum noodles with chopsticks and a spoon was mission impossible 🙂
      Thank you for stopping by.

  30. all true, except the last one is not completely correct.
    “Everyone waits patiently [in traffic] , and… – silently.”
    Have you ever got into a taxi during ANY traffic time ? the driver will CONSTANTLY ‘sigh’ loudly to let you know that he is stressed and annoyed.
    its one of the most annoying things to listen to in a taxi.

    1. I have to admit that I have never been in a taxi during the crazy rush hours. I have been in the bus though and the drivers usually spent the time watching tv, listening to the radio, reading the newspaper or hopping off for a pair or chicken skewers or refreshing drink.
      Once I saw a taxi driver playing something similar to flute during one particularly lone red light.

  31. I’m Thai. Not every thai say “yes” despite they mean “no”, and me too. I think it depends.
    However, I know some thai people who usually say like that but I don’t like to talk with them becuase I don’t know what their real mind/thinking are.

  32. I’m Thai and I have never noticed how we are, you article is absolutely explain us Lol

  35. I extremely agree but i would suggest you another phenomenon that Thais celebrate all of the world’s and religion’s festivals ; New year , Christmas, Halloween, Thanks giving blah blah blah because we are so open minded.

  36. Absolute rubbish. Other nations also do these things. Gabi, go back to school and get your facts right.

    1. Of course they do, Paul! I have not written about extrasensorial or extraterrestrial experiences.
      In Thailand you just witness these things far more often,

  37. Did you go to any other provinces besides BKK? If not, how could you say “Thais” in this blog?

    1. Hi Yuiki, yes, I have been to other provinces and also met a lot of people in Bkk who were from taancanwat.

  38. I don’t support for your observation at least Thai women will never say “f… off ka”, we are too polite to do so!!

  39. I remember when I was little, I saw person on TV show use knife and fork when they’re eating so I imitated them. I use a fork to eat rice but my mother just scold at me “Don’t do that!! It’s dangerous!!”. For me it has always been easier to eat rice with fork, but no one around me seem to understand at that time LOL.

    For number 3, I totally agree with you!
    I don’t understand why they expect everyone to know the menu they have in the restaurant, and order as soon as we got the table. I know that most restaurant’s dishes are very similar, but how can I suppose to know them all!?!. The most irritating thing for me is some restaurant don’t even have a menu!! (Sure, I have complain about this to someone before and they just said that I’m being picky.)

    But it’s okay. Now after I grew up, not many people complain about me eating cereal for breakfast, salad for dinner and using a folk for rice LOL.

    1. Wow, you are an atypical Thai. Have you ever lived abroad?
      The lack of the menu can really be an issue, especially for foreigners. When it happens to stumble upon a restaurant/food cart without menu I always end up ordering tom yum or khao kap kai/plamuk/kung, usually everyone has them.But in this way I probably miss out other yummy stuff.
      Btw isn’t it much faster to eat the rice with fork?

  41. I am thai and i wanted to say something about article
    For ka and krub i think it is the right thing to do coz it is manner, you cannot substitute this word with please its not the same. For example if you are talking to the person who is above you older than you or person you just met you should end with these, it is manner or else you would be considered as rude!
    And another point if you are really going to write about picking nose clipping nail, you go overboard, this behaviour is not typical, it can ruin thai’s image. Thx

    1. Thank you for the explanation. I think that I’m getting more and more confused about the use of ka… 😉

  43. All of your observations are so true about us, Thais, and I’d like to add more.

    1. Many Thais have no idea which are personal questions. A foreigner could be asked the following questions:
    – How much do you make a month?
    – Are you married? You’ve been married for a while, but why don’t you have any children?
    – Why are you still single? (Well, I, myself, can’t answer this..LOL)

    2. After a meal and a restaurant, we say to a waiter, ‘Check bill’ or sometimes we do a hand gesture like pointing at our table to signal to the waiter that we want him to collect money.

    3. We smile for every occasion, sometimes for nothing. LOL

    I love my country for many things but not for everything. It’s always great to hear comments about my country and learn from them. 🙂

    1. Hi Nantana,

      that thing about the questions is so true! In my Thai language classes we discussed each other’s weight and also calculated our body fat percentage. This is unthinkable in Europe where people are so sensitive.
      Btw how are you supposed to answer questions like ‘why don’t you have any children’ or why are you still single? Do people really expect that you give them an explanation?
      As for the smiles, it was the part I liekd the most. I tried to introduce this nice attitude here in Milan but people look at me as if I have eaten their breakfast. Fail!

  45. I am a linguist, and from a linguistic perspective “ka” and “krup” have nothing to do with politeness. They are, simply speaking, utterance markers. The “politeness” is a common misunderstanding about these words.

    1. Nope. Ka and Krub is a word for politeness. It’s not common because we don’t use it with friends. It’s the way we pay respect to the elders.

    2. Nope. Ka and Krub is a word for politeness. It’s not common because we don’t use it with friends. It’s the way we pay respect to the elders. (If you use Ka or Krub with your friends, they’ll think you’re weird)
      P.S. I’m not a linguist but I’m Thai

    3. Nope. Ka and Krub is a word for politeness. It’s not common because we don’t use it with friends. It’s the way we pay respect to the elders. (If you use Ka or Krub with your friends, they’ll think you’re weird)
      P.S. I’m not a linguist but I’m Thai

    4. I’m surprised to hear that ‘ka’ and ‘krup’ have nothing to do with politeness in your opinion. I’m a language teacher and I would expect my students to use these words when speaking with me. I use ‘ka’ when speaking to seniors as well. Apparently, it shows politeness in the Thai society.

  46. In Singapore they end their sentence very often with a ‘la”. Something like Yes la.No la.Don’t forget la.Maybe a habit.

  48. In Singapore they end their sentence very often with a ‘la’. Something like Yes la. No la.Please don’t forget la.Maybe a habit.Or a language culture.

  50. 1. It is not true .
    2. Yes , folk & spoon is appropriate for Thai food . Why should we use knife while most dishes are not big chunk of animal meat . I don’t really see the point .
    3. How many Thai restaurants or food shop has the writer been to ?
    4. Why do we need nice big handbag when you might have to sit on a stool for less than 30 mins and using company badge for reserving seats is pretty original .
    5. Yes . It is pretty cool .
    6. Yes . We do and ….
    7. You don’t love your own country ?
    8. I guess you have to travel more . Selfie happens everywhere not only in Thailand .
    9. Yes , I agree .
    10.Not sure if we are all happy here in Thailand but probably we look happier than people in your country .
    11. Are you jealous 😉 ?
    Thank for your article on Thailand .. Good observation Ka:))))

    1. 1. Thats exacly 1000% true, they eat always. from my percpective of view Eating and food is only fun things for them.
      2. Thats normal.
      3. well culture can’t say anything.
      4. I don’t see any importance point in this.
      5. They are try to be polite.
      6. Yeah correct, even much more and i don’t understand why should show respect more to royal family than another families ? i know why but woll not speak up.
      7. Well someones love someones doesn’t, none sence.
      8. Thats 1000% true also but except mans, this is only for womens 🙂 yes they are over selfie if need to compare to EU.
      9. Yep.
      10. True and good 🙂
      11. True but too much relaxed 🙂 maybe thats why this country still not develop enough 🙂

      2. We aren’t try to be polite, it’s our nature which the Western culture doesn’t have. We always smile for any situation that why we have less depresses people than the Western countries. Thailand is a land of smile. Another thing about our king and royal family, we love them because they do a lot of things to develop our country and it differents to the king of other country. People who aren’t Thai will never understand these, so no point to have argument with them. ?????

        1. You’re contry say F*****off but my country don’t say often we are say ka is meaning very be polite. So most people thinks that farang more crazy than Thai people’s …

      1. I tried to make this comment under Sariya’s comment but this page does not seem to work properly

  51. Pingback: เว็ปต่างชาติเขียนบทความเกี่ยวกับ “11 สิ่งที่คนไทยทำ (แต่คนต่างชาติไม่ทำ)” | Get To Learn New

  53. The app is camera 360

    Only for iPhone
    And beauty cam for other smart phones.
    I am thai…. I am all the above.

  54. This is why I love Thailand..
    I’m from Malaysia..& we have so much in common..
    btw..the app that could lighten ur skin are “BeatyPlus”..

  56. Hey! I like your article 🙂

    It makes me know how people from other countries see Thai people.
    As Thai, I have some additional comments.

    1) Not all Thai people, but only most of Thai girls eat all time. It is not because rice and noodle don’t fill their stomachs up, but they always have special spaces to welcome desserts, snacks, appetizers, sweets.

    2) Conversely, I wonder how the western people eat noodle, beans or things those are hard to pick with fork. The main Thai food is rice and grain, so we desperately use spoon and fork.

    5) Typically, Thai people are afraid of argument. They don’t want to hurt others’ feeling. So, the best way to show the friendliness is to make the sentence polite in their ways. To add ka/krap is one of those methods. Sometimes English is to direct and too neutral in wording. For the Thai people who are not used to the western manner, they feel that the English words are too short and somehow rude. So to end the sentence with ka/krap will make they feel safe that they are friendly to that one enough.

    6) For the 2nd royal princess, (who is beloved because of her hard-working) the shirt is purple.

    Additionally, once my French friend came to visit me in Thailand there are 2 things those she was really amazed!

    One, Thai meals. Thai dinner is just like a buffet party. There are many kind of foods on the center of the table to share and rice in front of each member. It is not only Thai, but Asian style. And Thai people eat a lot!!!

    Two, Thai people don’t close the cover of the toilet, while people from other countries close it before flushing. If you use the public toilet, you will realize that the toilet with closed lid is the one that is out of order. So, Thai people are so afraid of open it up and see the bad stuff from the one who used it before. That’s why they don’t close it.

    Anyway, the traffic jam is the biggest problem in Bangkok. We all know that there is no way out, therefore we have to keep silent and accept. The system has been destroyed, why we destroy ourselves with bad attitude and emotion and make things worse?

    1. ชอบคอมเม้นค่ะ
      ทุกๆประโยคเลย
      (( ถึงเราจะไม่เก่งอังกฤษแต่อ่านเข้าใจและเห็นด้วยและขอบคุนแทนคนไทยคนอื่นอีกเสียงที่แก้ต่างหรือบอกให้ต่างชาติได้รู้..ไอเรื่อง พวกมาม่า/ข้าวขัดสี แม่แฟนแกก็พูดแบบเดียวกันกับ จขกท เลยค่ะ จนเบื่อมากกก))

  58. Wow this is SO THAI! hahaha

    One thing about the traffic (in Bangkok), no one likes it but we have no choice (except you don’t use a car to go around). Most of the time you will see many cars come equipped with a fancy radio that has a small screen that you can enjoy your favourite TV shows or anything else you like (maybe youtube?). Some might take selfies during the traffic and complain about it on Facebook/IG. Some might just chat with their friends. That was why they seemed relaxed haha.

    1. I used to wait at a red traffic light in Bangkok in the 1980s and even at that time without the internet and mobile phones Thai people waited relaxed in the bus and the heat. I love this 🙂

  60. I think everything’s true except for number 3. Maybe it only concerns small restaurants… Cause most of the time, they lead you to a table, give you a menu and disappear for a while. Occasionally, you even have to call the waiter.
    Oh and number 11 is not true, but not that false either. We wait cause we have no choice. But a lot of us gets pissy about it, and ALMOST every single one of us complain at some point Hahaha

    1. True … But fortunately we have smart phone on our hand.. A strong power thing to keep we wait quietly

  61. I am totally glad to hear about number 7! Native country means a lot for me too! It is a place where you are born. Ethnic and other criteria is very import for me too! 🙂
    I am glad they love their Motherland!

  63. Pingback: “11 สิ่งที่คนไทยทำ (แต่คนต่างชาติไม่ทำ)”

  64. I love thai food. But be careful of the women! They will bleed u dry! And also I hate thai policemen! They r corrupt as f*ck krub! Even the chief of immigration is corrupt! I know because I have met him! They say it’s that land of smiles, because behind those smiles it’s an evil grin. The Thais are now looking down at foreigners and making visa issues really difficult… Soon they will realise that it is the foreigners who keep Thailand alive.

    Kap!

    1. Get off your moral high horse, you twat. Foreigners keep Thailand alive? Go back home you uneducated low life.

      1. 10% of the Thai economy is made up of tourism. Because of the 2014 coup, tourism is down and the Thais are feeling the pinch. Foreigners do play an important role in the Thai standard of living. Vincent has a point.

  65. I would like to add some other things…
    11. Most of Thais loves to do a merit, especially give alms(food) for Buddhist monks in the early morning. (Tam-boon Tak-bart ).
    12. Most of Thai parents don’t mind if their children would live with them all their lives. And Thais have been taught much about gratitude, repayment and karma.

  66. for
    1. yes! we eat all the time when I study sometimes I have to eat so I will awake. lol??? and we like to share food though.
    11.
    I think because traffic jam is common here.
    Bangkok is one of the most traffic jam in the world, so we just used to it. haha
    but sometimes it can makes people mad.

    by the way I’m appreciated. Thank you so much for your kindness. hope you have great experience in Thailand. ?

  67. Wow, there’re many things we did in common that we didn’t notice. (I’m Thai, sorry for poor English.)
    Especially no.1
    It’s just like there’s always space for desserts even after meal!

  68. Your style is very unique in comparison to other people I’ve read stuff from.
    Many thanks for posting when you’ve got the opportunity, Guess I’ll just bookmark this page.

  69. Hi i’m Thai people and I want to say that we didn’t add ka or kub with all sentence Like “F*** off”. No one say ka or kub cuz it’s the rude word and ka and kub is meaning in a good way like Sir or yes sir — **sorry about my english i’m not good as well** (We’ll only put “ka or kub” in a good sentence like “Thank you kub/ka” or “Sorry ka/kub”, Or sometime if we talk to friend we don’t have to put ka or kub in a sentence.)

  70. For an ordinary person who worked in Thailand, I agree with every point you’ve made. However, letting you know that within a city, people can be very different depending on their background, social status, wealth, friend circle, etc.
    As we may assume that many of Thais’ behaviors are influenced by the west, selfie is one of them (to add another one is taking picture of the foods before eaten).
    White skin obsession derives from the nature of human being in my opinion. We never satisfy with what we have. As the nature of “original” Thais have dark skin color (pale/yellow skin usually originate from other countries like China). It’s like Caucasian likes to get tanner and darker.
    I would go on and on but it would be too long. 😀

  71. haha all true!! but i don’t like to be white skin i like tan skin :p (i’m Thai) but i can eat all the time .. but actually f*** off ka….. hahahaha yes we are :p

  72. So you do not love or respect your royal family, love your country.
    You aren’t happy and you’re not relaxed. Interesting !

  73. Hey Hey, do not forget UV umbrella !!!
    And kinds of coffee can drink with ice : D

  74. I’ve been to Thailand the city area and outskirts too. First trip to the city was alright, second trip was unexpectedly awful and there rest was awesome. It takes sometimes to adjust and slowly it reminded me of my Kampong in the late 70’s. Whereby, things are much simple and happy for most of the time.

    1. Wow, you are from Cambodia?I’ve never been to Kampong but the country gave me a sense of absolute tranquility (unless I was on the road).

  76. Another fact is Thais have a big meal and sometimes spicy as well in morning whereas, european or people in western countries have just bread, coffee, or sandwiches.

  77. I couldn’t agree more for most of comments.

    My point is the obsession of being white came from the Europian, the Japanese, and Koreans.
    99% of Your actors and actresses in the movie you sold to us have white skin. Should i proud that you have the success marketing? Still doubt this.

  78. Thais are the most loving, gentle and caring people you will ever encounter…until they get behind the wheel of a car you’re in their way…

  80. this is just from my point of view 😛

    1. True.. The food looks all good and we see it all the way on the street, we can’t stop it lol
    2. It makes sense we mainly eat with rice fork&spoon probably a good choice .. Chucky is rarely happen so why they should put unwanted knife on the normal table lol .. But for sure if you go stake shop then they will prepare knife for you sane as noodle shop that they will prepare chopsticks lol
    3. Yeah quite agree .. It happens to many restaurants (if they’re not so busy) they might just come to assist you to explain about the food but if you don’t need then then you can tell them to come back later (if they understand you) lol, or the waiters get used to Thai people for very simple food which Thais are ready to order likes simple noodle (which they know what they want before come to restaurant lol) so they just come and wait as usual
    4. This also makes sense … Why you should bring full packed with you for lunch break? Lol and badge for reserve is a good idea though lol
    5. We are not try to be polite but we are sweet 😉 lol
    6. Mmmm quite difficult to explain why people love “The King” I think it just like why people in South Africa love Nielsen or similar case in Mr Lee in Singapore or Dalai Lama in Tibet … You have to look back from 60 years or even 200 years ago and see what we had faced and what he/they had done then you might get the idea why this institution is so solid… (I respect Him as a person and I like his sustainable theory idea and totally support the queen’s maintaining of traditional fine arts and culture project) … (((And I see political balancing system behind the scene… If you understand our political history enough and quite in details))) … For the shirt if you observed more you will see how often Thais shop true clothes lol then why not add few more colour to their compacted wardrobe for those new coming occasional events lol (I don’t buy every year tho but if they have some new cool design then I might buy one hehe) … Ps if you go to Netherlands on their national day, then you see them wearing all Orange .. How will you wonder about this? Lol
    7. Don’t you love Thailand? Sorry I’m addict to Thai food, culture, landscape scenery and happy people with chilled atmosphere lol … And I expect my last supper to be nice spicy(or probably not really at the time lol) Thai dish with some little smile around before I die hehe
    8. True it happens in many part of the world but not for me tho
    9. It’s human being lol same idea as white like to be tan .. Among Thais also wonder why those whites toast themselves in the sun lol .. But for me I love my tan 🙂
    10. Yeah I’m typing with smile, really lol
    11. And yeah We are chilled lol … Our happy homeland and rich of resource form us to be like that, I reckon

  84. I love Thailand. Recently I got to spend 8 full days there. Yes all of what you say is true. I wish Indians could learn patience on the roads too.
    Another thing I noticed was the installation of statues of gods and goddesses in public places like the outside of malls and some streets , making it convenient for people to stop by , light an incense stick and pray as they go along. Really thoughtful.

    1. Hi Weena, I’m very curious to see the Indian traffic. I have seen it only in the movies and can’t believe it is really possible ?
      You are right, it is very nice that there are temples everywhere, usually every bigger building has its own.

  85. You forgot to mention that Thais LOVE children! People will constantly come up to you and talk to your child/baby, smile at them, play with them and take photos of them (some ask first but most don’t). Not sure if the picture taking is only when they see western babies but this happened A LOT while we were there. My son loved the attention and was more than happy to entertain 🙂

  86. I’m from Thailand. This article is so true and very funny in Westerner’s eyes. There is one more thing that you missed. Parking lots in Thailand, especially at the malls, always are so crowded, so the drivers will have someone in their car stands at that empty parking spot they found to reserve it. Then, the driver will make a u- turn or back up their cars to park at that space. They do it this make so nobody else could take that parking space from them.

    1. Hi dear, thank you for you comment. I didn’t know the thing about the parking lots, it is so funny! Thank you for sharing 🙂 kisses

  91. Lol Gabi I love you!! Everything you wrote was so true. I just wanna add 1 thing here. When you text or chat with Thai people and you see 555+ that means hahaha. In Thai 5 is pronounced ha. That’s why.
    I am so excited to go back home in 2 weeks, I haven’t gone back there for 3 years. Hopefully I can still drive “patiently” 555.

    1. Thank you for stopping by, Natta. The 55555 thing is hilarious and also very comfortable when texting ??? do you live somewhere far away from Thailand?

    1. Wakes up to go to school at 5:30. Reach school at 7:10. Have to get to that traffic light before it turns red or it’ll be 10 minutes in the car. Basic rush hour rule “Miss a traffic light and you’re late”.

      You leave your house 3 minutes later than normal you arrive 30 minutes later than normal.

  93. Great list of facts. I’ve been in Thailand for 20 years and those are all true and I’ve started doing some of them myself. However, #11 isn’t always true. Thais can be very angry people, especially when backed in the corner or if you touch their nerves.

    It’s a very general outlook of Thais that they are relaxed and happy people. I think the older generations are but the new generation is not so much. Just look at all the cases of “this guy killed 3 people over a parking spot” or “a guy rams car because of road rage”. It’s happening a lot lately. But still, I would never switch living in Bangkok. Love it here. Just need people to realize it’s not all fairies and daisies.

    1. Nowadays people are stressed everywhere, Just that in some areas they are less.
      I think that I wouldn’t mind living in Thailand for a few years. With all the good and the bad points.
      Lucky you!

  94. LOL. I LMAO at your “f*** off ka” 😀

    A Thai stumbled upon your blog. Well…Me and most of my friends hardly take any selfie, although we’re all Thai. From my observation those who love to do lots of selfie are 1. teens 2. people with metropolitan lifestyle (which is not me and my friends)

    Also I don’t like obsession with white skin. Really nonsense for me. Believe me or not, I have see millions of woman, very few of them can be describe as ugly. They all beautiful in some way. I really mean it. It doesn’t matter to me if they thin, or fat, or black, brown, etc. In fact I found a lot of girls who would not pretty at all if their skin are lighter. Not to talk that women with darker skin are a lot sexier in my opinion.

    I live in Chiang Mai, another tourist destination. If you haven’ been here, please take this reply as an invitation.

    TH is like every country in the world. I mean we have both good and bad things, also good and bad people. Hope you see the first ones wherever you go.

  97. 1. There is usually no insult meant when a Thai person tells you that you are fat. If you tell a girl that she is fat, she is likely to giggle, her eyes light up and she will nod in eager agreement ” Pompoey”. Changing a bit now though. People starting to think like Westerners.

    2. There is no embarasement in discussing things that would be considered shocking in other cultures. Girl grabs her breasts and sais ” I have smaaaaall” .

    3. Wearing shorts beneath a skirt and a twenty year old girl wearing furry children’s slippers with a cartoon character on them in a very busy crowded place at night.

    4. Mai, being said, indicating a question being asked, rather than a statement being made, when the rest of the sentence is spoken in English. You want to go home now Mai? OK Mai?

    5. Odd names. What parent wants to call their daughter ” Pig”.

    6. Three different names for Termites, and anyone will only understand one of the versions and will not recognise the others. Pleuak, Pooak, and Pawak. How do Thai people talk to each other about Termites?

    7. When you are walking down a busy street and someone asks you where you are going. If you mistakenly reply ” Bi Dooan” which means going to the moon, rather than going for a walk, the reaction will just be an accepting shrug of the shoulders. You want to go to the moon, OK, up to you.

    8. People wait until they are seated on a motorbike parked on a very busy street in the middle of the city before using the opportunity to look into the mirror and squeeze their facial spots and pull out facial hair.

    9. Pooying Lapchang standing on the Soi and doing a mimick of fishing with an imaginary fishing rod and reel towards fat old Farangs who have just lumbered past.

    10. One year ago spoke to a Thai woman who was around forty years old, who told me that she had a twelve year old son who went to school. ” He know what he want to be when he grow up?” I asked . ” Yea, he tell me already. He want to be Ladyboy”.

    11. Very strict and stern looking Middle Aged Thai lady going with her Farang husband to the AGOGO bar at night.

  98. I lived in Thailand for 13 years. What u said in the post is what I saw day in and out. I miss living there.

  99. I need a honest advise. I am being offered 90K baht per month salary in Bangkok. Company is providing accommodation. I am a vegetarian (Don’t eat eggs too). A very simple lifestyle I have. How much is the cost of living in Bangkok? How much money will I be able to save per month? Please help with some simple math. Thank you!

      1. Hi Gabi – the employer is going to provide me a work permit visa which will be renewable every yeary Would you please let me know how much income tax gets deducted in Thailand from the Annual Salary?

  100. The reason we leave our bags in our offices or workplace is because we don’t want to carry all of our things with us during break and carrying it back to work. We’ll just go fetch it later when we return anyway, so why take it with us? No one is going to steal it any way

    ( Note: you must take your valuables with you like purse, phone, car key and cards, in case your bag got stolen( which is unlikely in your workplace, who would steal your papers and hi-lighters ! ), you’d still have your essentials. )

  101. hi, I’ve lived in Chiang Mai now for almost 3 months, and I’ve become quite annoyed with the pattern of being invited to a meal, drinks or for a night out, only to be consistently stuck (or attempted to be stuck) with the bill. it’s easy to rule this out as an isolated incident, because more than a handful of unrelated or otherwise people (male/female/trans) have done/tried this with me. so what’s the deal here? is it their culture to make the “farang” pay?? some insite would be great before I continue to sadly write off new Thai friends over this “annoyance” 555.
    thanx.

    1. No, it’s not in their culture. Unless you are for a dinner with thai girls then they will expect you to pay because you are farang and you are therefore rich.

      1. thabx Gabi. and yes, I can understand paying for a girl I’m there with, but to pay for all these sometimes-like 8 or ten people I don’t even know, is where I get confused. I say, “um, yeah I’ll pay for you, but I dont even know them…” 55 lol wtf!?

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