Uncurious Thais

[YimSiam]

I've heard that the average American household is likely to have two publications in it: the Bible, and the TV guide. What would the average Thai household have, I wonder?

 

YimSiam, average American

[MooNoi]

Lottery results and a 7-11 discount voucher???

[Gadfly]

I have to agree with the cardinal on this one. Americans were and still are insular, but not as insular as Thais. I also agree the Europeons tend to travel more, but Americans seem to be less challenged by globalization than Europeons (more about that below).

 

My earlier point was about reading habits, but I agree that travel certainly tends to make one more curious about the world and I think Cent makes a good point about the education system here:

He was curious and I imagine many other Thais are curious to differing degrees. I feel many lose that curiosity through the rote learning they get in schools here, the fact that it may get beat out of them or they are discouraged from being curious, and that reading here is not pushed much

 

Even in the workplace here, curiosity is generally discouraged. There are plenty of exceptions (and I think globalization is challenging this as well - more below), but generally speaking the traditional workplace mirrors or tries to mirror (harder now in the face of international competition) the education system - based more on hierarchy and routine rather than merit and creativity.

 

I am not saying that the US is totally merit based (it obviously is not), but it is more substantially more merit based than Thailand. And even after a clever and curious Thai leaves the university and enters a professional work place, his or her peers will place tremendous demands upon her or him to conform and defer to superiors even when they are clearly talking through their hat.

 

I have some practical experience here. Having worked here for 13 years, I have seen Thais I knew a decade ago get posted overseas (generally the US and less often Europe) and then some 8 or 10 years later return. I have never met any group more critical of Thai society than this group of returning professional expatriates. They got posted overseas in the first place because they were bright and curious, and when they return, itâ??s a challenge keeping them â?? they find the culture so stifling. Same with Thais that were raised and educated in the US. We had one Thai girl - essentially raised and educated in the US â?? who came over to spend time with her extended family and learn more about her culture. Because she was Thai and young, she was expected to act deferentially and never disagree with a more senior Thai even though he (it was almost always a he) was dead wrong. Even with a salary north of US$200,000 a year, and offer to increase that by 50% after a year if she stuck it out, she fled back to the US. (We tried to replace her with an ex-pat â?? couldnâ??t find another Thai with the qualifications (we would hired a Thai national in a NY second if we found anyone even close in term of intelligence and competence) â?? at about two-thirds her original compensation package, but the relevant government agency wouldnâ??t let us because this would take a job away from a deserving Thai (we cannot find after about two years of looking).

 

I think much of what we see now in Thailand (I am referring to the inward looking trend, the economic nationalism, etc.) as a reaction to the realities of globalization. Thailandâ??s economy is primarily based on exports (70%) and tourism, but its culture is insular and inward looking. A real challenge.

[Singhaman]

...and they read the phone books in Oz? Strong people!

 

 

That comment made my day. Thanks.

 

For the uncurious Thai's I do agree.My wife,a NZ educated Thai with a Master,does have a different approach of understanding things.While I may be slower in some fields,she is excellent in computers (Apple) and all these high tech gadgets. She is hopeless with politics and would lose immediately her orientation as soon as we cross any of the bridges over the river towards the south or west.I really believe Thai's have a different way of how they feel about certain things. Most of them come from a very routine driven area with not much space for improvement, i.e.farming,fishing etc. Unfortunately, most of them do not have access to good books or proper diversified education. Most of us, including myself, take things for granted and many times I say Bangkok is not Thailand.I have to switch to another mode/programe by the time we make it out

of town. These are my 2 cents.