The longer I stay in Thailand, the less things surprise me. Bugs being sold by a street vendor? Meh. The fish still flopping while being thrown onto the grill? PETA sure wouldn’t want to come here. Smog covering the city, especially on the weekend? Get a mask if you don’t want to get hurt. Now don’t take this post the wrong way. I love Thailand, the people, and the food. It is great to experience my wife’s native culture, and I am lucky to be able to do so.
Having said that, here are a few bitties showing how different Thai culture, which is literally on the other side of the world, is from my home country, the U.S..
- In the U.S., skateboarders and roller bladers have to keep to the streets. In Thailand, you have to watch out for motorcycles coming down the sidewalk.
- In the U.S., when you go out to eat, what you order is yours. In Thailand, you enjoy family-style dining (without the fixed-price menu).
- In the U.S., shops in the mall are limited to their store space or a kiosk. In Thailand, you have vendors taking up both sides of the hallway, in addition to all of the stores.
- In the U.S., if you hit a pedestrian, you get into trouble. In Thailand, when crossing the street, it’s every man for himself.
- In the U.S., you are required to have a child seat in your car for your little one. In Thailand, you’ll see a kid sandwiched in between his parents, on a motorcycle.
- In the U.S., food is expensive. In Thailand, food is the least expensive thing there is.
- In the U.S., we bash our President on a regular basis. In Thailand, if you say anything derogatory about the King, you’re going to jail. I believe the Prime Minister is fair game though.
When you’ve visited other cultures, what were some of the things that suprised you?
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