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?

Hello from Thailand!

This holiday season my wife, daughter, and I are traveling to Japan and Thailand. We’ve been in Thailand for a few days, after spending four days in Japan. The culture of both countries is great to experience. And they are so different.

The picture on the left my family and I at the Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, Japan, near Tokyo. On the right, my wife is posing with her mother (holding Palamee) and three of four of Palamee’s cousins at our hotel in Nakon Phanom, Thailand.

If you can get to either Japan or Thailand, definitely do so. The culture, people, and food are great.