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If I speak
with the tongue of a national, but have not love, I am only a resounding
gong or clanging cymbal.
If I wear the national dress and understand the culture and
all forms of etiquette, and if I copy all the mannerisms so that
I could pass for a national, but have not love, I am nothing.
If I give all I possess to the poor, and if I spend my energy
without reserve, but have not love, I am nothing.
Love endures long hours of language study, and is kind to
those who mock his accent, love does not envy those who stayed at
home, love does not exalt his home culture, is not proud of national
superiority.
Love does not boast about the way we do it back home, does
not seek his own ways, is not easily provoked into telling about
the beauty of his home country, does not think evil of this culture.
Love bears all criticism about his home culture, believes
all good things about this new culture, confidently anticipates
being at home in this place, endures all inconveniences.
Love never fails, but where there is cultural anthropology,
it will fail, where there is linguistics, it will change.
For we know only part of the culture and we minister to only part
of the culture.
But when Christ is reproduced in this culture, then our inadequacies
will be insignificant.
When I was in Holland* I spoke as a Dutchie* I understood as a Dutchie*
I thought as a Dutchie*, but when I left Holland*, I put away Dutch*
things.
Now we adapt to this culture awkwardly, but He will live in it intimately,
now I speak with a strange accent, but He will speak to the heart.
And now these three remain; cultural adaptation, language study
and love, but the greatest of these is love.
* fill in your own nationality
Thai Culture
Greeting
: "Sawat-dee"
The national
form of greeting in Thailand is the "wai". It is done
by placing the hands palm to palm and raising them to the face.
About the level with the mouth or chin is normal, with a slight
bow of the head. Quickly discipline yourself to greet with the
"wai", except to younger children, where a smile or
nod is sufficient acknowledgement. When greeting, the younger
or socially 'inferior' greets the elder or socially 'superior'
first.
Head
Thais consider
the head as the most honorable part of the body. Therefore it
is a great insult to touch a person's head, reach over it or point
at a person's face. If you accidentally forget and do so, politely
beg his or her pardon. If necessary to reach for something above
someone's head, say "excuse me" first.
Foot
The foot is
considered to be "dirty" by Thais. It is the lowest
part of the body. Never point your foot (especially the bottom
of the foot) at someone, refer to it or draw attention to it unnecessarily.
Never move anything with your foot or step over someone if they
are sitting on the floor. Sit cross-legged or fold your legs to
the side, when sitting on the floor. Do not sit with your legs
extended out in front of you. Always remove your shoes before
entering a house.
Monks
Buddhist monks
are forbidden to touch or be touched by a woman, or to accept
anything from the hand of one. If a woman has to give anything
to a monk, she first hands it to a man, who then presents it.
Women do not sit down next to a monk (eg. on a bus). When speaking
to a monk, be sure to leave space between you and him.
Temples/Religious
Objects
Since Buddhism
is the national religion in Thailand, all Buddha images, large
and small, in good or bad condition, are regarded as sacred objects.
Do not climb up on them to take a photograph or do anything that
will show disrespect to Buddhism and indirectly to the Thai people.
Showing disrespect to Buddhism and other religions is against
the law and could cause you to be deported!
The Monarchy
The Thais
have a deep respect for the Royal Family and they love their king
and queen. We therefore need to show respect for the members of
the royal family also. Never talk about the royal family when
Thais are present. Even if what we say is positive it may be misinterpreted
and may offend the Thais. When in government buildings, in parks
or on university campuses, the National Anthem is played at 8am
and 6pm and everyone stops what they are doing and stands still
and at attention, in respect. This includes the Ram 2 campus where
we are located. Do NOT step on money because it has the king's
image/head on it and this would be VERY disrespectful.
Bargaining
Bargaining
is not done in departmental stores or up-scale shops. However,
bargaining is done in markets and in small shops set up along
the streets. Do not bargain with food vendors on the street. Find
out the price before you order food. The same goes for taking
motorcycle taxis. It is good to ask someone who has lived here
for a while about the approximate costs in order to determine
of what is a fair price to pay.
Displays
of Affection
Hand-holding
between a man and woman is acceptable but no other public displays
of affection are appropriate in Thai culture. However, you will
often see members of the same sex holding hands, etc. This usually
does not imply homosexual feelings but rather is a sign of friendship.
Shocking
Questions
Thais call
any Caucasian visitors "farangs", derived from the word
for the French people that came during the time of French Indochina.
Thais love to ask "farang" and other visitors questions.
Most questions are quite routine but others can appear quite shocking
to foreigners who like to protect their personal privacy. The
questions "Where are you going?" or "Where have
you been?" or "Have you eaten lately?" are really
a kind of greeting and they do not demand a detailed explanation.
Other more prying questions such as "Why are you so fat?"
or "Why are you not married yet?" or "How much
money do you make?" or "What kind of birth-control do
you use?" are quite normal questions in Thailand and are
not considered nosy. A straightforward answer is not always expected
and you can make a bit of a joke about it.
Dress
Thais place
a high priority on neatness and cleanliness and are rather sensitive
to body odor. It is not uncommon to shower several times a day
here. The better you dress the more respect you will get in any
level of society. One of the major differences between Thai culture
and western culture is that long pants are worn in almost all
settings. Shorts are worn only to play sports. When doing ministry,
you will need to be especially careful about your attire and make
sure you are not "sloppy". Please ask your leaders for
appropriate specific dress codes, since this will be different
for each location.
Manners
In Thailand,
it is not polite to show emotion in public. Thais are especially
offended when one openly displays anger. So guard your tongue
(Psalm 141:3 "Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch
over the door of my lips") and learn to control your emotions.
One angry outburst directed at a Thai could cancel your influence
with that person and those who observed your behavior.
If people
are sitting on the floor in a meeting, it is best to walk around
the outside of the group. Do not step over people or books on
the floor.
When visiting
Thais in their home (or when they are visiting your home), it
is the host's responsibility to give the guest something to drink.
Failure to do so is a breach of common courtesy. It is not the
guest's responsibility to drink the water, and it is acceptable
not to, especially if you are not sure whether the water is pure.
When visiting
Thai homes, especially if you are invited for a meal, it is customary
to bring some fruit or small desserts. When in doubt about questions
of etiquette, ask the YWAM staff or a Thai. It is common for a
Thai person to invite you to eat rice with them. Often, the Thai
person is only trying to be polite and expects you to refuse the
offer. It is good to politely say, "No, thank-you..."
If the Thai person persists, then they genuinely want you to accept
the invitation. The same is true in the reverse. If you ask a
Thai person to eat with you, often they will decline the first
offer, but accept the second or third.
The Thai people
are very group-oriented, compared to western individualism. Young
Thais are going to share little snacks with you, and they sort
of expect you to do the same with them. Try to become a cheerful
giver, when you buy a bag of chips, some chocolates, etc.
To call a
taxi or a person, signal them with a palm down, hand waving action.
Do not use your index finger to call someone or to point somewhere
or at somebody.
Be aware of
the volume of your voice as some foreigners tend to speak loudly
compared to Thai norms. It is basically impolite to shout, yell,
or speak loudly in public. Go talk to the person instead of shouting
to them. It is also considered impolite to laugh loudly in public.
When using
the public dressing room, such as a pool changing room, use the
changing stalls provided, as nudity is considered impolite.
Gifts are
generally opened in private, not in front of the giver.
The Thais
consider it poor manners to sit on a chair with your legs crossed,
extended out in front of you, especially if you are bouncing your
foot up and down. When sitting on the floor, sit as discretely
as possible. Always try to sit on the same level as others. If
someone is seated when you enter the room it is desirable to be
seated as soon as possible. This is especially true if the person
of higher status or older than you. If you disregard this, you
will be thought rude.
Passing Items
It is impolite
to pass something by tossing it to a person or pushing it toward
them with the foot. When passing something, use your right hand,
since using your left hand for passing things is rude because
of cultural toilet practices.
Social Code
Thais place
great emphasis on politeness and respect for elders and those
in authority. From an early age, they are taught to respect superiors,
parents, teachers and the elderly. The emphasis in relationships
is vertical rather than horizontal. In other words, Thais are
concerned about fitting properly into society. Deference, avoidance
of conflict and a desire to please people are all hallmarks of
the Thai character. Therefore, when meeting people of higher status,
it is wise to remember to address them politely and with respect.
Remember to smile and "wai".
Generosity
Generosity
is a sign of an important person. Don't be stingy.
The Thai
Attitude Toward Life
Generally,
Thais accept their lot in life without resentment. They are usually
good-natured and give the appearance that they are carefree (which
is not always the case.) There is a sense of fatalism in their
attitude towards life, which comes from the Buddhist concept of
karma. That is, one's past deeds bring consequences, both bad
and good, to one's present life. Trouble and suffering are believed
to be a result of bad karma, while prosperity results from good
karma.
Helping Others
Help should
not be offered verbally. If you see that you could be of help,
help! If you ask first, the person will refuse and say "never
mind", because they want to be considerate and do not wish
to bother anyone. Your desire to help is noted and appreciated
if you actually take the opportunity to be helpful.
The Thai
Smile
Thailand is
known as "The Land of Smiles". To the foreigner who
is unfamiliar with Thai culture, it may seem that the Thais are
always smiling. Smiles have a variety of meanings in Thai society:
to indicate amusement, to excuse and give pardon for minor offenses,
to thank someone for a small service, to avoid comment on issues,
or to show embarrassment, etc. Smile when you greet people and
if people smile at you, smile back. Thai hearts (like most other
hearts *grin*) are more open when they are met with heartfelt
friendliness.
Face
The concept
of "Face" is most important in Thai culture. Keeping
one's "Face" is equivalent to keeping one's self-respect
and dignity intact. Thais will go great lengths to ensure that,
as much as possible, neither you nor they will lose "Face".
In fact, almost anywhere you go in Asia, you will find this concept
important. This means that Thais will rarely confront even when
you have offended them. Therefore, confrontation must be done
with great care to avoid shaming a Thai friend. It is best to
ask a "farang" who has lived in Thailand for several
years for advice if you feel confrontation is necessary.
Sharing the
Gospel
The Thais
are very relationship oriented. That means that unless they feel
like you want to be their friend first, they are usually not going
to be interested in the Gospel. Do NOT start sharing the Gospel
with them before you have asked them about their family, where
they live, their hobbies, school etc.
Remember that
Thailand is a Buddhist country and many of our concepts concerning
God are very difficult for them to grasp and understand especially
Christian cliches. When sharing your testimony, keep it simply
and to the point.
When explaining
the Gospel, we have found it best to start from the very beginning
of creation, attempting to explain God and His purpose for creating
the universe and man. Just keep in mind that most Thai people
have no Christian background whatsoever.
Never argue
with them about Buddhism or say anything negative about Buddha
or compare him to Jesus. That will only create resentment. Thai
people believe in reincarnation, karma, merit, ancestor worship,
ghosts of many kinds and much more. Remember when sharing with
a Thai don't get bogged down trying to figure out all these things,
just stay focused on your testimony and the love of God. When
it comes right down to it, Thai people have an emptiness in their
hearts which only God can fill. They need to know that God loves
them and wants a personal relationship with them.
Here are some
Thai words that may be helpful for you.(ph is pronounced with a
'p' sound not like an 'F')
God phra jaaw
Jesus phra yesus
Love khwaam
rak
Sin khwaam baap
Hell narok
Grace phra khun
heaven sawaan
church boat
God loves you
Phra jaaw song rak khun
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