Cross-Cultural Experience 1.1: Thailand

The Land of Smiles

This Southeast Asian country, is a geographical beauty, full of lovely people, delectable food and rich in culture and tradition. During my recent visit to the Kingdom of Thailand, a few things struck me. I would like to share some of these with you below and hope you enjoy reading this article.

1. Service is usually very good. Thais are generally happy and smile and laugh on the job in the service industry. They take pride in helping their customers and genuinely want to ensure customer satisfaction. Thailand is known as the "Land of Smiles" - people are very welcoming and pleasant and so, they really do live up to their name.

2. Greetings are important. You will be greeted and warmly welcomed on entering restaurants, hotels and other establishments, with Thais placing their hands in the prayer position and bowing their heads. This is known as the wai and it is a typical Thai greeting, since they do not shake hands by default. It is therefore polite to reciprocate with the wai. A standard Thai greeting used at any time of day or night is Sawasdee (pronounced sah-wah-dee) plus the appropriate ending: men say sah wah dee khrap, while women say sah wah dee khaa.

3. There is good shopping at markets and roadside stalls. You can negotiate when shopping, especially if you are purchasing multiple items or shopping with a group. If you start to negotiate however, it is expected that you are going to purchase. There are many day and night markets and shopping is great, from woven garments to handmade handbags, footwear and tailor-made suits, there are styles to suit most tastes and budgets. You can pack lightly and fill your suitcase with goodies for yourself and return with souvenirs for others, which carry the "Made in Thailand" label.

4. A Thai massage is a must. If you are tired from travelling, shopping or sightseeing, this is a great place to get a traditional Thai massage. Massages are available everywhere, they are cheap and very relaxing.

5. Thai food is fairly cheap also. Good Thai food can be bought from street vendors or in more expensive, fancy establishments. Regardless of where you eat, it tastes delicious.

6. Caution! Be very careful when crossing the street ­— even if using a zebra crossing — because drivers do not usually stop to let pedestrians cross, so you have to be alert.

7. There is a lot of traffic. For this reason, you should become acquainted with the BTS — the Bangkok Mass Transit System, an above-ground or sky train — and, if possible, the subway system. It will save you time and you can avoid the traffic which you must endure if you travel by taxi. Travel by motorcycle is a common means of getting from point A to point B. There are also river cruises and taxis which are enjoyable and a viable means of accessing some tourist sights and destinations.

What is your experience of Thailand? Let us know in the comments below.