Category: Thai Culture Wars
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Thai Women Don’t Wear Cheongsams!
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A critique of “cultural appropriation” and the concept that culture can be owned by an individual.
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Driving a Motor Scooter in Thailand: A Warning
This post was updated on October 14, 2019. Dying To Have Fun: Scooters in Thailand What could be more fun than riding a motor scooter in Thailand. Exciting, romantic, adventurous, daring, cheap, convenient, and above all else cool. I couldn’t agree more. But allow me to add one more breathless adjective-lethal. Statistics Do Kill If…
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Mekhong “Thai Whiskey”: Ladyboy In A Bottle
I climbed up on a rickety stool in a Bangkok dive bar. In the wee hours of the night, the place was mostly empty-just a few ex-pats staring forlornly into their drinks. The bartender looked in my direction. “Whiskey. Mekhong.” I said. A pretty little thing in an all too short, too tight dress brought…
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Tourists Don’t Eat Good Thai Food
Why do travelers to Thailand hesitate to eat the same Thai food as Thai people?
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Thai Table Manners-Put Down the Chopsticks!
When visiting Thailand, you should eat like a Thai…literally. And mind your Thai table manners. Yes, table manners are important to Thais. No, making a pig of yourself as if you’re at an all-you-can-eat buffet is not cool. After 25 years of marriage to my Thai wife and being press ganged into Thai culture, I…
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Boobs, Siam & You
This post was updated on Nov. 26, 2018 Boobs, Buddha and Thailand. Let’s discuss. Thailand Is Boobland…right??? A casual observer of Thai society could easily think that the country has a laissez-faire attitude about how women dress in public. Boobs are pretty harmless in the Land of Smiles, right? After all, as soon as you…
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Mai Pen Rai-NOT! A Lesson in Thai Culture
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“Mai pen rai” is a very common Thai phrase you may hear during your vacation to Thailand. But let’s get real: the phrase is NOT a profound lesson in Thai culture! A good translation of the phrase could be “never mind”, depending on circumstances. Or, “that’s ok”. Sometimes “no big deal” is the best translation…
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Farang Price & Thai Price: A Dirty Secret
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It’s Simple-Farangs Pay More. Huh! A dirty little secret of Thailand is the practice of “Farang Price” versus Thai price. Thais pay the standard price, while farangs pay a higher price. That’s right! It’s setting prices according to ethnicity and race. [Side note: A farang is Thai slang for a White person.] You can find Farang…