What the US Can Learn from Thailand

We have loved the chance to experience Thai culture over these past two years. While it is often frustrating trying to navigate a culture so distinct from our own, there are many parts of Thai culture that are inspiring. Following are some qualities that I think we would do well to incorporate into US culture, too.

Mai bpen rai

One of the most common phrases in Thai is “mai bpen rai”, which literally means “it’s nothing.” Thai speakers often use it as “don’t worry about it”. We, of course, use this phrase in English, too, but not quite as freely as it is used in Thai. If you’re late to an event, stuck in traffic forever, forgot to do something, “mai bpen rai”. There’s not nearly as much energy spent worrying about things that are out of our control or are really minor inconveniences. It’s quite refreshing!

Food waste

Something I really appreciate about Thailand is how little food is wasted. Bones, fat, skin, all parts of animals are used instead of thrown out. Perhaps this is due to the overall smaller number of animals that are available for consumption, or related to the country’s history of poverty, but I think it’s a lesson we could learn. Why throw out a significant part of the animal if it could be used for something good? There also seems to be less food wasted at restaurants. Portions are much smaller here than in the US, so nearly everything is eaten at the restaurant instead of thrown out afterwards. Food also tends to be freshly made, so there aren’t as many things that sit under a warmer all day, just to be thrown away at closing time. Imagine how much food we could save by only making what we needed!

Respect for authority

Thai culture is strongly based on hierarchy and respect for authority. In a lot of ways, that has been hard to adjust to since, as Americans, we are used to an egalitarian workplace and society. However, I think there are some benefits to an atmosphere in which elders are automatically respected. Leaders and government officials are given respect despite making choices that not everyone agrees with. Parents are shown much more respect than in the US simply by virtue of being parents. A lot of time and energy is saved by not arguing about what’s best, but simply trusting the leader to make the right choice.

Unity

More than 100 years ago Thailand was several different kingdoms which eventually united as one country in the early 1900s. The histories of these kingdoms are still very much visible in present-day Thailand, with pieces of language, culture, and food at the forefront. This is not even to mention the many hill tribe communities which also have distinct cultures and languages. Despite this inherent diversity, Thai people are very much unified, especially when it comes to their king. After the death of King Bhumibol in October 2016, that unity became very apparent to us. Everyone wore black for several months, and some up to one year, after the king’s death to mark their sadness at his passing. It is hard to imagine an American wearing black for more than a few days, even if ordered to, at the passing of a governmental figure. However, most Thai people did this out of love for the king and for their country, not because of a rule put in place by the government. Perhaps this is tied to respect for authority and elders, but in my experience, Thai people are also much more likely to make the choice for the good of the group rather than their own agenda. This stands in stark contrast to the individualism that we cherish in US society. Both have their strong points, but many times it is nice to be part of a unified atmosphere.

Grace for language learners

Our family has been learning Thai for almost two years now, and we’ve come a long way. However, there’s still a lot we don’t know about the Thai language. Thankfully, most Thai people with whom we interact are extremely gracious with us. In fact, I would say they are actually impressed when we use Thai, even though our Thai is far from impressive. Thai is a tonal language, and even when I know the vocabulary is correct, I am certain my tones are usually not. Despite me sounding like a toddler, Thai speakers always work with me and encourage me. Can you imagine what a difference it would make for immigrants, visitors, refugees, etc., if native English speakers always encouraged them in their language learning, instead of giving them a confused face and shouting in response? It would be a welcome change, indeed.

The Beginning of the End

Sadly, our time in Southeast Asia is drawing to a close. We’ll finish our time with IJM Thailand in late June, which means that we only have a little more than three months left here in Chiang Mai. This is an incredibly bittersweet time for our family since we’ve made lots of good friends in our two years in Thailand. I try not to think about how little time we have left because I tear up every time.

Even without counting the days, we can tell that this season is coming to an end. Some of our good friends left last week, and we won’t be in Thailand when they come back from their furlough. We’ve certainly missed all the interns who have left IJM since we’ve been here, but this is the first family (with kids who are friends with our kids) who have left. We went to church together and were both part of the same homeschool group, so we saw each other often. We’re going to miss them a lot!

E and her first friend in Thailand

The homeschool co-op that our family is part of only has three weeks left. This has been our first homeschooling experience, and the co-op group has been integral to it. E especially appreciates being able to see her friends consistently every week and being able to learn about topics outside of her regular curriculum.

E and B joined a soccer camp for the months of January, February, and March. There are now just two sessions left, and although this particular camp runs a few times every year, we won’t be here when the next one goes. None of us knew much about soccer before we came to Thailand, but the kids have really enjoyed learning about the sport and playing with other kids.

B doing some footwork

We’re also starting to think about what things we’ll take back to the US with us, and what items need to be sold or given away here. We will “only” take ten suitcases back, which is what we brought with us, but it’s surprising how much stuff you can acquire in just two years! Even with taking several items back with us during our furlough last summer, there will be A LOT that won’t fit under our weight limit. We are thankful that my mom and youngest sister will be visiting at the end of March and have agreed to let us send some things back with them. Still, sorting through our belongings reminds us of how little time we have left.

The final way that we are planning for the end is related to my work. I’ve been counting how many classes each of my groups have left, trying to decide which topics are the most essential, and which ones will need to be passed over. Every teacher can relate to that nearing-the-end-of-the-school-year feeling. It’s both exciting and sad to realize that my time with the staff is nearly over. Over the last few weeks I’ve reminded different staff members that I’m leaving in June, usually whenever they refer to a future event that I won’t be present for. Every time they say, “Two years goes so fast!” I couldn’t agree more.

Even though we are sad about leaving Thailand, we can’t be happier to have had the chance to join this team for the last two years. We’ve made deeper connections than we ever thought possible, both with co-workers and expats, and are going to miss everyone tremendously. But, we knew from the very beginning that this assignment was going to be temporary, so we are trying to look upon our remaining months with appreciation instead of sadness.

E and I had a girls’ day last week, and she remarked how fast this second year was going and how soon we would be going back to the US. I asked if she regretted coming to Thailand (since, in all honesty, it has caused her a lot of heartache over the loss of friends both in the US and Chiang Mai), and she replied with an emphatic “no”. We both agreed that we are happier to have met and loved all these people than to have never have begun this adventure. Here’s to eating lots of Thai food and making incredible memories for the next three months!