One thing you will have definitely noticed in Thailand is the abundant images of His Majesty, The King of Thailand and other members of the Royal Family. King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great, also known as Rama IX, appears on monuments, billboards, banners, calendars, posters and murals in every corner of the country. In fact I can’t recall ever entering any business establishment or home in all my time in this country without seeing an image of His Majesty. He is represented in a range of both ceremonial and casual clothing, in a number of situations, both active and passive, and at various times in his long and illustrious reign.

The reason for the vast quantity of images on display is quite simple. The Thais love their King. In fact, he is viewed as semi-divine and is universally adored in Thailand. Not too long ago, the King celebrated his 60th anniversary as Thailand’s Monarch, the longest serving Monarch in the modern world, making a rare public appearance after recent health concerns. The streets were lined with thousands of Thais hoping to catch a glimpse of him as his motorcade moved from the Rajitvej Hospital to the Royal Palace. I was there to witness the scenes and the adulation poured upon him was overwhelming, with many spontaneously bursting into tears of happiness just at the sight His Majesty. The joy he bought to the people and the positive energy he generated was something I have never experienced before. Ask any Thai person what they think of their King and I guarantee you that a huge smile will appear and you will be told how much they love him and what an extraordinary ruler he has been.

All in all it has been, and continues to be, a quite remarkable reign from a quite remarkable man and he has certainly earned the respect and love of his people. Those visiting Thailand are also expected to show the King due respect and doing so will certainly endear you to the Thai people. Foreigners in Thailand are granted a range of freedoms and privileges perhaps not available to them in their home countries but it must be noted that there is a firm expectation that King is afforded the highest respect from foreigners and anything less will not be tolerated. In Thailand the lese majeste laws are rigidly enforced. These laws prohibit anyone from acting in a way that undermines His Majesty’s authority, and this includes public criticism and any defacement of his image. Interestingly, he has no power to charge anyone but all other Thais are permitted to do so on his behalf. The King himself during his birthday speech in 2005 challenged the law: “Actually, I must also be criticised. I am not afraid if the criticism concerns what I do wrong, because then I know. Because if you say the king cannot be criticised, it means that the king is not human”, he said. “If the king can do no wrong, it is akin to looking down upon him because the king is not being treated as a human being. But the king can do wrong.” Despite this there have been no serious calls to repeal these laws, but this King has routinely pardoned a number of those prosecuted where he has felt it appropriate. But this does not give foreigners carte blanche in showing disrespect. In 2007 an intoxicated Swiss tourist rather stupidly decided to daub black paint over a number of portraits and was sentenced to ten years imprisonment. The best way for tourists to avoid offending anyone is to avoid talking about politics or the Monarchy altogether. Even well intentioned comments in jest may cause misunderstandings and obviously it is best to avoid conflict through displaying a lack of respect for the Thai people and the institution of the Monarchy.

Thailand has two national songs that a visitor to Thailand is likely to hear. The first is the National Anthem called Phleng Chat Thai and is played in public places at 8am and 6pm. If a visitor is somewhere such as a BTS Sky Train station, a public park or anywhere with a public broadcasting system at one of these times they will notice that the Thai will stand up if they are sitting or just stand still until it has finished playing. To show respect a tourist should do the same if possible. You should take your cue from the locals though as you would not be expected to miss your train or get hit by a car standing in the middle of the road!

Here is an English translation of Phleng Chat Thai taken from Wikipedia:

Thailand unites flesh and blood of Thais.
Nation of the people; belonging to the Thais in every respect.
Long maintained [has been] the independence
Because the Thais seek, and love, unity.
Thais are peace-loving;
But at war we’re no cowards.
Sovereignty will not be threatened
Sacrificing every drop of blood for the nation
Hail the nation of Thailand, long last the victory, Chai Yo (Cheers).

The other song you may hear played publicly is the Royal Anthem called Phleng Sansoen Phra Barami. This is played at major state occasions or when ever there is a member of the Thai Royal family attending a function. It is also played at the beginning and end of scheduled television programming and at the beginning of a play, musical, concert or film. It is at the cinema where a tourist is most likely to observe this wonderfully rousing and patriotic anthem accompanied by images of Thai people working together to achieve success or overcome adversity. It still gives me goose bumps every time I see and hear it. Because it is a Royal Anthem everybody is expected to stand without exception (unless one is incapacitated). In 2008 a Thai citizen was charged and sentenced under the lese majeste laws for refusing to stand in a cinema and there have been unofficial reports of tourists being roughly ejected from cinemas by Thai movie goers outraged by their refusal to stand and pay respect to the King.

Here is a translation of the Royal Anthem, Phleng Sansoen Phra Barami , taken from Wikipedia:

I, subject of His great Majesty,
Prostrate my heart and head,
To pay respect to the King, whose merits are boundless,
Sole and supreme Sovereign,
The greatest of Siam,
The greatest in honor,
(We are) joyous because of the royal rule,
The fruits of your merits preserve
The people in happiness and peace,
May it be that
whatever He wills,
be done
according to the hopes of His great heart
as we wish Him victory, hurrah!

Yep, the Thais truly are a proud nation and they sure do love their King. As any international traveler will agree, it makes sense to respect the local beliefs, customs and traditions of the country being visited. Thailand is a very relaxed place but there is no latitude given to those who fail to respect the one institution that the Thai people universally love and respect, and that is the Monarchy.

Long Live the King.

by Bryan Daysh, a freelance writer living in Thailand.

Read more articles in our ongoing education series:
Smiling Will Make Your Thailand Holiday
Giving, Maintaining and Saving Face in The Land of Smiles – Part 1
Giving, Maintaining and Saving Face in The Land of Smiles – Part 2
Thais, Money & Shopping, Part 1
Thais, Money & Shopping, Part 2
What’s with the Wai?
The Thais Love Their King

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So what is with the Wai? If you’ve traveled on a Thai airline you would have received one from the air hosts and air hostesses when you got on the plane and again when you left it. If you’ve spent any length of time in Thailand then you will have certainly receive dozens of them from hotel staff, tour guides, sales and service people. So what is a Wai? What does it mean? When should you return a Wai or even initiate one? How do you Wai? The answers to these questions came to me over time and it was only recently when I got married in a Thai ceremony involving Monks and respected elders that I finally realized and understood the complexity of the Wai and the protocols involved in offering and receiving, and also the different types or levels of Wai that are used for different people. Yes, it is a little more complex than it first appears but once you understand the basic protocols you will be able to Wai with accuracy and confidence according to the social interaction and situation.

A few weeks ago I went to the apartment of my boss to meet with him and another colleague for a few quiet drinks on his balcony. Having not known him long it was the first time I had been to his apartment and when the door was opened by a Thai lady I assumed it was his wife. She was my social superior as the wife of my boss so I gave her the appropriate Wai as a greeting. The Wai was hurriedly returned and she scuttled away looking confused and a little uncomfortable and embarrassed. When his wife was introduced a moment later I realized the lady who opened the door was his housemaid and therefore would not be expecting to be offered a respectful Wai. Later in the evening I recounted the amusing incident to my boss, who is a long-term ex-pat, and my colleague who has only been in Thailand a few months. My colleague didn’t see the humor in my social faux-pax. I explained to him that in the social relationship between the housemaid and myself it should have been her offering me a higher Wai and me returning a lower one. “Huh?” he said. “Higher? Lower? What do you mean. I thought they were all the same. I love Wai-ing people. I do it to everyone. Taxi drivers, 7-11 staff, my building security guards.” My boss and I laughed at his naivety. “Yeah, they all laugh at me too,” he said. I told him that I used to do the same on my first few visits and my boss admitted that he did too. I also explained that the laughter would have been from mild amusement, embarrassment and humility rather than anything mean-spirited or malicious before briefly explaining the basic protocols to him.

To Wai you simply press you hands together as you would in prayer and then put your hands in one of four different heights, depending on who is being Wai-ed, and slightly bow and nod the head once. The height of the Wai is measured by where the tips of the thumbs touch the head or body. The highest Wai is reserved for members of the Royal Family and Buddhist Monks where the tips of the thumb are level with the bridge of the nose. The next level of Wai is reserved for respected elders such as grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles where the tips of the thumbs are at the level of the tip of the nose. The next level is where the tips of the thumbs are level with the chin. This is a much more common Wai and should be offered to anyone who is older or is an employer or is of a greater social status. The lowest level of Wai is where the tips of the thumbs are at chest level. This Wai is offered to friends and social equals. It is also the Wai that should be used in response if one is offered a Wai. So when initiating a Wai there are four levels to choose from but when returning a Wai there is only one – from chest level.

While this may sound complex it is really very simple for foreigners traveling in Thailand as it is highly unlikely that you are going to come across any Royalty, Monks, or respected elders from your family. This leaves you with two Wais and it is most likely that you will offer a Wai from the chin and return a Wai from the chest. The exception to this is if you have a Thai friend of about the same age and social position and you will Wai each other from the chest. Most Thai friends don’t bother with the formality of the Wai but if or when they do it is from chest level.

The Wai is used for any one of three reasons; when saying hello, goodbye and thank you. If you are saying goodbye and thank you at the same time there is no need to Wai twice. Probably the most crucial thing to remember is that it is the younger person or social inferior that should Wai first. As a foreigner in Thailand there are very few situations where you are expected to Wai but if you offer one it is always gratefully accepted. You are not expected to initiate a Wai with service and sales people such as hotel staff, taxi drivers or shop clerks. Thai people certainly don’t. This is why there was such a high level of amusement when my colleague was Wai-ing all and sundry. Many service staff will offer you a Wai first and it is appropriate for you to return a chest level Wai or you can simply nod your head in acceptance of their gesture. It is not considered rude to fail to return a Wai in such a situation.

The Wai is a very graceful, unique and important Thai custom and is central to the etiquette of social interactions. As a foreigner participating in this cultural practice it is important to understand this and an appropriately delivered Wai will impress and please the Thai people you are working or socializing with. Mistakes are forgiven but are also missed opportunities to show your cultural understanding and respect. You’ll be pleased to know that I spoke to my colleague again recently on this subject and he thanked me and told me that he now had his compulsive Wai-ing under control.

by Bryan Daysh, a freelance writer living in Thailand.

Read more articles in our ongoing education series:
Smiling Will Make Your Thailand Holiday
Giving, Maintaining and Saving Face in The Land of Smiles – Part 1
Giving, Maintaining and Saving Face in The Land of Smiles – Part 2
Thais, Money & Shopping, Part 1
Thais, Money & Shopping, Part 2
What’s with the Wai?
The Thais Love Their King

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  from 2300 Baht for a full day tour

  Go to Bangkok

• Chiang Mai

  Zipline Tour, Multi-Day Tours combine Zip-Lines, Homestay &: Climbing, Trekking, White Water Rafting, Mountain Biking. Golf & Gibbon
  from 2080 Baht for a full day tour

  Go to Chiang Mai

• Pattaya

  Zipline Tour, Go Gibbon Jungle Gym, Golf & Gibbon, Gibbon Safari Multi-Day Tour Includes Admission to the splendid Khao Kheeo Open Safari.
  from 2300 Baht for a full day tour

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In part one of this article I suggested that Thai people in general have a much more “live for the moment” mentality compared with the Westerner who tends to take a longer term view of savings and finance. I proposed that seasonal conditions might have something to do with this as the threat of starvation in winter months required storage and conservation in more temperate climates. It is my belief that this leads to a “take the money and run” mentality here in South East Asia.

When reflecting on the shopping experience in Thailand it is important to recognize not just the shopper’s perspective but the seller’s perspective also. Tourists are here for a brief time and they have been coming for years and they will probably keep on coming. The idea of cultivating a philosophy of nurturing repeat business makes little sense to a seller in a market. They want to get the best out of any transaction regardless of whether you view it as fair or not, as most transactions are a one-off deal. This concept combined with the Thai perception of foreigners as being comparatively wealthy is fundamental to understanding shopping in Thailand. Remember that it would be incredibly unusual for any street or market vendor to have traveled overseas. The only foreigners they have seen are in Thailand and they all have one thing in common. They have plenty of money. It is not surprising that Thais think that all foreigners (or farang) are wealthy because this is all they have ever witnessed and experienced. Foreigners come to Thailand for a vacation and compared with the locals, spend ridiculous amounts of money on hotels, transport, shopping, and nightlife. Is it any wonder that they think you won’t care about spending $20 on something that is worth half of that?

Mostly tourists aren’t so annoyed at paying a higher price than they could but at the principle of being ripped off. For a while I just couldn’t get my head around it. It annoyed me. What I wanted was the comfort of checking a price tag and making my own decision as to whether or not it was a fair price. In Thailand this (from a Western perspective) is denied me. Aside from ‘comfort’ I now realize that there is no real difference in the outcome of my decision to purchase, but the difference is in the decision-making process. In the West the prices are negotiated and set by people further up the food chain who are safely removed from the sales floor. The price tag acts as a buffer between sales person and buyer. There is no room for negotiation. The price is set. Buy it at that price or don’t buy it. Simple. I can guarantee you that in the West you are being “ripped-off” just as much or even more than you ever could in Thailand. The difference between cost and price is often quite a chasm as the profits are sucked away by layers of middlemen. In Thailand you are dealing directly with the sole middleman and sometimes even with the actual source of production. The price is negotiable because any reduction in price comes directly out of the vendors’ pocket. Prices are in a state of constant flux in every moment of every transaction as the vendors quickly weigh up what they are prepared to accept as profit.

You can get amazing shopping deals here in Thailand. Bargains galore. I got to a point where I would only ever buy clothes when on holiday in Thailand because I gained a much clearer idea of what the cost of a garment actually was before a fancy label got plastered on, it got shipped, and layers of other costs accumulated as well as a healthy profit margin. Why would I pay $200 for the same pair of jeans that would cost me $50 in Thailand. Why would I pay $50 for a t-shirt when I could pay $6 for the exact same one in Thailand. Once you get over the ‘discomfort’ of bargaining then you can save a lot of money. The Thais understand this and use it to their advantage. They know that a $5 garment costs several times more than you would pay in your own country. They can sell it for $8 and get a small profit, or they can try to sell it for $20 and make an even bigger one. What would you do if you were them?

The best approach to avoid paying for massively over-priced goods is to take the plunge and throw yourself into the bargaining game. Okay, so how does the game work? The Thai retailer will start their price at the highest point they think they can sell the product, often well over their own acceptable profit margin. If you accept that price without negotiation it is, as far as they are concerned, fair enough. Your loss, their gain. The price of anything in Thailand is what the buyer is prepared to pay. If someone makes you an offer, make a counter-offer and make it well below the original. If the vendor seems outraged, it is only an act. They are playing the game. They will offer something a little more reasonable than their first offer and so the game continues until both buyer and seller are happy.

Remember, you as the buyer have the ultimate power in the negotiation. You can’t be forced to buy something. If you can’t agree to a price then simply smile and walk away. You can also use this as a tactic and you’ll be amazed at how effective it can be in underlining your final offer. You will often be called back as the seller sees their sale going down the drain. If they don’t call you back, then you probably were offering a price that was, in fact, too low. That’s good news for you too. You now know what an unacceptable price is and you can enter another negotiation for the same product with a different vendor armed with that knowledge. If you really want to get rock-bottom prices, then it is a good idea to do some research on by entering a few negotiations with no intention of actually buying. You’ll get a good idea of what a “fair price” to both parties actually is and you can go from there. Too many people have absolutely no idea what the product is actually worth because their views have been warped by their only experience of pricing back in their home country.

It also must be remembered that sometimes you can take the game too far and haggling over a few baht becomes quite ridiculous and even insulting. But as with everything in Thailand it is “up to you.” It is your money and your shopping experience. But it is always less stressful when negotiations are conducted with respect. Try not to get angry. Nothing is personal. It is just business. The best approach is to smile a lot and don’t seem too intent on purchasing any one thing. Wander around, ask for prices of different products and return to what you want. If you appear too intent on purchasing something then you are weakening your own bargaining position.

Shopping goes hand in hand with the Thailand experience and most people go home with suitcases full of great stuff for a fraction of the cost back home. Just remember to be patient, smile, and always bear in mind that bargaining is just a game.

by Bryan Daysh, a freelance writer living in Thailand

Read more articles in our ongoing education series:
Smiling Will Make Your Thailand Holiday
Giving, Maintaining and Saving Face in The Land of Smiles – Part 1
Giving, Maintaining and Saving Face in The Land of Smiles – Part 2
Thais, Money & Shopping, Part 1
Thais, Money & Shopping, Part 2
What’s with the Wai?
The Thais Love Their King

Want to know more about

Flight of the Gibbon Adventure Tours?

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• Bangkok

  Zipline Tour, Go Gibbon Jungle Gym, Golf & Gibbon, Gibbon Safari Multi-Day Tour. Includes Admission to the splendid Khao Kheeo Safari.
  from 2300 Baht for a full day tour

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• Chiang Mai

  Zipline Tour, Multi-Day Tours combine Zip-Lines, Homestay &: Climbing, Trekking, White Water Rafting, Mountain Biking. Golf & Gibbon
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My Thai girlfriend and I set off from Ariyasom Villa Hotel at the end of Sukhumvit Soi One taking advantage of the later departure option at 8:30am. We could have left at 6:30am but given that we were booked in for the two-day Gibbon Safari we felt that we could afford a few hours extra sleep. We stepped up into the minivan and exchanged greetings with the others already there; three workmates from Melbourne and two unrelated couples from Israel, all on short vacations in Thailand. Nine of us in total. The minivan was new, clean, spacious and air-conditioned. As we headed down Sukhumvit Road towards our destination, a television screen folded down from the ceiling and we got a preview of the tour in a video presentation first in English and then in Thai. I could sense both the trepidation and excitement of the others as we all got a first glimpse of what we had signed up for.

I’ll put my cards on the table now and say that I am not a huge fan of going of pre-scheduled tours where you are herded around in mobs at the discretion of whoever is making things up as they go along. I’ve been on a number of these in South East Asia where there are unnecessary thirty-minute toilet/restaurant/souvenir-buying stops every forty miles. And then when you arrive you wonder why you are doing random things that aren’t in the brochure and question whether you have in fact gotten on the correct bus and are on the tour you thought you had signed up for. Questioning the guides simply gets you a patronizing look. I was hoping that the Flight of the Gibbon tour would not be the good old “Same, Same, but Different.”

Well, they passed the first of my rigorous requirements and about an hour and a half after departing Bangkok we arrived at the Khao Kheow Open Safari Park without any stops. The driver was sensible and safe and this put my mind at ease. If we were being thrown around the minivan as the driver lunged around traffic, diving across the center-line to overtake like many tour drivers do, then I would have been feeling rather uncomfortable about putting my life in this company’s hands one hundred feet off the ground in the rainforest. Flight of the Gibbon places a great deal of emphasis on safety and they definitely kicked things off properly with a smooth ride.

Whoever chose the site for the Flight of the Gibbon adventure in Chonburi made an inspired choice. The Khao Kheow Open Safari Park is situated in the 30,000 hectare Chompoo Wildlife Sanctuary and Flight of the Gibbon operates within a few minutes drive of the safari park. The means that when you book a tour with Flight of the Gibbon they also include many of the attractions of the safari park within their tours. So when we arrived we were taken straight to “Gibbon Island” where we were able to witness this wonderful ape species swinging gracefully from tree to tree. Now it was obvious why this particular company had taken on the name Flight of the Gibbon because this was almost exactly what we would soon be doing. Well, maybe not as gracefully, but the sense of swinging through a rainforest canopy was the common denominator. This also gave us the chance to stretch our legs and take a quick look at and feed a few other animals in the vicinity before we were driven just a couple of minutes to the Flight of the Gibbon office and outdoor restaurant. A drink and light snack was provided while we completed a registration form and we were told that we would be served lunch on our return from the zip-line tour which would take just over three hours. We excitedly re-boarded the minivan and were on our way to the main event, just a ten-minute drive further into the Chompoo Wildlife Sanctuary.

When we arrived we were enthusiastically greeted by the pair of “Sky Rangers,” Wit and Korn, who were to be our guides during the zip-line adventure. They introduced themselves and began the friendly banter and easy conversation that would continue to put us at ease. They fitted us with safety harnesses and protective helmets ensuring that everything was safe, secure, tight-fitting and comfortable. Then we were taken through a very clear and precise safety briefing where we were shown how they would keep us clipped and secured to the zip-lines and safety-lines at all times. We were also shown how to take off, how to land and how to control our direction in flight by holding the pulley above our heads. The briefing was very thorough but used simple language and actual demonstration and while there were five non-native English speakers in our group (eight if you count Australians – just kidding! I’m a Kiwi!), all walked away from the safety briefing with a clear understanding of what was going on.

After a ten-minute trek through the rainforest we arrived at the first platform. I have to admit I was a bit nervous. I wouldn’t say that I am afraid of heights but I am certainly very wary of them. It just doesn’t seem natural to me to be either under water or too high off the ground. My body was built for the earth and I always appreciate the feel of terra firma beneath my feet. With eleven of us on the first platform, one of the Sky Rangers clipped himself onto the zip-line and zoomed off the to next platform, setting the trend where there was always one of them at each platform; one to help you take off and one to help you land. They also take full control of your safety and clip and un-clip you from the zip-line to the safety-line at each platform. Safety was never an issue. The Sky Rangers were obviously very well trained and extremely meticulous and at no moment were any of the nine of us unconnected. They operated with practiced ease but controlled concentration, all the while keeping the group relaxed with easy banter and excellent humor. I could see them reading each of us between the first few platforms to get a sense of who needed more ‘handling’ and encouragement and who needed to have their bravado encouraged.

When it came for me to go I was definitely feeling anxious, but having seen three people ahead of me ‘survive,’ including my girlfriend, there was no way my pride would allow any outward sign of trepidation. If someone were to look really closely they would have noticed my knees shaking a little on the first few platforms but after that my confidence grew and I quit worrying and relaxed to enjoy the joyous feelings of flying through the rainforest canopy at ridiculous heights. There are sixteen different zip-lines with the last one the longest at three hundred meters. The views from the platforms are breath-taking and at one point the clouds rolled in and we had a ten-minute tropical downpour. Rather than dampen our spirits it heightened them and only added to the authenticity of the experience as we flew through the rain.

I really enjoyed seeing how the others in our group dealt with the experience and I especially loved seeing my girlfriend experience something she had never done before and not surprisingly, she took to it without fear, insisting on going ahead of me on every platform. She couldn’t wait to fling herself off into mid-air again and again, smiling and laughing all the way. Mikey took it all in his stride in a classically laconic Aussie way, more concerned with the comfort of his reproductive organs in relation to the safety harness. Tanya terrified by heights but trying her best not to let it affect her too much, continued to experience a bizarre mixture of knee trembling trepidation and extreme exhilaration, never quite knowing which to feel as she tore through the canopy in excess of a hundred feet in the air. She loved it and hated it all at the same time. Emma in true blue ‘aussie, aussie, aussie, oy, oy, oy,” style whooped and hollered her excitement on each of the zip-lines showing no fear and never a slackening in enthusiasm to the end. A honeymooning Israeli couple and an older Israeli couple made up the group and all took it in their stride relishing every moment and breaking through the barrier of their limited English skills to communicate their excitement and engage in enthusiastic conversation.

By the end of the day plans were being made for us to all join up for dinner and a few drinks in Bangkok but sadly we could not join them as we were booked onto the two-day “Gibbon Safari” rather than the one-day “Flight of the Gibbon Tour”. The fact that this happened is testament to the team-building and bonding that this experience creates and the supportive but jocular atmosphere was not unrelated to the care, expertise and personality shown by our Sky Rangers. When we had finished and had a chance to enjoy a cold drink and reflect on what was an amazing experience, we were driven back to the restaurant for lunch. The food was good; a salad, fresh cut fruit, soup, and a chicken and vegetable dish cooked with a coconut sauce with steamed rice. Two of our group were vegetarians and within ten minutes of advising the staff, they were served with a wonderful looking vegetable stir-fry with rice. I would imagine that some tourists prefer Western fare and apparently there are plans for a new restaurant to be built soon offering a large range of food options to suit all palates.

After we had eaten we reluctantly said good-bye to our new friends who were looking forward to a fun evening in Bangkok. They were ending their day with a tour around the safari park and so too were we. The difference was that they were taken around in the minivan with the opportunity to stop at a number of points to enjoy the vast range of animal species on view, while my girlfriend and I were given a golf-cart to ride around in at our leisure for an hour or so. I enjoyed the autonomy of being able to go where we pleased and take as long as we wanted to focus on the species that interested us more. When we returned to the Flight of the Gibbon office in the late afternoon to be taken to our accommodation I was more than ready to take a rest and relax after and action-packed day.

I had no idea what our accommodation would be like and when we arrived at reception I was unimpressed to discover that we would be sleeping in tents. My girlfriend jumped up and down with as much excitement as she had exhibited all day while my heart sank as I remembered long uncomfortable nights in New Zealand on bumpy ground, with mosquitoes feasting on me, sand all over the tent floor and the sense of griminess that comes along with the camping experience. At this point I was hot and tired and wishing we were in the air-conditioned and spacious minivan with the others, looking forward to a nice shower in my clean condo before meeting up for dinner and drinks. I didn’t want to burst my girlfriend’s bubble so I went along with it all with a polite smile. We were driven down to the camping ground where a few dozen large white square canvas tents sat nestled in a valley that it shared with a number of species from the safari park. I’ve arrived at a point where nothing much surprised me any more on tours but when we pulled down the zip to our tent and stepped inside I was truly shocked. Cold air was blasting out from an air conditioner and there was a small fridge in the corner with a mini-bar any hotel in Bangkok would be proud of. A large mattress lay on the floor with pristine white sheets and the classic Thai silk bed runner adding a splash of color against the snowy canvas walls. The bed was laid upon clean cane mats and a large wicker trunk lay at the foot of the bed. To top it off there was an electric lantern at the head of the bed beside a fully functioning telephone. Ann was squealing with delight and my apprehension vanished in an instant. If there is such a thing as a five-star camping experience in Thailand then “Es-Ta-Te” is it.

Okay, so there wasn’t an en-suite and we had to wander fifty feet down a lantern-lined path to a communal bathroom. But what a bathroom! There was even a service attendant and facilities you might expect in a country club but all still in a massive tent. The showers were circular outdoor affairs with the same white canvas tenting but with big, round shower-heads and hot water. As the day cooled down I had a fantastic shower and came out feeling clean, refreshed and not at all inconvenienced and made my way back to enjoy the twilight in the comfy chair outside my tent with a cold beer in hand while I listened to the sounds of wildlife surrounding me. As a monkey squealed and an elephant hollered in the distance I imagined I was Hemingway in 1954 in Uganda, Africa (minus the guns and writing talent, but plus the laptop). It really felt like I was on safari and soon my lovely, native Thai girlfriend beckoned me inside and the fantasy was complete. I was now very pleased that I wasn’t in that minivan heading back to Bangkok.

We went to the restaurant for dinner and when I saw a couple of guys manning a Barbeque just outside the large restaurant tent I couldn’t help but think about the char-grilled on the outside, pink on the inside BBQ menu of my previous camping experiences. Again my preconceptions were emphatically dismissed. The meal on offer was a limited buffet but of top quality. Given that they were catering for just thirty or so people they got the balancing act just right. I have to admit that I am a sucker for perfectly barbequed King Prawns and I couldn’t help but regret that our Aussie and Israeli friends, all confirmed admired of Thai seafood were missing out on this one. Along with these were some beautiful chicken kebabs with tomato and pineapple, some calamari and chicken wings, all cooked exactly right, and any chef of squid will tell you that ain’t a walk in the park. Aside from the barbeque offering there was an exquisite chili fish, cashew and vegetable stir-fry dish that definitely catered to the Thai pallet and mine also, a wonderful seafood omelet, some cleansing vegetable soup and the staples of steamed rice and fresh fruit for desert. The ice cold Heineken’s also went down a treat. Best camp food I ever had.

The “Night Safari” was initially a bit of a let down but by the end of it I was definitely pleased that I had experienced it. Instead of the golf cart we were driven around on a long, seated trailer and a Thai-speaking tour guide pointed out various interesting things with a spotlight, but you had to be quick to see whatever was being targeted. My girlfriend did a pretty decent job of translating and I would have been lost without her. The idea of the Night Safari is to be able to witness the nocturnal behavior of various animal species but to be honest I didn’t see a great deal of anything that I hadn’t seen during the day until we entered the “Cat Complex.” We were let off the transport and encouraged to wander around looking at various small and big cat species through thick perspex windows. It was this that made the Night Safari special. I was the last one back onto the trailer, my girlfriend dragging me along apologizing for my tardiness. I love the big cats, especially the Tigers. All of them were wide awake, prowling and growling, and providing a close-up live view of what to me is the most magnificent creature on earth. Aside from this tour as a whole, my two most memorable tours in Asia are the Tiger Temple Tour in Katchanaburi, Thailand, and a Siberian Tiger safari park in Harbin, the northern most city in China. I was born in the year of the Tiger and for some reason I’ve have always felt a deep affinity with this animal. This aspect of the Night Safari finished the tour and I disembarked back at Es-Ta-Te with a smile a mile wide.

It was 9:15pm when we got back and I felt a tug of regret knowing that the football was starting at 10:00pm and I would miss it. I had accepted that I was going to miss that Saturday night’s English Premier League football. I hadn’t spotted a satellite dish and wireless internet was off the menu. No problem. What’s one game compared to the experience of camping in the company of dozens of wild species for the night? I ducked into the restaurant anyway to see if, on the off-chance, they had satellite. Yes! A faint sense of hope crept in. Did they have the football? You bet they did! Would they show the game I wanted and stay open until it finished and serve me cold beers? You bet they would! I settled in to wait and watch. My team won 2-0 and I wandered back up the lantern-lit path to our tent a very happy man. What a day! I drifted off to sleep to the backdrop of the chirping, chattering, and whooping of a variety of wildlife. I slept like a baby.

After a very refreshing night’s sleep we enjoyed a good solid breakfast before embarking on the activities scheduled for us. Tea, coffee, orange juice, yoghurt, toast and jam, bacon, sausages, fried eggs, rice and pork congee, and fresh fruit were on offer. Between us we had the lot and headed off to check out with all the energy on-board that we would need. We were driven back to the zip-line site and were again fitted with safety harnesses. This time though, we were about to do the “Go Gibbon” jungle gym obstacle course made up of eighteen different challenges ranging from suspended bridges to Tarzan leaps, to flying swings, to spider nets and all manner of things between. Set well off the ground, safety was still a major focus but this time we were trained to use the clips to under close supervision. It was as if we had gradated from the zip-lines and now had a greater understanding of the safety equipment and it was really fun to be able to use it ourselves. Our guide, Watt, was superb and we felt 100% safe throughout.

I found this much more challenging that the zip-line tour of the day before. The various obstacles demanded a lot more dexterity and physicality that only added to the fun. Again my girlfriend took to it like a duck to water while I was left lumbering behind at times, tangled up in nets, swaying precariously from ropes, and lurching from dangling wooden steps as my lack of confidence hindered me a little. While much lower to the ground this obstacle course was just as heart-thumping and I felt a great sense of achievement when I completed the course. By then, we were both dripping with sweat and our arms were aching a little from the exertion. It was fantastic fun. Another cold drink later we were transported back to the safari park where we went on a twenty-minute elephant trek just to make sure we were well and truly comfortable perched meters off the ground! If that wasn’t enough of heights, next we did the Tarzan Swing situated next to the Flight of the Gibbon office. This activity has four one hundred and fifty meter long zip-lines running side-by-side over a lake with a spider-net to crash into at the end. This one is great for doing with a group of friends and is open to the safari park customers who are probably not doing the zip-line tour with Flight of the Gibbon. Although we had done it all before earlier that morning and on the previous day it was still great fun and well worth doing for a thirty-second thrill.

Our final activity was taking in a live animal show put on by the Khao Kheow Open Safari Park in a purpose built outdoor theatre. It was quite an ingenious show where various species entered the arena (not together to the probable disappointment of the Big Cats) to find pre-positioned morsels of food before returning to the housing the surrounded the animal section. Needless to say the audience is cut off by a combination of perspex and steel bars. Again the highlight was the Tigers who bounded up trees and swam in the pool (we could see through the Perspex) to retrieve meat. Simply awesome. The show lasted about twenty minutes and we had time to go back to the “Cat Complex” again to look at the Tigers sleeping in the daytime heat. Another hearty lunch finished things off and we headed back to Bangkok in the early afternoon feeling very content and tired also.

As a self-proclaimed cynic of trips and tours in Asia I have to admit that Flight of the Gibbon provided an excellent experience. From start to finish I felt safe, comfortable and fully informed. A special thanks must go to Youk, the lovely lady working out of the Flight of the Gibbon office who ensured that we knew what was planned for us and made our transitions between different activities very smooth. I was also pleased to have completed the two-day “Gibbon Safari” and definitely recommend taking the extra time to experience everything on offer. Neither my girlfriend or I will ever forget this wonderful adventure tour in Thailand.

By John Daysh, a published novelist living in Thailand and Flight of the Gibbon Guest Writer

Read more articles in our ongoing education series:
Smiling Will Make Your Thailand Holiday
Giving, Maintaining and Saving Face in The Land of Smiles – Part 1
Giving, Maintaining and Saving Face in The Land of Smiles – Part 2
Thais, Money & Shopping, Part 1
Thais, Money & Shopping, Part 2
What’s with the Wai?
The Thais Love Their King

Want to know more about

Flight of the Gibbon Adventure Tours?

Go to our Home Page and discover the adventure of a lifetime.
Or Get more details and make your reservation now

• Bangkok

  Zipline Tour, Go Gibbon Jungle Gym, Golf & Gibbon, Gibbon Safari Multi-Day Tour. Includes Admission to the splendid Khao Kheeo Safari.
  from 2300 Baht for a full day tour

  Go to Bangkok

• Chiang Mai

  Zipline Tour, Multi-Day Tours combine Zip-Lines, Homestay &: Climbing, Trekking, White Water Rafting, Mountain Biking. Golf & Gibbon
  from 2080 Baht for a full day tour

  Go to Chiang Mai

• Pattaya

  Zipline Tour, Go Gibbon Jungle Gym, Golf & Gibbon, Gibbon Safari Multi-Day Tour Includes Admission to the splendid Khao Kheeo Open Safari.
  from 2300 Baht for a full day tour

  Go to Pattaya

Chiang Mai Golf and Zip-Line Adventure Tour Package

Golf & Gibbon Getaway at Chiang Mai Highlands Resort

2-Day Golfing & Flight of the Gibbon™ with Chiang Mai Highlands Villa Stay

Price: 5350 Baht/person (minimum booking 2 people)

Thailand travel just got a whole lot sweeter. Experience luxury and adventure like never before when you sail through the jungle treetops and then descend into the manicured beauty of the Chiang Mai Highlands Resort, one of northern Thailand’s premier locations for relaxation and sport.

Day 1: Flight of the Gibbon Chiang Mai

The highlight of the package is The Flight of the Gibbon – a 3 hour, 2km air trek high up in the rainforest canopy using zip lines and skybridges taking in the glory and majesty of old growth, high altitude pristine rainforest.

Lunch is served on your return, followed by a spectacular trek up beside the beautiful Mae Kompong Falls. Also there is an afternoon snack with locally grown organic Arabica coffee.

Then it is into the VIP minibus and to the spectacular Chiang Mai Highlands Resort.

Day 2: Golf at Chiang Mai Highlands Resort and Spa

Relax and take “an escape to a mountain-side paradise, away from the city, with fun for the entire family”. Chiang Mai Highlands Resort and Spa offers Five Star accommodation and elite golfing on its famous 18 hole course. Here you can enjoy the comforts of home in your elegant five star deluxe villa, and you we’re confident you will find the services and facilities more than adequate to suit your needs.

Start your day with a lavish full breakfast buffet at the clubhouse or stay at the villa (stay in bed) and let the staff come and delight you with an extravagant and delicious breakfast. After breakfast you’ll be escorted to the clubhouse via club car to grab your caddy and head to tee-off. It’s up to you whether or not you’d like your family to join you, golfers and non-golfers alike. Otherwise you can hit the course and they can enjoy the day at the spa or swimming pool. The challenging 18 hole course boasts beautiful and breath-taking views of the mountainous Chiang Mai terrain as well as the surrounding jungle. This course is rated one of the top ten in Asia and is sure to keep you on your toes (or at least put your skills to the test!).

Golf & Gibbon Chiang Mai Highlights

Overnight stay at the prestigious five star villas of Chiang Mai Highlands Golf and Spa Resort.

18 holes of golf at Chiang Mai Highlands- a top 10 Asia course with magnificent mountain views from every hole.

Luxury Spa and Health Club.

Included in this Package:

• Executive VIP minibus transportation
• Lunch on Day 1
• Breakfast on Day 2
• Double Occupancy (contact us for single person occupancy rate)
• Caddie
• Golf Cart
• 18 holes of golf on this superb course

Golf & Gibbon at Siam Country Club

2-Day Golf & Flight of the Gibbon™ with Hotel Stay
Price:
Weekday = 6,700 Baht/person(minimum booking 2 people)
Weekend = 7,100 Baht/person(minimum booking 2 people)

Enjoy lush forests and serene valleys on this fabulous 2 day excursion featuring the best that Thailand travel has to offer. You will be treated to the thrills of our signature rainforest canopy adventure tour, Flight of the Gibbon, the incredible sights and sounds of the one-of-a-kind Khao Kheeo Open Safari and 18 holes of world-class golf at the Saim Country Club.

Day 1: Flight of the Gibbon Bangkok & Open Safari Experience

Just 90 minutes from the center of Bangkok and 1 hour from Pattaya Beach Khao Kheeo Open Safari is Thailand’s only open safari, affording visitors the unique opportunity to get up close and personal with some of nature’s most amazing creatures.

The highlight of the package is Flight of the Gibbon – a 3 hour, 3km air trek high up in the rainforest canopy using zip lines and skybridges taking in the glory and majesty of old growth, pristine rainforest. Lunch is served on your return.

After lunch you will enjoy Khao Kheeo’s Journey to the Jungle, an educational conservation-based experience that enables guests to get up close with and appreciate some of the most endangered species on the planet.

Tiger Show and Monkey Show included.

Then we provide you with a golf cart rental so that you can explore the beauty of the Open Safari on your own. When dusk has come, it is time for Night Safari! This is a great way to discover nocturnal wild animals. And we will finally conclude the day by taking you back for good night’s rest at Karavel House.

Included in Day 1:

Transportation from the city to the Khao Kheeo Open Safari and onto the first stage of your trip – Flight of the Gibbon Bangkok, with qualified guides, safety equipment, lunch and dinner in the Flight of the Gibbon Restaurant at Gaboa.

For Flight of the Gibbon you need to wear trainers, or another type of shoe that will not easily drop off, a pair of pants or long shorts, a change of clothes, money for drinks and a good mental attitude.

Day 2

Wake up and indulge in the delicious complimentary breakfast. Eat up , you’ll need your energy on the golf course. After breakfast well take you by van to the spectacular Plantation, Siam Country Club’s newest course. This 18 hole course has magnificent views of the Pattaya landscape and was recently host to the LPGA 2009. Beginners be warned this course can be quite a challenge if you haven’t golfed in a while. After golf if you’re hungry you can grab dinner at the ultra sleek café while enjoying the ocean views.

Plantation Golf Course, at Siam Country Club

• Recent host of the LPGA 2009
• Boasts fine modern Café dining and terrace seating with spectacular ocean views
• Top-design, first-class 18 hole course

Included in Day 2:

• Executive VIP minibus transportation to Plantation and back to your hotel
• Lunch on Day 1
• Breakfast on Day 2
• Double Occupancy room (contact us for single person occupancy rate)
• Caddie
• Golf Cart
• 18 holes of golf on this superb course

Read more about us in our Flight of the Gibbon Magazine

Pricing Policy

While we do work hard to keep our prices down, we won’t engage in a race to the bottom. Saving a few bucks at the expense of safety and experience just isn’t worth it. You may only have 1 chance to do this in your life, and we’re committed to creating the most memorable and exciting adventure for you.

Want to drive yourself?

See the map and get driving directions to our Gibbon Safari tour in Chonburi:
To Chonburi from Bangkok
To Chonburi from Pattaya

Pickup in Pattaya:

We will pick you up from your hotel. Just let us know where.

Pickup in Bangkok:

There are 2 meeting points in Bangkok.

1. Kaosarn Rd. Charkrapong No 45 (in front of Bangkok Tourist Center Tel: 02-2822774)
* Pick up at 6:00 am and 8:00 am ONLY.

2. Sukhumvit soi 1, No. 65 Ariyasom Villa Hotel Tel: 02-2548880, 02-2538800
* Pick up at 6:30 am and 8:30 am ONLY.
** Note that there is no parking for Flight of the Gibbon customers at the Ariyasom Villa Hotel. Please arrive by taxi or BTS (Skytrain to Phloen Chit Station).

I have to admit that I have never been a big fan of shopping. I am a man, you see. My policy has always been “get in, get what you need, get out.” With this policy my first shopping experiences in Thailand were an absolute nightmare and caused great tension with my then wife, who simply loved to shop. She could turn a trip to the supermarket for some milk and bread into a three-hour expedition. Imagine her delight and my horror when we hit the markets and malls in Bangkok. It got to a point where we would make a time to meet, she’d go her way, I’d go mine and both of us would be happy. She could browse, bargain and shop for hours and I could get in, get what I needed (if my patience stretched that far) and get out, hopefully to somewhere very much less crowded that served cold beer that was openly priced on a menu.

What made shopping even more difficult for me here in Thailand was that there was rarely a price tag on anything and I had to enter into frustrating negotiations with well-practiced merchants who could sense my urgency and play me like a fiddle to extract much more money than I needed to pay. This led to even more tension with my then wife who would chastise me for wasting money needlessly by paying well over the odds. She was like a pig in muck negotiating bargains, discounts and deals with the enthusiasm and energy of a Wall Street trader. It has only been over the past few years with more experience traveling and living in Thailand that I have taken the time to reflect upon the differing views of money and transactions between Thais and tourists. These days, knowing what I know, I have no qualms about going out shopping and it has even become an enjoyable and satisfying experience. I still operate with more male-driven efficiency than my former wife, but the difference for me now is that I understand how the game is played and that is the key.

The Thailand shopping experience is a game. That’s right. It is a game. If you know the rules and can play within them with skill and control then you have a great chance of winning. Play outside the rules and you will be penalized both in terms of the money in your pocket and the level of stress you cause yourself when you are supposed to be on vacation relaxing. Before getting a good idea of what the rules are and how to play within them it is crucial that you have an understanding of how the Thais view money and how they view foreigners with money.

One of the things that used to confuse me was how the Thai people seemed to have a very short-term view of life. They have a different philosophy to the concept of saving and planning for the future and it is often said that Thais live in the moment or just live one day at a time. I know one street vendor on Sukhumvit Road where I sometimes stop to buy a few things and have a bit of a chat. I can tell how successful his trading has been by what time he is open until at night. Sometimes he is packing up in the early evening even though he could make more money by trading to the late night foot traffic. He finishes when he has made enough money for him to eat, drink and have sanook (fun) until he sets up again the next day. This is what he does day in, day out without any concerns about the future. In some ways it is baffling and in some ways it is admirable. He is one of the most happy, relaxed, life-loving people I have ever come across.

While having a chat with a friend of mine who has been resident in South East Asia for twenty-six years, I finally put my finger on the reason for this deeply ingrained mentality. Some of it comes down to Buddhist philosophies that encourage living in the moment but the key thing in my opinion is the tropical climate and the abundance of food that does not necessarily need careful cultivation. On my first visit to my girlfriend’s house and land near Kabinburi she pointed out dozens of fruit trees that produced coconuts, bananas, half a dozen different varieties of mangoes, sugarcane, limes, durian, lychees and a number of other fruits that I’d never heard of. Her mother tends a small vegetable and herb garden, chickens provide eggs and meat, and they catch fresh fish daily from a small self-sustaining fish farm. There is food all around them, all year around. They only need to buy rice and cooking oils. They are very healthy and contented people. Okay, so not everybody lives like this but over the centuries this has been the way. The difference with Western countries is that seasonal conditions force careful cultivation and storage of foods for tough times ahead. Historically there has always a very real fear of food shortages and planning for the future is often a matter of life and death. Not so in the tropics. Over time this has had a profound influence on the psyches of both cultural groups.

So how does all of this relate to your shopping experience in Bangkok? Click here for Part Two of this Blog where you will learn the rules of the game that result from these two opposed monetary philosophies.

by Bryan Daysh, a freelance writer living in Thailand

Read more articles in our ongoing education series:
Smiling Will Make Your Thailand Holiday
Giving, Maintaining and Saving Face in The Land of Smiles – Part 1
Giving, Maintaining and Saving Face in The Land of Smiles – Part 2
Thais, Money & Shopping, Part 1
Thais, Money & Shopping, Part 2
What’s with the Wai?
The Thais Love Their King

Want to know more about

Flight of the Gibbon Adventure Tours?

Go to our Home Page and discover the adventure of a lifetime.
Or Get more details and make your reservation now

• Bangkok

  Zipline Tour, Go Gibbon Jungle Gym, Golf & Gibbon, Gibbon Safari Multi-Day Tour. Includes Admission to the splendid Khao Kheeo Safari.
  from 2300 Baht for a full day tour

  Go to Bangkok

• Chiang Mai

  Zipline Tour, Multi-Day Tours combine Zip-Lines, Homestay &: Climbing, Trekking, White Water Rafting, Mountain Biking. Golf & Gibbon
  from 2080 Baht for a full day tour

  Go to Chiang Mai

• Pattaya

  Zipline Tour, Go Gibbon Jungle Gym, Golf & Gibbon, Gibbon Safari Multi-Day Tour Includes Admission to the splendid Khao Kheeo Open Safari.
  from 2300 Baht for a full day tour

  Go to Pattaya

Last week I was walking down Sukhumvit Soi 11 in Bangkok to meet up with some friends currently backpacking in Thailand. This street is home to a couple of Bangkok’s premier nightclubs, an excellent underground pub with a live band, and a couple of cheap outdoor drinking establishments where you can catch up with friends and watch street life unfold. Street-food vendors catering to hungry locals and tourists line parts of the already crowded sidewalk, tucked hard up against the edge, precariously close to the drop down to the road where cars, tuk-tuks, and motorbikes squeeze their way through. There is one particular vendor who always gives me a big smile and I often stop to purchase some pork balls or a hot-dog on a skewer dipped in sweet-chili sauce; perfect before or after a couple of cold beers. As I made my way towards her she was standing with a patient smile looking at her food cart, which had had one leg knocked off by a passing car and had tipped over onto the road. Scores of skewered pork balls and hot-dogs lay ruined in the street. No snack for me!

The offending car was blocking the road while the driver and street vendor seemed to be having a very calm and amicable discussion with light smiles playing on their lips. They negotiated a settlement, the driver handed over some money and a business card, and then he drove cautiously off into the night. The lady vendor set about cleaning up with a rueful but accepting smile. Her trade was ruined for the night. A few of her friends from neighboring food carts pitched in to help and they were all soon laughing and joking. What struck me was that at no point was any anger or frustration displayed. There was no shouting, finger pointing, or aggressive behavior. They dealt with it with a level of maturity, almost like adults. It made me reflect on a couple of similar incidents I have witnessed in two different Western countries. In both incidents the participants behaved with an adolescent lack of patience as they shouted, accused and almost came to blows. In both cases the Police were required to sort things out before insurance companies got involved to add more paperwork and frustration to the scene.

As I sat on the other side of the road with my backpacker friends, nursing a cold beer, I reflected on what I had just seen. My conclusion was that the calm and dignified interaction, rather than confrontation, had much to do with the Thai concept of giving, maintaining and saving face. The driver made an error of judgment. He was embarrassed. The lady vendor could have jumped up and down, shouted and accused, and expressed her anger at his carelessness. She did not. She remained calm and allowed the driver the opportunity to save face by having a calm and rational conversation at the end of which he paid for the damage and loss of business. They smiled politely throughout and left on friendly terms. Then she had to clean up the mess. Scraping food off the road is not the most fun or dignified thing to be doing. So what happened? Her friends joined her and started having sanook or fun so that she saved face. Of course everyone was watching what was unfolding, especially the foreign tourists who passed by. My friends were expecting something explosive to happen and were even a little disappointed that there wasn’t really much excitement at all. Then the bizarre sight of an elephant trekking along the street cheered them up a bit. Bangkok isn’t boring after all!

The lesson in this is to remain calm and dignified at all times. Even if you feel that you have been wronged in some way in an interaction with a Thai, there is absolutely no point in showing anger. You will not get anywhere with any other approach than the one described above. If you are dealing with a Thai in Thailand, it is better to do it the Thai way. Alternatively, you could try getting angry and upset by shouting and stomping your feet to get your annoyance across. You will probably discover that expressing anger and annoyance will get you nothing but trouble because this will cause a loss of face for the Thai person. What could be a straightforward situation with a straightforward solution can quickly escalate into something very nasty and as a foreigner it is highly likely that you will not win.

Most conflicts between Thais and foreigners initially come about through a misunderstanding over a service promised or a contentious financial transaction. In many cases they involve both. The first thing to consider is whether it is worth worrying about. Sometimes it is better to just walk away from a conflict situation, especially if you don’t feel you can handle it in a ‘Thai way.’ If it is something you feel strongly about then you need to think about what you have to gain and what you have to lose. If you still want a resolution then proceed with caution – and with a smile!

Read the next article in our education series on how the Thais view money, bargaining and transactions and how you can ensure your shopping experience in Thailand doesn’t turn into a stressful battle over perceived rip-offs.

by Bryan Daysh, a freelance writer living in Thailand

Read more articles in our ongoing education series:
Smiling Will Make Your Thailand Holiday
Giving, Maintaining and Saving Face in The Land of Smiles – Part 1
Giving, Maintaining and Saving Face in The Land of Smiles – Part 2
Thais, Money & Shopping, Part 1
Thais, Money & Shopping, Part 2
What’s with the Wai?
The Thais Love Their King

Want to know more about

Flight of the Gibbon Adventure Tours?

Go to our Home Page and discover the adventure of a lifetime.
Or Get more details and make your reservation now

• Bangkok

  Zipline Tour, Go Gibbon Jungle Gym, Golf & Gibbon, Gibbon Safari Multi-Day Tour. Includes Admission to the splendid Khao Kheeo Safari.
  from 2300 Baht for a full day tour

  Go to Bangkok

• Chiang Mai

  Zipline Tour, Multi-Day Tours combine Zip-Lines, Homestay &: Climbing, Trekking, White Water Rafting, Mountain Biking. Golf & Gibbon
  from 2080 Baht for a full day tour

  Go to Chiang Mai

• Pattaya

  Zipline Tour, Go Gibbon Jungle Gym, Golf & Gibbon, Gibbon Safari Multi-Day Tour Includes Admission to the splendid Khao Kheeo Open Safari.
  from 2300 Baht for a full day tour

  Go to Pattaya

On one of our frequent morning bicycle rides in Thailand my girlfriend had what could easily have been a fatal accident. While she learned a valuable lesson on the importance of wearing a protective cycle helmet, I learned a valuable lesson on how the concept of “face” works in everyday situations in Thailand.

In “The Land of Smiles” you will often see street-cleaners in bright orange or yellow vests sweeping the footpaths, gutters and roads. It is not one of the most prestigious jobs in the world and on that particular morning we came across two old ladies who were in their sixties and probably working in that job because they no longer had family supporting them. It is a sad but not uncommon sight. As we rode along, one of these old ladies suddenly stepped out onto the road and pushed her broom out so that it tangled with my girlfriend’s bike, sending her flying over the handle-bars. As her head crashed against the curb I leaped off my bike in panic and was beside her in an instant. Fortunately her cycle helmet took the impact and apart from a grazed knee and bruised elbow and shoulder she was fine. My panic, turned to relief and then to anger. Why anger? I looked up to see that the lady whose careless behavior had caused the accident was standing there with a smile on her face, giggling. My blood hit boiling point in an instant and I roughly barked at her, “What the hell are you laughing at? You think this is funny?” She probably didn’t understand me but my anger was clear. She giggled again. I turned back to my girlfriend who was tight-lipped and giving me that subtle look of disapproval that I’ve come to know so well as I’ve blundered my way through the minefield of Thai cultural sensitivities. She quickly got to her feet, gave the old lady a smile and hiding her pain, got back on her bike and rode off ahead of me.

When we got home she said this to me: “Honey, she didn’t think it was funny. She was embarrassed. That was why she was smiling and giggling. That was her way of saving face. You should not get angry. Now you lose face and I am with you, so I lose face too.” We replaced her helmet, which had a big crack in it, and despite her badly grazed knee she insisted on riding again the following morning. She led the way and was on the lookout for the old lady. When she spotted her she stopped, smiled and had a brief conversation to say that she was fine. I forced myself to give my best smile and off we went. The next morning when we saw her again she stopped us and insisted we take a big bag of mangoes, despite the obvious disparity in our wealth. My girlfriend accepted and there were smiles all round. Every time we see her now she gives a wave and a warm smile that I make sure I return with interest.

The concept of “face” in Thailand is fundamental to the way the Thai people interact with each other in a million ways every day. As a foreigner either living and working in Thailand or vacationing here it is vital that you have a basic understanding of how you can give, maintain and save face to ensure you have harmonious relations with the locals. In this context the word “face” refers to the value or standing of someone in the eyes of others. The most appropriate synonyms are probably “status,” “prestige,” or “position.” Thai society places much more emphasis on the collective than the individual so Thais tend not to be overly judgmental or critical of others as it is seen to be harmful to the group as a whole.

No matter how wealthy or poor, educated or ignorant, diligent or lazy, everyone will be offered a degree of dignity by all others. There is an acceptance that life can be economically challenging in a developing nation and that everyone has to make a living one way or another. At least on the surface it is acceptable, for example, for a young Thai woman to be seen on the arm of an older foreign gentleman and it is not an uncommon sight. Some may not necessarily approve but the couple will not be treated with contempt by Thais but with a level of outward respect and dignity. Privately, they may disapprove but they will do nothing that will result in the loss of face. The Thais believe that in making someone else lose face you also lose face yourself. Some people will, in fact, admire the lady’s ability or good fortune to have found a partner with the economic means to provide financial support. In that sense she gains some face.

So, how does this complex business of giving, maintaining and saving face operate in practical terms? By showing an outward appearance of calm and self-dignity; by offering or accepting an “out” that excuses ones’ decision or behavior; and by understanding the use of a smile and offering it appropriately. Sound complicated? No, it isn’t. In many ways it is not dissimilar to how we operate in our social interactions in the Western world. Watch for upcoming articles which will outline these concepts a little more clearly with some examples from East and West.

by Bryan Daysh, a freelance writer living in Thailand

Read more articles in our ongoing education series:
Smiling Will Make Your Thailand Holiday
Giving, Maintaining and Saving Face in The Land of Smiles – Part 1
Giving, Maintaining and Saving Face in The Land of Smiles – Part 2
Thais, Money & Shopping, Part 1
Thais, Money & Shopping, Part 2
What’s with the Wai?
The Thais Love Their King

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