One of the things that I love about Thailand is the feeling that underneath the increasing Western influence a completely different attitude to life still survives and permeates everything.
Thailand is famous for its friendly people and the concept of 'Sanook' which is all about having fun.
One of the commonest phrases in Thai is 'Mai pben rai' which doesn't translate exactly and like a lot of Thai also varies with context but it means something like 'It doesn't matter' or 'Don't worry' or even 'You're welcome.' It's the universal reply when you've said 'thank you' but it's also used when small things go wrong or major catastrophies strike.
It can defuse many situations where a Westerner would loose his temper (very bad form in Thailand) but it can also leave situations unresolved which can be frustrating when, like me, you're trying to sort out travel arrangements.
When I took Thew to Cambodia last year I was assured by all the authorities that as a Thai Citizen he did not need a Visa. I, however, as a UK Citizen was told I needed to turn up with a completed Visa Form, two passport photos and 25$ in cash. When we approached the Immigration desk at Sien Reep they said Thew DID need a Visa. He was about to demonstate another cultural difference, that of adult males bursting into tears, when I produced a completed Visa Form, two photos and 25$.
He was astonished and it was no use trying to explain the Western concept of 'Just in case' or 'Better to be on the safe side'as they are completely alien to him. It's just a different way of thinking.
I went into a Thai Supermarket this morning and as I passed a display of tinned soup an excited voice began to chatter away. I turned to see who it was to discover that the voice was coming from a enlarged model of one of the soup tins that had a motion activated sensor. Nothing in my attempts to learn the Thai language had prepared me for conversation with a soup tin so I couldn't understand much.
I'm not sure who universal this method of promotion is but it hasn't reached my local supermarket in the UK yet.
I hope it never does...
Jon
