Thailand - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture (53)
Product ID: 1697071
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For many outsiders Thailand still conjures up images of the East at its most mysterious and enchanting – a view largely formed by Hollywood films like The King and I . Never conquered by foreigners, this proud and ancient land has been shaped by Buddhism, the monarchy, and the military. Today it is a representative democracy with a populist female prime minister, and is ranked among the tiger economies of Southeast Asia. It is a manufacturing powerhouse, the world’s largest rice exporter, and a tourist paradise that welcomes 22 million visitors a year to its beach resorts and its vibrant capital, Bangkok. Yet despite the veneer of Western modernity, the country and its people remain an enigma for many visitors, smiling and inscrutable. It conceals a unique system of personal values and attitudes, developed over centuries. You may find that Thais react to you in surprising and unexpected ways, coming as they do from a culture based on respect, status, self-control, non-confrontation, and harmony. They are also naturally generous and have a great love of fun. Thais put a great deal of effort into social skills in order to maintain social harmony, and one of their most potent weapons is the smile that puts people at ease and helps to defuse a difficult situation. This new, updated edition of Culture Smart! Thailand describes how the Thai people view the world and themselves. It examines the impact of religious beliefs and history on their lives, as well as the continuing importance of the monarchy. It looks at recent social and political developments, including the current tensions in the south. Above all, it helps visitors to become more culturally aware and so better able to interact successfully with the locals. Thailand’s charm lies in being different, and visitors who make an effort to understand the differences will find their stay in “The Land of Smiles” a richly rewarding experience. Review: Helps take the Ugly out of Ugly Frang! - One can never completely understand another culture and all cultures are in a state of change. Having said that this book is one that can help take some of the ugly out of the so called ugly farang in Thailand. This book has a lot of large and small important ideas. Give special attention to things related to the Buddhist religion and monks, the Thai Royal Family and the importance of a person not loosing face. Then relax and enjoy a place where life with a little knowledge is what you make it. And oh yes that is true of most places. Review: Five Stars - Small enough to carry and thorough. Just what I wanted.
| Best Sellers Rank | #1,662,538 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #176 in General Thailand Travel Guides #502 in Etiquette Guides & Advice #4,577 in Popular Culture in Social Sciences |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 69 Reviews |
M**J
Helps take the Ugly out of Ugly Frang!
One can never completely understand another culture and all cultures are in a state of change. Having said that this book is one that can help take some of the ugly out of the so called ugly farang in Thailand. This book has a lot of large and small important ideas. Give special attention to things related to the Buddhist religion and monks, the Thai Royal Family and the importance of a person not loosing face. Then relax and enjoy a place where life with a little knowledge is what you make it. And oh yes that is true of most places.
S**N
Five Stars
Small enough to carry and thorough. Just what I wanted.
W**E
Simple and accurate but unnecessary for the average tourist
Quick Summary: Great resource if you're planning an in-depth stay in Thailand for a longer period, but not necessary for a short tourist visit I read Culture Smart!-Thailand before a three-month stay, during which I would be working in both rural and urban areas. The material in the book helped me feel more comfortable and confident before going, but once I was there I hardly touched the book. In urban areas especially, Thai services and people are very accommodating to western culture, and English is commonly used. As a tourist, you can get by with a very limited amount of prior knowledge of Thai culture and customs (although I am not encouraging this), and you can find enough tips about customs, food, and transportation using quick online searches. For those looking to stay long-term, form relationships with the people, or work in the country, I would highly recommend this book. Nothing can fully prepare you for what you'll experience in a different culture, but reading through this book certainly helped me feel prepared. In particular, I found the sections on the history and politics, the royal family, and the values and attitudes of the people to be useful when I was in the country. Also, the chapter on communication, paired with Learn Thai language learning app on my phone, helped me learn several key phrases. Speaking even just a little Thai seemed to have positive effects with Thai residents. The business chapter seems useful for a corporate setting, but I did not find it applicable to my work. Overall, I found that the customs and advice given in this book were accurate, although maybe a little over-exaggerated in regards to their strictness among Thai people and the expectations placed on visitors. Also, the book was published before the King passed away in 2016, so an update is needed. Culture Smart!-Thailand isn't perfect, but I would recommend it to anyone looking to stay long-term or be a more responsible tourist.
P**N
... really help to guide you around the culture of beautiful countries
I have bought his book for every international place I’ve been and they really help to guide you around the culture of beautiful countries
H**W
Five Stars
Has lots of useful info and is a good size to travel with.
M**Y
Just What I Wanted
The person for whom I order this book is very pleased with it.
K**N
She was happy.
Bought for a friend traveling. She was happy.
C**N
Mostly rambling, somewhat informative. Author exudes pro-Thai bias ...
Mostly rambling, somewhat informative. Author exudes pro-Thai bias / loyalty. Not always accurate, in my experience spending 10 days in Thailand, but not too far off and definitely worth a read if you care at all about the history.
E**N
Pocket sized & very informative
We got this for some friends moving to Thailand as a moving gift. They said it was very handy and not so long that you can’t flick through it easily. They read it on the plane and in the first couple of days they were there and said that the general etiquette and business etiquette was very useful. Pleased I picked this for them as there are lots of different ones out there.
K**G
Nice book for feeling a taste of Thailand city and ...
Nice book for feeling a taste of Thailand city and people habits. Read it in a plane while flying to Thailand. It was fun comparing book and reality.
S**A
Five Stars
Excellent
M**N
Overpriced and not informative.
Really short, basic book. Can read it all in half an hour and no way worth the price. You can get the same amount of useful information from any other guide book, I was expecting this to go into a bit more detail, but actually it has even less relevant information than Lonely Planet or Rough Guides. Asks more questions than it answers.
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