After a week of chatting nonsense and catching up over cold beers, I battled through the Friday evening traffic to drop my good friend at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, before his flight back home to the land of fry ups and Sunday roasts. But allow me to rewind back to the start of our mini holiday together, when my friend told me something that made me laugh, and something that perfectly sets up what I’m going to discuss in this article.
He comedically described the reactions from colleagues and friends when he told them he was coming to Thailand, it was usually a smirk accompanied by a wink and then a comment about coming home with a Thai wife or being careful of ladyboys. Classic stereotypes about Thailand, lazy and boring, right?
I’ve lived in Thailand for over two years now, and although I am by no means an expert on the country, I do have some understanding of this fascinating and complex place. In this article I will explore five common stereotypes about the Land of Smiles, and give you my assessment on whether they’re true or not, let’s go!
Thailand is very cheap
I won’t beat around the bush, compared to the UK and the rest of the West, Thailand is very cheap. Whether you’re a backpacker on a budget of £20 a day or a family with hundreds of pounds, there’s something for everyone, and it all seems a lot cheaper than what you’d be paying for the equivalent back home.
However, prices in tourist areas are usually inflated while the quality and authenticity is often reduced. I would recommend venturing out of the tourist hotspots to find restaurants, accommodation, and experiences that aren’t in the guide books. Don’t be afraid to take risks, you’ll have a far cheaper time in terms of money, and a far richer experience overall.
Thailand is still an incredibly affordable place to live on a teacher’s salary, or working remotely like I do, but I have noticed prices creeping up more generally and things are getting harder for many locals and some foreigners. Rent, accommodation, and everything else is getting more expensive as wages stay the same. But that’s not just a Thailand problem, is it!
You’ll get scammed
This stereotype is a sad one because it can be true, and I can in fact vouch for it as I have been scammed myself. The disparity between an average Thai salary compared to that of a tourist who can afford a holiday in Thailand is massive (that’s context rather than justification), and some bad people believe it is therefore ok to scam or cheat tourists out of their money. They’re easy targets after all, and it could just be adding on a few extra pounds here or there, but it can get more sinister when big money is involved.
I really don’t mean to scare you away from this amazing country! Most people, 99%, are honest and amazing, I really mean that. But that number does reduce slightly in tourist areas, unfortunately, so be extra cautious or simply get out and experience the real Thailand away from tasteless pad Thai and overpriced beer.
And let me share a little anecdote about something that happened in my local area, early on during my time in Chiang Mai. After devouring a delicious pad krapow and some stir-fried veg at a family run restaurant around the corner from my house, I signalled to the waitress that I wanted to pay. She calculated the cost of the dishes in her head and asked for something like 180 baht, this seemed far too much for what I had just eaten, but I was too confused with the currency and embarrassed to question her, so I just paid! Later on I worked out that I had been massively overcharged and felt upset that someone from my community could do that.
A few days or even longer had passed, and I stood in line in a shop when I saw the very woman that had served me in the restaurant. She stared me down and I looked back at her, I wasn’t going to say anything so I wondered why she was looking at me so intently. I soon realised after she had strode towards me and started to speak in Thai, I knew exactly what she was saying despite not being able to understand a word, she withdrew a 100 baht note from her purse and gave it to me. It was all a simple mistake, she wasn’t trying to rip me off, and 99% of Thais are just like this lovely woman (who’s restaurant I continued to go to at least three times a week, every week).
Thais are all super friendly
We’re all human at the end of the day, we have good days and bad ones, so you shouldn’t be shocked to hear that Thais do not always beam from ear to ear. You may have heard this idea from a friend or colleague who has just got back from their holidays, and there is some truth behind it, there’s a reason Thailand’s nickname is the ‘Land of Smiles’. Thais are notably friendlier than people in the West, but this is a generalisation and does not represent everyone at all times.
It is very unlikely that a smile aimed in the direction of a Thai will not be reciprocated, and it is very common to receive smiles when you are not expecting them at all, both instances are very uncommon in my home country of the UK. Thais are just naturally very friendly and warm, even more so when they work within the tourist industry. This gives visitors the impression that all Thais are happy and friendly all the time, this is of course not true, but the holiday feeling and their positivity may override the reality.
Having dealt with thousands of Thais in hundreds of different situations during my time here, I can confidently say they are more respectful and polite than people in the West. It is true that they are generally more positive and friendly, but not always. I’ve dealt with rude people just like you will wherever you go, but those instances are certainly far less in Thailand than they are anywhere else.
It’s seedy and full of creepy tourists
Sex tourism in Thailand is real. It’s horrible and sad but it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. I won’t go into my opinions and analyse the situation in much detail because that would need a whole article of its own, but I will say that the stereotypes of creepy men (from all over the world, not just the West) coming to Thailand motivated primarily by the sex industry, are true.
However, although this issue is a real one, it is a small blemish besides so much beauty and wonder in this incredible country. Stay away from Pattaya, Soi Cowboy in Bangkok, and Bangla Road in Phuket. If you avoid these places then you will miss most of the sex tourism in Thailand, and hopefully its customers too. I’m not saying that everyone who comes to Thailand and fuels this industry is bad or evil, but I do see a lot of moral issues surrounding it.
And as a foreign man living in Thailand, I must defend myself and the many other men who get lumped into the same category as those whose main reason for coming to Thailand is the sex industry. There are plenty of men, young and old, who live or visit Thailand with good intentions and do good rather than harm. Just because a foreign man is dating a Thai woman, it does not mean he met her in a strip club and she is fleecing him for all his money, for example. So the stereotype that Thailand is full of creepy men taking advantage of the sex industry is true, but that’s only in a few tourist destinations such as Pattaya and parts of Bangkok, you won’t notice it across 99% of Thailand and are far more likely to meet a nice man like me.
The food is incredible
I can address this stereotype in one simple sentence, yes, Thai food in Thailand is incredible.
But I will give you a bit more info because I’m just nice like that! First of all, Thai food in Thailand is vastly different to what you’ll have eaten in your home country. Pad Thai as sweet as a dessert or green curry laced with blood cubes are both incredibly different experiences than what you’ll be used to. However, these two dishes are just the beginning. There are thousands of dishes that you’ve never heard of, all packed with flavours and textures you’ve never tasted before, waiting to be explored. But you must go in with an open mind and be happy to accept that you won’t like everything, as incredible as all the flavours are, they can seem unusual to Western palettes.
To truly enjoy Thai food you must be adventurous, try everything, and accept that you won’t like it all.
It’s all well and good reading my opinions but why don’t you go and make your own judgements, find out what Thailand is really like for yourself?
But a two-week holiday won’t cut it, so how can you stay in the country longer? And what will you do for money?
If you’re asking yourself these questions then maybe you should consider teaching!
Well, you’re already in the right place, and you’ve found the right man. Shoot over any questions to me at josh@impact-teaching.com and check out our Thailand page.
You can make Thailand your home for one year or more, and earn a salary that will give you the opportunity to live an amazing quality of life in a truly beautiful place (and of course travel too).
So let me know if you’re ready to make your impact today!
