X

Xenophobia. Unfortunately, this is alive and well in some segments of Thai society and government.

This is partly due to a lack of education among the general populous, partly due to unscrupulous people in positions of authority, and partly for the very understandable reason that Thailand has had a history of aggravation by foreign powers, including both neighboring countries -- Thailand has had wars with Burma ["Myanmar," as the dictators running that unfortunate country insist on calling it], Laos, and Cambodia in decades and centuries past.  Further, in may instances Thais are taught from a very early age that they truly are the Number-One race in the world (though we dispute their use of the word "race" in this context).

We Western foreigners tend to get most upset with what we see as price-gouging, two-tier pricing even in Buddhist wats -- temples -- and the like.  However, other groups suffer far more than does any Westerner (unless she or he really does something terrible), groups such as the hilltribe people who have lived here for generations, yet are stateless because they aren't "ethnic Thai," whatever that means, and the government maintains the ethnic requirement is valid and fair (which doesn't explain how a handful of Westerners have obtained Thai citizenship without themselves being anywhere remotely near to be even Asian, let alone specifically "Thai").

Yet generally speaking, relations with Thais are very cordial.  Violations of local social, cultural, and religious norms can bring great wrath down about one's ears, if it is a truly gross violation (such as climbing onto a Buddha image or otherwise showing disrespect towards such an image, which is a HUGE no-no).  But for lesser offenses, Thais are notably forgiving -- which contradicts what we just said about their xenophobia; that inherent contradiction is one we find fascinating.  And, by the way, yes, we do g3et along with Thais quite nicely.

Y

Yen: "Cool" or "Cold" in a physical sense for food and drink, even for towels, and in the sense of "cool-headed" ("nao" being the word to use in, for example, "I’m cold," or "It’s cold in here."

Youth.  The Thais are scarce alone in the world in their very much focusing on the youth of the country, but they do take it to not-very-often-equaled heights.  Babies sometimes seem to be virtually community property, particularly upcountry in the villages; we would defy most strangers to enter into any community setting and figure out quickly just who the mother and father of a particular child even are!  (No fair if the mother is breast-feeding her child!)

The young people -- teenagers through young adults, especially -- are changing the face of modern Thailand, at least in the cities.  Whether older Thais like it or not (and some don't), foreign influences abound and are hungrily absorbed by Thai youths.  It shows up in music, films, clothing, dancing -- well, everything imaginable.  Many Thais even celebrate, for instance, Christmas -- not because they put the slightest stock in Christianity generally or the Christ story particularly, but because Christmas is sanuk -- "fun" -- in a serious way with which Thais, a very happy people, readily identify.

Generally, Thai young people are far more polite than some of their contemporaries from other parts of the globe.  We find this a welcome quality, indeed.

Z

Zoos. There are several throughout Thailand, though most are not up to Western standards. Perhaps the most famous is the Crocodile Farm, located in the outskirts of Bangkok.