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You know you are in Thailand when…

  1. You are asked to take off your shoes before entering a home or place of business
  2. Thai people say things are the same when they are in actuality, very different Example: the United States is same same as Australia. Same same, but different.
  3. There is a hose next to the toilet that you are expected to use before you use the toilet paper (I think you get my drift)
  4. Plastic surgery, skin bleaching, and dermatologist offices line the top level of the mall (perfection is so engrained into the culture, that no person can be spared from becoming more perfect)
  5. People bow to say hello and goodbye
  6. The main religion is Buddhism and as a result you see shrines to pagan gods everywhere you turn. Here’s an example of one of the shrines. People come and leave offerings for their gods. Any offering is accepted, even an open soda as pictured here; straw included. 

  1. Women dress as if they are always going to New York Fashion week (aka they have great fashion sense, which God has been using to teach me that my clothes don’t define me [as you can imagine my cute wardrobe did not make the cut for the 11 months, so there have been moments where I struggle with my missionary attire])
  2. You can buy a medium iced coffee for 20 Baht, or in American, less than 75 cents
  3. Automobile drivers honk at the top of mountains to pay praise and favor to the mountain spirits
  4. Skin lotions and soaps have dye in them to make your skin whiter (you are considered more beautiful the whiter you are; so those who are not fortunate enough to work indoors, use lotion to appear whiter. Skin color is a symbol of class.)
  5. All the scooter drivers wear long sleeves and gloves in 90 degree weather (see same explanation as reason #7)
  6. Most of your food comes from a food cart (and you have the privilege of not worrying about the consequence of travelers diarrhea)
  7. You aren’t supposed to touch people on their head (it is considered the most sacred part of the body [where the soul resides], so touching someone’s head is a major insult).
  8. Escalators, cars, and car seats are all on the opposite side you are used to (aka things that were formally on the left, like the driver, are now on the right, and people drive their car, and ride on the escalator, on the opposite side. So going up is on the left. I’m even getting confused writing about this, but all I know is we have the British to thank because they colonized Thailand)
  9. You go to a movie, and before it begins you are asked to stand up and pay respects to the King.
  10. Women wear platform flip flops (I’m talking 2 -3 inches) in order to appear taller
  11. A stranger starts putting a Loris (a Loris is an animal similar to a Lemur…reference the picture for further clarification of what they look like) on your shoulder or wrapping them around your arm. They are true cuddle buddies.

 

  1. Clothing stores only offer sizes made to fit American toddlers
  2. Sports memorabilia is focused entirely on boxing (boxing is Thailand’s national sport)
  3. You get to ride on the back of AND in the side cart of a scooter
  4. It starts to rain and every plan you had for the rest of the day gets canceled (Asians, specifically Thai’s and Malaysians, do not go outside if it is raining. Therefore even if you had plans, as soon as it starts raining, you don’t have plans anymore).
  5. Even Ronald McDonald (the statue outside of McDonalds) bows his head at the customers
  6. They sell “Thai pants” at every tent market. Thai pants are also known as Aladdin pants in America. They have a low crotch, which makes them very easy to move in. The funny thing about Thai pants is that I have never seen an actual Thai person wearing them (in other words, they are a tourist trap, but I still love them)

 

       Just look at how you can move while wearing them. Love it!
 
  1. Every restaurant and coffee shop has to have some type of drink that has green tea in it
  2. Monkeys randomly hang out on the side of the road
  3. Riding an elephant is a typical tourist attraction (elephants are considered sacred in the Buddhist culture, so you will often see them in person or on every type of Thailand merchandise) 

 

  1. They say the food isn’t spicy, and it still nearly burns your tongue off (now just imagine what the food tastes like that they actually refer to as spicy)
  2. Getting a Thai massage involves a tiny Thai woman crawling all over your back in an attempt to crack every bone in your body
  3. Showing the bottom of your feet and/or pointing your feet at people is considered offensive(feet are thought to be both dirty and profane, so pointing them someone is seen as disrespectful).