I had a middle seat in the airplane, so my first impression of Thailand came from the airport. Airports always seem to be light and uniform in look. The Thai airport was similar, but had extra touches of color and decorations. Some Thai YWAM staff members led us outside to a group of colorful pick-up trucks that had a covering over the back. We piled our things into some of the trucks then grabbed a seat on a bench in the back of one of the other trucks.
The heat and humidity had hit me as soon as we walked out of the airport, so it was nice to feel the breeze as we sped along the highway. We passed huge billboards, Mc’Donalds, KFC, tall buildings, and a ton of signs written with beautiful Thai characters.
It’s the rainy season in Thailand, so the sky was overcast, but we only felt a few raindrops. The green vegetation, palm trees, and grass are refreshing to the eyes after the dry brown of Africa. The YWAM base where we are staying has five floors; the girls are staying on the fourth.
I was sweating by the time I carried my 65 pounds of luggage up the stairs, but was thrilled to find “air-con” cooling off the room. We enjoyed a delicious meal of rice with cashew chicken then began our debrief about Thailand where I learned the following information from a YWAM staff member.
The Kingdom of Thailand is home to more than 60 million people. Thailand, meaning “Land of the Free”, has never been colonized by Western powers as many of the neighboring countries have. His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej became King if Thailand in 1946 and is much loved by the people of Thailand. He is known for his desire to improve the welfare of his people. He will turn 80 on December 5th. “To be Thai, is to be Buddhist”, is a well-known phrase in Thailand; 94% of Thai people profess to be Buddhist. It is expected that Thai males to spend a period of time as a monk.
Ronald demonstrating the Thai Wai (bow).
On our hand-out, the section titled “Thai Culture” contained twenty topics of guidelines to remember. I will share just a few of the guidelines. The proper Thai greeting is done with hands together while bowing with a slight nod of the head, saying, “Wai”. The head is the most honorable part of the body for Thai people; as a result it is an insult to touch, point to, or reach over a person’s head. The foot is considered to be dirty and as a result it is important to never point with the foot, refer to it, or move anything with the foot. One should not sit with legs crossed or with legs set straight out in front. Questions are sometimes asked that may be shocking to Americans, “Why are you not married yet? Why are you so fat? How much money do you make?”, etc. It is common for Thais to share, but it is polite to refuse when the first offer is made. When the offers persist it is polite to accept. Elders are highly revered; an emphasis is placed on avoiding conflict and pleasing the elders. My favorite guideline was labled, “The Thai Smile”. Thailand is known as “The Land of the Smiles”, as smiles are used to express amusement, thanks, embarrassment, excuse, etc. The long list of guidelines was very overwhelming, but I have heard many times now about how forgiving and accepting the Thai people are.
From looking at the attitudes of the Thai people you would never know that like ever other country in the world, problems do exist. Drug addiction, HIV, AIDS orphans, and the trafficing of women into prostitution seem to be the major problems. As we heard the staggering statistics, it was easy to wonder how we will make a difference in this country. The YWAM staff member encouraged us, “You just need to be focused on the one.” He was continued to encourage us that even if we only better the life of one person, the statistics will change.
