CultureShock! Thailand

CultureShock! Thailand: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette
by Robert Cooper

This is one of the funniest and nicest books I read when I prepared myself four years ago to go to live in Thailand.

Thailand is a very special country. It has never been for a long time conquered by alien powers and therefore has developed a unique, own culture. This book gives you a good insight and, much more, it wets your appetite. Going to live in Thailand, with the family, is a big shock in many ways. This book guides you nice and gently and with a lot of humor through your first embarrassing days. I have re-read the book , after four years, whilst now feeling complete at ease in this, indeed sometimes strange society. I still smiled a lot because I recognised so many situations.

The information is certainly not out dated as some reviews suggest. It should be more treated as reflection on the culture as taken too literally. Indeed, if you drive your car into some one else his Mercedes ( I’ve done it twice)the chances are that the gentleman stepping out his car will be extremely cross with you and express himself in that way instead of smiling at you and making the wai… However, in general people are much, much less aggressive and I have learned to be more relaxed even in situations like an accident as well.

Some things you will never get used to. When you fall flat on your face ( as happende to me in front of a lot of subordinates) everybody is roaring for laughter. And then you thank your little “Culture shock” for explaining to you these four years ago that they are not poking fun at you, but hiding their extreme embarrassment.

Read it.. It will prevent you from doing very stupid things and it will enrichen your stay in Thailand!

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CultureShock! Thailand