Living on a Knife Edge - Part 1
As I've been too busy with my new job, I've allowed my husband Chris to have a shot at a guest blog. This is Chris' take on Thailand...
I’ve been permitted to guest blog this week as I’m home alone for the day. Boots allows us to celebrate the national holiday Constitution Day on December 11th, whereas Emma's employer DHL doesn’t. I don’t know who’s right given there is currently a military government in place following a coup in 2014! To guarantee a second guest blog appearance, this is Part One, describing the constant contradictions I’ve seen in Bangkok and some of the biggest differences with the UK.
One of the most striking things about living in Thailand is the constant contradictions which somehow maintain the status quo. Despite a bloodless coup in 2014 and a military government the tourists have continued to come in droves. GDP growth has continued at between 1% and 2%, whilst not earth shattering it’s also not horrendous. As far as I can gather, not too much changed when the military took over. The promotion of shopping and consumerism (Thai’s recently enjoyed a tax break to boost spending) is on a par with any western country and up there with South Korea and Japan. It's the same as how nobody ever buys a full price sofa in the UK. Nobody ever buys a full price anything in Thailand!
On a slightly more sombre note, measured in deaths per 100,000, Thailand is one of the most dangerous places in the world for road users. Luckily, I’ve not seen any accidents yet and despite the proximity of traffic, Emma, Charles, Siale and I are so far unscathed. The statistics obviously speak for themselves and some of the behaviour you see on the road makes you shudder – motorbikes on pavements, cars turning right on the opposite side of the road forcing oncoming traffic to stop, passengers on top of trucks doing 60 KPH on Expressways, motorbikes going through red lights centimetres away from hitting a 30-year-old bus doing 50 KPH. Despite all this, with some help from ‘the men with the whistles’, Bangkok seems to keep moving and you rarely see a bust-up. Contrast the Thai approach to driving with the public transport networks of the BTS and MRT – you have never seen queuing like it! Standing aside when doors open and orderly queues at least 15 deep at exit barriers – London has a lot to learn! It feels like a collective understanding that we can all help each other get there quicker. Although since the advent of the mobile phone this might be disappearing. The number of people I’ve literally walked over because they’re deep in thought, shopping or playing a game on their phone and trying to walk at the same time!
As part of my induction at Boots, I took part in a cultural awareness course to help understand working and living in Thailand. The predominant religion is Buddhism with a minority (6%) Muslim population in the southern states. However, there is a large Hindu influence and respect for spirits. In many homes, you will find a ‘Spirit house’ which are a shrine to all spirits. There is a strong belief in the afterlife which heavily influences people’s approach to ‘this life’. I guess the equivalent of “Que sera, sera”, Thai’s have a somewhat laid-back attitude to life and often use the phrase “sabai sabai”. This perhaps helps explain the driving and working style. “Everything takes longer in Thailand” was something I heard when I first came over – and it’s true! Thai’s are not lazy, slow nor produce substandard work, it’s just different! And with work seen as the second family, having lunch together or a chat by the water cooler comes before the deadline!
I appreciate this is no Mark Twain quote, but in Disney’s 2004 film, National Treasure, the main character says, “The cooperation only lasts as long as the status quo is unchanged”. It may well have been a military coup in 2014, but seems the status quo was very much maintained.
I’ve been permitted to guest blog this week as I’m home alone for the day. Boots allows us to celebrate the national holiday Constitution Day on December 11th, whereas Emma's employer DHL doesn’t. I don’t know who’s right given there is currently a military government in place following a coup in 2014! To guarantee a second guest blog appearance, this is Part One, describing the constant contradictions I’ve seen in Bangkok and some of the biggest differences with the UK.
One of the most striking things about living in Thailand is the constant contradictions which somehow maintain the status quo. Despite a bloodless coup in 2014 and a military government the tourists have continued to come in droves. GDP growth has continued at between 1% and 2%, whilst not earth shattering it’s also not horrendous. As far as I can gather, not too much changed when the military took over. The promotion of shopping and consumerism (Thai’s recently enjoyed a tax break to boost spending) is on a par with any western country and up there with South Korea and Japan. It's the same as how nobody ever buys a full price sofa in the UK. Nobody ever buys a full price anything in Thailand!
On a slightly more sombre note, measured in deaths per 100,000, Thailand is one of the most dangerous places in the world for road users. Luckily, I’ve not seen any accidents yet and despite the proximity of traffic, Emma, Charles, Siale and I are so far unscathed. The statistics obviously speak for themselves and some of the behaviour you see on the road makes you shudder – motorbikes on pavements, cars turning right on the opposite side of the road forcing oncoming traffic to stop, passengers on top of trucks doing 60 KPH on Expressways, motorbikes going through red lights centimetres away from hitting a 30-year-old bus doing 50 KPH. Despite all this, with some help from ‘the men with the whistles’, Bangkok seems to keep moving and you rarely see a bust-up. Contrast the Thai approach to driving with the public transport networks of the BTS and MRT – you have never seen queuing like it! Standing aside when doors open and orderly queues at least 15 deep at exit barriers – London has a lot to learn! It feels like a collective understanding that we can all help each other get there quicker. Although since the advent of the mobile phone this might be disappearing. The number of people I’ve literally walked over because they’re deep in thought, shopping or playing a game on their phone and trying to walk at the same time!
As part of my induction at Boots, I took part in a cultural awareness course to help understand working and living in Thailand. The predominant religion is Buddhism with a minority (6%) Muslim population in the southern states. However, there is a large Hindu influence and respect for spirits. In many homes, you will find a ‘Spirit house’ which are a shrine to all spirits. There is a strong belief in the afterlife which heavily influences people’s approach to ‘this life’. I guess the equivalent of “Que sera, sera”, Thai’s have a somewhat laid-back attitude to life and often use the phrase “sabai sabai”. This perhaps helps explain the driving and working style. “Everything takes longer in Thailand” was something I heard when I first came over – and it’s true! Thai’s are not lazy, slow nor produce substandard work, it’s just different! And with work seen as the second family, having lunch together or a chat by the water cooler comes before the deadline!
I appreciate this is no Mark Twain quote, but in Disney’s 2004 film, National Treasure, the main character says, “The cooperation only lasts as long as the status quo is unchanged”. It may well have been a military coup in 2014, but seems the status quo was very much maintained.
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