Different Culture, Different Thinking (Thanisa)

The word “Culture” means all the knowledge and values shared by a society. People who come from different countries have different knowledge and value. There are three Thai culture which differ from Western culture

First of all, when Thai people greet each other, they hold their hands in relation with face and bow their bodies. It is called “Wai”. When they greet, another person don’t have to answer them. For example, there might be young people who greet their relations. Their relations don’t have to answer them, but Western people have a different greeting. They use handshaking and talk to another person who greet with them. The difference between these cultures makes people have a different thinking. Thai people have to respect and obey other people who are older than them, but young and old Western people are equal. For instance, when Thai people want to do something, they have to ask older people, but Western people can do everything by themselves.

Secondly, Thai people bring up their children from infants to adulthood. Thai parents pay money for their children food, tuition, tutors fee, but Western people bring up their children from infant to grade 10. For example, Thai parents pay the tuition for their children who study at university, but Western parents don’t pay for their children. Their children have to pay for themselves. As a result, Thai families are different from Western families. Thai families are an extended families which have a father, mother, children and grandparents. The children take care of their grandparents until they die, but Western families are a nuclear family, which have father, mother and children. Their grandparents live in a separate house.

Thirdly, Thai people follow Buddhism. They believe in the Buddhist religion, which makes them believe that if something is going to happen then it happens and we can’t change it, but Western people believe they can control their own destinies. For example, Thai poor people believe they are poor because they did something bad in the past and they can’t change their status, but Western people believe that if they are working hard, they will be rich.

Although, some Thai people take care of their children in a western manner, many Thai people try to preserve their culture and want their children to retain their culture forever.