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Column no. 30 - 21

You will see columns in the past; what I noticed about/in Thailand, about differences between Thailand and Japan and so on.
I'm wondering how long I can continue writing a column... :D

190-181

30-21

no.30 - Free pocket tissues

23/Jan/2005

In Japan, it can be seen that pocket tissues distributed around railway station or shops. You can get it for free and it's very convenient in winter. :D But in Thailand, they don't have this kind of thing it.

When my wife started to live in Japan, looked like it was very curious for her and she got a lot including flyers as they gave her. (She doesn't get any these days, though. :D )

I don't know if this is true or not but I heard that some Thai people bring it back as a gift when they go back to their country. (I'm wondering if pocket tissues can be a gift....)

Okay, now, that's it for this week. :)

no.29 - "Thai-jin" (Thai people) in English ?

16/Jan/2005

If you are interested in Thailand or good at English, you know that both of "Thai people" and "Thai language" are "Thai" in English. This is the same for "Japanese" (Japanese people and also Japanese language) This sometimes reminds me of a story at a hotel in Thailand.

A Japanese family are enjoying having dinner, a little away from our table. And then, the kid asks his dad,
"What do you say Nihon-jin (Japanese people) in English ? "
"Japanese", answers the dad.
"So, how about America-jin (American) in English ?", asks the kid again.
"Well, Americanese", replies the dad with a smile.
"Wow...", says the kid with a look of respect.

They gave a warm and tender time to me. :)

no.28 - New year days

13/Jan/2005

Hi, everyone. How was your new year holiday ?

In Japan, people make the first visit to a temple but in Thailand, people gather in front of a temple in the early morning on the first day. This is not that they are going to visit the temple but they are waiting for monks.
To make an offering, people wait with something to eat on the both sides of the way in front of the temple. When monks come out from the temple as usual, people give it to the monks. If the monks walk around your house, you will wait for them in front of your house.

Thai people are very religious and they do this kind of thing on a daily basis. :)

no.27 - Green Curry

13/Dec/2004

One of what surprised me when I visited Thailand for the first time was this "Green curry".

While having dinner at a hotel, I saw something like curry, but it was green. I was told it was spicy but anyway took a bite of it. Relaxed smile on my face at first but it was gone away soon after a few seconds. Fire broke out in my mouth and intense coughs attacked me. I had to chain-have a glass of water as a fire-fighting operation. I couldn't talk for a while.

When I have green curry at home, my wife knows about this and she lovely cooks it not green but whitish. (Not with a lot of spice like in Thailand but with a lot of coconut milk to make it mild. It's so yummy. :D )

no.26 - Pay in a restaurant

5/Dec/2004

When you want to go back after having lunch/dinner in a restaurant, you will pay at the cashier around the entrance in Japan. But in Thailand, you can pay at your table. (Call to the staff and point the meal with your finger and move your finger around the whole of it. This shows that you've already finished eating and want to pay for that.)

The staff will come back with the change but if you think their service was good enough, you will leave it. (If it was bad enough, you might get it all with you and go back. :D)

Some restaurants have a cashier around the entrance and you have to pay there these days like in Japan.

no.25 - Nick Name

27/Nov/2004

Each of Thai people has a nickname given with a first name when he/she was born. (Different from a middle name in western countries.)
Basically, this nickname is used in a daily life. Your friends or your family call you by the nickname. The first name is used for official documents such as a driver's license and a passport.

Looks like it depends but teachers call you by your first name and your classmates call you by your nickname (depending on how close the relationship is.)

In Japan, parents usually/often call their kids by his/her first name (without an honorific) and it seems like this makes Thai people feel funny a little.

no.24 - Iced Coffee

20/Nov/2004

It's very warm in Thailand. It makes you feel like having something cool to drink such as iced coffee. Order it and you'll find out that the ice coffee is very sweet. :D
(Sugar syrup and milk don't come separately but don't worry. They are already in the coffee a lot. :D Sweet or spicy is very clearly defined in Thailand.)

By the way, "Coffee" is called "Gaa-Faae" in Thai language. "Cold" is "Yen", so, "Iced coffee" is "Gaa-faae yen". Like this, "Hot" is "Rorn", and "Hot coffee" is "Gaa-faae Rorn". :)

no.23 - Where are shoes ?

15/Nov/2004

In Thailand, it looks like there is no shoes place to put when you enter a house, different from in Japan. When you open the front door, it's already a living space (no front space, vestibule) and so, you take off your shoes around before the front door.

I'm not sure if this is the same for all houses. When it's an apartment or a condominium, because you can't put shoes outside (because someone might take them away :D ), you take off your shoes around the front door after you enter.

This didn't sit well with me at first but I've gotten used to it these days. :)

no.22 - Tips

7/Nov/2004

They have a custom of tipping. If you are a tourist, you will ask to carry your baggage or ask room service, and you will give a tip from 20 to 100 Bath saying "Khob khun Krap/Ka"(Thank you).
In a restaurant, people leave coins as a tip that they get for the change. (But if the service in the restaurant is not good, you will leave no coin. :D )

For me, I don't have a custom of tips in Japan. A little hard to get used to it. :D

no.21 - Parking Lot

31/Oct/2004

One of what I was surprised at is "parking lot".
Usually, cars are parked in a fixed area, right ? It is the same in Thailand but if a parking lot is full, a car will be parked along the way in the parking lot in front of cars already parked in a fixed area. (Of course, the cars can not go out !) If the cars want to go out, you have to put the car away that stays in front.

I don't know about other countries but this was very surprising to me. Amazing Thailand. :D