Traditional Culture
        When outsiders speak of 'Thai culture' they're referring to a complex of behavioral modes rooted in the history of Thai migration throughout South-East Asia, with many commonalties shared by the Lao people of neighbouring Laos, the Shan of north-eastern Myanmar and the numerous tribal Thais found in isolated pockets from Dien Bien Phu, Vietnam, all the way to Assam, India. Nowhere are such norms more generalized than in Thailand, the largest of the Thai homelands.

        Practically every ethnicity in Thailand, whether of Thai ancestry or not, has to a greater or lesser degree been assimilated into the Thai mainstream. Although Thailand is the most 'modernized' of the existing Thai (more precisely, Austro-Thai) societies, the cultural underpinnings are evident in virtually every facet of everyday life. Those aspects that might be deemed 'westernisation' - eg the wearing of trousers instead of a 'phaakhamaa' (wrap-around), the presence of automobiles, cinemas and 7-Eleven stores - show how Thailand has adopted and adapted tools originating from elsewhere.

        Such adaptations do not necessarily represent a cultural loss. Ekawit Na Talang, a scholar of Thai culture and head of the Thai government's National Cultural Commission, defines culture as 'the system of thought and behaviour of a particular society - something which is dynamic and never static'. Talang and other world culture experts agree that it's paradoxical to try to protect a culture from foreign influences, realizing that cultures cannot exist in a vacuum.

        Culture evolves naturally as outside influences undergo processes of naturalization. From this perspective, trying to maintain a 'pure' culture is like breeding pedigreed dogs : it eventually leads to a weakening of the species. As Talang has theorized, 'Anything obsolete, people will reject and anything that has a relevant role in life, people will adopt and make it part of their culture'.

        The Thais themselves don't really have a word that corresponds to the term 'culture'. The nearest equivalent, 'watanatham', emphasizes fine arts and ceremonies over other aspects usually covered by the concept. So if you ask Thais to define their culture, they'll often talk about architecture, food, dance, festivals and the like. Religion - obviously a big influence on culture as defined in the western sense - is considered more or less separate from 'watanatham'.

        Nevertheless there are certain aspects of Thais society that virtually everyone recognizes as 'Thai' cultural markers.

Sanuk

        That it's back-breaking labour is obvious, but participants generally inject the activity with lots of 'sanuk' - flirtation between the sexes, singing, trading insults and cracking jokes. The same goes in an office or a bank, or other white-collar work situation - at least when the office in question is predominantly Thai (businesses run by non-Thais don't necessarily exhibit 'sanuk'). The famous Thai smile comes partially out of this desire to make 'sanuk'.

Face

        Thais beleive strongly in the concept of 'saving face', that is avoiding confrontation and endeavouring not to embarrass themselves or other people (except when it's 'sanuk' to do so). The ideal face-saver doesn't bring up negative topics in conversation, and when they notice stress in another's life, they usually won't say anything unless that person complains or asks for help. Laughing at minor accidents - like when someone trips and falls down - may seem callous to outsiders but it's really just an attempt to save face on behalf of the person undergoing the mishap. This is another source of the Thai smile - it's the best possible face for almost any situation.

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