Thais believe strongly in the concept of saving face, which is to avoid confrontation in order to not embarrass themselves or other people. Therefore, they do not bring up negative topics in conversation and don’t express firm convictions or opinions. For a farang, this can be frustrating. You try to connect with someone and ask what they think and how they feel, they will most likely agree with you and smile and try not to answer. Agreement and harmony are considered to be the most important social etiquette. Thais avoid confrontations. Losing your temper causes a loss of face for everyone.
Minor embarrassments, like tripping, might cause Thais surrounding you to giggle. In this case, they are not mocking you, but helping you save face by laughing it off. All this takes some getting used to!
There is also a sense of status and class in Thai culture. As a teacher, my students may act very different towards me than they would in Canada! Students are taught not to speak during class and expected to agree with their teachers at all times. When I was helping a Ying, a 18 year old Thai girl with her English homework the other day, I kept asking her if she wanted to take a break, if she wanted to stop, and she would always ask what I wanted to do or agree with me. We ended up studying for 3 hours when I realised we wouldn’t stop until I said so!
