Matt Owens Rees

An example of Thai workmanship from the Beyond the Bamboo Curtain series.

Had some builders around last week to build some gates to stop the dogs wandering off.

They did a good job erecting the posts firmly in position and upright.

The welding on the gate frames had been carefully done. Most Thai workers miss small sections when welding.

When they tried to open the gates, though, they fouled on the ground. The gates had been hung too low.

They’ve re-set the hinges higher now but it’s taken them four visits.

Four forays, each fixing a flaw

I have learnt never to get angry and certainly not shout when builders get things wrong. Just smile and sympathise that they have to do a bit of rectification.

Pretend you would have made the same mistake if you had done the job yourself. That’s the trick to use with them.

There’s a great deal of “suck it and see” or trial and error in Thai workmanship. They aren’t bothered if something doesn’t work first time.

Even if they are given a plan they are unlikely to follow it too closely, preferring to rely on their own experience.

Small errors in measurement don’t matter — mai pen rai — If the job looks okay when they have finished, they are content. And anyway, no-one wants conflict, neither customer nor worker.

On closer examination, it may indeed matter. That’s what happened with the gates. Looked okay when they had finished, but after trying to open the gate, it certainly mattered.

Presentation is more important than sticking to the original plan that was specifically designed to work.

And losing Face by getting something wrong continually must not be allowed to happen.

The Welsh have a saying for Try, Try and Try again

For the Thai, keep trying means making small corrections until the job looks acceptable. How much can they get away with? Will the customer notice if corners are cut?

Will he make a fuss or take the lazy woke option of accepting the low standard, not employing that worker again, just to avoid conflict.

Readers can now see how mae pen rai (does it matter), no conflict, and avoiding loss of Face are cultural ideals that are intertwined in Thai society.

Tri Cynnig i Gymro

The Welsh expression, Tri Cynnig i Gymro, is not quite the same. It has a much deeper cultural meaning.

Welshmen are renowned for their resolve—especially when the odds are against them and the way forward unclear. It’s a matter of national and personal pride to strive to excel against the odds.

They keep trying, not, like the Thai, until their task is (barely) acceptable, but until it’s perfect. It’s almost a rule of Welsh culture to work hard to get something right. It’s part of our national character.

This striving for excellence, that we see in our culture, is born out of centuries of being poor and living through hard times. It explains the perseverance and stamina that you see in the Welsh.