Lying is essential in Thai culture. It’s an acceptable part of the Thai way of life and allows no loss of face. It avoids conflict with others.
A conversation with my father many years ago reminded me how true that statement is. Today’s true story in the Beyond the Bamboo Curtain series explains why Lying is commonplace in Thailand.
“I’ve thrown it away. It’s expired anyway,” my father told the station ticket collector. I was a very young lad, on holiday with the rest of the family in Devon. My parents had bought a weekly rail rover ticket, and we were able to visit so many places of interest across a wide part of the county without restriction. Having the card had made our holiday—the best we’d ever had.
So why, I wondered, did Dad lie when he said he had thrown the ticket away at the end of the holiday? I was confused.
“It will be part of our holiday scrapbook, together with photographs and other souvenirs. It will remind us of this holiday,” he explained.
I had learnt the difference between a white lie and deliberate, harmful lying.
The Thais too will differentiate in this way. They lie to avoid losing face, to save you embarrassment, or to get out of doing something they do not want to do. They were confirming that lying is essential in Thai culture.
Some true examples from Thai daily life.
The workers repairing my fence posts came up with several excuses (lying) why they couldn’t come to finish the work: mum in hospital, problem with motorbike.
For them, telling the odd fib makes for a more comfortable lifestyle. Proving that Lying is essential in Thai life.
Readers and followers may like my article about Thai Monks. They, too, were caught lying about a dead puppy.
https://mattowensrees.com/2025/10/02/do-monks-tell-the-truth/
These are some comments from a Reddit article.
Is lying very common in within Thai culture ? : r/Thailand
Monks at Dhammakaya temple stand against the police.
What is Wat Dhammakaya, the Conflict Behind It
Please leave a reply. My readers would love to see your comments.