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Today, we look Behind the Bamboo Curtain at why so many Thais believe in ghosts and the supernatural. Many foreigners have questioned whether Thais are Buddhists or ancestor-worshippers. Chai, one of Ying’s friends, died today. He was only 42. She got a phone call at 7 o’clock from a work colleague. News travels with nimble…
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Don’t worry about the technical term projected vilification—today’s episode in the Behind the Bamboo Curtain series describes Suda’s fury when her husband hit her dog, and how she dealt with it. I was surprised some weeks ago when I read a post on Suda’s Facebook page, just beneath a picture of her son’s pet. Today…
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Does Thailand accept second-best? Is there too much mai pen rai here? “Beyond the Bamboo Curtain” takes a look in today’s post. Why the tools we rely on often fall short—and what that says about global tech hierarchies I drive a Mazda. The quality is okay, but I was stunned to find that the same…
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Look Behind the Bamboo Curtain and you’ll often be surprised by what you find. Things are seldom what they seem in Thailand. The carpenter had left some papers on top of a corner cabinet he’d almost finished building. He’d put away his tools, cleaned where he’d been working, and was making ready to go home.…
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Today’s entry in the Beyond the Bamboo Curtain series strikes a different note from recent stories. I hope readers enjoy. Listen for the sounds of Thailand when you visit or stay here. Particularly in rural Thailand. The sounds tell stories that sights alone cannot. Have I missed any sounds out? Let me know in the…
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When I had a problem with Chamnaan’s poor building work, I suggested what I thought was a reasonable price for the work completed and the cost of rectification. I agreed the figure with Chamnaan in front of the pooyaibaan, the village headman. You can’t complain publicly about a bad builder or his poor workmanship in…
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Beyond the Bamboo Curtain. Today’s short true story of life in Thailand. There are many dogs on the rural roads of Thailand. Most Thais have dogs roaming in the garden or in the nearby soi (lane). They may be caged or chained at night. Only a few Thais treat their dogs as pets. They generally…
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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…
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Thai houses typically feature steep, sloping roofs with large, protective overhangs and lofty ceilings. These generous overhangs give great shade from the glaring sun and help keep indoor temperatures pleasantly low. The sharply sloping roofs swiftly shed rainwater, often channeling it into water storage tanks. All houses include fans and mosquito nets; upper-class residences have…
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An unusual post in the Behind the Bamboo Curtain series. From years of observation—and conversations with fellow anthropologists steeped in Thai society—I’ve come to a curious conclusion: Most Thais tend to think and act just one step ahead. Not two. Not three. Just one. That’s not to say strategic thinking is absent. I’m sure there are Thai…
My Stories
