Culture
particularly social culture, social anthropology, of Thailand
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Part 7 of 14 in the Behind the Bamboo Curtain series on Derek’s Escape to Thailand. With the exception of breakfast, we seldom had a meal at home, as Toy preferred to go out for meals. Before she met me, it would have been at a roadside stall .This is where most Thais eat and the staple…
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Chapter 6 Talking to my son My hospital appointment came more quickly than I had expected. Hooked up to several machines by what seemed like an endless flow of wires, I spent two hours on a bed while examinations on my heart were completed. The good news was that the hospital had found nothing out of…
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Beyond the Bamboo Curtain It seemed like longer, but Toy and I had been together for only nine days. Were we going too fast? Was I going too fast? Did I know enough about her after such a short time? Much of what I’d gleaned about Thailand had come from internet forums and from Richard’s…
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And why the founding abbot’s name is not being mentioned, even though today is his 80th birthday.Today marks Earth Day in the Buddhist calendar—a time for reflection, renewal, and reverence. At Wat Phra Dhammakaya and other temples in Thailand, the celebrations are vast and well-orchestrated: mass meditation, offerings from tens of thousands of followers, and…
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Matt Owens Rees is a seasoned travel writer and social/cultural anthropologist who has lived in Thailand for over 18 years. His writing aims to make Thai culture and lifestyle more accessible than some of the more academic texts—without sacrificing the depth needed to truly understand how this country and its people tick. He writes from…
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Part 3: A Thai Thief I had crammed a lot into my first five days in Thailand. I had been puzzled and perhaps confused by some of the differences I noticed between Thai and Western ways. Although the people seemed happy and relaxed, maybe there was something being concealed behind the smile that was on…
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Part 1 We’re Airborne This is the first in a 14-part series tracing Derek’s journey through the subtle, often unseen layers of Thai society. Each instalment offers a glimpse behind the bamboo curtain—where social cues, quiet tensions, and unspoken hierarchies shape daily life. We begin mid-air, with altitude and anticipation, as Derek’s story takes flight.…
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Part 2: Derek lands at Bangkok International Airport. “Wake up, sir. We’re serving breakfast”. The smiling flight attendant helped me lower the tray and placed a plate of bacon and eggs in front of me. She wore a long silk dress in traditional Thai style. All the cabin crew looked immaculate, and the female staff…
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Different nationalities have different senses of humour. I recall being in a UK pub one overcast winter’s day. A few of us were sitting around the bar when the barman commented, “Looks like rain, doesn’t it?”The fellow next to me raised his glass and sipped his beer. “Yes—tastes like it too.” We all laughed, including…
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Today’s short story in the Beyond the Bamboo Curtain series of Thailand topics. Readers will see that Thais have a strong sense of being born Free, and the importance of Thailand’s hierarchical feudal structure. “Freedom to Spit” was a term Carol Hollinger used in her excellent book, Mai Pen Rai Means Never Mind. Still a…