Thailand Village Life for EXPATS
Will You SURVIVE?
Thailand Village Life Expats – What’s it About?
Thailand Village life expats are looking for Is a quiet retirement for many and others its their Thai family wanting to return home. Many Thais don’t like western society as they are use to constant interaction with family and neighbours. Its what I love about village life, but this too can be a bit overwhelming at times. Thai villages have a quite open door policy. People will visit you anytime unannounced. They will often just walk into your home and say Hi! Its a bit of a surprise initially so be aware. There is no make an appointment to catch up, they just catch up anytime. Its customary to get food and drinks for visiting groups and yes even get a few beers out at 8am and entertain. This is once small part of Thai village life you can experience.
So life in a village is what you want to make it for sure. You can be very busy if your involved with the community or alternatively quiet if your the secluded type. The people I meet living in villages also go their to make a living on the land. I have met a few European village residents that are passionate farmers and grow fruit, vegetables and rice. They are very busy. Its very much what you want to do with your time.
Things You SHOULD UNDERSTAND in Thailand
There are some things you should understand before you head to Thailand to buy a home with your family plus the inevitable car. The first thing is if your moving to a village life with your family and planning a beautiful home as an EXPAT you CANNOT own land! You cannot OWN the home you live in. Your Thai partner can yes but not you! If you get divorced forget the house and yes the car! They are all in your partners name ONLY!
If you considering Thailand but not village life and are planning to move into an apartment you can do this. It will be in your name but only the apartment not the LAND! So if the owner goes bust and they want to knock the building down your probably out of luck!
Renting property in Thailand is fairly easy with these I have met doing so. Homes are in many states from old and rickity to modern new homes and appartments.
Is Bangkok a good place for EXPATS?
Is Bangkok a good place for expats is a great question. Bangkok has everything you want in life. It has the poplulation to meet interesting expats and local Thai people. It has all the ammenities and tourist places to visit. Getting to BAngkok and leaving it is easy with transport and flight options endless. You will find all the modern western foods as well a abundance of thai street food.
If your happy living in a Condo then its possible to buy or rent one and start living your retirement or business lifestyle. Not eveyone that comes to Thailand to stay is a retiree but thats my main focus. If your a businessman/woman then it will all be laid on for you in Thailand. If your wealthy and happy to invest a moderatly considerable amount of funds into the Thai economy then you may have the option to actually buy land and a home. This is a perk for those wh are on the upper level in pay scales.
Are there a lot of EXPATS in THAILAND?
Are there a lot of expats in Thailand is another popular question and the answer is very much YES. There is about three million expats in Thailand amoungst the 70 million Thai people. Expats live all over Thailand with quite a lot living in Bangkok, Hua Hin, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and especially in the Eastern part of Thailand around UBON.
Ubon particularly has had a lot of westerners often being called “Meung Falung” in Thai which means “Westerners Country” because so many Europeans live there. It has been popular since the Vietnam war when it was highly populated my military forces from the United states and Australia.
Westerners like the Chiang Mai area for its cooler weather also popular with Thais from Bangkok for holidays. Hua Hin is also a popular location with a lot of retirees there living in apartments/condos near the beach. quite an expat community down there as well. Thailand is a world of opportunity and locations.
Thailand Village Life Expats Cultural Understanding
If your planning to move to Thailand for work or as a retiree then you may not have been exposed to some of the common cultural aspects of Thailand. The culture of Thailand is very modest in many aspects including the way you dress, interact with opposite sex and partners. If you have only visited the tourist areas and bars of Thailand I believe we should touch on some important cultural aspects of Thai life. In villages and provincial towns the world changes from the hustle and bustle of the bars in Thailand and you will be made more welcome understanding some of these important aspects.
The Thai Greeting- The “WAI”
The traditional greeting in Thailand is the “WAI”. The Wai is used as if it were a handshake in Europe. Anytime you meet or even pass someone you know and you say hello you should WAI. It only need be a small one from your chest height but you will receive them so be courteous and reply the same way.
The standard Wai is as per the young lady in the picture. Younger people WAI to elders who reply. If you meet someone older, say your partners parents you should WAI first! Clasping your hands together like a prayer and a slight bow of the head is traditional. With the words “Sawasdee KRUP” for men often pronounced (CUP) and “SAWASDEE KAR” for ladies. The KUP & KAR on their own can be used as an acknowledgement to a question.
In other Areas the language in Thailand Changes and so can this from Sawasdee KAR – SAWASDEE JOWEL in the North for example.
We will look at language more in another post. As a fluent speaker myself its very very useful to speak and understand the dialects if your out in the country especially.
Thai Partner and Interaction
If you have a Thai partner then when you travel to his/her home and out in the country the holding of hands and hugging partners is NOT done. All personal contact is kept by Thai people to private situations. You will see kids in larger towns like Chiang Rai and others holding hands a little these days. The Thai culture is adopting some western influences but this is slow. Please do not hug or kiss your partner in public. Its an embarrassment to you both from a Thai cultural point of view. It also embarrasse your partners parents and family done in a group situation. If you have visitors come and see you when you arrive for the first time or the fiftieth time please sit next to your partner but not touch them.
Thai Family & Interaction With your Partner
Thai people are as ignorant of life in your country and your acceptable norms like hugging etc. as you are to their cultural sensitivities. Please just take your time and don’t get frustrated by the immediate of intimate contact when you get to the village.
This is likely very different from your private and even your relationship in your country or in Bangkok where there are more westerners and more acceptance. Yes I understand how you may feel having been there myself. You may think that everything has changed since your now being shunned by your partner. Please understand this is how it must be and when you are together in a private situation everything will be normal once again. I know it can be one of the many cultural shocks you are going to be encountering in you move to Village life in Thailand.
Thailand Village Life Expats – Religion
Thai village life expats experience lots of new concepts. Buddhism is the major religion in Thailand and you will find Christian communities as well as Muslim communities all around the country. There is no conflict I have seen in Thailand when it comes to religious beliefs and they play a big part in the whole Thai lifestyle. There are many Thai festivals and rituals that are born of Buddhism and hang on from previous religions that are very spirit focused. Yes Ghosts (Pee) and deceased family remembrances are prominent. The Thai lent period called PANSAR which goes for three months is a prominent festival.
Thai Lent – Pansar
Pansar is a period of three months where Thai people give up something like alcohol or red meat. Monks generally do not travel but are allowed to leave the Temple (Wat) if required. They cannot eat outside the temple after midday is one of the restriction I understand. It may be they cant eat after midday possibly always. I have taken our head monk out for business when asked. Thai Monks cannot drive a car.
There are weekly temple prayers and many require offerings to be made in the form of food and bottled water as well as uncooked rice. This often goes into the temple pantry for the monks to eat. Thai monks do not work or cook food generally and don’t earn a living from any work. They survive on food donations and money offered for blessings which are for lots of different reasons.
Thailand Village Life Expats – New House – House Blessing
Building a new house is exciting and also a bit different once its completed. You cannot move in on its completion as much as you want to. You and your family have to consult your local monk for an Auspicious Day (Wun Dee). Youe are required to have the house blessed by the monks and have a house warming inviting essentially all the family and friends plus the village a lot of the time.
These follow a set format as many things do in Thailand. You need to set up tents and get tables and chairs for al your gests to sit. These are often stored at the temple as there is a communal kitchen storage where everything you need is stored. Cooking utensils ans well as the tets are here at least in my village.
Next you need to organise the loudest stereo in the universe as well as a stage and singer/dancers. You need to warm up your singing skills because you will be required to sing if they can find a song you know. The dancers get extra money by drunk men and women putting money between their breasts most often. Its all done in a bit of fun and no you don’t grab anyone’s breasts. You carefully slide t between them and have a laugh.
Ensure you have lots of alcohol and ice. Thais like Soda and Hom Yok as well as the home made rocket fuel Thais just call Leow Cow (Clear Alcohol). Beer is very popular as Thais generally don’ t get to drink it so expect to have that run down fast. Its not a good look to run out so please budget for plenty of revelers and drunks on the day.
You will likely have to kill a couple pigs and supply food for the day and party from the early morning once the Monks have blessed the house. You will be able to pack up and move in the next day once you have cleaned it all up and supported your hangover maybe. Enjoy your new house.
Thailand Village Life Expats – Little Things Make a Difference
To enjoy Thailand life Expats should understand a few more small but important items.
1. Don’t sit and relax putting your feet on another chair and point the souls of your feet at other people. This is the height of rudeness in Thailand. Yes its relaxing but please don’t do it.
2. Don’t pass food or god forbit shoes over some ones head. Don’ t pass anything over another persons head. This is also very rude in Thailand.
3. Don’t touch kids heads and rub them like you would a cheeky kid in western countries. Just leave the head alone altogether and the world will be ok.
4. Don’ t burn a Thai 20 Baht or other note because your so rich and you wanted to light a cigarette or a BBQ. The Kings image is sacred and to burn it is the height of asking for trouble.
A friend of mine tried to do it back in the 1980s. He had a 45 cal pistol put against his temple by a very angry off duty policeman. Just don’t do anything with pictures of Royal family or the current or past kings.
Here endeth todays cultural lesson.
Thailand Village Life Expats – DON”T GO CRAZY
If you don’t want to go crazy enjoying Thailand village life Expats should learn to speak Thai. It is a rewarding pastime and there are plenty of schools that can help you. I have found out a lot about other people, their husbands and what they are like by shutting up and just listening to the conversation.
Partners talk about things you would not believe when they think you don’t understand. I had some teacher friends who always said “Nintah my dia don nah Coon Mai Dai!” We can’t gossip in front of you 🙂
It will open doors for you, make you friends and you will understand so much more about the people when they treat you like one of them. In my village no one treats me differently. I sit and chat with them during the day at our meeting point. I’m dragged in by the local officials when they are having drinks with visitors and its a ball. In My early days I spoke only a little and it was incredibly hard and stressful in a small village won my own with my wife. Take it from me you need to do it! You Wont regret it I assure you!
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