This didn’t start as an appreciation. I was visiting the Immigration Department to extend my visa (a fairly routine event for
foreigners here). I set out with a clear understanding that things would be ‘Thai style’ and that I was going to keep my cool.
I queued to get my application form without getting annoyed with the queue jumpers. Completed the form and was pleased to
see the photo I’d brought with me was all the paperwork I needed. I queued again for a number and then moved to the bigger
room to wait for my turn. For about 40 minutes I read a little and watched the stressed tourists feeling just a little smug- my
mistake!
At the counter I was told about a ‘new rule’. I needed copies of my passport for the application. Why wasn’t I told when I
collected the form?? On the way across the road to the copy shop, I loudly told the people at the first desk they should be
announcing the new rule, they and the queuers looked at me blankly.
Across the road the photo copy shop clearly knew about the ‘new rule’ and re-stapled my arrival card to fit more on one page.
Even in this chaos was a glimmer of hope as the copy was 2 bht a sheet. Yes more than if the shop wasn’t opposite immigration
but really, with the new demand, they could have charged what they liked!
When I returned to the appropriate counter, I was told it had closed for lunch, come back in an hour! How can anyone keep their
cool in this? I have to say even the monks looked edgy! Luckily I had seen a coffee shop on the way in and a short hot walk later
I was in air conditioning with jaz playing being asked in perfect English what I’d like. So the menu didn’t quite fit with my dietary
requirements but it was just the rebalancing I needed.
After lunch I found the right queue, watched the official do his stamping and the other official enter details on the computer and
then collected the passport when it was waved in the air. The only thing worse than queuing at immigration must be working
there. The constant noise, stressed people and repetitive tasks. Thai people have a way seeming as though none of this gets to
them. They ignore the people glaring at them and willing them to move faster and continue at their own steady, or not so steady
pace. Is this a power trip for them?
Talking to a Thai friend, she says it’s no better for Thai people dealing with officials and apparently it used to be much worse!
Signing and stamping pages of Thai writing or blank sheets has become routine for me. Finding I can’t do even the simplest
transactions with my business bank account, when my personal one is actually pretty good, is now to be expected. I’m sure the
bank people have a good laugh at the Soul Sanook (fun) woman who really doesn’t find it Sanook to visit their bank.
As someone who values organisation and is experienced in making systems more efficient, what a perfect place for my beliefs
about ‘how things should be done’ to be provoked! Every culture and location has its own set of challenges for those who live
there and I believe, just like people come into our lives to teach us, so do places. Thai bureaucracy really brings to a head the
options… ‘Do you want to be right or happy?’
I find the unexpected, good and bad, helps keep us on our toes and makes it very difficult to go into ‘automatic pilot’ when out
and about. I haven’t got used to seeing an elephant in the street or a cart being pulled down the road with food still cooking.
When walking we have to watch out for holes in the pavement, bikes, motorbikes, food stalls and of course very slow walkers.
(And really who walks quickly in the heat unless they really have to?) It all nudges us to be in the present moment.
The weather here is approaching its hottest season. I have made friends with the heat (and with air con!). Sweat is good! I love
the way plants grow so quickly and the immediate switch of mood when it rains. I love consistently waking up to blue skies. I love
the cheap tasty food available anywhere anytime. I can ‘eat spicy’ and enjoy the local flavours and contrasts.
Whilst the chaos of the streets might suggest otherwise, I find Bangkok an easy place to be. Generally people are smiley, calm and
easy going. I feel safe. I think much of this has to do with Buddhism’s emphasis on accepting things as they are. I hope some of
this Buddhist philosophy has rubbed off on me.
Staying for so long (about 7 years) and only having a few words of Thai has been very interesting. I’m a very creative mimer and
I enjoy the daily connections with people through smiles and greetings, I’ve come to prefer this to small talk. I have to take full
responsibility when I’m not understood as I haven’t invested in learning the language. When I first arrived I thought I would be
more involved with local people and living but I don’t fit in! And I don’t think I would do even if I spoke Thai, I have such a different
perspective from most Bangkokians. I have a few Thai friends who speak great English and who are also international citizens with
common interests but for the most part I’m an outsider. This means special treatment, privileged service and attention. I cringe to
think of the ‘special attention’ we give foreigners in the UK!
As outsiders, we have developed our own community. The need to belong is a pretty basic one and I see many new arrivals
struggle until they find their group. The groups are more ‘official’ here- women’s groups, entrepreneur groups, interest groups.
When we have all these challenges to our sense of ‘how things should be’ we need to connect to others who appreciate our view
(and preferably can help us to open our minds rather than supporting us in closing them!)
Bangkok is a great place for transient ex-pats. The groups warmly accommodate new comers however we often have to let go of
close friendships when people move. This is tough and can also lead to people withdrawing to protect themselves. A friend who
has enjoyed a long international career said she prefers the ‘hardship postings’. When the environment is really bad, people bond
quickly and depend on each other. In Bangkok it’s possible to get by and this can lead to difficulties when people don’t invest in
building strong support networks.
Here it’s been possible for me to live in the centre of town and in an apartment I love within easy access of friends, shops and
events. Bangkok’s English speaking spiritual community is pretty small but it’s a great place for learning Buddhist meditation and is
sometimes enriched by visiting teachers. And of course it’s a great hub for travel within the region. I also admire the day to day
spirituality of Thai people. Putting out offerings as part of their routine and acknowledging spirit houses when ever they pass.
Spirituality is very much part of everyday life.
The culture and beliefs that lead to the bureaucracy and difficulties foreigners have with getting things done in work and outside
are like a puzzle for me. We can read ‘Working with Thais’ and get some insights but then there are the exceptions which make it
incomprehensible. I get the impression there’s always a way round, it might cost money, time and patience, it might not fit with
our ethics, but there is a way. Of course you won’t be told the way up front- it’s up to you to investigate, subtly!
Motor bike taxis seem to zip in and out of the rules as much as they do the traffic. They know when you must wear a helmet, how
to cut through apartment buildings and where to mount pavements. The motorbike taxis in my soi (side street) are one of my
favourite things about Bangkok. I was coming home a couple of weeks ago with a friend on the sky train. We got off and she
called her driver so he could come and meet her. I simply jumped on the back of the waiting motor bike, he knew my destination
all I had to do was enjoy the cool breeze. Moments later I was home. Wouldn’t more people in other cities use public transport if
there was an easy way of getting to and from the bus/train stop?
I can’t finish this article without mentioning the cheep stuff- food, CDs, DVDs, things that are locally produced. The ability to live
cheaply has made it much easier for me to learn about business development ‘on the job’. I have been able to take more risks and
tolerate less security. Mine really is a special lifestyle. I find Bangkok has many contrasting sides and different visitors and residents
can experience the place totally differently. My part of town (Sukhumvit) is not Bangkok and Bangkok is not Thailand!
This city has changed so much since I arrived and I wonder how the Bangkok of the future will be? Presumably at some point they’
ll address the dust and pollution, take the food stalls & elephants off the streets. No doubt it’ll be healthier and easier but will it still
have this character? I feel privileged to have lived here at this time and to have had these rich experiences.
Thai people can be quite insular but living in an international community and travelling regularly has encouraged me to develop an
international focus. I feel like a global citizen, I enjoy meeting and working with other international citizens and I look forward to
experiencing many more places on this wonderful planet.
Debbie is travelling to the UK early in April 2009 and is considering a number of options for what’s next. She will however be
continuing Soul Sanook Coaching and her close links with Thailand.
foreigners here). I set out with a clear understanding that things would be ‘Thai style’ and that I was going to keep my cool.
I queued to get my application form without getting annoyed with the queue jumpers. Completed the form and was pleased to
see the photo I’d brought with me was all the paperwork I needed. I queued again for a number and then moved to the bigger
room to wait for my turn. For about 40 minutes I read a little and watched the stressed tourists feeling just a little smug- my
mistake!
At the counter I was told about a ‘new rule’. I needed copies of my passport for the application. Why wasn’t I told when I
collected the form?? On the way across the road to the copy shop, I loudly told the people at the first desk they should be
announcing the new rule, they and the queuers looked at me blankly.
Across the road the photo copy shop clearly knew about the ‘new rule’ and re-stapled my arrival card to fit more on one page.
Even in this chaos was a glimmer of hope as the copy was 2 bht a sheet. Yes more than if the shop wasn’t opposite immigration
but really, with the new demand, they could have charged what they liked!
When I returned to the appropriate counter, I was told it had closed for lunch, come back in an hour! How can anyone keep their
cool in this? I have to say even the monks looked edgy! Luckily I had seen a coffee shop on the way in and a short hot walk later
I was in air conditioning with jaz playing being asked in perfect English what I’d like. So the menu didn’t quite fit with my dietary
requirements but it was just the rebalancing I needed.
After lunch I found the right queue, watched the official do his stamping and the other official enter details on the computer and
then collected the passport when it was waved in the air. The only thing worse than queuing at immigration must be working
there. The constant noise, stressed people and repetitive tasks. Thai people have a way seeming as though none of this gets to
them. They ignore the people glaring at them and willing them to move faster and continue at their own steady, or not so steady
pace. Is this a power trip for them?
Talking to a Thai friend, she says it’s no better for Thai people dealing with officials and apparently it used to be much worse!
Signing and stamping pages of Thai writing or blank sheets has become routine for me. Finding I can’t do even the simplest
transactions with my business bank account, when my personal one is actually pretty good, is now to be expected. I’m sure the
bank people have a good laugh at the Soul Sanook (fun) woman who really doesn’t find it Sanook to visit their bank.
As someone who values organisation and is experienced in making systems more efficient, what a perfect place for my beliefs
about ‘how things should be done’ to be provoked! Every culture and location has its own set of challenges for those who live
there and I believe, just like people come into our lives to teach us, so do places. Thai bureaucracy really brings to a head the
options… ‘Do you want to be right or happy?’
I find the unexpected, good and bad, helps keep us on our toes and makes it very difficult to go into ‘automatic pilot’ when out
and about. I haven’t got used to seeing an elephant in the street or a cart being pulled down the road with food still cooking.
When walking we have to watch out for holes in the pavement, bikes, motorbikes, food stalls and of course very slow walkers.
(And really who walks quickly in the heat unless they really have to?) It all nudges us to be in the present moment.
The weather here is approaching its hottest season. I have made friends with the heat (and with air con!). Sweat is good! I love
the way plants grow so quickly and the immediate switch of mood when it rains. I love consistently waking up to blue skies. I love
the cheap tasty food available anywhere anytime. I can ‘eat spicy’ and enjoy the local flavours and contrasts.
Whilst the chaos of the streets might suggest otherwise, I find Bangkok an easy place to be. Generally people are smiley, calm and
easy going. I feel safe. I think much of this has to do with Buddhism’s emphasis on accepting things as they are. I hope some of
this Buddhist philosophy has rubbed off on me.
Staying for so long (about 7 years) and only having a few words of Thai has been very interesting. I’m a very creative mimer and
I enjoy the daily connections with people through smiles and greetings, I’ve come to prefer this to small talk. I have to take full
responsibility when I’m not understood as I haven’t invested in learning the language. When I first arrived I thought I would be
more involved with local people and living but I don’t fit in! And I don’t think I would do even if I spoke Thai, I have such a different
perspective from most Bangkokians. I have a few Thai friends who speak great English and who are also international citizens with
common interests but for the most part I’m an outsider. This means special treatment, privileged service and attention. I cringe to
think of the ‘special attention’ we give foreigners in the UK!
As outsiders, we have developed our own community. The need to belong is a pretty basic one and I see many new arrivals
struggle until they find their group. The groups are more ‘official’ here- women’s groups, entrepreneur groups, interest groups.
When we have all these challenges to our sense of ‘how things should be’ we need to connect to others who appreciate our view
(and preferably can help us to open our minds rather than supporting us in closing them!)
Bangkok is a great place for transient ex-pats. The groups warmly accommodate new comers however we often have to let go of
close friendships when people move. This is tough and can also lead to people withdrawing to protect themselves. A friend who
has enjoyed a long international career said she prefers the ‘hardship postings’. When the environment is really bad, people bond
quickly and depend on each other. In Bangkok it’s possible to get by and this can lead to difficulties when people don’t invest in
building strong support networks.
Here it’s been possible for me to live in the centre of town and in an apartment I love within easy access of friends, shops and
events. Bangkok’s English speaking spiritual community is pretty small but it’s a great place for learning Buddhist meditation and is
sometimes enriched by visiting teachers. And of course it’s a great hub for travel within the region. I also admire the day to day
spirituality of Thai people. Putting out offerings as part of their routine and acknowledging spirit houses when ever they pass.
Spirituality is very much part of everyday life.
The culture and beliefs that lead to the bureaucracy and difficulties foreigners have with getting things done in work and outside
are like a puzzle for me. We can read ‘Working with Thais’ and get some insights but then there are the exceptions which make it
incomprehensible. I get the impression there’s always a way round, it might cost money, time and patience, it might not fit with
our ethics, but there is a way. Of course you won’t be told the way up front- it’s up to you to investigate, subtly!
Motor bike taxis seem to zip in and out of the rules as much as they do the traffic. They know when you must wear a helmet, how
to cut through apartment buildings and where to mount pavements. The motorbike taxis in my soi (side street) are one of my
favourite things about Bangkok. I was coming home a couple of weeks ago with a friend on the sky train. We got off and she
called her driver so he could come and meet her. I simply jumped on the back of the waiting motor bike, he knew my destination
all I had to do was enjoy the cool breeze. Moments later I was home. Wouldn’t more people in other cities use public transport if
there was an easy way of getting to and from the bus/train stop?
I can’t finish this article without mentioning the cheep stuff- food, CDs, DVDs, things that are locally produced. The ability to live
cheaply has made it much easier for me to learn about business development ‘on the job’. I have been able to take more risks and
tolerate less security. Mine really is a special lifestyle. I find Bangkok has many contrasting sides and different visitors and residents
can experience the place totally differently. My part of town (Sukhumvit) is not Bangkok and Bangkok is not Thailand!
This city has changed so much since I arrived and I wonder how the Bangkok of the future will be? Presumably at some point they’
ll address the dust and pollution, take the food stalls & elephants off the streets. No doubt it’ll be healthier and easier but will it still
have this character? I feel privileged to have lived here at this time and to have had these rich experiences.
Thai people can be quite insular but living in an international community and travelling regularly has encouraged me to develop an
international focus. I feel like a global citizen, I enjoy meeting and working with other international citizens and I look forward to
experiencing many more places on this wonderful planet.
Debbie is travelling to the UK early in April 2009 and is considering a number of options for what’s next. She will however be
continuing Soul Sanook Coaching and her close links with Thailand.
A Personal Appreciation of Thailand
| Written by Debbie Reeds, Life Coach First appeared in Soul Sanook Newsletter March 2009 www.soulsanook.com info@soulsanook.com Back to top Copyright 2009 Soul Sanook Coaching. All rights reserved. |
