Thailand has been famously named the ‘Land of Smiles’ and aptly so. Upon arrival, it is notably the first thing you encounter once you leave the airport. Almost everyone greets you with a big smile. Why wouldn’t they, tourism is the biggest economic revenue of the country. Thailand is a popular travel destination for a good reason. It is affordable for people from all walks of life from the backpackers and digital nomads, to holiday revellers, to the jet-setting business representatives. Compared to other South-East Asian countries, accommodation, food, and general living costs are much lower. Hotels and hostels give you a much better run for your money; luxurious, spacious rooms with all the bells and whistles.
An ‘on arrival’ tourist visa gives you 14-28 days. In that short period of time, your experience in Thailand would most likely be one that is fresh, fascinating and fun, full of the many festivities. You go home awestruck by the friendliness and yes, the smiles, luring you to return because you have fallen in love with this mesmerising country.
Extend your stay beyond 90 days, the initial impression of utopia begins to fade just a little, with visa extensions and mandatory reports to the immigration department. You begin to get insight into the culture and mindset of the locals. You will discover there are many faces hidden beneath the smile facade. It’s enlightening. Of course, there is always the smile of someone genuinely happy to see and meet you and it is contagious.
With more and more Expats staying longer in Thailand, some as long-term residents, you come into the knowledge, there is more than one smile.
Aside from the beaming smile you receive as your first experience, there are several, yet none are truly sinister.
- The genuine, warm, inviting and friendly smile - reserved primarily for tourists and the rare but not scarce, true friendship.
- The money smile – ‘I’m going to make a great sale today’
- The smile of distain – for those who are arrogant and demanding.
- The con smile – ‘an easy catch for a scam’
- The smile of mockery – they really do find you strange.
- The ‘get out of trouble’ smile – to sooth anger.
- The ‘phantom of the opera’ smile – hiding negative emotions such as grief or fear that are shunned in public. (This often comes in the form of a laugh too).
Thailand with all that it has to offer to the world, is a very proud country. They have a right to be proud and they are not afraid to advertise it. Thailand has never been colonised. The Thai anthem when translated is quite the eye-opener. The first line of the anthem goes like this: ‘Thailand is founded on blood and flesh Thai people share’.
Thais have a strong sense of identity and history. In Thailand, Thais always come first. This is very apparent in their laws. Many countries, especially in the West, fall into the trap of bending over backwards to accept other nationalities and cultures. More and more countries are becoming multi-cultural to the detriment of losing their identity as a nation. Not so Thailand.
Being Non-Thai and here for the long haul, you will come to a realisation, an awakening. Thais, in many subtle ways, will constantly remind you that you are not full-blood Thai. Even those who are part Thai are still considered ‘foreigners’ regardless of whether they are born and raised in Thailand and hold Thai citizenship. Every person who makes Thailand their home gets slotted into an unspoken categorisation. Once you recognise, accept and embrace the pigeon-hole where your unique piece of the puzzle fits, you can happily co-exist in this remarkable country. You fall back in love with the people and country and all the more wiser for it.
As for the star-struck tourist, they will keep on coming back for the enchantment Thailand holds. Amazing Thailand.
Rebecca Laklem. Copyright 2022.