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This has been my experience but you are welcome to state and argue a differentiating opinion. Essentially in Thai society rich Thais treat poor Thais in a very non-personal manner, therefore, if you treat a poor Thai person (your maid/driver/the noodle lady/employee) nicely they will take your kindness as weakness. In the West, we treat everyone as though they are deserving of respect regardless of social standing. In Thailand, note that everyone is not equal. You have social classes to heed. You can smile at them but do it vaguely while avoiding eye contact. If you have some extra fruit that you are eating, throw it in the garbage as opposed to spoiling them with it (unless it is close to a holiday in which case you can call it a bonus). Do not engage them on any personal level. Poorer Thais are easily confused and you should keep their tasks and the social order as simple as possible.
#3921305 Treat Poor Thais Like Children
Posted
on 2010-10-01 16:16:08
