[Trercakaressy]

umm just look at this web site PAKNAM

[Peretool]

For clarity, my question wasn't if there is a reason, but rather what your reasons are.

When I was a young girl my family hosted twoThais who studied in my country. As foster siblings, they became very close to me and I spent a lot of time with them. I got to know them as very nice and decent persons. Through them I started to develop a high respect for and interest in Thai people and in their culture.

They also introduced me to Thai food and Thai language--and a lot of other Thai students who used to invite me to Thai gatherings (even after my foster siblings had left), like mini Loy Krathong, birthday celebrations of the king and queen and some important occasions at the Thai Embassy.

After my foster siblings returned home, they hosted my first trip to Thailand--which became a habitual one soon after.

After college, I took a graduate course on Asian Studies, major in Thai Studies, having been inspired by my previous acquaintance with Thai culture. (But later on I shifted to another field which was more related to my career path.) However, my interest in Thai language and culture remained alive, and my visits to Thailand continued.

[Knongargoapex]

For clarity, my question wasn't if there is a reason, but rather what your reasons are.

[Knongargoapex]

This is mainly directed at other people like me who aren't Thai or Thai natives.

For what reason, other than that you know someone who is Thai, or you like this or that tourist attraction, are you interested in Thai culture?

I think my reasons have been:

I liked durian and Thai food.

I visited Thailand and became more curious about peripheral things like food and the scenery, and I bought some Thai language instruction books while there, which sat on the shelf for a while.

I wanted to learn a second language and remembered the Thai books I had.

I wanted to learn about a culture that is different than my own so that I can look back at myself from another perspective.

I wanted to learn a language that doesn't use a roman script.

I heard some Thai pop music that I liked and then bought some Thai country music and found I liked that too.

I watched some Thai movies and liked those too.

I was interested in Buddhism from having read some books by a Tibetan author (Chogyum Trungpa), and wondered about the perspective of Thai Buddhism, and that has sat on the back burner as something for me to look into.

[FloareTraurne]

their language.

somehow, it smittens men AND WOMEN like me... hahaha. if you actually understand the language deeper, the way they speak is always so polite and demure even though when it comes to women hollering at each other, it still sounds cute though i don't advise people to learn from them.

[M4tHkBw2]

By accident I found a very good career posting here, and really like the Thai politeness, and respect they had for elders and family. These traits had all but been forgotten in the western communities.
I chose to stay here for those reasons as well. My daughter will grow up learning these social values, the schools here are better than Australia as well - believe it or not.
Discipline is not banned, and you get ranked, at least where my daughter is enrolled you do.
I also feel more at ease here than in Australia, no helmet when I buzz to the store for soem food, can buy and drink a beer on just about every corner, even in my village. I don't smoke anymore, but it's not a disgrace or banned lik it is in Australia.
I gues it's the äÁèà»ç¹äà attitude I have adopted to life, rather than "I want now"

[M4tHkBw2]

Betti, would you care to share some of those not to enjoable experiences?

[Drysnyaty]

this may sound harsh, but my first-ever Thailand holiday, which lasted 5 weeks back in 2001, was the first time in my life I had ever felt really welcome and treated as a human being. and I was just blown away by the scenery and temples - I remember the feelings and the excitement, and oh my god how I wish I could be so thrilled about things again. but I guess, not any more. it's still nice, and breathtaking at times, but after all these years in and out, travelling around and kinda settling, I just won't be blown away any more it seems. there are things I am not so thrilled about, even annoyed, the learning curve has been incredibly steep and cruel at times, but I guess there is a very rare balance and sustainability in the emotional, spiritual, financial and professional aspects of my life at the moment. gone through culture shocks and had my unfair share meanness too, learnt to put up with it, and still find a niche for myself, and can still appreciate it thoroughly. that's how it is at the moment for me.

I also did have that "BANG! this is where I belong" moment, actually I felt like that for a long time, now I think I don't belong anywhere any more :-) I've lost my illusions and come face to face with everyday reality, as harsh as it can get in a Thai school :-)

however, I guess it could easily have been another country with a similar approach to people and social values. who knows.

[LomodiorCon]

For me its like I always knew Thailand. Even though its been a longtime since I have been to Thailand, when I am travelling in my home city - Bangalore - I often get this 'deja vu' (there must be another word); that the next turning is a street from Bangkok. Often I loose the distinction in my head. Bangkok for instance looks like a city I have always known. I like the sweet behaviour of the people and they way they go about their lives - and I like to see how original and independent their way of thinking is. Unlike foreigners I do not get immediate welcomes, but I have very nice experiences on one-to-one basis once I have got to know people or they me. I also think that the Thai behaviour and culture is closer to my individual manner - but for the differences in our outward looks - which of course reminds me I am not Thai!

[BuyNetHosting]

Why are you interested in Thai culture? Thats a good question, because its interesting to know why people would want to become members of a thai forum, but from what I see from posts its because they have a thai girlfriend and want to learn the language so that they can communication with each other..how sweet is that?^_^ and alot seem to have thai wives so maybe they just want to share their knowledge with everyone else which is nice of them.

I, on the other hand, just stumbled upon this forum when I saw the link on the Ethai music site and wanted to do some song translating just for fun. and yes I'm answering your question even though it wasn't addressed to us Thais ^_^

[indahouweres]

I didn't choose to come to Thailand. My exchange program, AFS chose it for me. I thought (naively) that exchange students only went to Europe. So when the application asked where I wanted to go, I glumly listed France and Switzerland. (France and Switzerland are indeed lovely, but I didn't think they'd be soooo adventurous) Luckily, the exchange program had a second question on the application: What are the characteristics of a place that you would like to go? I asked for some place far far from home that I would normally not be able to visit. I asked for some place with a difficult language that I would not normally get to hear. .....and they chose for me, Thailand.

It was not a hand in glove perfect ah-hah moment. There was huge culture shock, but it was exactly the adventure that I craved. I lived with a loving, supportive family. Upon my return, when my own American family faced signficant fractures, my Thai family was always my constant. When I lost my American mom, my Thai mom told me that I would always have her. Same when I lost my dad.

I didn't choose Thailand, it chose me...and I am thankful for that!

[Trercakaressy]

On the other hand , If living in Thailand for a while and returning to your own country, the reverse cultural shock heightens the bite that you get from experiencing a different way of life. At least in my case.

[lipitrRrxX]

Because it is different

No, it doesn't mean that I am borred of my own culture. I just believe that most of the problems of the world we live in are caused of missunderstandings of others' cultures and as the world is getting smaller nowadays we become some kind closer. We should all learn of eachother in order to respect different people. Otherwise it's a matter of time to start fighting.

Why I am personally stared at Thailand? Actually I'm not, I am researching Brasil for exxample just the same way.

Well - let's go practical - at the business side, others' viewpoints could help you see things better and good opportunities, not seen by others. As an example we have pretty efficient sobriety meals here (which naturally frees the body of alcohol effect in a few minutes), which could be useful in Thailand (unresponsible tourist and ansians that culturally do not have experience with alcohol which must cause dangerous effects). If I move to Thailand some day (chance 0.5%, but "never say never"), I'd surely open a sobriety restaurant.

Right now I am digging the field of my own small business, and enjoy working together with people around the globe (at present germans, russians, 2 english, several americans, one from Singaphore). There are some missunderstandings and confusion with the timezones, yes (and we try to look at them as funny). But generally we exchange lots of ideas, knowledge, experience, find good oppertunities and we feel good teamed that way.

[reervieltnope]

Excellent question spot!

Even though I do have a Thai wife, that's not the reason, maybe more the result of. When I reflect on the question it seems like my life, unbeknownst to me, was heading in that direction. My second morning in Bkk, after sleeping off my jet lag, I walked out on the street and BAM! I knew where I belonged. My second visit to Thailand when I was staying at a Wat in Thon Buri one of the monks suggested that I may have been a monk in a past life. I assured him that I was probably not, but very likely a Thai. That seemed to please him even more.

[DownloadMan]

^^Well if thats the case, I sure will not have you do any grunt work if you ever make it to my house for a visit.

in a past life. I assured him that I was probably not, but very likely a Thai.