Top 10 Things We Can Learn From Thailand

  Oh yes, you read that right! Thais always use the so-called "bum gun" when they go to the toilet - a small, low-pressure hose found on literally every toilet. Strange as it may seem at first, it inevitably means that Thai bottoms are simply always cleaner than most Western ones. After all, they always give their behind a proper rinse... This isn't just far more hygienic, it's also very practical! Once you're used to it, you won't want to miss it! Recommendation: Give it a try!     It's honestly astonishing how resourceful Thais can be. Problems that would first be thoroughly analysed over hours or even days back home are instead tackled right away in Thailand, rather than needlessly overcomplicating the solution. Want to load a heavy scooter onto a transfer boat from Koh Samui to Koh Phangan, even though the jetty and the boat are only "connected" by a rickety 6-7 metre long (40-50 centimetre wide) wooden plank? Easy for a Thai! He simply hops straight onto the scooter, gives it a bit of throttle, and zips across the plank onto the boat, job done! Many Western visitors, on the other hand, would still be standing there in disbelief... Recommendation: Whether it's quick or complicated, the result is what counts and is the same either way! Don't overcomplicate everything!   This one doesn't need much explaining! Thai mobile internet is significantly better than what many Western visitors are used to back home, in EVERY RESPECT! To be more precise: mobile coverage in plenty of Western countries is, by comparison, downright abysmal! Why?! Nobody can answer that... Even in the most remote spots, mountains, islands, and jungles around the Gulf of Thailand, the mobile network in particular is simply amazing! If you ever do run into reception problems, say on a WhatsApp call, it's guaranteed to be down to the patchy network back home! Recommendation: Enjoy the Thai network while you can :D And give your home country's telecoms providers hell so they finally get their act together! It really shouldn't be the case that so many wealthy, technologically advanced Western nations still have such a poorly built-out mobile network...   It's something of a mystery why Thais look so remarkably young... It's practically the rule that foreigners guess a Thai person's age 10-15 years, or even more, younger than it actually is. There are surely many reasons for this... Less stress, the sun, the air, genetics, and so on. AND the food! Thai cuisine is considered one of the best in the world, and for good reason! It's not only incredibly varied, but also remarkably healthy! Very low in calories, very low in salt, very fresh, and packed with vitamins and micronutrients. Western food, on the other hand... well... it shouldn't surprise anyone that it produces far more overweight. Recommendation: Eat more Thai, or Asian food in general!   Laws only make sense if they're actually followed! Absolutely correct. But... given the sheer number of laws that have to be observed every day in many Western countries, some of which needlessly complicate or regulate even the smallest triviality, a healthy understanding towards one's fellow human beings should, wherever possible, still win out. This happens far more often in Thailand than in many Western countries! Here, the law is quite happily set aside out of consideration for the other person. And the resulting consequence for society? None! Listing examples here would go too far... If you're curious, just drop us a comment on our Facebook page! Recommendation: Be less rigid about the rules - after all, we're human beings, not machines!  

The best tours on Koh Samui Explore now

  Wasn't there something else? Isn't there still something to deal with? Hey... Can't that just not matter for once!? One of the main reasons behind the Thais' famous smile is their constant respect for the moment - for the here and now! A Thai doesn't let themselves be affected by problems that have already happened or that might still come. What would be the point? Both only distract from the present, after all! Recommendation: Just take a breath, ignore the past and the future, and enjoy the moment! Live for today more often!   Full stop. Many Western visitors can relate to this one very well! A stereotype that often holds true. Thais, in turn, don't waste their time pointlessly complaining about things they can't change anyway. What would be the point? After all, that just leads to far more stress! Our recommendation: Complain a lot less!   Western helpfulness, compared to Thai helpfulness, is often best described with the words "elbow society vs. embrace society". Keyword: karma! Thanks to Buddhism, selfless helpfulness towards one's fellow human beings is a firmly embedded part of the cultural mentality in Thailand. Borrow a scooter? Borrow a car? Borrow money? Borrow a house?? Even something as small as borrowing someone's smartphone... Just try it yourself! Ask passers-by back home if you could quickly use their phone, and compare that to doing the same in Thailand! You'll be amazed! (It might get stolen, after all :D) Recommendation: Don't always be so sceptical! Karma is based on logic! If EVERYONE helps each other, then EVERYONE receives help!   Working to live, instead of living to work! This contrast describes one of the biggest differences between the two cultures. Secure provision for old age is a central part of the mentality in many Western countries, which means that a person's job and the work that comes with it take up a very important part of life. The future matters! And of course Thais worry about their future too, logically, yet unlike many Westerners, they know how to enjoy their daily life far more! Even though they often have to work considerably more hours per week, and typically only get one day off a week, they'll still meet up with friends after an already common 12-hour workday to have fun late into the night! Despite having to get up early again the next working day. And honestly, why not? Having to sit at home from Monday to Friday? A Thai person would go crazy... Recommendation: Put work in its place within your life, instead of putting your life in service of your work! Be (more) spontaneous and make far more use of your free time after work than is usual back home! You only live once, after all!     It's honestly shocking how different the everyday smile of a Thai is from what many of us are used to back home! You realise it the moment you land back home, wherever that may be, after a trip to Thailand! You could be forgiven for thinking you see nothing but drooping, almost depressed-looking faces, all radiating unhappiness. But whether it's the bakery in the morning, the hairdresser, the checkout at the supermarket, the waiter in a restaurant, or especially a visit to a government office - wherever you go... many of us, compared directly to Thais, practically never smile! And yet the boost of energy you get every day from a Thai person's smile, say when buying your morning coffee at Café Amazon, can be so wonderfully motivating! You soak up the smile and, in equal measure, radiate it back out into the world. Sadly a rare thing back home. Recommendation: Smile and laugh more! It's good for you and for the people around you!