Culture shock - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Adjustment phase
Again, after some time (usually 6 to 12 months), one grows accustomed to the new culture and develops routines.
I think Thailand works in reverse. For the first 6 - 12 months it's like an adult Disneyland. After the high wears off you start to see things for what they are.
One of the things that makes Thailand very different for western people going there is that the culture is so radically different than we're used to. So, in the beginning you tend to just accept that this or that is the way they do things.
Part of it is because in Thailand, everything is very shallow. Everything in Thailand is done for appearance. They call it "gaining face."
So, everything has a public facade which is meant to be charming, beautiful, and pleasant. But only after you've been there awhile do you see the cracks and you peel back the facade and see what's behind.
For instance, a very common saying in Thailand amongst expats is, "Behind the Thai smile are some very sharp fangs."
Thais smile constantly. That leads many people to believe that they're happy or that they're pleasant to be around. But that sweet smiling person could be plotting to rip you off or may loathe your very existence on this planet.
Or you see these beautiful buildings with every modern fixture and convenience and two years later the building is falling apart because the developers used shoddy materials.
But for the first 6 -12 months you don't see any of that. You haven't had someone who you thought was a friend rip you off yet. You haven't purchased something and had it fall apart yet. During your break-in period, you only see the facade.
I was going to Thailand 2 or 3 times a year for nearly 7 years before I moved there and I thought I knew Thailand and Thai culture. But it wasn't until I moved there that it really hit me in the face. Fortunately, because I was already pretty familiar with Thai culture, my learning curve was flattened significantly but I still found myself shaking my head at times.
Thus why I recommend Thailand as a vacation destination but caution people not to move there until they really, really, really understand Thai culture.