Sanuk, having fun the Thai way
Dancing in the street is Sanuk
tourists who Thailand visits are usually very positive about the Thai people. They are polite, nice and cheerful, you often hear. In part, this can be traced back to culture.
Thai consider it important to maintain social harmony and therefore they avoid conflicts. Thais consider getting angry or yelling a loss of face. That means that they must also always show self-control. To find an outlet for all those pent-up emotions, everything is about having fun and having fun, or 'Sanuk' (Thai: ◦สนุก).
Sanuk, have fun
The word 'Sanuk' means to have a good time, to enjoy something. But also to derive pleasure and joy from something you are doing. Thai like to have fun. Partying, gossiping, going to the cinema, eating out, picnicking and making music are synonymous with 'Sanuk'.
It's almost a way of life for Thai people and it goes beyond just a good mood and a friendly smile.
Thai fun
Together with others
Thai people believe that you should always have fun with others. You have fun with a group, for example with friends, colleagues, neighbours, fellow villagers and family. Eating together, going out together and having 'Sanuk' together. Having fun can be quite simple. Loud music, lemonade, beer and ice cubes are enough for many Sanuk.
Work must also be Sanuk
The work ethic of a Thai is quite different from what we are used to in the West. Chasing a career and neglecting your social life is not an option for a Thai. Your social life is more important than your work and should not be ignored. Thais also try not to worry at work, stress is not common in a Thai's working life.
Despite this, most Thai are not lazy and do their job well and efficiently. Thai products are also of good quality. The work should be fun and also have sufficient social aspects. So there should always be space and time to have fun. When a Thai comes home from work, his environment usually asks, “Did you have fun?” (สนุกไหม) instead of “Did you work well?”
About this blogger
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Known as Khun Peter (62), lives alternately in Apeldoorn and Pattaya. In a relationship with Kanchana for 14 years. Not yet retired, have my own company, something with insurance. Crazy about animals, especially dogs and a lover of good music.
Enough hobbies, but unfortunately little time: writing for Thailandblog, fitness, health and nutrition, shooting sports, chatting with friends and some other oddities.
My motto: "Don't worry too much, others will do that for you."
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'Nevertheless, most Thai people are not lazy and they do their job well and efficiently.' For a moment I thought I had accidentally stumbled upon the sarcastic website 'Not the Nation', but no, it's in English. It's really there. No typo. No idea how this claim ended up in the otherwise correct article.
I work in the management of a Thai company, and on my first day at work my Thai(!) boss said to me: 'I have to warn you, the Thais are lazy and unprofessional. Good luck with it!'
In fact, most tourists only come into contact with working Thais in shops, hotels (usually owned by non-Thai) and catering establishments (often owned by non-Thai), where the service is indeed often efficient (for standard business - if you have a intelligent question, a problem or a special request, it quickly becomes difficult). Perhaps the above characterization is based on this.
Mind you, I'm not complaining at all. I love working with Thais, and I really see it as a fun challenge to get certain things done here. Sense of humor is extremely important, whining and getting angry are counterproductive. But the above quoted statement misses the mark so badly that I still wanted to respond.
There are plenty of Thai ie hard work, think of farmers. Some Thais work two or three jobs to earn an acceptable monthly income. Thai women also work hard. I don't think Thai are lazy, just a different work ethic. That means fun. Not as twisted as in the West. It's just what yardstick you put next to it.
Don't forget that the Dutch work relatively few hours, but have the highest productivity. Comparing the Dutch with Thais is therefore apples and oranges.
Dear Peter, my frame of reference is really bigger than the Netherlands alone; I have worked in more than 40 different countries. I am not comparing Thai with Dutch here. I compare Thai with at least 39 other nationalities. And just take it from me that the word efficient in Thailand does not apply. Independent of yardstick. 😉
Okay, but I was mainly responding to being lazy. Efficiency is another point. This has to do with the ability to solve problems independently and structure. Can you expect that from a Thai? I mean when you consider the quality of education.
The ability of the Dutch to work efficiently, isn't that something that fits in with our culture? I am thinking of our independence in acting and thinking. Your own opinion is encouraged by us. A Thai is rude when he.she has an opinion of his own.
Good quality Thai products? It often leaves much to be desired. And going back to the store with the receipt is considered highly unusual. Have gone back three times now with a leaking tire, but still have to pay every time, even if the tire is not properly glued. Online service from companies such as telecommunications and banks is extremely poor and asking for answers by telephone is often unsuccessful. The quality of internet connections is far below par, but at Western prices. Logistics in stores is usually absent. You only order when the box is empty. The average Thai protects himself against attacks on his own faults with :Mai pen Rai…
Yeah, funny, huh? You can be annoyed by it, but it always makes me laugh out loud. “This is Thailand, man!
Is everything so well organized in the Netherlands? You also know those horror stories of call centers, for example!
Yes Bert, it's very funny. TIT, I know that too and in the Netherlands it is not all that well organized. Although we have Youp van 't Hek there who manages to bring the call centers to their knees. I don't see that happening anytime soon here.
No, that's right, we don't have one Joep here, but if you see the many comments on this blog, there are plenty of jokes with which you can make a (bad) evening-filling cabaret program.
For all those complainers I would like to refer to the article This is Thailand, which is just mentioned under the heading Twitters. Beautifully described!!!
I've read it, I agree. But I don't live in Thailand.
On the other hand, I can also imagine that it sometimes drives you crazy. Especially that indifference. Isn't it something that we find objectionable from our culture.
If you mastered the Thai language, I think you would be shocked how Thai people talk and think about farang.
They don't have a warranty in Thailand. Although the manufacturers do give it to the resellers, but they hardly pass it on to the customers. You are just annoying and annoying if you come back 3 x with the same problem.
No, I don't find it funny at all.
Just spoke to a friend of mine who is bringing his 300k+ motorcycle in for service. They put too much oil in it. “If the sight glass is completely full then it is good” …. No fag turd if the oil level is at the MAX line!
Funny? No, we are talking about an official motorcycle dealer who does sell a motorcycle for 300.000 Thai baht.
Too much oil can blow out the oil seals at high speed. That's not funny.
Why do you think there will never be a Thai on the moon? Or a real invention will do? Oh mai pen rai. Sanook. That is why Thailand is flooded every year when it starts to rain and when it stops raining everything dies because there is no water. Mai pen rai.
Chang Noi
Completely agree with the above responses.
Just buy a new house, it's no good but it looks nice.
They also love fountains, but they are always broken.
I also have a new motorcycle, but even assembling it properly (with grease in the right places etc. is too difficult). The wheels weren't even nice and round but they had never heard of that until they saw it…then it was mai pen rai.
Just eat in a real Thai restaurant, so much goes wrong but yes just keep smiling. Or buy something made in Thailand, bet that it will be broken or will have defects.
Construction workers are the biggest dumbasses, never experienced anything like this. They are standing next to your brand new large TV with the grinder, grinding above your new tile floor and when you warn them about damage, they don't understand you...
I could go on for hours, but I would still like to live here. The price is usually also corresponding and otherwise you just have to go back to Europe and look at those grumpy heads.
When I read all this like this, I wonder what you are doing in Thailand.
Yes men I agree with you all and often go crazy with all those monkey ways especially when you see them working backwards. Unfortunately I don't know a better country to live in because it is ultimately about the pluses and minuses and I just got back from the Netherlands and then I don't dare to complain for the time being with all those exaggerated rules. My friend walked through a red pedestrian traffic light and saw no one at all and ran over. Uncle agent suddenly stood there and that cost 65 euros. Another friend did not have his waste bin on the right line and received 60 euros and so I also heard a lot of lamentation, which was more than justified. But there are those idiots everywhere who make the rules and let's just be glad they're still a little behind here or else the over-regulation would drive me crazy. But I also agree with everyone's complaint, but here are the most pluses and I can still swim every day with my kids and don't have to get a flu shot in that awful cold fucking country. Keep grumbling, because I do that too, but I certainly never want to go back to square one.
I assume all those who love Thailand (and certainly those who have moved there) have not opted for efficiency for this beautiful country and friendly people.
Not that everything is so well organized in the Netherlands, where is it?
The people who choose Thailand each have their own reasons for this.
Many similarities are: climate (weather), climate (financial), carefree life (for a farang), no rule-compulsion, and many other positive aspects.
For me, a few years ago on my first visit I fell in love with this great country for me, with the exception of the Isaan region I have traveled as good as Thailand from north to south.
Since I still have to work (still 4,5 years) I live in the Netherlands so I have to make do with my vacation days, I have already booked my tickets for the next trip (March '11)
And without money those Thais are of no use to you and me, right?
Of course money is the basis of a lot, but is that different in the Netherlands?
But the money still comes from the Netherlands, at least for the most part.
Amazing are all the responses I come across here and very generalizing! Thailand has many, as we call it, environments and I like it after my long experience
state that many poor Thai are lazy, correction, seem to be! And why is that? Apathetic to the never-ending struggle for survival, how many in the Netherlands have a burnout?
I also know many poor Thai who have 2,3 sometimes even 4 jobs and therefore have a slightly less poverty-stricken existence, think about this and then ask yourself how long you can keep that up? And yes SANUK if you have a hopeless existence then
do you take every chance to sit in a bit of cosiness right?
And yes, the finger is often pointed at the Isarn again, why not? Or there
only whores who are after a rich falang! Of course there are, but
how many millions of people live there? Stop generalizing, that's not worth this forum and the people who are committed to this!
What a response, I agree with Ferdinand: if it's all so bad in Thailand, why do you still live/come there.
Yes, there are fewer rules in Thailand and it is all less tightly coordinated. It's not all efficient, but one way or another it generally works.
Take food as an example: in general, food is not/sufficiently/poorly cooled and is fried in not very clean oil. Yet people are not dying in droves from food poisoning.
Just as well in traffic: there are rules, but they are taken with a grain of salt. And yet accidents don't happen every 10 meters, it regulates itself.
In an earlier article, recycling of empty bottles, etc. was discussed, which also largely regulates itself.
Here maybe a bit too many rules, in Thailand maybe a bit too few, the truth must be somewhere in the middle.
For the people who complain about Thai restaurants: no idea where you go to eat, but I rarely have problems in restaurants (in fact, only once and that was in a more or less well-known restaurant, which was mainly visited by tourists). My rule of thumb: eat where the Thai eat themselves, then it can hardly go wrong.