In tourism Thailand–from the grimes of Kao Sarn road to the sleeze of Patpong, Pattaya  and Patong–you’re certain to run into public drunks staggering around with an open bottle in hand. Foreign holidayers and some misguided expats have mistaken the streets of Thailand for some hippie festival–a 365 day/24 hour party. Mindful locals and expats who have either inherited wise common sense or have earned it with a hard lesson of bad experience know better. Every now and then, an incident happens which reminds us of what not to do. The following report is of a Thai who had to fatally learn the hard way. Unfortunately for him, there will be no second chance.

At roughly 9.00 p.m. on Thursday, February 4, 2010, the local Samut Prakarn corpse collectors came to sweep up the remains of 27 year old Yasothorn province native, Swai Deeduangpun, found on the side of the street, about 800 meters away from Lumsing restaurant located on Nikom Utsagum road of Bangplee district.

Emergency volunteers and police found the lifeless Swai face down, wearing blue jeans, black tee-shirt and sandals–his head in a pool of blood accounted to three head gashes. Next to his corpse was the assumed murder weapon: a meter long wooden club stained with blood.

Witnesses claim that the culprits were two teenage males; moments prior to the fatal beating, an obnoxious and intoxicated Swai was said to have been mocking the live singer of the restaurant as he passed by. The unidentified thugs are at large and being sought by authorities. It is presumed but yet unverified that the attackers’ motives were in retaliation to the victim’s offensive, public intoxicated-fueled behavior, particularly frowned on throughout the bulk of Thailand, if not the rest of Asia and the world.

Following is transcription of the news source in Thai language gleamed from Thairath Newspaper :

หนุ่มยโสธรปากพาซวย เมาปลิ้นผ่านหน้าร้านลำซิ่งย่านบางพลี ตะโกนแซวนักร้อง ถูกกลุ่มวัยรุ่นรุมตีดับอนาถ เบื้องต้น ตร.คาดเกิดจากปากหาเรื่อง -กวนบาทาแก๊งโจ๋ …

เมื่อเวลา 21.00 น. 4 ก.พ. ร.ต.ท.วิสูตร เกื้อกูล ร้อยเวร สภ.บางเสาธง สมุทรปราการ รับแจ้งเหตุฆ่ากันตาย บริเวณริมถนน นิคมอุตสาหกรรมเมืองใหม่บางพลี ม.1ต.บางเสาธง อ.บางเสาธง สมุทรปราการ จึงเดินทางไปสอบสวนพร้อมด้วย พ.ต.อ.ปราศรัย จิตตสนธิ ผกก. แทย์เวร ร.พ.บางพลี และมูลนิธิร่วมกตัญญู

ที่เกิดเหตุพบผู้เสีย ชีวิตเป็นชายนุ่งกางเกงยีนส์สีน้ำเงินสวมเสื้อยืดสีดำ รองเท้าแตะ นอนคว่ำหน้า ที่ศีรษะ มีแผละแตกถูกตีด้วยของแข็ง จำนวน 3 แผล และข้างศพพบไม้หน้าสาม ยาวประมาณ 1 เมตร เปื้อนเลือด ตกอยู่ 1 ท่อน จึงเก็บไว้เป็นหลักฐาน ทราบชื่อผู้ตายคือ นายไสว ดีดวงพันธ์ อายุ 27 ปี อยู่บ้านเลขที่ 152 ม.5 ต.โคกสำราญ อ.เลิงนกทา จ.ยโสธร

จากการสอบ สวนทราบว่าก่อนเกิดเหตุมีผู้พบเห็นผู้ตายเดินผ่านร้านอาหารชื่อ ลำซิ่ง ภายในเคหะเมืองใหม่บางพลีห่างจากจุดพบศพ ประมาณ 800เมตร โดยขณะที่ผู้ตายเดินผ่านร้านดังกล่าวในสภาพเมา ได้ตะโกนแซวนักร้องที่กำลังร้องเพลง จากนั้นสักครู่พอผู้ตายได้เดินมาถึงจุดเกิดเหตุมีชายวัยรุ่น 2 คนตรงเข้าไปใช้ไม่ช้รุมตีจนแน่นิ่ง แล้ววิ่งหลบหนีไป

พ.ต.อ. ปราศรัย กล่าวว่า การเกิดเหตุนี้อาจเป็นไปได้ว่าผู้ตายเมาแล้วอาจไปแซวหาเรื่องกลุ่ม วัยรุ่นหรืออาจกระทบกระทั่งกับวัยรุ่นละแวกดังกล่าว หรือประเด็นแซวนักร้องร้านอาหารก็เป็นได้ ซึ่งได้ให้ชุดสืบสวนติดตามหาตัวคนร้ายมาดำเนินคดีต่อไป.

Is self more important than society? In regards to intercultural studies amidst the age of globalization, this is perhaps the most commonly addressed question. Last summer, I traveled to the United States, having the opportunity to work at a popular amusement park in Vallejo, just outside of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Area in Northern California. The pace and style of life over there was all new to me, much different to what I was used to in Bangkok. During this brief yet enlightening experience living and working overseas, I gained valuable insights about not only American culture, but my own Thai background in comparison. Here I present a narrative of my experience, highlighting the manifestation of the cultural values of individualism apparent in the US, contrasted with collectivism in Thailand, respectfully.

            The first week working overseas was terrifying and full of culture shock. As an employee at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom assigned to operate rides, I was bestowed the important task to greet park guests with a welcoming spech. It was hard enough adapting and orientating myself as it was, now I was ever nervous to have all eyes and ears on me right from the start.  Considering the fact that English is my second language, I was quite intimidated and insecure about public speaking to a bunch of strangers. Despite expressing doubts and concerns to my co-workers and supervisor, I received no encouragement or support. “Just don’t complain and do it!” they would say. Everyone was so occupied with their own individual tasks, they couldn’t be bothered assisting me.

If anything, my American co-workers were openly critical of me. On the job and at day’s end meeting, I received negative feedback from my supervisor. These comments were often overt, humiliating, and embarrassing as they were said to me in front of other co-workers and even guests waiting in line. “Miss Pornpetcharee, could you speed up your pace and be more energetic while you are working? Even little kids can work faster than you!” my superior would scold as frowning and giggling faces looked on.

As time moved on, adapting to American society didn’t get easier. USA was not all I expected it to be. I found myself making false assumptions about people and situations, which led to frequent missed expectations and constant frustration. One night after work, for example, I joined some colleagues to go downtown for ice cream. At the ice cream parlor, I was hesitant to order when my friends asked me what I wanted. My friends were all eager to order, but I suddenly had an incoming call from Thailand. I deferred my choice, excusing myself so I could briefly catch up with my mother.

By the time I got off the phone, everyone was seated, enjoying their ice cream. Sitting next to one of my friends, I grabbed a spoon and helped myself to a bite of her strawberry sherbet delight. Suddenly, my friend became enraged, yelling at me in front of everyone, “I already asked you if you wanted anything, which you chose not to order, and now you’re eating my ice cream!” Again, I was embarrassed and ever frustrated; I slowly exited the silenced parlor, nostalgic and homesick.

The shock, embarrassment and humiliation I felt that tough summer coerced me to reflect and contrast my previous experiences in my own culture. Particularly, an internship I did for an advertising firm in Thailand comes to mind. Similar to the US, everyone in the company had specific tasks they were individually responsible for. However, in Thailand, team work and collective cooperation was emphasized more as the status quo. If by the end of the day, for example, an individual struggled to complete his/her tasks, coworkers were more willing to assist and contribute, collectively supportive so that work was always finished as a team. If one of us ever lagged, the whole group was affected and thus was apt to pick up slack when/where needed. No matter what their individual responsibilities, co workers were approachable and willing to assist even if it wasn’t convenient for them.

During my internship at the Thai advertising firm, I observed that management style also differed from the explicit standard I experienced in the US. For instance, there was one time which I made a mistake by sending the wrong document to a client. Rather than call me out in the open like the American boss, my Thai supervisor pulled me aside to address the issue in private. Any time there was an issue, the Thai boss and colleagues preferred to handle it covertly, avoiding open confrontations which might lead to loss of face. 

Finally, in Thailand sharing food with friends and family is the norm, compared to the US where I had to learn the hard way. Whether eating out or at home, eating from another’s plate or bowl would not raise any frowns in Thailand—in fact is more common to order communal dishes where everyone shares, as opposed to US where everyone typically orders only for themselves. I have observed this phenomenon one recent occasion in Thailand in which two American friends joined my Thai friends and I for dinner.

As is the norm when eating out in Thailand, we ordered several dishes to share, but noticed our American friends were reluctant to eat communally, instead ordering separate dishes. When it was time to pay the check, we were surprised that they’d been keeping exact count of the bottles of beer they’d each drunken, requesting two separate bills, which confused matters with the waiter who’d been keeping everything on one bill. The matter complicated even further when the Americans refused to let my Thai friend treat and settle a single bill, insisting that the waiter bring three bills. Eventually, the bills were separated and settled with my Thai friends and waiter left scratching their heads.

  Arising from these experiences, observations, and reflections are several questions. First, why were my American colleagues and supervisor unsympathetic to my language disparity, unwilling to offer assistance or support, considering any adverse consequences of an inefficient job would ultimately affect the entire firm? Second, why was I so sensitive to the criticism I received from my American supervisor, colleagues and friends, even though I had received criticism many times in the past. Finally, why did my American friend become so angry when I took a bite of her ice cream?

Being that the United States is considered the most individualistic county, we can broadly assume that the cultural values there give strong preference to “self goals” over that of “group goals.” This assumption would explain particular behavior I observed in my American colleges and peers at the amusement park, ice cream parlor and restaurant. While Americans are concerned with ‘standing out,’ being ‘self sufficient,’ and ‘independent, Thais like myself raised in a predominately collectivist culture are taught to ‘blend in,’ live in ‘social harmony,’ and be ‘interdependent.’

The frustration I experienced when my colleagues wouldn’t assist me in my struggling first week can be traced to my own missed expectations. According to Hall (1976, p. 98), “…people in high-context systems expect more of others than do the participants in low-context systems.” From my background of high-context Thai culture, indeed my orientation was/is of a collectivist nature, giving recipe for culture shock upon interaction with the individualistic orientation of Americans. I initially assumed and expected that my American colleagues should and would assist me for the sake of the entire staff and firm, while their expectations of me were that I should be able to adapt on my own, reflecting the individualistic orientation towards independence and self-sufficiency.

When my American supervisor overtly criticized me in front of others, it is clear that he was coming from an individualist, low-context orientation, where it is not acceptable to ‘beat around the bush,’ (Levine 1985 p 28) but rather ‘get to the point,’ being direct and clear as possible, whatever the consequences e.g. my humility. In comparison, my Thai supervisor, from a collective, high-context orientation was covert and discrete in approaching me, sensitive to humility and thus avoiding an open confrontation and maintaining social harmony.

Finally, keeping in mind orientation of the individual versus the group, it is now easier to make sense of my observations of Americans in regards to the ice cream incident in the US and dining out in Thailand. Reasoning that individualists strive towards self awareness (e.g. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs) through self-serving behavior, we must assume that there is less concern for communal worth as is valued by collectivists. Perhaps ecological factors play role. With the US being overall more an affluent and industrial society than predominately agricultural Thailand, communal behavior patterns are more common in the latter, less the norm in the former.

In conclusion, let us refer back to the opening question in the first paragraph: Is self more important than society? Obviously, for collectivist cultures, society is more important while for individualist cultures, it is self. As we have seen, however, there is no clear cut line to divide all individuals, groups, cultures, and societies absolutely one way or the other. As society becomes more and more global, the boundaries of culture continue to blur, blending various values and norms into a dynamic bowl of diversity. It is essential to study and internalize the various ingredients of the intercultural recipe so we can eliminate ignorance and avoid unnecessary miscommunications and misunderstandings. And thus, both self and society are equally important. Depending on the context, the challenge then lies in finding and maintaining an appropriate equilibrium.

While arguably an initiative for some consumers to start developing a sense for reusing, revenue seeking fractions of such two-fold environmentally capitalizing legislation is only starting to tap the tip of this iceberg’s much larger problem. Even more worrisome and urgent than retail packaging waste is an over-neglected burden of food packaging.

Walk into a 7-11, Family Mart, 108 Shop, or any other mini mart or supermarket in any part of the country, and the only way you won’t walk out without at least one bag, no matter how small your purchase was, e.g. a pack of gum, bag of chips-crisps, etc., is if you outright declare to the clerk, “No bag, please! Mai Tawng Sai Tung krup (ka)! ไม่ต้องใส่ถุงครับ (ค่ะ)”

Problem-Solution partially addressed: All globally conscious citizens must cut back on if not eliminate altogether the unnecessary consumption of products and places which require unnecessary single use of plastic bags, straws, condiments, Styrofoam and other non-recyclable wrappings. This could either mean reduce if not stop buying certain unnecessary products, or carrying purchased items in your own pocket or reusable bag-container. The golden R rule: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

In Thailand–a country which streets’ produce tons of mouthwatering, richly spiced and flavored take-home-friendly dishes–tons of single use plastic bags and styrofoam trays and containers are distributed to the masses who leave the burden of wet left-overs of non (contaminating) degradables: Rice, Soups, Curries, Salads, Stir-fried, Sauces, and meats galore all too often wrapped and packed in styrofoam containers and/or double and triple bagged for single consumption by negligent, unconscious and irresponsible citizens on an hourly and daily basis, 365.25 days a year.

The result is unarguably the unjust hampering of environment quality of present and future generations as contaminating land fills expand beyond an acceptable level of any sanitized civility.

In proactive response to the Plastic and Styrofoam Packaging Promotion Problem that many under-civilized parts of the globe are infected with, it finally became time for the original Siamerican, Jao Moragoat to take his own initiative and buy a portable food storing case in aim to reduce personal consumption waste production of one-time-use non-recyclable food wrappings.

Basically a fresh food lunch-box, costing a mere 100 Baht a Tesco Lotus, (about three $USD) not exactly as mesmerizing as the Ghostbusters Lunchbox he had back in elementary school, however rightfully will serve it’s purpose nonetheless.
Interesting enough in Thailand, the traditional way of keeping and containing mobile food is in banana leave wraps and stainless steel containers called Pin-To, mostly only used now by hardcore traditionalists and monks alike. The mass of modern society has become lazy with the advent of mass production-consumption, and its time we use technology to reverse the adverse effects of development and modernization.

In conclusion, the simple reality is we need to stop this lazy chaos of contaminating convenience which has taken over every day life of society! It’s a big problem and action must start immediately from the decree of top of government down to instilled and conscious habits of ordinary individual citizens like you and me. Take this entry as an inspiration, influence and model of yet another simple solution to one of many of this world’s problems.

As local unemployment rates continue to surge, a window of opportunity is glowing just beyond the horizon. What next, how to get there and grasp it? First, you’ll have to decide which country is right for you. Unless you’re equipped with all the legitimate credentials (continue reading for specifics), you will likely be required to travel on your own expenses before you can guarantee employment, meaning you’ll need an initial savings base to cover your plane ticket and living until you receive that first salary. Depending where you’ll venture to, the initial necessary sum will vary. In Thailand, for example, 1000 USD is more than enough to live like a king-queen for a month, or like a local for six months.

The most demanding choices for ESL/EFL teachers are part-time and full-time gigs at public & private schools and institutes across Asia & the Middle East, Eastern & Southern Europe, and Central America, e.g. Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, China, Dubai, Vietnam, Mexico, and Spain will be where the mass of ESL-EFL jobs are.

If you haven’t got a clue where you’d like to go, the best starting point would be to browse global job announcements on one of the links below to get an idea of what the current demand entails. Personalized research of the preferred countries should accompany this preliminary stage. You shouldn’t focus on the raw salaries alone, but take into account other critical lifestyle and quality of life factors.

Do you want to earn more in a cold or desolate country like Korea or Dubai, only to spend all your savings on frequent sanity seeking Southeast Asian holidays? Some of the second and third world options in China, Thailand and Vietnam for example, may pay less, but offer more in terms of living standard.

Once you’ve narrowed your choice to a particular country, it would be wise to establish a practical plan to obtain legit credentials that will satisfy employers and officials abroad. Aside from the basic secondary level diploma, most employment opportunities for language teachers require a standard minimal of a university degree and teaching certificate, particularly for legal paperwork & processes.

Basically, this means that if you can’t provide both a verifiable legit degree and teaching certificate, you won’t likely work legally (at least not without extraordinary perseverance), bringing those that apply into an under-the-table world of visa runs and border hopping. As the demand for your teaching hand is grand, it is possible to get a sufficing teaching job abroad without one or the other fundamental credentials. Short term is seemingly not so bad, but the long haul is something one must consider if they plan on being a permanent teacher.

Previous relevant experience proves advantageous, but not necessarily an impermeable barrier initially. For newcomers, it is recommended that you consider fundamental teaching accreditation, e.g. TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) TOESL (Teaching others English as a Second Language) TOEFL (Teaching Others English as Foreign Language), and CELTA (Certification of English Language Teaching to Adults).

The differences in variations of these legitimate English language transferor credentials are marginal at best. If anything, they will give you ample preparation of what you will be doing once you land a paid gig. In choosing the course, one has to use personal discretion taking into account their personal short and long term goals. The typical routes are either to save up enough to do a course locally, before traveling abroad e.g. at the local community college or university, or to choose a more affordable alternative course in their target destination. If it’s the latter, be sure to check whether the destination country’s respective ministry of education accepts and approves of the certifiers’ accreditation.

The good news is this field of specialization offers many channels and alternatives, allowing one to obtain teaching certification intensively i.e. two weeks to a month, or spread out over evenings and weekends, allowing diligent subjects to work and gain experience all the while advancing their future career prospects. The benefit of being abroad is having access to first world services e.g. medical, leisure, and education at third world costs. With the manifestation of ICT globally, remotely obtaining accreditation is yet another convenient route, making a Post Secondary Degree abroad definitely a viable option for many.

Once you’ve sorted out your strategy and plan, it’s finally time to get working on your Cover Email-Introduction complete with CRV and professional-presentable picture, which should aim at establishing the initial interview with several potential employees. Simply, you’ve got to do your homework before you can give it.

Perhaps this applies directly to you? Don’t reserve your copy of ‘Slangin’ Rocks for Beginners’ guide just yet, there is still light in more prestigious fields of work. In fact there is more than enough demand and necessity for white collared workers regardless of any economic crisis the news was babbling about. This Crisis’ Cure has come!

If you don’t like your prospects as an independent writer, how about becoming a teacher? After all, it is a career considered immune to defunct economies. Whatever the state of a slumping and staggering economy, the fact is humans still got to speak, read, learn, and learn how to speak and read. In any post-modern society, there will always exist an affluent foundation supporting the demand for language transferors.

The idea of becoming a language teacher turns off most blue-non collared or even supposed ‘realistic’ folks at first. Aside from having to gain post-secondary qualifications, such authority and prestige that comes with teaching our birth earned skill of communication can be frightening for many: Putting up with and managing discipline lacking kids, comprehending and conducting complex curriculums, and organizing the respective lesson plans can seem like quite daunting tasks at first thought.

Depending on how bad you’re itching to earn, ‘teaching’ is not such an unfeasible reality to entertain. Okay, so homeroom teacher at your childhood elementary school is definitely going to require time (and ultimately money) before you’d even get your foot in the door. If one could actually afford first-world-higher-learning tuitions, they wouldn’t likely be as needy as the one who’s gotten this far in this article.

What? (Some of) You don’t have a University Degree or any pertinent post-secondary credential for that matter—don’t relinquish hope just yet. First consider these questions:

1. Did you at least complete your high school education?
2. Are you a respectable and moral adult (at least 18, ideally post 20) who maintains some form of an ethical code?
3. Are you a native speaking English speaker from US, UK, EU, CA, AU, NZ, or SA?
4. Do you excel in and/or enjoy interpersonal communications, particularly public speaking?
5. Do you value intercultural sensitivity, possessing some language aptitude?
6. Do you seek to stimulate and stretch your physical, emotional, intellectual and social quotients?
7. Are you willing to be an unstably mobile visitor in a foreign, exotic second or third world country for at least a year and then some, knowing that at the end of it all, you may be back to square one with only the addition of hard earned experience behind you?

If your answer was yes to most if not all such questions, then you are an ideal candidate to consider becoming an ESL (English as a Second Language) or EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teacher abroad. Continue to the next part

The following essay was initially completed for a College Writing Composition and Theory essay assignment at Bangkok University International College:

Amazing Thailand, the Land of Smiles—such is the tone of promotional brands for the place I have called home for some seven years. Long before I ever stepped foot in Southeast Asia–for as long as I can remember–Thailand has carried appeal and charm abreast my youthful psyche. In the days as a young and curious boy growing up in/ around Denver, Colorado, I would indulge in Southeast Asia picture and geography books for hours at a time, day dreaming about a distant yet ever so familiar paradise out yonder the great Ocean; A dream land that would eventually become reality.

Entering adult-hood physically and legally in my long-anticipated dream land, the motherland of many of my ancestors, present reality concurs with fruitful visions of days past: Thailand truly is an amazing country that regularly brings a smile to my face. Depending on one’s mindset, it can be the absolute worst and best place to be living, but for the most part, it falls somewhere in between. Thus, it is a complicated task in defining the ‘best’ and ‘worst’ aspects of living in Thailand—at least to be universal for everyone, for my experiences and impressions may not be in sync with others. Nevertheless, a reckonable attempt to do so is as follows.

Personally, my favorite, yet at the same time, least favorite aspect of living in Thailand is the fact that I’m always immersed in a rich-yet-poor, cognitive-yet-idiotic, detailed-yet-broad, lax-yet-strict, hot-yet-wet, logical-yet-illogical and predictable-yet-surprising culture and society that one can never seem to get two full grasps of understanding on.

As mesmerized foreigners, we yearn for another piece of the sweet pie, for it’s so easy to fall in love in Thailand—whether being with people, sounds, attitudes, food, fashion, language, art, or whatever else it is that draws us to this enchanted place, there is an abundance of love and life to be embraced, if only one maintains an open mind and heart.

Yet as soon as we think we have had our filling, the whole world comes crumbling down–hungry eyes staring down on an empty plate; Just when you think you know what Thailand’s all about, reality finds a way to knock you upside the head and convey that you actually know nothing at all. While such phenomenon reassures one that he or she truly is an alive and evolving human being, it can also be a de-heartening reality to cope with at certain times, particularly when the cloud of homesickness engulfs in the initial years of Thailand assimilation.

With persistence and perserverence, eventually, the sky clears, and ‘home’ becomes a blurred reality in the waves of sub-consciousness: Time marches on. Some move on, others continue to stay. Those who have stayed have accepted that they can only ascend baby steps at a time, yet must be prepared for the major falls that are most guaranteed.

For tripping and falling are eminent catalysts for ultimately striving to summit the seemingly unconquerable mountain of Thailand. Anyone who spends a considerable amount of time in the country is shocked when LOS takes on a new meaning: The Land Of Surprises. While tourists and guidebooks charm curious minds about simplicity and happiness every where one turns, an accustomed and convicted eye eventually begins to scope out the intricate layers beyond the smile, and suddenly, reality makes a quantum jump; What one once believed to be beautiful, becomes ugly, and visa versa—what once was knowledge becomes confusion, what once drained, energizes, and so on.

Being a proud Thai American who strives to harness minimal complaint about my motherland, my position and filter for Thailand is clearly biased. However, there is some universal wisdom to be found in what is attempted to being conveyed in this short essay. Our reality is what we make of it. What may be wonderful for some turns out to be horrible for others. In Thailand, this fact is no exception.