July 31st, 2006, 06:27
Thai Smiles
Scenario: A frustrated westerner is trying desperately to retrieve an international money transfer at a Thai bank. Unsure of the system employed to do such a transaction at the bank, the westerner asks multiple questions to a variety of people hoping to find a sympathetic ear and some common sense assistance. After being passed through nearly a dozen people and departments with no reasonable explanation of how to actually do the transaction, the exacerbated visitor displays a look of complete frustration and anger. The result: all 20 staff members smile peacefully amongst themselves and continue about their business.
How can this cultural phenomenon тАУ a daily occurrence in every corner of the Kingdom тАУ be logically explained?
Thailand has long been referred to as тАШThe Land of SmilesтАЩ by visitors from the west. Usually referring to ThaisтАЩ general sense of happiness and glee, Thais, perhaps more than any other people, have an uncanny knack for smiling in such instances as being in the face of adversity, tension or even danger. In addition, as many westerners point out, Thais seem to smile at unusual times during conversations and business dealings as well, such as the example cited above.
In Thailand smiling is a form of subtle interpersonal-messaging which runs deeper and perhaps more accurately than language or syntax. Investigation into this phenomena reveals that Thais are adept at performing no less than 13 situational-specific smiles in their everyday lives. In fact, most Thais can perform each smile upon request with flawless accuracy based solely on the commonly used name of each. In addition, Thais are experts at identifying the specific smiles they encounter, and are well aware of the inherent message behind each. 13 specific kinds of smiles? How could one possibly know the difference and know how to interpret each one? Many of the smiles that Thais perform are used to relieve tension, calm nerves, seek forgiveness or omission from distressing situations. The name of one particular smile, yim soo, translates as the тАЬsmiling in the face of an impossible struggleтАЭ smile.
The Chinese have said that тАЬa picture is worth a thousand wordsтАЭ. Indeed, the Thai translation of the anecdote may very well be тАЬa smile can have a thousand meaningsтАЭ.
Not listed by order of appearance or frequency, the тАШtop 13тАЩ identified Thai smiles are:
Yim thang nam taa: The тАЬIтАЩm so happy IтАЩm cryingтАЭ smile.
Yim thak thaai: The тАЬpoliteтАЭ smile for someone you barely know.
Yim cheun chom: The тАЬI admire youтАЭ smile.
Fuen Yim: The stiff smile, also known as the тАЬI should laugh at the joke though itтАЩs not funnyтАЭ Smile.
Yim mee lessanai: The smile which masks something wicked in your mind.
Yim yaw: The teasing, or тАЬI told you soтАЭ smile.
Yim yae-yae: The тАЬI know things look pretty bad but thereтАЩs no point in crying over spilt milkтАЭ smile.
Yim sao: The sad smile.
Yim haeng: The dry smile, also known as the тАЬI know I owe you the money but I donтАЩt have itтАЭ smile.
Yim thak thaan: The тАЬI disagree with youтАЭ smile, also known as the тАЬYou can go ahead and propose it but your ideaтАЩs no goodтАЭ smile.
Yim cheua-cheuan: The тАЬI am the winnerтАЭ smile, the smile given to a losing competitor.
Yim soo: тАЬsmiling in the face of an impossible struggleтАЭ smile.
Yim mai awk: The тАЬIтАЩm trying to smile but canтАЩtтАЭ smile.
Yim som tam: The тАЬWaiter, thereтАЩs a dead crab in my salad!тАЭ smile. (ok, this one was completely made up. But IтАЩm sure IтАЩve given it myself a few timesтАж).
Source: Working With The Thais: A Guide to Managing in Thailand by Henry Holmes and Suchada Tangtongtavy.
One amazing story of the influence of smiling in Thai culture runs back to the political turmoil of the 1980тАЩs. The Thai Prime Minister at the time, Gen. Prem Tinsulanond, was confronted by a swarm of buzzing journalists demanding answers on the governmentтАЩs handling of domestic issues. However, rather than actually answering any of the questions directly, Mr. Prem merely spent the entire interview displaying a series of smiles for the perplexed media.
Indeed, Thailand lives up to its namesake as тАШThe Land of SmilesтАЩ. In the end, the culture of smiling does allow for a more easy-going society. Like when a Bangkok cabbie bumps into the car ahead of him at a traffic light and all parties discuss the situation with cheeky grins тАУ something probably never seen in the west.
Next time you step on a ThaiтАЩs foot in a crowded mall and the victim responds gleefully, or the next time you make a group of locals smile with your newfound Thai words, or even the next time you are confronted by a roomful of smiling workers in a busy bank, remember that a smile may often not be what it seems. As Thais and longtime Ex-pats can tell you, a smile may have a thousand meanings. The smile may even be on you!
http://upload4.postimage.org/732240/thai_smiles20330.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/732240/photo_hosting.html)
Scenario: A frustrated westerner is trying desperately to retrieve an international money transfer at a Thai bank. Unsure of the system employed to do such a transaction at the bank, the westerner asks multiple questions to a variety of people hoping to find a sympathetic ear and some common sense assistance. After being passed through nearly a dozen people and departments with no reasonable explanation of how to actually do the transaction, the exacerbated visitor displays a look of complete frustration and anger. The result: all 20 staff members smile peacefully amongst themselves and continue about their business.
How can this cultural phenomenon тАУ a daily occurrence in every corner of the Kingdom тАУ be logically explained?
Thailand has long been referred to as тАШThe Land of SmilesтАЩ by visitors from the west. Usually referring to ThaisтАЩ general sense of happiness and glee, Thais, perhaps more than any other people, have an uncanny knack for smiling in such instances as being in the face of adversity, tension or even danger. In addition, as many westerners point out, Thais seem to smile at unusual times during conversations and business dealings as well, such as the example cited above.
In Thailand smiling is a form of subtle interpersonal-messaging which runs deeper and perhaps more accurately than language or syntax. Investigation into this phenomena reveals that Thais are adept at performing no less than 13 situational-specific smiles in their everyday lives. In fact, most Thais can perform each smile upon request with flawless accuracy based solely on the commonly used name of each. In addition, Thais are experts at identifying the specific smiles they encounter, and are well aware of the inherent message behind each. 13 specific kinds of smiles? How could one possibly know the difference and know how to interpret each one? Many of the smiles that Thais perform are used to relieve tension, calm nerves, seek forgiveness or omission from distressing situations. The name of one particular smile, yim soo, translates as the тАЬsmiling in the face of an impossible struggleтАЭ smile.
The Chinese have said that тАЬa picture is worth a thousand wordsтАЭ. Indeed, the Thai translation of the anecdote may very well be тАЬa smile can have a thousand meaningsтАЭ.
Not listed by order of appearance or frequency, the тАШtop 13тАЩ identified Thai smiles are:
Yim thang nam taa: The тАЬIтАЩm so happy IтАЩm cryingтАЭ smile.
Yim thak thaai: The тАЬpoliteтАЭ smile for someone you barely know.
Yim cheun chom: The тАЬI admire youтАЭ smile.
Fuen Yim: The stiff smile, also known as the тАЬI should laugh at the joke though itтАЩs not funnyтАЭ Smile.
Yim mee lessanai: The smile which masks something wicked in your mind.
Yim yaw: The teasing, or тАЬI told you soтАЭ smile.
Yim yae-yae: The тАЬI know things look pretty bad but thereтАЩs no point in crying over spilt milkтАЭ smile.
Yim sao: The sad smile.
Yim haeng: The dry smile, also known as the тАЬI know I owe you the money but I donтАЩt have itтАЭ smile.
Yim thak thaan: The тАЬI disagree with youтАЭ smile, also known as the тАЬYou can go ahead and propose it but your ideaтАЩs no goodтАЭ smile.
Yim cheua-cheuan: The тАЬI am the winnerтАЭ smile, the smile given to a losing competitor.
Yim soo: тАЬsmiling in the face of an impossible struggleтАЭ smile.
Yim mai awk: The тАЬIтАЩm trying to smile but canтАЩtтАЭ smile.
Yim som tam: The тАЬWaiter, thereтАЩs a dead crab in my salad!тАЭ smile. (ok, this one was completely made up. But IтАЩm sure IтАЩve given it myself a few timesтАж).
Source: Working With The Thais: A Guide to Managing in Thailand by Henry Holmes and Suchada Tangtongtavy.
One amazing story of the influence of smiling in Thai culture runs back to the political turmoil of the 1980тАЩs. The Thai Prime Minister at the time, Gen. Prem Tinsulanond, was confronted by a swarm of buzzing journalists demanding answers on the governmentтАЩs handling of domestic issues. However, rather than actually answering any of the questions directly, Mr. Prem merely spent the entire interview displaying a series of smiles for the perplexed media.
Indeed, Thailand lives up to its namesake as тАШThe Land of SmilesтАЩ. In the end, the culture of smiling does allow for a more easy-going society. Like when a Bangkok cabbie bumps into the car ahead of him at a traffic light and all parties discuss the situation with cheeky grins тАУ something probably never seen in the west.
Next time you step on a ThaiтАЩs foot in a crowded mall and the victim responds gleefully, or the next time you make a group of locals smile with your newfound Thai words, or even the next time you are confronted by a roomful of smiling workers in a busy bank, remember that a smile may often not be what it seems. As Thais and longtime Ex-pats can tell you, a smile may have a thousand meanings. The smile may even be on you!
http://upload4.postimage.org/732240/thai_smiles20330.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/732240/photo_hosting.html)