While sitting on a a massage chair at the BIC CAMERA store in Tokyo (the second store I did this in), a family sat in the chairs around me. There was a mother father and 2 young daughters. The father was sitting next to me, the mother next to him and the young girls watched. 5 or so minutes later the youngest girl asked of her mother “Sanook Mai?” Thai for “Is it fun?”. I responded “Sanook Mak Mak” (Very very Fun!). Both the parents reacted with surprise.
I then had a conversation in English with the father. I asked if he liked the style of people in Thailand or the style (customs) of Japanese people better. Surprisingly he told me he liked the discipline of Japanese people more, how they worked and followed rules. This man worked for a Japanese company in some capacity. He told me that Thai people could learn a lot from the Japanese. He mentioned how Thais will drive on the wrong side of the road sometimes etc. And how that was dangerous and wrong (hmm I do that at times on my motorbike in Mae Sot). He also spoke of how Thailand was now a very divided country along-about colours.
Note* His reference to colours is between the yellows (mostly in Bangkok, and upper classes) and the reds (mostly poor rural people and Thais who live in the Nortern cities like Chaing Mai, former Prime Minister Taksin supporters. These differences have lead to several military coups and many deaths. A former general now runs the country. He has stabilized the government after some crazy years of protest and violence.
I then had a conversation in English with the father. I asked if he liked the style of people in Thailand or the style (customs) of Japanese people better. Surprisingly he told me he liked the discipline of Japanese people more, how they worked and followed rules. This man worked for a Japanese company in some capacity. He told me that Thai people could learn a lot from the Japanese. He mentioned how Thais will drive on the wrong side of the road sometimes etc. And how that was dangerous and wrong (hmm I do that at times on my motorbike in Mae Sot). He also spoke of how Thailand was now a very divided country along-about colours.
Note* His reference to colours is between the yellows (mostly in Bangkok, and upper classes) and the reds (mostly poor rural people and Thais who live in the Nortern cities like Chaing Mai, former Prime Minister Taksin supporters. These differences have lead to several military coups and many deaths. A former general now runs the country. He has stabilized the government after some crazy years of protest and violence.
