The Land of Smile...
Visitors are often impressed with the "Thai Smile". An American tourist once told me this is what he loved most about Thailand. The smile, the hospitality and the way guests are treated. My boss asked me once how I seemed to be happy all the time.
Haha they do not know the truth!
For most Asian cultures, manners come first. Self expression and facial expressions are bad manners. For Thais, unfortunately, not smiling is a bad manner... Not feeding your guests well is a bad manner... saying how we feel about other people is a bad manner...
That's it... I have said it!
In a mourning ceremonies guests smile their symphatethic smiles and relatives smile to thank the guests for coming. People smile to say hello, goodbye, sorry, thank you, OK and welcome. A pouting flight attendance may be reprimanded. Interviewers usually accept the biggest smilers before others. And I can still remember the time when I was spanked because I made faces and talked back when my parents disciplined me. (Oh it was in those old time when pareants spank their own kids and we were not allowed to have opinions... please don't put my parents in jail.)
Now you know... We are not smiling because we are nice people, or because we like you. We are smiling because we have to... It is the fucking manner!
Thai readers may be having a violent reaction to my statement already as this makes us sound silly. Don't worry. They will still be smiling while writing their nasty comments or beating me up the next time we meet on the street...
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