Kreng Jai
Consideration for others is important across all cultures, reminds Nat, although extents and limits vary widely. This is no excuse however for the kind of thoughtlessness that knows no boundary. There...
View ArticleNat Never Rebelled
Nat reflects on the lack of teenage rebellion in Thailand and how this impacted his relationship with his father. James Dean died too young. But by dying young, he remains enshrined in our memories as...
View ArticleNat Has Servants
Even if we don’t seriously believe in the equality of man, we should at least pretend to, says Nat. I love doing my own laundry. Or at least I did. Living most of my life in the west taught me the joy...
View ArticleNat Doesn’t Get Angry
Nat ponders the intricacies of losing one’s temper in Thailand. Does one accomplish anything by getting angry? Or is it better to seethe? I want it to be known that I have no anger management issues. I...
View ArticleNat on Odours and Fragrances
Nat agrees a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but if a Thai says you smell like a turtle then neither a Romeo nor a Juliet will you be. Do you have turtle odour? I know that sounds like an...
View ArticleNat mediates between the sexes
When Nat finds himself explaining men to women and women to men, does that make him a member of the ‘third sex’? I really hate it when gay people are referred to as ‘the third sex’. With absolutely no...
View ArticleNat Wants to Shove People Around
How does one distinguish oneself in Thai society? Nat thinks the way to do it is to be just like everyone else… but different. I am not one to push others around, but sometimes life just calls for it....
View ArticleNat Goes Places en Masse
The signs and symptoms of ‘Thai Social Disease’ are unmissable among groups at a restaurant, says Nat. He asks only, ‘Can’t we all just get a meal?’ That was it. I had had enough of the other table. It...
View ArticleNat on Accidents
That hammer dropped by a careless worker and falling from an unregulated high-rise construction site is not an accident. Step carefully in a land of destiny, says Nat. Living in Bangkok has reconfirmed...
View ArticleNat-urity
Nat appreciates that, while growing old is inevitable, growing up is not. ‘You’re being awfully grown-up about this,’ said my friend Oscar (not his real name). You see, Oscar was going off to hike the...
View ArticleThe Name Game
One of the things that always irked me was how many Thai names seemed unpronounceable to the average westerner when actually, they are quite easy to master if you ignore the tones. Much of it has to do...
View ArticleNat Doesn’t Care Who You Are
Not every question deserves a straight answer. When the self-important demand recognition, an indirect reply suggesting what they are rather than who may suffice. Have you ever been asked The Question?...
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