Let’s start by telling why I choose Thailand as the country that I wanted to do one semester in.
I had to do a paper about a culture I didn’t know and didn’t understand and for this paper I choose to write about Buddhism and its rebirth, and I specifically wrote about Thailand because 95% of the people in Thailand are Buddhist. I got intrigued by the country and wanted to know more about it. I started to watch Thai drama series and listening to some Thai songs. When I got the chance to go abroad, I immediately said I wanted to go to Thailand just to discover this culture and this country myself.
Culture Differences
The first week was full of culture shocks. When you go to a new country, you always experience some kind of culture shock because it is different from what you know. I came from a country where it was -8°C, and when I arrived in Thailand, it was around 30°C, but it felt like 50°C. I had to get used to the heat, the language, and the people—basically everything. It felt a little overwhelming at first, but after the first week, it got easier. I started to notice even the smallest things that are different from the Netherlands, things you normally don’t notice because they are normal for you.
First of all, I felt a lot safer walking around on my own, whereas in the Netherlands, I don’t feel that safe all the time. I noticed that the people here are very friendly, especially when you give them a smile, but they do stare at me. I also noticed that while they are very friendly, they won’t hold the door for you when you are right behind them. In the Netherlands, you just hold the door for the person after you; it is something you don’t even think about.
Another thing I found incredible to believe is something I do now myself. I always go to Starbucks to study or work on projects, and the first time I went, I noticed that people left their stuff behind and left for even more than an hour. I was in total disbelief because something like this could never happen in the Netherlands; it would have been stolen in the first 15 minutes. The same goes for the phones in the back pockets of someone’s pants at a busy night market. It is actually crazy that this can happen.
Something similar that I still want to highlight is something I see often because I go to events of actors in shopping malls. When the event hasn’t started yet, I see a lot of empty bags and cards or even a paper with a name written on it lying down on the floor, and people respect that the little space in the mall is now reserved for the person with that name or the owner of that bag.
University
Coming to the university the first day was a big shock. I didn’t know what to expect, but this was not it. We had to sign up for classes right there, and we didn’t know how. From Asia Exchange, we got a big list of all the classes the university provides, but they didn’t tell us that only the subjects they offered that semester were available. We didn’t know who to ask or where to go in the university itself. The communication within the university is quite bad compared to what I’m used to. You have to be in a Line group for every subject, and there you get information. That was something new for me. The way the classes are conducted is also very different from what I know. It is a nice little university, but it is very different from what I know a university to be.
Language
I learned that the Thai language consists of 44 alphabets and 5 tones. I also learned that there are many dialects among Thai people from different regions, like Isan, which is a dialect spoken in the northeast of Thailand.
It is a hard language to learn but so much fun and very interesting. Before I came to Thailand, I already knew a few words because I watched a lot of Thai drama. I didn’t know there was a difference for women and men. I thought as a woman, I could use “Phom” and “Krab” as well. I could say I learned the hard way, but the people here are too nice to tell you. But it is also because they don’t speak English.
Food
The food in Thailand is great; it is very delicious, and you have so many options. But the thing about the food in Thailand is that it is either very spicy or super sweet. I feel like there is no in-between of those two. And when I say very spicy, I mean the hottest food in the world kind of spicy. From soup to noodles and chicken on rice, they put chili and peppers on and in all the food.
In the North, they have different kinds of food compared to Bangkok; they have different dishes that are typically North Thai dishes. For example, Khao Soi, which I saw in Chiang Mai.
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I still haven’t tried enough of the Thai food because when I like something, I want to eat that all the time.
Over time, I got used to the spiciness and got to eat more food and ask for ‘ped nid noi,’ but I still think they made it less spicy than they would actually do when a Thai person asks for a little bit spicy.
People
Thailand is called the Land of Smiles, and you see it reflected in the people. The people here are very friendly and want to help you even if you don’t speak Thai. When you try to speak a little bit of Thai, even if it is “Sawadee Kha” or “Khob Kun Kha,” you see a smile on their faces.
In the beginning, I had to get used to standing out a little bit more. Normally, in the Netherlands, I’m of average height, and there are a lot of white blonde girls. But in the area where I live here, there are not many. I felt very tall in the beginning because the people here are way shorter than the people back home.
Country
First of all, I have to say that I fell in love with Thailand. The country is very beautiful, the people are nice, and the weather (except for the hottest month) is amazing. I traveled from north to south and noticed the differences in the country. Personally, I’m a nature lover, so I really loved spending time in Chiang Mai. Up in the mountains and under the trees, it was a really nice experience. I also went to the beach (Krabi and Koh Phi Phi). There is a huge difference in nature within the country itself. The islands around Krabi were amazing. I haven’t seen enough of the country to really tell about it.
Travel
I didn’t have a lot of time to travel because I had 6 courses at the university, but I traveled to a few places in Thailand. It is so easy to travel within Thailand. I also traveled using different modes of transportation. The first place I traveled to was Chiang Rai, and I went there by bus. It was quite an experience, and I will never do that again. Chiang Rai is amazing, but the bus ride there was incredibly long, and there was this man next to me with his feet over his armrest, so his feet were very close to me.
Most of the time, when I went on a trip, I traveled by plane because it is quick and you save a day. I went to Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Koh Samet, and Krabi (Ao Nang). So, it is not a lot, but I saw a little bit of Thailand. Besides, after the semester is over, I will travel more in Thailand.
What I Learned About Myself
In the Netherlands, we are very direct and straightforward, and I had to learn not to say what I think here because the people are way more reserved. So, I had to learn to keep my thoughts to myself a little more. I also learned to have more patience. People in Thailand are not the type to always be on time. Where in the Netherlands we have the mentality that ‘time is money,’ it is not the same here. I also learned to live with more freedom, and not everything has to be perfect or planned out in advance. I learned to live more in the moment and enjoy everything I do here. I feel like being in Thailand was something I needed to do; I learned a lot about myself. I now know how important it is to live in the moment and enjoy every little thing.