Thai Values Essay

797 Words4 Pages
What do people believe in this culture/society? 1. Religion Buddhism is the primary religion in Thailand with more than 90% of the population being Buddhist. In rural areas especially, Buddhism is closely entwined with other belief systems. The majority of the population follows Thervada Buddhism, the oldest form of Buddhism that was originally developed in India. Religious and other beliefs play a very strong part in the decisions of every day life of the Thai people and it is not uncommon for people from all levels of society to consult fortunetellers prior to making important decisions. Students participating exams might pay respects at a shrine in University grounds before sitting the exam and before moving into a new house several monks from the local temple may be invited to provide a ‘house blessing’ ceremony or ‘tambun bann’ to ensure a positive atmosphere maintains. 2. Money is one of the most important item and is the, desire of all Thai people. Honor and honesty used to be more important then money but today money and the resulting materialism are emphasized much more. They believe money brings POWER, POSITION, STATUS, LOVE, RESPECT ETC. Money is seen as honor and those who possess it are more important and praised by the majority. The value of a person is not measured by personal attributes or goodness but the amount of money they acquire. ‘’If you have money they call you younger brother; if you have gold they call you older brother.’’ ‘’The poor have neither money not friends (brothers).’’ ‘’Money is God.’’ (Values in Thai Sayings) 3. Thai society raises those with power. No one is concerned about those who do not possess power. As a result, power becomes the goal of this society who want power over others. 4. Status is usually linked with government positions. People who live in Thailand would rather work as a government
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