Differences in mentality

Differences in mentality between Thais and Germans

Thailand is also called “the land of smiles”. The Thais are known for their joie de vivre and friendliness. However, travelers should never forget that this Asian country is very different from the Western world in terms of culture. In order not to put your foot in your mouth and to be respected by the locals, some cultural peculiarities should be taken into account. These help to explore with joy and decency the wonderful country with the rental vehicle.

First contact with the service staff
Who rents a hire car in Thailand, encounters a good and solid offer. When entering the hire car center, some things should be considered, because already with the greeting of the Thai service personnel lurk the first faux pas. The classic greeting ritual is the Wai. Both hands are put together and a bow follows. The level of respect for the other person depends on the height of the joined hands and the depth of the bow. As important as the Wai is for the Thais, foreigners should refrain from it. It is not a good circumferential form if this greeting ritual is used by them. The reason is simple: foreigners have virtually no social status in Thailand, so a Wai should be responded to with a smile. A handshake is also possible. When talking to the service staff, a calm and quiet language should be chosen. Thais speak relatively softly. Speaking loudly would signal emotional agitation and express stress. In general, service in Thailand seems much friendlier than in many Western countries, as smiles are always present. However, this smile should not be taken as sympathy. It is rather a sign of politeness and kindness. If the staff at the hire car center should have made a mistake, they will also smile. This supports the apology.

Some things similar, many things different
Thais are not always punctual in their personal lives and this virtue is not considered as important. However, in business and therefore in the context of hire car, punctuality is taken very seriously. Not only is this expected of the staff, but the traveler should also visit the hire car center at the agreed time. If there are any discrepancies or problems regarding the rental, the traveler should react thoughtfully. Criticism is not exercised directly in Thailand, unlike Germany. Thus, the personality or the honor of the person is protected. A big taboo is therefore to expose someone. An open criticism would cause a loss of face, which is the worst thing for Thais. For this reason, travelers should make comments and criticisms very subtly. Often this can be done in the absence of the person concerned. An argument that arises is always soothed by a friendly smile and emotions should always be controlled. When criticism is gently offered, it never involves raising one’s voice. It is unacceptable to shout at each other. If the traveler wishes to complain about something, he should offer many compliments before criticizing. These rules of conduct should not only be applied in the hire car center, but are also helpful in the event of any problems in traffic. If you get into an escalating argument with another road user and they lose their control, you can expect uncontrolled outbursts of violence. Therefore, it is very important to always respect the honor of the counterpart.

Significant taboos
In addition to verbal interaction with service personnel, there are other rules of conduct, which should be observed. Thus, in the land of smiles, the feet represent the lowest. What touches the feet, counts for the Thais as unclean. Therefore, travellers should be careful when talking to the staff never to touch the counterpart with the feet. If this happens nevertheless by mistake, must be apologized absolutely energetically. When the traveler sits across from the service personnel to sign the hire car documents, the feet should never point at the other person. When paying, the traveler should make sure that Thai banknotes are not bent. On them is depicted the king, who is the undisputed superstar. No one is allowed to criticize him and a disrespect of his person, can in the worst case even lead to a prison sentence. The Thai banknotes with his image should therefore be treated with caution.