News and media
Thai culture full of surprises
Tue, 15th July 2008
A week-long water fight to celebrate New Year is just one of the experiences Charlotte Cowley has enjoyed during her year in Thailand.
The 16-year-old St Hilda's Collegiate pupil is living in Nakhon Nayok, a provincial city one or two hours northeast of Bangkok "depending on the traffic".
"My host father's a lawyer and my host mum owns three Honda motorcycle shops."
Motorcycles were one of the things that stood out to Charlotte when she arrived in April - her first trip overseas apart from a visit to Australia.
"There were many motorbikes with up to six people on each one and a lot of 4WD vehicles.
"I also noticed the extremely fast speed and lack of indicating."
Homesickness was an issue to begin with, especially after leaving the other exchange students in Bangkok.
"It was then that the reality of what I had got myself into and what I had in front of me sunk in."
But now she is enjoying Thai family and school life.
"In my host family, I have one older brother who studies in Bangkok, and three younger sisters who all study at local schools, but none of them study at the same school as me.
"I think that this is a good thing for both me and my sisters as we spend a lot of time out of school together, so we get a break from each other and it allows us to have our own friends."
Cultural differences had been an eye-opener.
"There are many things that are considered rude, like walking and eating, saying hello to somebody with shoes in your hand, walking over somebody's legs, letting somebody see the bottom of your feet and wearing shoes inside."
Some familiar-sounding events had proved otherwise.
"Thai New Year goes for a week and is a giant water fight with everyone standing on the back of utes and on the streets with ice cold water and buckets to throw at you.
"People would also throw powder and rub colourful stuff, that was like powder dissolved in water, on your face."
Thai people talked about the rising cost of food, but it was still cheap compared with home, she said.
"At school, for 40 baht, I can get a meal, rice and two toppings, a bottle of water, an icecream and some sort of snack.
"What would cost at least $12 in New Zealand, here costs $1.60."
But you still had to be careful, Charlotte said.
"I got a watch for NZ$27 and thought I was getting a good deal but cam back to the local markets and got the same thing for NZ$5.
"That's what you get when you are in Bangkok, have white skin and can't speak the language."
