Dear Hillary,
My Thai GF has her cousins staying with us at present. They all seem nice enough people, but every morning as I go to work I have to step over them sitting on the floor eating some mush they call food out of a common bowl, which surely isn’t too hygienic. Then I have to walk around the old woman with the som tum motorbike and sidecar with what must be the second course, and that doesn’t look to healthy either. Is this the usual Thai way, or is there something wrong with them? Makes me a bit worried about my relationship with the Thai GF as she goes along with them. I don’t want to live like that.
George
Dear George,
How long have you lived here, Petal? Not long by the looks of it. And does your Thai GF and her family come from Isaan? I think so! What you are describing is the ‘normal’ Thai village life. I realize this is different from Western ideas of tables and chairs, which have been adopted by the Bangkok Thai people, but up-country in the villages they have a more traditional life style, and don’t get hung up on separate spoons for everyone and such. I would suggest you try joining them at floor level and see what it is like, but I do understand many farangs cannot fold their legs up under them! I really feel it is time for you to do some research into life in Thailand, if you are going to live here for any length of time. Stepping OVER people is also a no-no!
