Thread: Do Thais have a communication problem ?

Originally Posted by Texpat

If you're given instructions and have to ask a question to clarify -- either you're stupid or the instruction-giver is stupid. Better to just go and do the task incorrectly rather than expose someone as dumb. Likewise, if the instructions are perfectly clear and the project falls on its face, the boss has nobody to blame.

In most western cultures, asking questions is often a sign of desire to fully understand the task. Here it's a sign of incompetence. The truth-avoidance trait also plays a part. The less you know, the more you're able to deny.

That is very nicely put and makes a lot of sense, and could explain why things are so slow here to accomplish anything meaningful,

I think the answer is not only in the culture or lifestyle (thinking of one day at a time, sabai sabai) but also in the complexity of the language.

Language vehicle thoughts, so the complexity of the vocabulary will express and articule those thought more effectively. It's no suprise that the more complex languages like German and French have also produced the greatest thinkers and philosophers, just because the language was there and complex enough to vehicle their elaborate thinking.

A bit off topic though, but "primitive" languages would only be concern with "reality" or things that "immediatey matters", not meta or fundamental thinking.

Originally Posted by DrAndy

Education should teach you to think and give you some logical thought processes; the lack of education is difficult for most of us to comprehend.

Probably, but even the "educated" ones have that communication problems here. The only Thais with no or little communication problems are those overseas Thais, who usually speak perfectly another language, and who live in an environment that stimulates their communication skills. Even those without education do "well" under those circumstances, so lack of education is not the only excuse.