OceanicThai

Urban Thais put a lot of time and care into their appearance.  First impressions and appearance are very important in Thailand.  Thais are careful to dress appropriately and people who dress well are treated with more respect.     Many expats coming to Thailand are often in the role of a teacher in some form or another.  Teachers are held in high regard and Thai teachers dress very conservatively.  Men wear dress pants, collared shirts, and closed-toe dress shoes with socks.  Some may be required to wear button down shirts with ties.  Faces are clean-shaven, or, if there is any facial hair it must be meticulously groomed.  Even outside the school one is expected to be presentable.  Men should never go shirtless.  For women in a teaching role, skirts must be at the knee or longer, with a slip.  The blouse must be conservative, with no cleavage, flimsy see-through or tight fitting fabrics.  Hair and jewelry shoul...

Money is probably one of the most challenging aspects of missionary work in Thailand.  This is a sensitive and difficult topic, but one that is of value, especially for people new to this country.  If you ask any seasoned missionary about difficulties they have had concerning money here in Thailand, they will have stories to tell you.  We all have our stories and I will tell you one of mine. In 2001 we moved from the city of Chiang Mai to the isolated village of Wang-Ai-Poe.  This small village was 40 minutes from a decent fresh market and a 7-11, so for Thailand, that’s pretty isolated.  The missionaries who had been there before us remembered the days of no electricity or decent roads, but that was before our time. We embarked on this exciting church-planting venture with Thai partners, something we had been praying for and hoping for from the very beginning.  We also worked with 20-year missionary veterans who had been instrumental in leading the ...