Exploring One of Thailand’s Incredible Temples

Author: Katelyn Helberg | Majors: Art History and Biology

Walking into the courtyard of my first temple in Thailand felt like I was experiencing color for the first time. Bright reds and greens danced in the sunlight while golden Buddha statues in various poses towered over me. The combination of the incense, the gentle wind chimes, and the flowing water from a nearby stream allowed me to pause for the first time since my frantic rush to enter the country, get situated in a new apartment, and start the awkward dance of making new friends. As I truly took in my surroundings, I watched children play along the dirt road surrounding the temple while their parents sat motionless in a deep meditative state inside the complex. The sense of peace and happiness that exuded from those people sparked the question that would follow me throughout my travels: what makes the Thai people so happy?

I started my investigation in the classrooms of Mahidol University where I attended classes that were termed “uncharacteristic” of Thai students. As a double major in biology and art history, I was considered an anomaly because Thai students are not allowed to stretch themselves between two different fields of study. I used my unique situation as opportunity to meet a wider variety of students and evaluate the differences in the curriculum from my home university. In my color theory and life drawing classes, I learned that Thai students are not offered art history and struggled with learning how to critique art. Critiques are a difficult concept in Thai culture because pointing out someone’s mistake is considered a major faux pa. Instead, students provide suggestions that are heavily cushioned with remarks of how the artist excelled on their project to maintain the peace between two people.

In my science classes, I found that the material was almost exactly the same as my classes back at the University of Arkansas. While my molecular biology class focused on the universal nature of the subject, my abnormal psychology class discussed the cultural differences in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders in Thailand. Thai people, who are predominantly Buddhist, believe that many disorders such as anxiety and depression are simply obstacles in their path to enlightenment rather than problems from childhood trauma or an imbalance in neurotransmitters. Similar to the philosophy about not acknowledging someone’s mistake, Thai people do not want to admit that they are struggling from a personal issue. While this creates a negative situation in terms of seeking psychological help, it is one of the defining reasons why Thai people are known for their constant outward appearance of happiness. They will paste a smile on their face even when they’re frustrated to place the other person’s well-being above their own.

While I’m sure some of the smiles aimed at me were superficial, I found that most Thai people genuinely wanted to help me so that I could have the best experience possible. When I accidentally told a taxi driver an address that was 40 minutes in the opposite direction of where I needed to go, he drove me to the correct location without an extra fee because he insisted it was his fault for not understanding me. This belief system also leads to a more perceptive culture than what I was used to in the U.S. When I was confused and running low on my phone battery at a bus station where little English was spoken, a kind stranger gave me his portable charger and bought me his favorite Thai snack to make sure I didn’t get hungry. During that interaction, I was embarrassed that I could only express my gratitude in the few Thai words I knew but the man only smiled as he said, “Welcome to Thailand.”

Learning How to Make Curry Paste by Hand

The longer I lived in Thailand the more I understood that je ne sais quoi that led to the kindness and happiness of the people. As my Thai Language and Culture professor explained perfectly, Thai people strive for balance and harmony in all aspects of their life and extend those lessons to foreigners. While I had experienced how Thai people create a harmonious atmosphere, I still needed to learn what they meant by balance. During a cooking class in Chiang Mai, my instructor said that inner peace came from perfect combination of lime juice, fish sauce, palm sugar, and Thai chilies. Her advice not only helped me make the best coconut red curry of my life, but it taught me to not let my future plans take precedence over my other interests. By taking her advice to heart at the beginning of my term, I found ways to balance my time spent studying with traveling to almost every corner of the country to make the most of my time abroad.

After learning that harmony among individuals and a balanced life are the secret ingredients to the perpetually positive Thai culture, I still had to work hard to implement them during my four months studying abroad. There were countless times where I made mistakes or said the wrong thing in Thai, but I always remembered to end an interaction with a smile. My dedication to trying to learn what made Thailand special led to incredible experiences such as hiking to the top of a mountain at the Laos border with monks for sunrise, exploring the rainforest with a Thai restaurant owner, and teaching English to a Thai family while snorkeling at the Phi Phi Islands. For future students, I suggest that you go to the places that aren’t on travel blogs such as smaller towns or islands. Once you arrive, talk to everyone you meet even if you have to use google translate for the whole conversation. It will be these experiences that help you understand why Thailand is called “the land of smiles.”

Meeting Buddhist Monks on the Phu Chi Fa Mountain