Thai Culture and the Culture of its Neighboring Countries

1. Thai Culture and the Culture of its Neighboring Countries Unit 4

2. Thai Culture influenced • The culture of Thailand incorporates cultural beliefs and characteristics indigenous to the area known as modern day Thailand coupled with much influence from ancient India, China, Cambodia, along with the neighboring pre-historic cultures of Southeast Asia.

3. Thai Culture influenced • It is influenced primarily by Animism, Hinduism, Buddhism, as well as by later migrations from China, and southern India.

4. Thai Custom • Thai greeting, the smile is an important symbol of refinement in Thai culture.

5. Thai Family • Rural family with many generations living in one house or in a compound. • This is where the child learns Thai codes of behavior.

6. The Village & Religion • In every village there is at least one Buddhist temple called Wat in Thai and a shrine of the village tutelary guardian.

7. NEIGHBORING CULTURE South East Asia -Cultural differences and similarities

8. CULTURE OF LAOS • Laos has its own distinct culture. Through Theravada Buddhism it has influences from India and has also influences from China • The Lao way of life is very much influenced by Buddhism, as can be seen in the way that Lao people live and behave. They are taught to be patient and to accept people.

9. CULTURE OF CAMBODIA • Cambodians have developed a unique Khmer belief from the syncretism of indigenous animistic beliefs and the Indian religions of Buddhism and Hinduism.

10. CULTURE OF MALAYSIA • Cultures that heavily influenced Malaysia include Persian, Arabic, and British. The many different ethnicities that currently exist in Malaysia have their own unique and distinctive cultural identities, with some crossover. • For Muslim residents in Malaysia, they have privileges from the government: educational grants, public subsidies, and Financial support to married couple.

11. CULTURE OF MYANMAR • The culture of Burma (or Myanmar) has been heavily influenced by Buddhism and the Mon people. Burmese culture has also been influenced by its neighbors India, Thailand and China. In more recent times, British colonial rule and westernization have influenced aspects of Burmese culture, including language and education.

12. CULTURE OF VIETNAM • An agricultural civilization based on the cultivation of wet rice, is one of the oldest in East Asia. Long-term Chinese influence on its civilization. • In the socialist era, the cultural life of Vietnam has been deeply influenced by government-controlled media and the cultural influences of socialist programs. For many decades, foreign cultural influences were shunned and emphasis placed on appreciating and sharing the culture of communist nations such as the Soviet Union, China, Cuba and others. • Some elements generally considered to be characteristic of Vietnamese culture include respect for community and family values, handicrafts and manual labor, and devotion to study. Important symbols present in Vietnamese culture include dragons, turtles, lotuses and bamboo. • Religion in Vietnam has historically been largely defined by the East Asian mix of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism • Vietnamese life revolves around the family. Like many other Asians they are also collectivists. • As with many other Asian nations, the concept of face is extremely important to the Vietnamese.

13. CULTURE OF SINGAPORE • The culture of Singapore is a melting pot of mainly Chinese, Indian, British, and Malay cultures, and is a reflection of its immigrant history. • "The system of meritocracy in Singapore ensures that the best and brightest, regardless of race, religion and socio-economic background, are encouraged to develop to their fullest potential. Everyone has access to education, which equips them with skills and knowledge to earn a better living."

14. CULTURE OF PHILIPPINES • The culture of the Philippines reflects the country's complex history. It is a blend of the Malayo-Polynesian and Hispanic cultures, with influences from Indian and Chinese. • The Spanish colonized the islands and after more than three centuries of colonization have heavily impacted the culture. The Philippines being governed from both Mexico and Spain, had received a fair bit of Hispanic influence. Mexican and Spanish influence can be seen in dance and religion as well as many other aspects of the culture. After being colonized by Spain, the Philippines became a U.S. territory for about 40 years. Influence from the United States is seen in the wide use of the English language, and the modern pop culture. • Roman Catholic, Evangelical Christians, Islam, Irreligious people.