If you are familiar with Thailand, you would have heard or seen people refer to the Southeast Asian country as the Land of Smiles. But one thing you may not know is the reason behind this lovely slogan associated with Thailand. However, you have come to the right place because we will take a look at why Thailand is usually regarded as the Land of Smiles.
Basically, there are two reasons behind why Thailand is known as the Land of Smiles. The first reason is associated with the fact that it started as a slogan given to the country several years ago when it began opening up to people from other countries for tourism. The second reason is that most Thais are happy people that often smile at other locals as well as foreigners at any given opportunity.
But there is much more to these two reasons for calling Thailand the Land of Smiles. Don’t worry as we will consider each of these reasons in detail so that you can understand why Thailand is known as the Land of Smiles. So, join us as we learn more about this topic.
It is a slogan created by the Tourism Authority of Thailand
In the 1970s and 1980s, the government of Thailand started devising various means of making lots of money through tourism. In view of this, the Tourism Authority of Thailand created a beautiful slogan – the Land of Smiles. The Culture Trips notes that it was a promotional slogan designed to attract visitors from different parts of the world to Thailand.
Of course, the trick worked perfectly as several people began to troop into the country from different continents around the world. Today, Thailand welcomes tens of millions of tourists every single year. These tourists often come to enjoy the beautiful sight of the rare wildlife, magnificent Buddhist temples, white-sand beaches, and lots more in the country. Besides, the travel costs of Thailand are much more affordable than most alternatives.
It should be understood that the Tourism Authority of Thailand has changed its tourism campaign slogans many times. However, none has ever had as many impacts as the Land of Smiles. Therefore, the country has stuck to this amazing slogan as its nickname. Sometimes, this nickname is even used instead of the real name of this Southeast Asian country.
Thais smile a lot
Although the nickname started as a slogan, it remains in use because it suits the demeanor of lots of Thais. A typical Thai loves smiling as they use it in different ways to deal with their emotions. If you have ever visited many Thai cities and towns, you would have noticed that Thais smile a lot. Hence, it is quite suitable for Thais and other people to call this country the Land of Smiles.
While Thailand is the Land of Smiles, you shouldn’t be surprised if you get to some places and people don’t smile often. For instance, most of the individuals in Bangkok are busy trying to make lots of money. Of course, it is very unlikely that these people will be smiling at you, especially when you are a stranger to them. When you are in Bangkok, you should expect no or minimal friendliness from people. But if you can travel to one of the smaller cities and towns in the country, you are bound to come across loads of smiles from different people.
However, you must note that Thais smile for a wide range of reasons. So, when you see a Thai smiling, it does not necessarily mean that the person is happy. The smile could mean several other things. Here are some of the reasons Thais smile:
- To greet others
Thais believe that you should not just greet people without some suitable facial expression or body language. Therefore, they like smiling while greeting to show some levels of politeness. Generally, a Thai will smile at you as they say hello to let you know that they are sincere and respectful to you.
- To keep cool
As shown above, smiling is associated with politeness in Thailand. So, when Thais don’t know what to do or so, they would rather just smile at you. For example, if you talk to a Thai but she doesn’t understand how to reply to you, she will probably smile at you.
Even if things have gone wrong, they may not want to show anger or any other related emotions. Therefore, they would rather smile at you to keep cool.
- To conceal their shyness
Lots of Thais are shy, especially when relating with strangers or foreigners. In most cases, they will try to hide their shyness by just smiling at you.
- To deal with the embarrassment
When Thais are embarrassed, some of them may not want to say sorry directly or immediately. So, they would rather smile at you for a few seconds to show that they are guilty and acknowledge their fault.
Without a doubt, smiling has made life easier and more enjoyable for many Thais. Therefore, it is not surprising that the country is called the Land of Smiles.
In Thailand, you can come across different types of smiles, and the most common ones are:
- Yim thang nam taa
- Yim yaw
- Yim thak thaai
- Yim soo
- Yim cheun chom
- Yim sao
- Yim thak thaan
- Fuen yim
- Yim mai awk
- Yim mee lessanai
- Yim yae yae
- Yim cheuad cheuan
- Yim haeng
You must understand that each type of smile has its particular meaning. You can find more information about the meaning of these smiles by checking out this page on Impact Group. The meanings of many types of smiles in Thailand may be different from what you know in the West, but you can never go wrong with smiling.
In a nutshell, Thailand is called the Land of Smile because of a popular slogan in the 1980s used for luring tourists to Thailand. Similarly, the nickname is suitable for the country because many of its citizens love smiling.
