Thai people have 13 different types of smiles, that’s why Thailand is called the land of smiles. *flash a smile- ping sound*
But not all smiles are created equal though, out of the 13 smiles? only 3 are happy ones. *crying sounds*
This is why it might be a bit hard for non-Thais to understand why some Thai people love to smile while telling a sad story or when they’re trying to apologize for their wrongdoings.
In this episode, I have invited my Thai colleagues to help me act out these different types of smiles, and have our non-Thai friends guess what type of smile these are. Let’s see how well they did.
The first smile:
1. Smiling with tears in one’s eyes (ยิ้มทั้งน้ำตา)
Photo by museum siam
Definition: When you try to smile but you cannot smile
For example: When the election results come out but it’s not what you want them to be
And there you have it, all 13 different types of Thai smiles.
Thai people not only speak with words but also with facial expressions.
So don’t jump to conclusions or interpret our smiles too negatively, instead, when you think a Thai person isn’t taking a situation seriously, just remember that the smile that they’re sporting, might carry a deeper meaning than what you think.
Hope you enjoyed this episode, and you can be checked out The best places to retire in Thailand 2022! or watch a complete video Scams in Thailand – Common scams in Thailand to watch out for!
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