Day 2 (5th Jan): Iridescent White

Today was a day of surprises as we got down to work interviewing more Thai locals and Chinese tourists today at the White Temple (Wat Rong Khun) in Chiang Rai and back in Chiang Mai.

The White Temple (Wat Rong Khun)
Its architectural design and the temple artwork was really beautiful.
The lack of cloud cover in mountainous Chiang Rai resulted in the iridescence of the structure from the direct sunlight.

Generally, we were surprised that most of the people we asked for an interview agreed readily and were patient and helpful in answering our questions. We had initially expected to be turned down by many people and had anticipated difficulty in getting sufficient responses for our research.

Surprisingly, most of the Thai locals we interviewed did not express any (extreme) dissatisfaction or antagonistic sentiments towards Chinese tourists but rather, showed that they were understanding towards the tourist behaviour. Even though they had minor complaints (which interestingly, were consistent) with regard to some inappropriate behaviour (eg. not queuing up, poor traffic habits, dirtying the toilets, talking loudly), they understood that this was due to differences in culture and their ignorance of the local Thai culture. The secretary of the White Temple also told us about the efforts by the management in bridging the gaps such as placing Chinese signage in the temple.

I had expected the Thai locals to be outraged at the Chinese tourists or at least dislike Chinese tourists. However, they showed no such antagonism and expressed their understanding of the differences in culture and acknowledged the efforts and improvements made by the Chinese tourists. I really respect the level of acceptance the Thai locals have towards the Chinese tourists and their understanding that there exists a fundamental difference in culture and habits. Though they might feel annoyed or outraged at the Chinese tourists, they didn’t express it openly. They kept to their culture and spirit of hospitality regardless of what they felt.

Personally, I feel that this is something I should learn; being able to put on a smiling face regardless of the situation no matter what you thought or felt inside. It takes a high level of magnanimity, maturity and understanding to be able to pull this off and I hope that one day, I could reach that kind of magnanimity and self-control as well.

This experience has also allowed me to assess my own stereotypes and paradigms of Chinese tourists. The actions and behaviour of Chinese tourists have garnered global attention through extensive coverage by the media and I have also witnessed some such behaviour in Singapore. This contributed to the formation of common stereotypes that the Chinese were generally loud with ‘unhygienic’ or ‘disgusting’ habits. It would be a lie to say that I did not observe any such behaviour, but I think a fair assessment would be that not every Chinese tourist is the same.

As I had hoped to in my pre-trip reflections, I have started to question my own stereotypes and assumptions. I admit that I have had bad experiences with Chinese tourists and have some prejudices about their behaviour. Although I might not be able to completely eradicate these prejudices and stereotypes now, but at least I have gained a greater awareness of them.

Are they just stereotypes? Or has the prevalence of reports of actions of Chinese tourists in mainstream and social media led to the formation of such stereotypes? Do they reflect the true nature of all Chinese tourists? How biased are my perceptions? These are important questions that stem from today’s findings and I believe that keeping these in mind will help me to correct the biased perceptions I have towards all Chinese tourists.

From today’s events, I think that it is important to recognise that tourism is a two-way thing; efforts should be made on both parts (the hosts and the tourists) to ensure that it is an enjoyable experience for both parties. At the same time that Chinese tourists should assess their behaviour overseas and better conduct themselves, locals also have a part to play in tourism such as teaching and creating awareness of their culture and helping tourists to understand.

When people can learn to give in, take a step back and consider the other perspective, it is then that we can come to a common and mutual understanding and minimise our conflicts.

Lastly, my favourite shot from today; wandering with the group to find the Ping River in Chiang Mai after our interview with a Chinese tourist agency. You never know what you may find when you explore in a different country. 

(Note: I find it interesting to note how yesterday’s reflections on the Hill Tribe Village can be applied to Tiger Kingdom which we went to this afternoon as well. Consider how it is the tourist demand that shapes the tourism industry and whether it is right for us to treat animals in this way as well; as commodities for us to ogle at rather than living, sentient beings.)

A tiger in its enclosure (minimum 500 baht to enter)

Michelle Neoh