Project Thailand

The value of helping one another motivates cooperative behavior in the community and reinforces a sense of neighborhood… They bind their relationship through reciprocal services such as assistance and exchanges of food.

- From a study done by Dr. Suntaree Komin, a Thai psychologist and a Fulbright scholar, who wrote a publication entitled Psychology of the Thai People: Values and Behavioral Patterns.

Implications for a Missionary:

• Encourage this in the church!
• Since this is already respected, and because the Bible says it, let them see your good works and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.
• Get involved in community activities, outside the church, as Christians or in the name of the church.
• Have work days to help people.
• Be helpful.

Thailand has been known as the Land of smiles. Work and play must contain at least a little Sanuke (to have fun, to enjoy oneself and have a good time).

- From a study done by Dr. Suntaree Komin, a Thai psychologist and a Fulbright scholar, who wrote a publication entitled Psychology of the Thai People: Values and Behavioral Patterns.

Implications for a Missionary:

• Don’t be boring.
• Don’t be a killjoy.
• Don’t be a stick in the mud.
• Have a sense of humor.
• If you are naturally a stiff, learn how to relax and have some fun.
• Plan some times to do activities with friends. Just as friends.
• When teaching something serious, possibly illustrate it with humorous or ridiculous examples. Studies show that humor greatly increases retention anyway.
• Smile!

The findings of the study revealed that educational values and competence hold a medium level of importance…This finding can help missionaries adjust their focus.

The Thai people are not interested in the content of missionaries’ teaching. If being Christian enabled them to get benefits and helped in finding jobs, knowing English, and opening up chances for a better life, they might consider being Christians.

- From a study done by Dr. Suntaree Komin, a Thai psychologist and a Fulbright scholar, who wrote a publication entitled Psychology of the Thai People: Values and Behavioral Patterns.

Implications for a Missionary:

• Preach sermons that will help them.
• Use as many creative ways to teach as possible. Everything doesn’t have to be called a lesson.
• Activities of the church should demonstrate teaching.
• Create a curiosity, get them to ask questions, and you don’t have to tell them you are “educating” them.
• They are at least curious of your content, they probably just aren’t too interested in lectures, so find ways to teach line upon line, and precept upon precept.
• Show how not knowing the truth hurts their lives and how knowing the truth helps them avoid real heartache and pain.
• Maybe emphasize a series on Proverbs. The Lord does have some good advice.

The Thai are first and foremost ego oriented, characterized by the highest ego value of being independent, being one’s self (pen tua khong tua eng), and having high self-esteem. Thai people have big egos, a deep sense of independence, pride, and dignity. They cannot tolerate any violation of the “ego” self whether that be Buddhism, the king, the nation, or parents. Despite their cool and calm front, they can be easily provoked to strong emotional reactions if the “self” or anybody close to the “self” line, like one’s father or mother is insulted. Basically, it boils down to the question of “face” and “dignity”.

Since Thai culture values “ego” and “face”, straightforward, negative performance feedback, strong criticism, and face-to-face confrontation techniques and challenges should be avoided. “Face-saving” is a key criterion in handling all person-related decisions, particularly negative ones. Compromise is often used as an effective means to save face and to keep the “surface harmony” even at the expense of some task.

- From a study done by Dr. Suntaree Komin, a Thai psychologist and a Fulbright scholar, who wrote a publication entitled Psychology of the Thai People: Values and Behavioral Patterns.

Lessons for a Missionary:

• Work on church discipline/restoration. Confront sin lovingly from scripture.
• Be as nice as possible. They call it manners in the States.
• Develop relationships in which you can correct and train people in righteousness.
• Compromise your preferences when they are just your preferences.
• Encourage rather than criticize.

A rational or apologetic approach may not work well with the majority of the Thai people, but an intuitive, feeling, or affective approach, seeing Christ as the “Man for others” and the one who can deliver them from all fears, may be considered as a new way of meekness in Christian witnessing.

For the Thai, religion is felt emotionally, not rationalized cognitively.

- From a study done by Dr. Suntaree Komin, a Thai psychologist and a Fulbright scholar, who wrote a publication entitled Psychology of the Thai People: Values and Behavioral Patterns.

Implications for missionaries:

• Emphasize how the Gospel enlightens our minds, so that we can think clearly and not be dependent on emotions.
• Teach that emotions must be subject to facts
• Don’t deride emotions and feeling, but instruct them to be infused with passion for God!
• Develop a strong and effective music program in the church to give proper outlet of emotions of praise to God. Like the Psalms.
• Use instruction on music as a way to teach how our emotions should be stirred by and dependent on truth. Not vice versa.