A New Perspective on the Perception of Thai Culture Reflected by Thai University Students’ Accounts through the Lens of Small Cultures

Abstract

Thai culture has been discussed in several studies, yet such discussion is fixed and fails to consider the complexity and dynamism of Thai culture in response to the changing circumstances within society. This qualitative study employed an innovative photo-elicitation technique, utilizing online semi-structured interviews, to explore eighteen Thai university students’ perceptions of Thai culture and to establish whether or not their perceptions differ from prescribed ethnic, national, and international qualities. Data from the Thematic Analysis demonstrate that Thai university students’ perceptions differ from traditional Thai cultural values in terms of the openness of their sexual attitudes and behavior, the equal relationships between younger and older people, and the promotion of gender equality. Using the notion of small cultures as a conceptual framework, the findings add variety to Thai cultural values and beliefs and raise questions about an imagined conception of national cultures, leading to cultural generalizations by setting up stereotypes of others. Taken together, this study suggests moving beyond generalizations or stereotypes about national groups, or the essentialist view of culture, supporting the notion that culture is dynamic and complex and unrestricted by national boundaries. This study contributes to wider scholarship on intercultural communication by demonstrating that there are a variety of behaviors and perceptions of Thai culture within a single group of Thai people, highlighting that Thai culture is constantly evolving and never fixed.