Besides ego and smooth interpersonal relations values,
the Thai are flexible and situation-oriented. This value in fact consistently
scores high in the cognition of Thai people, regardless of different backgrounds
and groups.1
In general, for the Thai, there
is nothing so serious as to be unbendable or unchangeable. When confronted
with some breaching or deviation from rules, the common reaction is "Ca
aow arai kan nak kan naa" (meaning "Don't be too strict or
rigid, it's absurd!"). The general attitude towards problems is: "Pen
rueng lek" (it's a small matter); "Mai chai rueng kho
khaad baad tai" (it is not a matter of life-and-death); or "Tuk
yang kae khai kan dai" (Everything can be adjusted). The popular
phrase "Kling wai korn, pho sorn wai" (Do whatever is
called for at the moment, to survive), perhaps adequately depicts the flexible
characteristic of the Thai people. This flexibility value orientation is
somehow correlated with the laxness in principle, and consequently reflected
in certain behavioral pattern like, "decision-shifting" and corruption.
5.4.1. Flexibility Over Principle and Ideology
This flexibility value in response to situations and opportunities, manifests itself as a core value regulating a number of conspicuous values and behavioral patterns. Because of this value, it is not surprising to find "decision-shifting" behavioral pattern quite common for the Thai, such as vote-switching, position-switching, or even switching of principles. Those who have observed political behaviors of the Thai Members of the Parliament (MPs) year after year, would understand why many MPs switched their votes at the crucial time, switching their positions, or even switching one's political party, for no reasons of ideology or principles.
Basic to these "switching" behaviors
is always the personal conflict based on the "self", the "in-group",
and the situation, that are the main motivating forces. It is always the
"person" and the "situation" over principles and systems.
Hundreds of political reports appeared in the media can testify to this.
For example, when the Prime Minister finally resigned to pave way for forming
a new coalition government to include one of the Opposition party, those
Opposition MPs who previously declared and swore in public repeatedly that
they would "never" join the government with General Chatchai
as Prime Minister, found themselves grabbing those ministerial posts in
no time.2
The same pattern moreover occurs
in the formation of political parties. At present, Thailand has about two
dozens political parties. However their policies and ideological differences
can hardly be differentiated. Factions in the Thai political system are
indeed not based on ideological or policy differences, rather they are
based on personal conflicts and "in-group"
interests.3
Since the Thai are not principle oriented, and with the high value for personal relationship, they also appear not to be strictly law-oriented. In practice, principles and laws are ever-adjustable to fit persons and situations. In other words, laws are rules laid out in papers; but what is wrong or right depends not on the rules, but instead on who the person is or whom the person knows. A prominent Thai businessman ironically described this phenomenon in a seminar:
We Thai are not a society of law; we are a society
of relationship.... It is not what a person has done that's wrong; it's
who he is.... If he is your cousin, or your friend, then what he has done
is not wrong. But if another person does the same thing, and it's somebody
you don't like, then what he has done is wrong...4
This is the reason why law enforcement
in Thailand hardly works. If it does, it is selectively enforced on those
who are either nobody or do not know anybody, or who have no money to ease
their wrong-doings or buy their way out of problems. Countless examples
can be cited. As a society of relationship, it is easy and common for an
officer, upon request from even friends of friends, to pull out, cross
out or destroy a traffic citation issued. For the sake of smooth relationship,
officers would overlook, turn a blind eye, or keep silent, of any law infringement,
even large-scale corruption of their friends and those businessmen who
regularly offer them money for "a cup of tea", or worse still
the wrong-doing of their superiors. As a matter of fact, a police major
admitted to the media, that it is an "open secret" that police
accept bribes from gambling, smuggling and prostitution.5
It is a fact that these corruption activities have connections at various levels. This is why major gambling dens for example, in spite of having been raided by policemen so many times when occasionally urged by the Government, still continue to operate.
The point here is that, while the basic Thai value system should not be blamed as the major factor for corruption, it definitely does not help to inhibit corruption either.
In general, this characteristic "Flexibility and Adjustment" value orientation has perhaps accounted for varieties of behavioral patterns, ranging from the facilitation of ethnic assimilation process, to the tendency of corruption prone. In addition, it provides a deeper understanding to the various existing interpretations of the Thai being "unpredictable", "non-committing", "irresponsible" or even "selfish" and "opportunistic", by foreigners.
2 Cf S. KOMIN, Psychology of the Thai People, p. 166.
3 For more information, see S. KOMIN, Psychology of the Thai People, pp. 165-169.
4 Bangkok Post, March 18, 1988.
5 Cf Bangkok Post, October 28, 1990.