Materialism in Thailand - by Cho Walpole

Thailand is in Southeast Asia. The country is surrounded by mountains, there are many temples, wildlife, and beautiful islands. People on the surface seem to be happy and enjoy living a simple life. However, in Thailand the majority of the population is poor, and they tend to idolize the rich. The materialistic value becomes essential to Thai society. It has been so ingrained into Thai culture. People are worried about their possessions even though they are struggling to survive. A huge level of inequality influences the urge to flaunt. The minimum wage in Thailand is $8 per day or $450 per month which makes it very easy to impress someone with simple things such as drinking Starbucks or using iPhone. Many people want to become rich or want to have an image of success even though it may be fake. In Thailand, social acceptance and avoiding face-shame are more important than self-worth. The role of materialistic tendencies in Thailand doesn’t seem to end anytime soon.

Societal Pressures

There are many examples of how society is supportive of a materialistic lifestyle. I also have a few examples from my own experiences related to that. One time, my friend asked me if she could borrow my credit card to buy an iPhone (I declined) because she didn’t have a credit card, but she was always following up a new trend. For example, she would change to the new iPhone every time it comes out.

When Apple launched the new iPhone14, Thailand’s largest phone operations partnered with a financial institute and offered their customers that they can buy a new iPhone 14 with 0% interest for 60 months. Now, anyone can have an iPhone 14 even though they don’t have enough money to buy it. This zero percent interest is the big thing in Thailand. People have been using this benefit to buy brand-name, expensive phones, or gadgets. Recently, the central bank of Thailand announced that they will take control of the zero percent interest campaign from the bank because it induces people to buy non-essential items and increase household debt.

Social Acceptance

Brand name is the most common thing in Thailand. When my sister got into university, she started to buy brand-name items which is strange because we were poor and still needed loans to pay for tuition. Her behavior didn’t last long because later my sister decided to move to a new university because she couldn’t fit in as most students were from wealthy families. Many Thai people love brand names but with the low minimum wage, some people cannot afford to buy them, so they buy fake brand names. There are many fake brand-name shops online these days. Surprisingly, this is not only popular for poor people but also for wealthy people who don’t want to pay for expensive brand names but want to have them so that they can fit into their society.

Luxury Car = Successful

When I was in Thailand, I help my family business. We own an air-conditioner business which we have to offer various deals to win customers versus our competitors. When my brother-in-law goes to meet with customers, he will drive his Mercedes. He usually wins the job even though our price is higher than our competitors. It is because people like to do business with people who has successful image. They think that rich people are more trustworthy.

The most common “wealthy” brands are Mercedes-Benz or BMW. In Thailand, it could be very expensive because the import tax on cars is 200%. If the car is $30,000 here in the US, it will be $90,000 in Thailand. Having a nice expensive car gives you more power or job opportunities. People are likely to get away and don’t get harassed by police when they pass the checkpoint. Thai people recognize certain brands. It doesn’t matter how much you paid for your car. If it is Mercedes-Benzes, BMW, or Volvo, people will consider you a wealthy person. Some people would choose to buy second-hand high-end brands instead of a brand-new car. Some people may have a car that is more expensive than a house because they can show off their car to everyone. With their house, they can only show off to the people within their circle. Also, an expensive car can help increase business liability.

Marriage

When my mom got married to my dad, my dad was supposed to give my mother’s family money as a dowry. But my father was poor, so my mother’s family use their own money for a dowry. This also happened to me when I got married. My boyfriend is from the US, and I didn’t want to scare him with this tradition. I decided to use my own saving to show it to the guest as a dowry from my boyfriend. I did not tell my family that it was my money.

When it comes to marriage, there is an old tradition where the bride’s parents get a dowry from the groom. Money is used as proof that the groom has enough money to take care of the bride. But these days, a wedding is just another platform to exhibit wealth. There is a business for renting actual money, gold, and a car to present to the guests. This way the bride’s family or the groom’s family doesn’t lose face. This tradition sometimes results in a breakup. The bride’s family sometimes asked for too much money from the groom. If the groom doesn’t have it, they may have to break up, or the groom doesn’t show up on the wedding day.

Pyramid Scheme

I have an artist friend who has hippy-looking. One day his photo on Facebook turned into a businessman-looking shortly after he joined a business scheme. On his Facebook, it looks like he’s living in a dream, but the truth is, he’s struggling with money and his friends (myself included) gave him money to support himself and his family.

Thai people are sometimes so desperate to be seen as rich that they fall victim to scams. That’s why pyramid schemes are rising in Thailand. The way they promote their business is that everyone can become rich. They offer training courses to members where they teach how to post on social media, how to make yourself look wealthy, and how to dress. Some brands may hire a professional photographer to take a photo of you. The head of each group member will have various techniques on how to help their team member sell the products. They will create a new you, offering brand names for members to take a photo with, visit expensive car showrooms and take a photo with a car, pretending they bought them, and rent actual money to take a photo and post it on social media. Sometimes they take the team members on a nice trip. Create an image of living in a dream and lure more people to join them.

Social Activities

I am a cyclist and the cyclist community in Thailand is very different from the US. In the US, nobody cares what brand is your bicycle or how much it cost. In Thailand, people like to see what brand you have, how expensive it is, or how heavy it is.

Some certain sports in Thailand are for wealthy people such as golf. People who earn minimum wage or middle class are not able to afford the price of the golf set and the course fee. So, it is automatically limited to wealthy people. Many cyclists in Thailand are also wealthy. It is very easy to spend a lot of money on one bike just to make it lighter. An expensive bicycle can cost as same as a car. If you go visit the capital of Thailand, there is one place near the airport called sky lane. At sky lane, you will see many internet celebrities and famous people. It is like a platform to show off their bikes and clothes. There are more sports that are famous among wealthy people such as wakeboarding, skiing, hockey, and ice skating.

Losing Face

For Thai people, it is important for us to continue studying at the University. Most Thai people have bachelor’s degrees. I also have a bachelor’s degree in Tourism Management, but I did not like it. I chose this major because it is the easiest to get in. My friend is a very successful business owner. She applied for a business course (certificate) at a university. She later told me that people in this class mostly are wealthy people. They just want to look for a connection.

Gaining a certificate or a degree is the big thing in Thailand. Many Thai people graduated from the university with a degree they aren’t interested in. Many students choose an easy major because they want to earn a degree to show people that they’re successful with their education and the family doesn’t lose face. It is embarrassing for the family if you don’t continue in the university. It is also very difficult to get a job without a bachelor’s degree. And if people have more money or businesses, they are likely to continue to a higher degree. It is to help them find a connection.

Materialism is a crisis in Thailand. Lacking education, being afraid of losing face in society, and wanting to have a fake successful image or status; all lead to a culture that gives rise to materialism. The value that society gives to materialism urges a desire for possession. Some university students became prostitutes even though they have good family support. Some teenagers get depressed or commit suicide due to this matter. Many people get themselves into big debt and many people fall into pyramid schemes or scams because they think it’s a shortcut to accumulating wealth.

Materialism affects a person’s well-being, happiness, life satisfaction, and health. It also affects the people surrounding you. It is a thrill when you own something or buy something. Possession could make you feel complete, but it is temporary. The pursuit and purchase of possessions will never fully satisfy the desire for happiness. Moreover, it leads to more consumption, more energy consumed, and more waste in landfills. The solution to this problem is to educate people. The government could help so much but they are corrupt. The nonprofit organization could play a role in improving the Thai perspective on the material such as promoting a sustainable lifestyle or educating people on how to deal with this compulsive need. The institute should bring awareness to people. It may be difficult to erase this problem from Thai society but with the help of everyone, Thai people could find true meaning in life and have real happiness.