The perfect gift

[khunsanuk]

Everybody loves to receive presents, and Thai girls are no exception. Figuring out what to buy them can sometimes be a bit of a daunting task, especially since some presents have a hidden meaning (although some Thais take them a lot more serious than others). Hopefully this will help.

 

Do give

 

• Clothing
  Giving clothing shows that you care about the person's well-being. A nice (warm) sweater usually goes over quite well at the start of the cold season.
  
• Flowers
  I don't think there are many girls in the world that don't enjoy getting flowers. You can either get a bouquet of fresh flowers (very cheap, especially at the markets), or a bouquet of fake flowers (more expensive, but they last a lot longer). Most florists have a delivery service by the way.
  
• Gold
  Thais love gold, especially the 24K variety. They don't see it in the same light as us westerners do though. Whereas a girl in the west would probably not consider selling a necklace bought to her by her boyfriend, Thai girls don't share that sentiment.
  To a Thai a gold necklace is like money in the bank, and is often pawned or sold in times of financial need. So, don't be too surprise to find out that the gold necklace you bought your girlfriend was sold to pay some bills, or upgraded to a heavier chain. stuffed animals
  
• Items from your home country
  Most people seem to enjoy gifts from far-away places, and to your girlfriend the added bonus might be that it something her friends can't buy locally
  BTW, this can just be some little trinket, like a keychain, a lighter, a small wooden shoe (for you Dutch guys), etc. These trinkets can also make great gifts to the friends of your girlfriend, giving you some more face as well as a reputation of a 'jai dee'-guy.
  
• Stuffed animals
  Thai seem to have a childlike streak in them, and it is not uncommon to see 30+ year old office girls walking around with a 'Hello Kitty' bag. Stuffed animals fit right in, especially for the somewhat younger girls (i.e. every one below the age of 35 ).
  

 

Don't give

 

• Earrings
  Earrings always come in a pair, and that is where the problem comes from. Thais believe that if you give your girlfriend a pair of earrings and she loses one of them, your relationship will end. The way around this problem is to give her the money, and let her buy her own earrings.
  
• Handkerchief
  Giving your girlfriend a handkerchief might very well result in her starting to cry. The reason for that is that the hidden meaning behind giving a handkerchief is that you are breaking up with her, and you give the handkerchief so she can use that to wipe away her tears with.
  
• Perfume
  By giving a person perfume you are in effect saying that they smell bad. So don't give your girlfriend perfume, let her pay for it, 5 Baht will do.
  

 

When to give

 

If you have been gone a while, especially when out of the country, it is always nice to bring some presents. Obviously your girlfriend should get the biggest and most expensive gift, but it usually pays of to bring some small trinkets for her friends as well.

 

When going upcountry to meet the family, bring some gifts for her parents. Useful gifts are prefered, like clothing, tools, etc. (especially if the family is poor). Also bring some food, and candy for the kids.

And of course money is always welcome, but don't give a lot and only if the family needs it.

 

Thais, being Buddhist, don't celebrate Christmas and therefore don't give presents on Christmas day. They do however have a tradition of giving presents on New Year's.

 

One final note, don't be surprised if your present isn't opened immediately. Some people consider it more polite to wait until the giver has left. This way if the present isn't to ones liking, the giver doesn't see the disappointment, and face is saved all around.