huge numbers of Chinese tourists who came to visit. That creates culture shocks,
both for the hosts and the visitors.
Behaviors of Mainland Chinese are distinctively different from those of Chinese
from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, or from other parts of the world,
and even from the Thai-Chinese who migrated to Thailand for centuries. The
post-World War socioeconomic development in China has made the culture of
Mainland Chinese different from other Chinese diasporas. The country has leap
jumped its own GDP to become top ranked in the world. However, the“cos-
mopolitanism”of the people still needs to catch up with the rapid leaps of economic
advance. That may take decades. A Thai key online informant, who is expert in
Chinese studies, states that Communist China cuts the Confucianism and Taoism
elements in the cultural upbringing during the past 60 years and that has made the
ethical base of Mainlanders different from Chinese diasporas and especially from
the Thais, whose ethical base is based on Thai Buddhism. In other words, world-
view, social values, and moral values of Chinese diasporas are different from one
context to the another. The key informant states that Mr. Wen Jiabao already knew
that having a lot of money alone does not gain respect from other countries. The
good old Chinese culture from before the Cultural Revolution needs to be revived,
he argued, and that may take years.
A general observation of those who have been to China is that the struggle for
survival was high during the closed country period. Competitive and rushing
behaviors are common now in postmodern China. Chinese people now have
spending power, but still need to catch up on universal manners and etiquettes
which may take time to learn. Hosts need to be patient. On the other hand, the Thai
way of life is rather slow and less competitive. (One reason probably being, the
country is fertile and has an abundance of food.) This may cause a culture clash
between the Thais who were taught to be humble and mild and the Chinese who
had tofight and strike for daily survival.
One of thefirst positive aspects about Chinese tourists that Thai online key
informants mention is that Mainlanders spend a lot of money abroad. In Thailand,
according to Thai sources online, each high-end Chinese tour group spends no less
than 10 million Baht. Many key informants admit that the amount that Chinese
tourists bring in is much higher than tourists from other countries. Mainlanders dare
spend on luxurious items and on elite lifestyles during their vacation. Another
positive aspect is that many Chinese tourists appreciate Thai people for having good
manners and always smiling. One Chinese key informant reports that the
Mainlanders who heard about the inappropriate behavior of some Chinese tourists
in Thailand criticized their own people. They consider that, as a result, China loses
face in the international arena. They called for strict measures to deal with those
who behave inappropriately abroad. Some even suggest blacklisting or detention
for offenders.
The distinctive stereotypes of Chinese from Mainland China exhibited in
Thailand can be categorized as follows: (a) undisciplined behaviors: jumping
queue, being loud, and littering; (b) unhygienic behaviors: spitting in public spaces,
sneezing without covering mouth in public spaces and on food, urinating in public
80 5 Tourism, Digital Social Communication and Development...