1 - Make do & mend mentality I love the way that everything seems to be recycled here - very often for a use that I would never have thought of in a million years! I've seen CD's on a string dangling to keep flies off food, dog food sacks made into a cover for a motorbike seat, people walking around in bin bags in the rain. I've seen old signs used to make a shade, old t-shirts warming soi dogs during a cool spell, water bottles, half filled, to weigh down awnings so they don't flap. The innovation of the average Thai totally amazes me & I'm proud to say, a very small portion of it has rubbed off on me, where the dog center is concerned. I've come up with ideas (that actually work!) that cost no, or very little money that I would never have come up with 5 years ago. So, it doesn't always look good - who cares, as long as it works?

2 - The ability to find vegetation to eat anywhere. I'm constantly amazed at the number of Thai women that I can be talking to or walking along with & they'll suddenly stop & start gathering a load of some plant or other to take home for food. How do they know what's good? Or even what's safe? In UK (with the exception of brambles/blackberries) I'd be hard put to identify a single plant growing wild that could be safely eaten!
Unfortunately, as I was thinking about these things & thinking I'd post about them on HHAD, I came across another idiosyncracy that I hate - and I guess I have to include that one too

3 - "Mai mee" Why is it so difficult to get what you want? I went to a cake shop in Market Village today. I'm a regular customer & I've seen they do birthday cakes. It's little boy's birthday on Sunday & he wants to take a birthday cake to school on Monday for his classmates.
I went to the birthday cake counter & read their sign, giving prices, weights & the fact you need to order 3 days before. Fine. I waited 10 mins before anyone would serve me. OK. I pointed to the cake I wanted & said I wanted a 3lb one. "Mai mee" & a gesture at the cabinet. So, in faltering Thai, I explained I didn't want it today, I wanted it on the 22nd. She went to ask & again, I got "Mai mee". So, I went over it in English - I know that my Thai is dreadful - "no, don't have these cakes. Cannot order."

So, looks like littl'un is getting a Black Forest cake from Tesco...

Anyone else come across attitudes or cultural things uniquely Thai that they love (or hate)?