HIDAJournal 2013 AUTUMN No.3

20/22

18 HIDA JOURNALHIDA NEWSIt has been a little over a year since I was assigned to HIDA’s Bangkok Office in Thailand. I would like to report, in bits and pieces, on what has attracted my attention and what I have discovered in my daily life in Thailand.Opening an umbrella when it rains:Who doesn’t know, you might ask. However, I had been told that in Southeast Asia, where squalls frequently occur, people seldom use umbrellas in light rain. I myself don’t remember seeing people using umbrellas in other Southeast Asian countries. Contrary to my expectation, in Bangkok these days, people usually open their umbrellas when it rains.Bangkok City has a well-developed train system (BTS: elevated railway; MRT: subway) and people are reluctant to ride trains wearing wet clothes. Also, since buildings are heavily air-conditioned throughout the year, there is a need to avoid catching a cold̶these may be the reasons why people use umbrellas in Bangkok.Frightening escalators:There are large shopping malls in many places in Bangkok City. Most of these malls are built with an open space that leads from the fi rst through to the top fl oor (at a height of 100 to 130 feet). Escalators moving up and down this space are equipped with no safety net, forming a soaring staircase in the air. When you look down from these escalators, you get a thrilling view. Handrails are set at an ordinary height, which leads me to imagine what would happen if I should accidentally fall over from the escalator. In Japan, people would raise serious concerns over the safety of such escalators. In Thailand, on the contrary, those who raise such concerns are advised to act on their own judgment and responsibility and use elevators instead.Prayers throughout the city:In Thailand, there are golden shrines called “San Phra Phrom” in Thai everywhere in town. I have been told that gods and spirits are enshrined in these shrines. We often see people praying to such shrines with their palms joined on their way to and from work in the morning and evening, during lunch breaks , or even on holidays. Interestingly enough, many young people also offer prayers to the shrines.A digression: Who is the most popular actor in Thailand?Out of my personal interest, I asked my Thai friends (including female members of this office). Nadech was by far the most popular. He has acted in many TV dramas and movies in Thailand and is also well known for the role of a Japanese military officer in the movie Samnakphim na Ban Wannakam, which depicts a romance between the Japanese military offi cer and a Thai woman against the background of Bangkok during the Second World War. You may find this information useful when talking to your Thai friend.(Shinya Kubota, Bangkok Offi ce Senior Deputy Representative)Reports from Overseas Offi ces: Bangkok and JakartaHIDA has its offi ces in Bangkok and Jakarta. In this issue, we asked the staff of these offi ces to present reports on recent trends in clothing, food and housing in Thailand and Indonesia, along with some useful tidbits of information.Golden shrine on the corner of the Erawan Hotel located at the center of Bangkok City. Flowers and incense are off ered before the shrine, which is visited by many people even at night.Bangkok Offi ce

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