Sticky Rice

Bianca Palese, 134 TESS

Christmas isn’t celebrated in the traditional sense here in Thailand, but don’t worry, there are plenty of occasions to give a gift! And in typical Thai fashion, you WILL have to take a photograph giving your gift to the person of honor. So make sure you get them something good (or at least wrap it up pretty)!

Host family gifts

Starting off with ideas for the item that incoming volunteers request the most help with: host family gifts. The best gift to give your host family will be something that feels like you are sharing a bit of your culture and hometown. 

Thai people are big on their drinks, so teas or fancy instant coffee from a local shop would make a cute gift. An insulated cup to keep their drinks cold is also a nice thought. If you’re a sports fan, you could get a t-shirt or hat (bucket hats are popular here) with your team’s logo and tell your family about it. To up the photo-worthiness of it, buy yourself a matching one to wear with your fam! 

Really anything you give them will be appreciated, store bought or homemade. Many host families have small children so you can bring the kids cute stickers with English words on them, snacks, candy, or a small plushie or toy. Jenga and Uno are huge hits as well as bubble wands. And don’t forget, you will have two sets of host families, one at training and one at site, so bring stuff for both!

Birthdays

You are not expected to get a gift for a coworker or host family member every time someone has a birthday. Chances are, you won’t even know there is a birthday until someone brings out a cake. But, if it is someone you are close to, or you have a lot of naam-jai, get them something small and cute. For women, this might be hair accessories, lipstick, or a cute phone case (if you know what kind of phone they have). Flowers are sweet too, but try to make sure you’re not buying ones that are only meant for monks (you can ask your Peace Corps aa-jaans (teachers) for help with this). For men, a bottle of whiskey is the easy go-to. 

Retirement parties

When a teacher retires, in some places, there will be two parties to celebrate them. The first party is a big one that honors all the teachers retiring in your school’s sub-district and you might even go on a two-day trip for this! Each teacher chips in for the party, but as a PCV your Paw Aw (school director) might pay for you. You also may be told that it’s optional to attend but trust me, you don’t want to miss out. The second party is just for the teachers at your school, and this is where you will give your gift. Typical gifts include household goods such as: bowl sets, mugs, pillows, blankets, and towel sets. Spend around 70-200 baht on each gift, no need to go overboard.

Weddings

At Thai weddings or wedding parties, guests should bring money instead of a gift to give to the happy couple. If you received a formal invitation, put 200-400 baht in the same envelope you received your invitation in and bring it to the festivities. This lets the bride and groom know who the money is from so they can thank you later. If you lose your envelope or never got one, a plain envelope from the store with a “To” and “From” will do just fine. 

Transferring schools

When a teacher transfers to another school for work, there will be tears and a whole lot of partying after the formal ceremony. Gifts for this occasion should be a little more personal if you’re able. For women, gift ideas include: purses, coin purses, hair accessories, perfume, jewelry, or Thai silk. Household gifts work as well, such as bowls and blankets. 

One of the cutest gifts I saw was a hair bow that was custom embroidered with a cartoon of the teacher and their name! The price range depends on how well you know the teacher and what you want to spend. Some teachers spend around 150 baht per gift, while others spend around 1,500 for their besties. A card with your gift is also appreciated here. 

Housewarming party

It can depend on the area, but you’re probably thinking household items would be appropriate here, right? Wrong. Bring some 20s and a 100 baht bill to tie up in string (it will be provided at the party) which you will then tie around the new homeowner’s wrist during a blessing ceremony. Although, I’m sure if you want to give them some new household goods instead, they’d think that’s cute too. But from my experience, most people are just going to bring money. 

Drafted to the military party

Same as the housewarming party, just bring baht to tie around the wrist of the soon-to-be soldier using a white string bracelet. And also bring an empty stomach because there is likely going to be an egregious amount of food here.

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Read Bianca’s previous articles and contributions.