Bianca Palese, 134 TESS
The new cohort, group 136, has just arrived in Thailand. As some of them have reached out to me online about advice before departure, it’s got me thinking about all the advice I was given when I was in their shoes. Including all the bad advice.
The truth is, so many Americans don’t know anything about Thailand except what they’ve seen in The Hangover II. Luckily for me, all my family has visited Thailand before and my grandparents even lived here for a while. But vacationing or living in an expat community in Thailand is still SO completely different from being a PCV here, so here is a compilation of some of the well-intentioned bad advice people in my life gave me as I was preparing to embark on my Peace Corps adventure.
“Bring them peanut butter as a gift; they’ve probably never tasted it before!”
I don’t know why I went along with this one but I did bring two tubs of peanut butter over in my suitcase to present as a host family gift. I ended up never giving it to them though because I realized once I arrived in country that you can buy peanut butter at most 7Elevens and grocery stores. Peanuts are also a main ingredient in Pad Thai, which I already knew, so I have no idea why I believed that peanut butter would be an unheard of commodity. My mom, who had been to Thailand three times, gave me this advice.
“Don’t forget to take your pants completely off before you use the squat toilet.”
My mom also told me this and I’ve questioned her judgement ever since. For reference, you don’t need to take your clothes off and hang them up to use a squat toilet, you just pull down your drawers like normal. I can’t imagine becoming Donald Duck every time I needed to use the bathroom here … what in the world was she doing?
“You don’t need to pack jeans, it’s too hot over there and they don’t wear jeans.”
I once again listened to my mom on this one because it made sense to me at the time. But once I got to my permanent site I noticed that half the entourage there to greet me were wearing jeans. Despite the heat, Thai people do wear fashionable wide leg jeans from time to time, just like Americans. In fact, my host sisters dress exactly like I would in the States because just like the rest of us, they are emulating celebrities’ and influencers’ style. I bought a few pairs of cheap jeans at the mall a few weeks later so I could fit in better with people my age around my site.
“Keep a bag packed in case China invades and you have to leave all of the sudden.”
My friend told me this while we were chit-chatting at a wedding and it took me a moment to realize that he thought Thailand and Taiwan were the same place. I let him go on for a while about geopolitics in Asia before I politely told him he was an idiot but I’ll be sure to stay alert just in case.
“Don’t do the Peace Corps, you already have a good job.”
My dad said this when I told him I had an interview for a Peace Corps position in Thailand the following week. It’s a line I’m sure many PCVs have heard before. And my dad had a point, I did have a great job back in the States, but I wasn’t truly passionate about the work. Peace Corps, on the other hand, was something I’d been dreaming about since high school. It’s a big and long commitment, but I truly believe that there is no other experience on earth like being a Peace Corps Volunteer. The skills you develop, relationships you build, and memories you make are so special and worth leaving that office job for!
Sticky Rice 
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