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Are Thai People Really Lazy?

“Well, you know Thais, they're f-word lazy, man”, said the expat on the adjacent table in the coffee shop.

This is a statement I've heard many times over the years.

It's an easy thing to say off the cuff, particularly if that has been your experience.

But that experience is usually very limited: limited to a lazy girlfriend you adopted into your home, a lazy laborer you employed cheaply to fix your roof, or a lazy mother-in-law who thinks you're not good enough for her daughter – despite the fact that you paid for her house.

In reality it's a sweeping generalization that isn't applicable to the millions of Thais who work hard every day, for what is often a pitiful wage.

But is there some truth to this generalization? I mean, there's no smoke without fire, right? Why do people keep saying it? Why has this label been stuck on the Thai people?

This perception of laziness is coming from somewhere, and it seems to be the experience of quite a large number of expats.

I'll share my experience and thoughts on this stereotype below, and then you can give me your take in the comments section.

lazy-thai-sleeping

 

Are Thai People Lazy?

Since I came to Thailand, some 14 years ago, I have to say that the majority of Thais I have encountered are pretty hard-working.

From the maid to the market trader to the Som Tum seller to the lady serving coffee in Starbucks, most of the Thais I see on a daily basis are working a lot of hours.

Most are up at the crack of dawn, many working 6 or 7 days a week, particularly those with their own businesses.

The guys and gals in the local 7-Eleven seldom have a day off, taxi drivers sleep just a few hours in their taxis before hitting the road again, and go up country and you have OAPs toiling the fields for 8 hours a day.

So where are all the lazy people?

Some might say, “But that's out of necessity, not because they want to. Given the chance, they'd put their feet up and live off someone else's labour”.

But how many people around the world don't work out of necessity? And how many wouldn't take it easier if they could?

I will concede that most Thais have no choice but to work. There is no comparable social security system. If you don't work, you don't eat. Simple.

Is It a Class Issue?

Even in the middle classes I see little evidence of this stereotype.

For example, the experiences I've had with Thai colleagues at my friend's Bangkok-based company is comparable to that of staff in the UK. Most work very hard. Sre, some are keener than others, some work faster than others, and some are more organized than others.

This is no different to any other office around the world.

You have a very wealthy upper class in Thailand, and I'd argue that that's where you're more likely to find laziness.

The sons and daughters (some) of rich Bangkok businessmen tend to do little more than drive flash cars and do lunch with friends.

But again, that's the same all over the world, isn't it?

So who are we talking about being lazy here?

Bar girls that sit around of an evening, occasionally playing pool and waiting to be bought a drink and taken home? The privileged wives of pension-rich expats who don't need to work?

These groups don't represent all Thai people. This is a minority.

The “Sabai Sabai” Approach to Life

Perhaps Thais don't work as efficiently as Brits, Aussies, Americans or Europeans, and perhaps that gives a perception of laziness. A lack of efficiency, taking longer to do things, a seemingly reluctant attitude at times, this could be perceived as laziness.

But the latter, in most cases, is because they are doing a boring job for little money, with no real career prospects.

It's also horribly hot in Thailand; the humidity makes you feel sweaty and tired. If you're working outside, you're not going to be over the moon about the sun beating down on you all day.

Or is the case that Thais will cut corners if they can, knock off early if no one is looking, and take the easy way out if possible?

I can attest to this being the case in some people I know and in some dealings I've had in Thailand, but part of me feels this is cultural – the “sabai sabai” (comfortable) approach to life, mixed with a little “mai bpen rai” (never mind).

But then aren't we all aiming for this to some degree?

We'd all like to earn the most we can doing as little work as possible, unless we truly love our work and would do it despite the money.

Is It a Penchant for Laziness?

Or maybe the difference is in the what you'd do if you weren't working.

Is it the case that us expats spend our free time getting things done: tidying out the garage, washing the car, learning the guitar, playing golf, etc. Whereas the Thai would rather just sit down and watch a drama series and eat snacks.

I don't know where you're from, but in the UK, generally speaking, we are a nation of doers. We keep busy: “Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today”. Of course there are many who aren't like that, and in my opinion this culture is changing.

Look, I am a pretty productive person, I don't like idly sitting around wasting time. But that doesn't make other people lazy. It's my personality. Maybe I need to relax more…

The Problem with Generalizations

For every Thai person I could label as “lazy” there's three I know who are the complete opposite.

My grand-mother-in-law is 90 and still gets up at the crack of dawn to go into town to buy vegetables to sell at a local market. Even with Covid lurking there was no keeping her down. She could never be labelled as “lazy”.

My wife's sister works six days a week, as does her husband. When I met my wife she was working six days a week and waking up at 5.30am.

Then I think about the Thai wives of expats I know who moved to Europe. Surely these are lazy Thai women who, as soon as they got the chance, put their feet up and sponged off their husbands!

Well, no. There are three couples I know very well. All three wives work in their adopted country. Their husbands could support them, but they choose to work and earn their own money instead.

I do know the stereotype, though.

I know of one guy's partner who doesn't work yet insists on having a maid and a nanny, when clearly she could fill these roles. She prefers to adopt the hi-so life, immersed in fashion and selfies. But man, this isn't exclusive to Thailand, this is happening the world over.

And this is the problem with generalizations; it really depends on your experience, on your interactions, on your social circle.

Of course, every country has its lazy people – those who don't want to work or don't want to work very hard – and there are certainly some lazy Thai people.

The reality is, however, that most Thais don't have the privilege of being lazy. Period.

Do they have more of a penchant for laziness than us western expats? Maybe… You tell me.



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  2. Tim says

    Good article THANK you.

    My wife works all the time when we stay in America. Where the wages are good. Worked for total six years there. I met her in Thailand at a fulltime 7 day week job clothing retail shop 14 years ago. She couldn't finish school, because she had to support her ailing father will cancer Her family all hard fulltime workers. Can't say all Thais are lazy here!
    I have seen it though! But not in this family.
    Reply

  3. Peter Dean says

    Thai people do not work in the same way as Westerners, so they may look lazy but they are just as good at getting things done quickly. They are also much more cooperative. I don’t think fat ladies in sex shops or wives who profit from marrying a well-off Farang are typical
    Reply

  5. Min says

    First of all, all these comments here are from either a morally depraved white man looking to bang hookers or from a foreigners way of degrading another culture for being lazy. I am Thai myself (belonging to the chinese minority), so i might as well give my own perspective on this.

    Ethnic Thai culture usually emphasize having fun instead of doing hard work. And if they do hard work, it's usually menial work so that they can go home and not think about anything else. Their outlook on life usually focuses on simple objects such as; having fun, being relaxed, eating and reproducing. While education might be limited to wealthier classes, it does not change the fact that Thai Chinese and Thai Indians are better off in the society. This is not to say that they are less capable, rather, their attitude towards hard work is usually filled with ideas of just being comfortable and but below an outstanding threshold.

    Men are encouraged to have no committment to anything, living lavishly as kings and women are raised to be housewives. Tell me, how does this mentality create efficiency and a hardworking society? Compared to it's East Asian cousins, ethnic South East Asians are definitely more prone to this lazy mentality. It could be due to the historical past of lying around in small communities, or it could be due to a lack of a strong cultural identity which encourages hard work (due to inherent diversity and influences from the west).
    At the end of the day, even the political situation seems to encourage the lazy behaviour, as there is corruption and minimal welfare - parents and families expect to be provided for by their children. This results in a society where the young would never be able to fully be independent and grow with their own careers as half of it has to go to their families.

    Nevertheless, the results are shown even here in Europe. The women marrying an overweight European would brag all day about doing less - receiving more. When it comes to their teens, I have yet to see an ambitious young thai person with good morals. Usually, they just repeat their old pattern despite having access to free education in Europe; having fun, being relaxed, eating and reproducing. This is definitely contrary to east asian or western mentality, and definitely not efficient. Lastly, thais might not be lazy. But this attitude is deeply ingrained in the culture.
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      "At the end of the day, even the political situation seems to encourage the lazy behaviour, as there is corruption and minimal welfare - parents and families expect to be provided for by their children. This results in a society where the young would never be able to fully be independent and grow with their own careers as half of it has to go to their families."

      This is a really good point, that a child's progression and potential is limited by the need to provide for their family. They can never be fully independent of their parents.
      Reply

    • Andreas says

      great insight here. thank you for your reply.
      I wanted to continue that though that something is in grained in culture.
      change comes from people doing something differently right? It easy to say anything you do is only because your elders or society tells you to do it. but nothing is technically stopping thais from becoming "busy". the kids in Europe could study but dont. so lazy does apply. hence the stereotype. is it less valid because its culturally ingrained?
      your not less racist just because its culturally acceptable in nazi Germany or trump area USA. its easy to swim with the flow.
      I think expats like us do compare our "can do attitude" or "greed for money, wealth and status" against they may ben rai attitude of thais and think we come out on top. measured by outcome we do right, higher wages, more money. measured by how comfortable we are is a different metric. we work 70 hours instead of 30, is the extra money more important than the extra time spent "eating, relaxing and prodcreating" ? everybody has to decide that or themselves I feel. HOWEVER, and that is my experience as a supervisor and manager I get extremely frustrated with "lazy" workers (whatever race) when they are hired into a western style business and are expected to perform/output in that manners and just fail. Ive been called racist or pushy when I tried to motivate/push/complain of missed deadlines and low output.
      so while I dont think all south East Asians & Indians are lazy I think that too many are due to the cultural differences that dont work when put into a western situation. thats then on the western company for not understanding but also on the sea people for resenting the Westerners that only pay them cents on the dollar for exactly that lack of efficiency and output.
      if you pay for. Ferrari you expect it to go vroom. not slough along at 30km/h.

      the problem is expectation mismatch on both sides.
      Reply

    • David says

      My Thai partner started her own business and prospered. Her sister and her sister’s husband were both killed in a car accident, leaving a one year old son. My partner cared for the child until she had her own child, and another sister took over. She worked hard, never married and used every baht to send him to the best school she could afford and then onto a good university where he completed his business degree. She then paid with help from my partner to have him further his English at a university in Sydney Australia. They lived in a tiny single room apartment, in Bangkok throughout his education, a sacrifice she made to afford the education. The boy who is now 24 was never offered any help from the very wealthy Chinese Thai parents of his father. They made no contribution whatsoever. And he never asked for a baht as they made almost no contact with him.
      My partners brother chose to stay in the country near Phitsanulok as his country born wife didn’t want to be away from her mother. He became a farmer (although the family comes from Bangkok) and spends long hours working his mixed vegetable farm. He can only afford a motorbike because he is paying to put his daughter through a medicine degree in a Bangkok university. His son is studying electrical engineering. The extended family (except the Chinese ones) help him with the expense, but he is very proud and accepts very little help, despite now being nearly 60 and having a few health problems. His daughter finishes her degree next year. We give her money to afford a few small things so that she doesn’t get so much bullying from the mostly very wealthy other students at the university. She gets teased for being a farmers daughter and not having designer handbags etc. My partners family are very devout Buddhists as her grandfather was a senior monk for many years before marrying at an older age. They take the teachings of Buddha very much to heart. Fortunately for Fon she is steeped in Buddhist thought and knows the values that cause the bullying are shallow and ignorant and come from the spiritually poor. She knows from her Buddhism and her father’s huge sacrifice for her, that she is not poorer than the bullies at all. Quite the opposite. She is a very strong young Thai woman as were her mother and aunties.
      Reply

  6. John says

    Most of the Thai women working in the bar scene of Pattaya are incredibly lazy. Basically all they want to do is sit on their backsides all day and stuff their faces with food. They don't seem to realise or care that they get fatter and fatter and become less and less attractive to the customers they're hoping to attract. I really wish they'd stop f***ing EATING!
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      Well that's kind of the job description, isn't it?: Wait around for punters to entertain and then sleep with for cash. In between, you sit around and talk and eat. And to be fair, sleeping with men that you find repulsive day in day out is enough to make anyone turn to comfort eating.
      Reply

      • John says

        Why don't they keep themselves fit instead of sitting on their backsides getting fat? The fatter they get the more they will get repulsive customers. Recently in soi 6 Pattaya the women have had to welcome inside Indians and Pakistanis, cos they're now desperate. If they kept themselves slim they'd get better looking customers. No good looking man wants to pay for a fat ugly lazy greedy hooker.
        Reply

        • TheThailandLife says

          I doubt these uneducated women with limited funds are suddenly going to join the gym and start conscious eating. These are village women with limited knowledge of city life and indeed life itself. They come to the city, live in a shared room, go to the bar, do their duty and go back to their rooms. They exist in the margins of society. They work and send money home to their children and parents, and that's it.Their social life consists of eating and talking with other women from the bar and pretending the punters are "handsome man".Occasionally you get a woman who bucks the trend. I knew a woman from the gym who was very attractive, fit, healthy and took really good care of herself. She didn't drink, smoke, etc. She was a working girl who worked on a rotation basis. Men would come for a holiday in turns to "be with her". She ran the business like clock work. She did hang out in a bar on occasion but was fairly exclusive and picked her clients, as I understand it. Fair play.My general view is that for various reasons fewer women go into this line of work now, and the reason men are complaining of the "quality" is because it is mainly the older, less attractive women still left in the game. If I think back 12 years at the attractive women I used to see outside bars compared with when I walk past now it is quite a difference. I think it's a good thing. Let it burn. I hope education and opportunity improves and that such women will find a better pathway in life, because for most it doesn't end well or simply becomes a bearable existence.As for the clientele, needs must. If the Indians have the cash the women have got the time. The Baht is expensive for Brits, especially, so fewer holiday-makers.If you want a more attractive prostitute you will most likely have to pay for it. That's part of the game. I guess that's the reason the Eastern European women charge more.
          Reply

          • John says

            I agree with what you say, I've lived in Pattaya for 7 years and am no longer interested in the women working in the sex trade because they're now mostly fat, greedy, lazy, ugly and ignorant. First rule of working as a prostitute is to make yourself sexually attractive and appealing, not to sit on your backside all day stuffing your face with food. Only really ugly desperate men will now pay these women for sex.
            Reply

            • TheThailandLife says

              What about the African prostitutes working in Thailand? I'd say they're probably fitter and make more of an effort with their appearance. You might have to pay a bit more but would you be able to keep up?
              Reply

        • ChrisH says

          @ John
          Whoa....."no good looking man". Me thinks you have tickets on yourself.
          "the women have had to welcome inside 'Indians and Pakistanis', cos they're now desperate".
          That sounds very racist.
          These girls are there to make money and I doubt if a persons race/country of origin has any effect on that side of things.
          And......There may be many "fat ugly lazy greedy hookers" (as there are all over the world in that profession) but, there are far far more slim(ish), good looking hookers.
          And why would you be worried about the "fat ugly lazy greedy hookers" anyway. It's not as though you are forced to have anything to do with them if you choose not to.
          Come on man, show a little compassion. I'd say 80-85 % of these "hookers" would rather not be doing what they do, but hey, we all gotta eat = $'s
          Reply

      • Paul says

        From talking with Thai women, I don't think that they find older, overweight white men repulsive, The Thai culture looks up to older people as being wiser, also everyone knows that they relate the color of your skin to working in the fields, White is what they strive for, That's why every store that you go to you will find skin bleach and white makeup, Last point, overweight, In Thailand, If you are overweight then you must have money to buy plenty of food and Thai people respect that and want that for themselves.
        I would have to agree that if you are working in a situation where you need to look attractive to keep your good paying job, Than eating all the time and not exercising is the best way to get fired.
        Every Thai woman I know loves to eat, And exercise is not a concern to them ever.
        Reply

    • AC says

      Sexpat thinks bargirls in Pattaya is Thailand? John it's pathetic. If you want to understand if Thailand is lazy, how about you go out into Thailand? That means getting out of the tourist bars, getting off the 7/11 steps. Right now you are in Barland not Thailand. And besides, who are you to critic the poor girls you are exploiting as lazy? What are you?
      Reply

  7. Rene says

    That they work long days and hours doesn't take away that most of them are lazy. In fact; the reason they work such long days is because they are incredible slow and need 2-3 people for the job of 1 person in most western countries.

    Once work is done you can't see them do anything as well, even if it comes to house keeping only what is visible on the eye is being cleaned properly, and takes forever. I think many expats can testify on this, even most Thai friends admit it.

    The exceptions are a minority of X million Thais.

    Perhaps if you referring to farmers, yes they work hard, but that is only in the seasons. The rest of the year nothing is been done as well.
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      That they work long days and hours doesn’t take away that most of them are lazy. In fact; the reason they work such long days is because they are incredible slow and need 2-3 people for the job of 1 person in most western countries.Really? All Thais?I have a friend who owns a company in Bangkok with around 50 employees. I often work out of this office and know the operation very well. I know many of the staff personally. They work with high profile clients (the biggest brands in Thailand and brands in America and the UK). They are often on tight deadlines to meet unrealistic expectations and do so by working long hours with very few breaks. Many of the staff are highly career motivated. Many of them have been though competitive educational environments. They are far from lazy.Farmers don't sit around for the rest of the year. Where are you getting this information from? The large majority of farmers go to Bangkok and become Taxi drivers for the rest of the year, working round the clock to make extra money.Every Thai I know who works, especially those self-employed, work nearly every single day of the year.Of course there are lazy people. Jesus, I'm from the UK. You want to see lazy? I'll drive you through some UK towns where people hang around drinking Cola, smoking, gambling and breeding kids all day. All on a tab picked up by the taxpayer.
      Reply

      • J.Shelly says

        I resent your comment about state handouts , what the rich who avoudbtax and the Royal Family of the UK a bunch of scroungers who have never done a day's work in their lives.We fight for better terms and conditions not because we are lazy but see the rich getting richer while our standard of living goes down. You are the one making lazy assumption s
        Reply

        • TheThailandLife says

          What do you resent about it? I stated a fact. I am not a royalist by a long shot but I'd hate to be them and would choose my life over theirs any day. I wouldn't say they've never done a day's work in their lives. Their lives are mapped out every day, full of repetitive engagements and following specific royal protocols. They can keep the money, I'd rather have my freedom. The Queen has worked every day of her life. That's a fact.Taxation is a broad issue in the UK and simply saying the rich avoid tax is a huge generalisation. The reality is that the majority of people in the UK never pay enough tax to cover what it costs in public services to keep them. The reality is that the rich keep the poor and the working classes.The Institute for Fiscal Studies shows that about 90% of income tax is paid by the 50% of taxpayers with the highest incomes, while more than a quarter is paid by the richest 1%.So how much more do you want the rich to pay? Do you penalise people for earning more money, or working harder, working smarter, educating themselves longer? If you tax people into oblivion then what's the incentive to take risks in business, to work longer hours, to study harder, to self-educate? Higher taxation leads to tax avoidance, and statistics show lower tax rates result in higher taxes being paid.Of course companies like Google and Amazon should pay their fair share in territories they operate in, but if you tax people into oblivion they will just leave, and who will pay the tax required to operate social welfare and public services?Is taxation even moral? Is it not theft? Your money (property) is taken from you without permission and redistributed to people and causes that you haven't agreed to.This is a huge topic of debate and can't be addressed with sweeping statements. It's also not about Thailand.
          Reply

  8. yetanother says

    I live with a Thai in the UK and she was not lazy, but now she has her visa she is very lazy. I work my nuts off to keep her and her boy whilst my house gets more dirty. How I see it is they live in shit, so this is better.Lazy b**** and I see divorce coming.
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      Can't you sit down and have a chat with her about pulling her weight? Let her know that if she isn't working then she has to take responsibility for the home and her child, properly. Create a list of responsibilities and let her know you aren't happy with the current situation. Relationships are all about communication. Put out your stool, let her know what your standards are.
      Reply

    • Tami Ashley says

      My Thai step mom is the same. I pay half the mortgage own a business, single mom and do all the cleaning up and gardening. My Dad pays the other half and she just stinks up the house, complains and eats sticky rice and fish with her fingers. Leaves everything out on the counters and leaves fish prints on everything andblays on the couch all day. She says she likes to take the "easy way" not a way to make herself welcome, they money hungry dirty beast.
      Reply

  9. Jayson says

    From the perspective of seeing Thai people who move to U.S. (intending to stay/build a life) they tend to be very mentally lazy. Yes they will work 12 hours a day, 6 days a week at a restaurant repeating the same tasks over and over. I wouldn't call that lazy. Yet those same people could be working 8 hours a day, 5 days a week and earn the same but choose not to move outside of what is familiar.

    Yes, many people from many countries do this. But Thai's take it to the extreme. They can identify goals, things they want in life in idle conversation, but aren't willing to put the (non-physical) energy it takes to make it a reality.

    If they are content with life as it is, more power to them. And there are systematic socio-cultural barriers in effect. But it's hard to sympathize with someone complaining about a problem who isn't willing to even try to fix it in a creative way.

    Conversely, Thai's don't complain all that much.
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      My experience of Thai people in the UK is that they generally work very hard. Most either own restaurants or import businesses of some description, others are working in the National Health Service or in social care. There are many working in restaurants, including a lot of students who are studying at University. I would say that in comparison with foreigners in Thailand, they tend to learn the language very quickly, integrate very well in terms of assimilating with the culture, and do very well.I think your description can be applied to pretty much most native people of any country. The large majority of people go to work eight hours a day, six days a week and don't have the drive or desire to set up their own business or change jobs. I don't look down on people for that. Some people are not interested in making a lot of money or don't have something work wise that they really want to do. The large majority of people see a job as just a way to pay the bills, and what they do outside of work - such as socialise with family and friends and engage in hobbies - is the most important thing to them.I am not sure about the complaining. I think Thais tend to complain less. By nature, as a British man, I do like a good old complain, with a cup of tea, of course :)
      Reply

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