Thailand is often called the “Land of Smiles”, a nickname which sounds at once pleasant and mysterious. It is said that the Thais have a smile for every emotion, and with so many nuances of smiling, the smile often hides more than it reveals. Inside Thai Society looks behind smiles and appearances in order to discover those regularities and expectations that pervade everyday life. It identifies the basic ideas that give meaning and order to existence and that make life in Thai society eminently reasonable.

Thailand is often called the “Land of Smiles”, a nickname which sounds at once pleasant and mysterious. It is said that the Thais have a smile for every emotion, and with so many nuances of smiling, the smile often hides more than it reveals. Inside Thai Society looks behind smiles and appearances in order to discover those regularities and expectations that pervade everyday life. It identifies the basic ideas that give meaning and order to existence and that make life in Thai society eminently reasonable.