13 Similarities of Brazil and Thailand

One might think that after living in Thailand for three years, living in Brazil must be massively different. Well, not exactly.

While there are plenty of differences, I have spent the first month here documenting things that I feel are similar between the Land of Smiles and the Land of Samba. Since arriving, I have really felt like Brazil is a great balance of my home culture and my first adopted one.


With the idea that Thailand prepared me for Brazil, and that the two countries aren't all that different, I am offering my list of thirteen (initial) things I feel are similar about Thailand and Brazil.

1. Bus drivers think that they are formula one drivers, and will whip around corners faster than I would in an all wheel drive car with a low center of gravity. I have witnessed a man get flung across a city bus in Bangkok because the driver was driving so violently. Here in Brazil, there has been a couple of times I've felt that the bus would tip, or I'd be swept of my feet, because of the same bus driver behavior.

2. Although people in Florianópolis are generally active, it seems there is a fairly low tolerance for walking. I see people doing it, but based on how close bus stops are to each other, either the city I'm in or Brazilians in general have a low tolerance for walking. Thais are also guilty of this. I once went to meet a friend who was about eight blocks away from me. When I got there, he asked why I took so long, then expressed astonishment at my decision to walk. "A bus is only eight baht!" he said. Yeah, that's only 25 cents, but it was only a ten minute walk.

3. Both Thais and Brazilians really enjoy extended social situations simply for the sake of talking and being with friends. This is collective aspect of culture that I really love, and when I was studying intercultural communication in university I was eager to experience it. After having done so in Thailand and Brazil, I think collectivism is one of my favorite aspects of culture, easily. I feel that collectivism is a big part of the amazing energy that Josh Plotkin, the Brazilian Gringo, refers to when he describes his adoration for Brazil and its culture.

4. Cars are small, and are commonly packed with people. I remember when I was up at Nam Dtok Mor Paeng, just outside of Pai, a little Nissan pulled up and at least 8 people poured out. Similarly, here in Floripa, I was walking down the street when an equally small car pulled over to pick up a couple from the sidewalk. When the door opened, I caught a glance inside the car and could see that there were already more bodies than seats in the car before the couple started to climb in.

5. Houses are fenced in and commonly use broken glass atop the fence to ward off any potential unwelcome guests. It's like cheap barbed wire, and kind of mixed-media modern art piece at the same time. I thought it was really unique when I first noticed it in Thailand, but as I traveled more, I noticed it was in many countries. When my girlfriend came to live with me in Chiang Mai she just shrugged and said, "That's normal. We have a lot of that in Brazil."

Another example from Peru. Photo: The Wherever Writer

6. Pastries commonly have meat in them. Coming from California, pastries were synonymous with fresh fruit throughout my life. So, when I got to Thailand and consistently found meat inside the treats that looked like they should be filled with any type of berry, apple, cherry, or peach, I was a little crushed. Thailand definitely prepared me for the great variety of meat pastries that I've found in Brazil, but I would really like a moist boysenberry danish, please.

7. People are very clean about eating and drinking, and usually separate skin contact from what they're eating or drinking. Straws come with beverages so the bottle doesn't touch your lips (a little less common in Brazil) and contact with food is avoided by using a napkin or eating straight from the package (a little less common in Thailand).
Also, both countries are equally affectionate toward using utensils to eat foods that Americans would commonly be found eating with their hands, like pizza, or chicken legs and thighs. Furthermore, both countries like to wrap those utensils in cellophane or plastic so you know they are fresh and clean when you receive them.

8. Since we are on the subject of food, Thailand and Brazil both offer sweets and soft drinks in smaller sizes than the US. I really like this because I have a major sweet tooth, and sometimes I need a fix, but don't want to eat a lot of sugar. Visiting other countries really brought me an awareness of how large American portions are. I'm sure small sweets are available in the States, but I bet they are tucked beneath the larger sized snacks so that it's easier for people to reach for the big ones.

9. When it comes to drinking water, people say to stay away from tap water in both Brazil and Thailand. I definitely know people who have drank it in both places and never got sick. However, the trend remains that people buy bottled water, especially in restaurants.
In the US, water is generally given to restaurant patrons for free (until the current California drought sparked a new trend there), but in Thailand and Brazil it is purchased in bottles, then everyone shares the bottles to fill their glasses.

10. Thais and Brazilians build really good social networks in real life (just to be clear that I'm not referring to online). At work, it is really common for people to build a tight, family-like network with their colleagues. I really admire this aspect of the collective group spirit in these two cultures. It is nice to see people socializing in the workplace, because I believe some light-hearted banter helps people get through the day by diverting their attention from stress and pressure that can come from being buried in one's workload.

11. Do not put the paper in the toilet! Both Thailand and Brazil have plumbing infrastructure that isn't as strong as in the US. Even though toilet paper is designed to break down the longer it stays in water, these more sensitive plumbing systems require that people put tissue in a trash bin near the toilet. Stories about farang and gringos clogging toilets have made in customary for both countries to hang signs in public bathrooms so no one forgets that the tissue goes in the trash bin, not the toilet.

12. Thailand and Brazil both have a unique term for foreigners. In Thailand I am a farang, and here in Brazil, I am a gringo. For North Americans, the term gringo is fairly well known, but is generally perceived to have a negative connotation. Often times, the word gringo carries no negative meaning in Brazil, and is used in a humorous way among friends. However, simply because Thailand has less global influence, farang is a lesser known word. For further information on the word farang, click here.

13. Lastly, my favorite, is the fact that Thais and Brazilians are incredibly welcoming and accommodating to gringos and farang, and will go far beyond your expectation when they offer you help. Furthermore, they have a spirited excitement and adoration for any foreigner that speaks their language, even at a basic level.

Although one month is not very much time, these are the things that stuck out to me. Obviously a few of my observations reflect the more collective nature of these two cultures, especially because I admire this dynamic so much. I am eager to experience all that Brazil has to offer during my time here, whether they be similarities and differences.

Do you have any interesting stories about similarities or differences you experienced in another country? Let me know in the comments below, or go to my contact page and send me an email. I look forward to hearing your story!