FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

Thai social media welcome visitors to the Land of Smileys

Thai social media welcome visitors to the Land of Smileys

I am a relatively recent convert to social media and I must say I was drawn into it slightly against my will.

In recent years here in Thailand, it seems that no social or professional arrangement can be made without the use of Line.
Instant-messaging apps are nothing new, of course, and I have dabbled in the past with offerings from Microsoft, Yahoo and Facebook, but Line really seems to have taken a hold with people of all types across Thailand.
Today I found myself using it to arrange for somebody to do some work around my house. The worker was referred to me by a friend of a friend, and the connection was made entirely on Line, with my more technologically adept friend getting the others to join the discussion.
At the end of the conversation about the work that had to be done, the person on the other end sent me a sticker of a character with a broad smile.
In another time and place, that would have seemed slightly unprofessional, or at the very least inordinately informal considering we are complete strangers organising paid work.
And yet I found myself almost instinctively sending back a “thumbs-up” sticker. If only all real-life encounters could be as friendly. So Thailand isn’t just the land of smiles – it’s the land of smileys, too.
B Davies

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