Coping with culture shock: a study of stressors, adjustments and stereotypes among chinese students at bangkok university

Local information

Local information is another stressor that respondents wildly mentioned. There are many problems caused by lack of local information such as local transportation, local news, information of apartments, local public services.


For many of the first 10 respondents, they are not good in knowing of local transportation such as public buses. They know only few places (or stations) where they used to be. Many of them go to Bangkok University for class by walk since their apartments are close to Bangkok University. Normally, they know the way to closed hypermarkets and restaurants, but no somewhere far from their apartments.


It is quite inconvenience since we do not know route of public buses in Bangkok. There are many bus routes, but we can not get too much information about detailed routes; thus, we do not often take a bus to go to somewhere. However, BTS and MRT are better than public buses. There is a lot of information about BTS and MRT routes in English (Le Chen).

However, friends’ help are a common way to cope with the problem. Junior and senior Chinese students know more about public transportation information than those new students. If new students need any help about transportation information, junior and senior students will tell to new students if they asked. Even, junior and senior friends will lead new students to the destination where they would like to go if it is necessary.

Furthermore, news students learn public transportation information from Bangkok Transportation Map and some related website as well. As a Chinese student mentioned below:


Buying a city map is a very first thing that I did when I arrived in Bangkok. It is quite important to me for living here. However, the map can help in somehow, but not totally; thus, I would like to ask Chinese friends or senior Chinese students if the map is not able to help me at all. Normally, they are willing to help me if they know the place and the way to the destination. Also, there are many website can help me to know information about public transportation in Bangkok (Xiaojing Xuan).

And they are weak in information about local service such as internet and telephone provider, English book stores, and so on. Also, they know only little local news which may affect their life such as current political situation and protests.

Furthermore, new students are weak in information about apartment around Bangkok University campus and some other places.


Sharing of information about local service, news, social and religious rules, and apartments among new Chinese students is a common way to solve the stressor. Also, senior students inform related information to new Chinese students if they need. And, some new students learn those kinds of information from local Chinese newspaper, website, certain English materials, and books according to availability.


Since we have a Chinese students network, Chinese students and Chinese friends are often get together and discuss about personal experience about certain things or events. We learn from friends’ discussion and informing from senior students. But, I do not often buy Chinese newspaper since it is not available in close shops (Xiaojing Xuan).