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

Result of stereotypes study

From those 40 respondents, there are several stereotypes about Thailand found via interviews. And, their stereotypes in pre-arrival period and stereotypes in post-arrival period are collected. Also, their post-arrival stereotypes are grouped according to criteria of U-curve culture shock into 0-6 months group, 6-18 months group, 18-30 months group and 30 up months group.

Pre-arrival

All of 40 respondents’ pre-arrival stereotypes are summarized in table 8 below. Besides, the summary is collection of respondents’ feelings of Thailand (in both positive and negative sides) before they come to Thailand. According to interviews with those 40 respondents, they thought Thailand is overabundance of sexy and many transsexuals; also, social security is not good and overabundance of drugs in Thailand.

Table 8: respondents’ stereotypes about Thailand (pre-arrival)

There are several channels to get information about Thailand in pre-arrival period, such as TV, newspaper, website, movies and friends talking. Generally, those 40 respondents hold a strong mind that Thailand is a country where is sexy overabundant

and many transsexuals. Movies, news, and several websites imply Thailand have a very strong capacity in sexy industry. There are many sexy massage services and many brothels in Thailand. And, performance of transsexuals is the most famous item for international tourists. Also, the golden tri-angle area is the most famous base of drugs

production and trading. Furthermore, the perceptions of weak in social security is mainly achieved by news; those news are about negative side of Thai politics such as coup d’état and public protests.

Actually, there are many Hong Kong movies make me felt that Thailand is weak in social security. In movies, Thailand is the best place to go if someone involved in a crime in Hong Kong. Normally, those roles are members of underworld in those movies; thus, I felt social security is not that good in Thailand. Also, there are many movies relate Thailand with drugs. If someone is a big man in international trade of drugs, Thailand normally is their origin or base in those movies (Qihan He).