Generosity in Thailand: Having a Water Heart (Nam Jai)

Thai Culture
Jan 12
3 min read
Share post

The Thai word for generosity is “kwaam mee náam jai” (ความมีน้ำใจ), which means to “have a water heart”. In Thailand, water is a symbol of abundance. The water in the fields produce rice, and the water in the rivers produce fish. To have a “water heart” thus means to have a heart that creates abundance. It also means to have a flowing (easy come, easy go) heart, where abundance is generously shared.

For example, a recent viral Tik Tok video in Thailand shows a fisherman catching a bunch of tilapia with a harpoon gun. He is fishing from a boat in the middle of a wide canal. When he paddles back, he notices the fishermen on the shore (using traditional Thai fishing equipment) have not caught anything. So he keeps one fish to eat for dinner, and shares the rest with the other fishermen.

The generosity of the Thai people doesn’t get talked about enough, compared to the negative talk you often encounter on expat forums in Thailand. There is endless commentary on Thai women who view foreign men as “walking ATMs,” tourist attractions with dual pricing policies, petty thefts at resorts, and more.

While there is an element of truth to many of these tales, what you rarely hear told are the stories of Thai generosity (because most expats go to online forums to complain and commiserate, rather than share positive stories of Thai culture).

The Generous Thai Nature

In my 20+ years in Thailand, I’ve witnessed and experienced countless acts of Thai generosity, such as Thai teachers giving personal loans (from their own bank accounts) to new foreign lecturers; taxi and tuk tuk drivers returning a phones and wallets left in vehicles; Thai officials overlooking or “fixing” some problem in your paperwork; rural Thai monks offering hand-made gifts to visitors; Bangkok bar workers giving free food or medication to elderly patrons with sudden health problems; etc.

I was reminded again of Thai generosity when some hardware attaching the storage bin to my motorbike fell off during a ride. I decided to visit a small, ramshackle bike shop filled with boxes of junk. I’d never been there before. An old Thai mechanic spent 30 minutes cutting and grinding spare screws and parts to reattach the bin. When I asked how much, he gave me that famous Thai smile and said: “Mâi bpen rai, hâi free aa-jaan” (Don’t worry about it. Free for you, ajarn). How he guessed I taught at a university, I do not know.

Thailand Wai Sculpture — To receive generosity in Thailand, it’s important to assimilate into Thai culture.

Receiving Generosity from Thai People

So, what are we make of those expats in Thailand who have recurring bad experiences? I think it relates to two things. The first is a lack of gratitude, or (to be more precise) a grateful spirit. While it often isn’t recognized, having a grateful spirit, increases your likelihood of being the recipient of generosity wherever you live.

Read the Full and Newly Edited Version of This Essay
in Why Thailand: Short Essays on Thai Culture, Language, and Life

Ajarn David

Ajarn at Sakon Nakhon Rajabhat University

Ajarn David is an educator, writer, and podcaster who has been working with Thai universities for over 20 years. He is the author of "Why Thailand" (Short Essays on Thai Culture, Language, and Life), "Life Lessons from Isaan" and the bilingual poetry collection "Poems from Sakhon". He lives with his Thai wife and daughters on a farm in Sakon Nakhon (Northeast Thailand).