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Globalisation has affected the way people think, live and interact with others, and Thailand is not immune to these changes.
In the past, Thailand's economy relied heavily on rice farming, which gave birth to a unique culture and traditions, some of which are still evident in modern Thai society.
These old ways of life faced new challenges when Thailand adopted a free-market economic system. Ploughing machines have replaced water buffaloes, and young farmers now take their mobile phones along when they go to work.
Western culture is warmly embraced, particularly among the urban middle class. This has a lot to do with the adoption of Western educational systems in our country. A large number of Thais have also furthered their studies in Western countries, where they were imbued with new ideas and thinking.
Both Thai and Western cultures are not perfect. But people in all democratic countries must be open-minded and patient. The question is: how can people with different cultures live together peacefully?
In the three southernmost provinces of Thailand, government officials have yet to fully understand the cultural roots of the conflict that has claimed more than 3,000 lives during the past four years.
The government and all the ministries and organisations at its disposal must pay more attention to the cultural aspects of the southern conflict in order to return peace to the region.
Without cultural sensitivity, we may run into more problems with our neighbours, as witnessed now by the Preah Vihear temple issue with Cambodia.
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