1) It is currently year 2564.
About to be 2565 (happy new year!). Thailand uses the Buddhist calendar, which begins the year Buddha died, instead of the Gregorian calendar (which begins when Jesus was born). So their calendar is 543 years ahead of the one most of us use. It was a bit of a shock when I ran my first google search here and saw articles from 2560.
2) Thais don’t really use a word for “yes.”
At least not the way we do. Instead, they will verify what you’re saying by repeating it back to you:
Me – “Is this shirt a size small?”
Sales clerk – “Small”
3) A different approach to utensils.
The vast majority of dishes are served with a spoon and a fork. In the Thai way, the fork isn’t used for eating; it’s used to load food onto the spoon, which is then used to actually eat. You don’t get a knife at all. Sometimes restaurants making an effort to cater to tourists will give you a knife, but you can tell they don’t really “get” it because it’s always with things that make no sense, like french fries or curry.
4) People take off their shoes everywhere.
Even the laundromat. Even the dentist.
5) At food stalls, the temperature of your meal depends on your luck.
If you don’t catch the chef when they happen to be finishing a batch of fried chicken, yours will likely be room temperature tops (it’ll still be crispy though, I don’t know how they do that). No one seems to think anything of this, it blows my mind. My guess is it’s because the weather is so warm people don’t mind food that isn’t piping.
6) Most Thai men spend a short stint as a monk.
It’s not a lifelong commitment like I’d assumed (although that is the case in some other Buddhist traditions). Here it’s seen as something a Buddhist man should experience, even for a little while. Some people only do it for a few months. Our trekking guide in Chiang Rai lived as a monk for 10 years before becoming a tour guide.
7) 7-eleven absolutely slays.
In Bangkok alone they have 5,431 stores. Whenever you ask a local where to find something, they just tell you where the nearest 7-eleven is.
8) The universal sauce of choice is sweet chili.
It’s served with everything. It’s what Burger King gives you with your fries.
9) Bugs. Among food.
They really do eat them here, bugs are considered kind of a munchie food. Not something I’m used to, but I’d been prepared for that in this part of the world. What surprised me was not their use as food, but their use in advertising other food. Want to make that apple picture look fresh? Show a little worm popping out of it! This would definitely turn off American shoppers. (TW: pictures below contain bugs)
?!!??!! 
Interesting observations! I spent much less time there but the only two things from this list that stood out to me are (7) and (8). But they really do seem to have chili sauce with everything – the first morning I was in Bangkok I had noodles with chili sauce for breakfast from a stall a few blocks from my friend’s place (and I recall we probably passed two 7-11s on the walk over there)
I somehow missed this entry. I love those tidbit facts. Now if I could only remember them. It’s interesting that other countries seem to adopt some of our least impressive commodities (like 7-11 & Micky D’s). Is it a possibility that you would get an insect or worm unknowingly in your food or do you have to order this delicacy? Brave souls.
Haha you definitely have to order it, in our experience the food has been surprisingly clean.