"They apply an Australian/American/British/ Kiwi kinda culture to the situation because that's all they know."
Yep. and they think all pilots are trained as well as they are when they are not.
Having spent most of my flying life in asia, I can fully understand the screw up in the Thai cockpit.
Bad training, under confident, decision making based on fear, poor CRM, steep cockpit gradient.
Its all a recipe for a balls up which is why these carriers often have . . . . .their balls up!!!!