Same Same but Different, or Different Different but Same?
Here’s a curious way to begin—and you might be wondering what on earth I’m about to share with you today!
Same Same but Different
Let me explain.
If you’ve ever been to Thailand, you’ve almost certainly heard the famous phrase: “same same but different.”
It’s often called out by street vendors advertising their goods—usually counterfeits, so common across Asia… but that’s another debate altogether. Coming back to the phrase itself, know that it is used all across Southeast Asia, though it’s in Thailand where it is most popular.
I first encountered it during my training in Nuad Bo’Rarn massage, where it was used to highlight that the traditional massage we were learning was indeed the same—the real one—you might see offered everywhere, and yet at the same time, different.
The phrase here serves to emphasize that through the formalization of training within the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Education, certified schools can offer a practice that is correct, safe, and without risk. This stands in contrast to other massages given by those without real training, learned on the fly, and often ending in a “happy ending.”
Where does the phrase come from?
Opinions diverge, and several stories circulate:
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Some say it comes from Vietnam during the war, used by the American army to communicate with locals.
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Others say it’s connected to the Thai language, which doubles words to form plurals.
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Another version—one I find very Buddhist and fitting—suggests that Thai Buddhists, who avoid confrontation, use this phrase as a way to express disagreement without tension.
I actually recall, as I write this, a political discussion we once had in Cambodia. We disagreed with the person, and at one point they simply said: “same same but different.” To which I nodded—yes, it seemed perfectly fitting. Once spoken, the subject was closed. Each kept their view, and no tension remained.
Same same but different, the famous Thaï sentence
Lu Jong vs. Ruesi Dat Ton
Different Different…
So here, in our context, I won’t use “same same but different” but rather “different different but same.”
They are different by nature.
Ruesi Dat Ton is Thai. Lu Jong is Tibetan. Two distinct origins, two very different cultural contexts, opposite climates, different movements—and yet… so very much the same. Let’s say it in plain French: very, very similar.
They are also different in their approach.
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Ruesi Dat Ton focuses on deep muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, and uses anatomical language, rooted in the theory of the 4 elements.
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Lu Jong is practiced in full mindfulness, speaks of sensations, and is based on the theory of the 5 elements.
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Ruesi Dat Ton works with the stimulation of energy lines, the Sen, and acupuncture points.
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Lu Jong works with the stimulation of the winds (Lung), and thus with the 5 elements and the 3 humors.
…But Same
So yes, they are undeniably different—and yet, they are undeniably the same in many ways:
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Breathwork comes first: breath retention is used in both, descending on the Tibetan side from Tsa Lung.
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Spinal twists, a hallmark in both traditions.
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Seated movements, in the majority of the practice, both here and there.
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Numerous postures, almost identical between the two, yet practiced differently.
And although their ways of stimulating the flow of energy are different, both aim to balance wind, fire, water, and earth.
The spiritual dimension is also very present.
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In Lu Jong, it is explicit, deeply woven into the accompanying theory.
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In Ruesi Dat Ton, it is present too, but expressed differently—shaped by its roots in Theravāda Buddhism, while Lu Jong developed within the Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions, grounded in the 5-element theory of Bön Zhang Zhung.
In Summary
Lu Jong vs. Ruesi Dat Ton—we could say they are both:
✨ Same same but different ✨
and also:
✨ Different different but same. ✨
Lu Jong vs Ruesi Dat Ton, different but same same or same same but different
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