hookedondhamma

^^^ *claps* Well put!!

If you mean one explaining Buddhist concepts check out the one by P.A Payutto. If you mean for studying Pali then there is one at yhe mahamakut bookatore in front of wat bowon. I would not say it is the greatest but it may help you somewhat. If you are translating there is a good coursebook in English though cannot compare with the Thai.version. Good luck!

It depends on how you see things. I look at it as a great place but have never referred to it as anything over than Thailand. If all you notice are frowns and scams that is what you will continue to notice. If you can, try travelling around a bit to see what his country has to offer.

That post above about the big man was spot-on BigDaddyBKK.

^^^ Oh sorry about that. I was assuming we were talking about Thailand.

I base what I wrote from living in Thailand while having never lived in Burma.

For that reason I say `If you are not Thai you will never unserstand 100%' And if this is familiar to what you have experienced in Burma, then feel free to switch 'Thai' in the former sentence to 'Burmese'.

Once again, there is no relationship between Buddhism and scamming. People have different levels of ethics. Scamming is dishonest. Scamming can stem from dishonesty, or a sense of not knowing right from wrong. This is present everywhere, by the way.

The policeman made her lose face yet retain some by 'asking forgiveness' from the Lord Buddha. Her actions showed her level of ethics when she stole yet again. This is common here alobg with magical tatoos and praying the Buddha for health and material gain.

Try to stop the issue of face. Try to stop the number of love songs on the radio. Try to stop the number of rapes, serious and comical, on thai soap operas. Try to stop the use of the word falang. Try not to give yourself an aneurism while doing it.

Thailand is thailand, and that will never change. Hats off to those who try, but you're probably better off just relaxing in the nice weather and indulging in delicious food.

No one is forcing anyone to 'accept' it, but at the same time no change is going to come via protesting it, either. The Chinese were an exception.

Other than that, the farang is second tier, regardless of whether one likes it or not.

When some people want money, all other concepts are thrown out the window.

There are many takes on what 'honesty' is here in Thailand, from a western perspective.

Also, there's alot of 'mix and match' Buddhism here, just as there probably are in other religions - take what you want, and disgard what you don't.

There is no relationship between Buddhism and scamming. There's a relationship between dishonesty and scamming, though.

I hope you get an answer you're looking for, but with many things here, if you're not Thai you may never understand 100%.

It's the same as Brucen stated.

What I've noticed from living in the both forest and city wats:

The bright colors are usually Mahanikay, OR the same or slightly darker color used by Therevada monks when there are big events (Somdet, etc. etc.)

The drab yellow (jackfruit color) can be used by both Maha or Ther monks.

The darker browns usually indicate Ther monks, along with their various shades BUT one can sometimes find one from Mahan using them as well.

The rich reds I see frequently at temples in the North, along with the close to black colored robes, though I did see similar colors used in Isaan). One can also find Burmese monks using a rich crimson as well.

The yellow, almost like gold, is used by prominent monks (when in Isaan, these were the colors mostly worn by those considered by many as 'arahants').

I've seen a deep, deep brown used in Isaan before, and every once in a while you'll see a group of monks on modern-day Dhutanga using deep brown robes (walking along roads).

While in Isaan an elder monk taught me various color combinations from using certain dyes, so one can't always rely on what one is told, but for the most part, using similar colors help keep the temple looking uniform. Whatever temples you come across you could always ask about it, though.

This is just based on my experience though, so it may vary.

Are the food and objects in the alms bowls personal, or is the food pooled for sharing once back at the temple?

Meadish, it varies by temple, and sometimes by region. When in Isaan we'd share, even if it was just two of us living at the temple. Over here in Bangkok, at the particular temple I'm at, after almsround we eat seperately. Whatever is left we give away to whoever would like to have it (and there is always someone in need.) At another temple I stayed at in Bangkok, the 'group' of monks living in a particular area would eat together, others from their particular area would eat together. Still though, at the end whatever was left over was gladly taken by those who needed it.

To talk about OPs original topic i do think this negativity come from the farang who live here and do nothing, they will make fun of a person who need to work and earn money in Thailand, laugh and call him poor pretend english teacher who have to live on 20k baht per month.

On the other side i must say i do find funny,everytime talking to farang and he go on and on on about how much thai people respect teacher in society

YES but this respect for thai teacher ONLY, definately not for farang as many grow up with learning falang are stupid, and no good

Really the average Thai student respect farang teacher about as much as the soi dog turd he have to walk over on street

tingtongtourist, or tingtongthai??

I can understand if you replace 'salt' with 'pepper.'

If you don't mind disclosing, what province are you in?

Never had a problem with salty food, except some intense khai khem, orange juice and lemonade. The food in Isaan is wonderful, never have encountered much overly sugared, or salty.

^^ Do you mean where the 'f' sound is replaced with a 'p', the 'v' and sometimes 'p' with a 'b' and the? I think it's sort of interesting to listen to.

'My priends, beoble pound lipe in hesus christo.'

It took me a while, like listening to English with the Thai accent, but after a while I enjoy it.

Lol ya'll have me in stitches

On another note, I enjoyed SteeleJoe's post. That's why it's a great to get them while they're young, because after a while the conditioning kicks in and attempts to take in another language become difficult.

M

It isn't entirely necessary to have any teacher at all, if there is interest & time.

And i think a 'teacher' that can't actually explain anything that i can comprehend is about as useful as having no teacher at all, i may as well buy a dictionary and ask my gf to hold up a pen, i'll work it out later rather than sooner.

Sorry what's a translation book?

You mean like this?

ChiangMaiKelly!

This is a disgrace to the Thai people!

'Ai lie dis sa-tai'

This is not the Thai culture!

Yes, i was never good at abbreviations

whats 'NES', as in NES teachers ?

Non English Speaking??

Let me ask you this... Now everywhere in Thailand if the student have been taught English in a governmental school even though this could occur with students from private ones as well... They cannot pronounce H or X.... Now why is that?

Yes they can!! Yes they can!!! The thai versions, though -

H - 'Hayth'

X - 'Ek'

S - 'Et'

They can do the 'R', 'V' and 'Z', too!

R - 'Aah'

V - 'Wee'

Z - 'See'

As far as the pronouncing, I think it's a bit difficult to get them started after they've had a few years. There's a small boy around 4 whose parents I meet with frequently. Their parents speak English with the Thai accent, though even with his being born Thai, can enunciate properly, and effortlessly. Mind like a sponge - not a screaming, hateful, violent maniac with headlice (lol ChiangMaiKelly, I see you lol)

^^

mmmmm Snake curry tonight.

What was hissss method of killing it?

*Groan* clever Songhua :-)

This is a very interesting discussion. BigJohnnyBKK, I gotta say it's great to read your replies.

Why thank you I sincerely appreciate that, maybe buy a sandwich for the next down and out farang you meet begging in the street, it may well be me 8-)

Lol, what is your definition of a sandwich?? Maybe one of those sandwich-shaped-objects from the 7?

Thais are very poorly educated people that allow millions of farang tramp thru their country annually. Ive got 99 problems but being called farang aint one.

I don't think they're poorly educated, but I think things are the way they are due to their wanting to be percieved as top-tier with other European FALANG countries, and America FALANGLAND. Developing too fast can have consequences. 'Gan bpen ciwilized' is something that many strive for. Cultural beliefs run deep here, and impressing others is something that can take high priority.

That doesn't go without saying that I've met some of the most beautiful, loving people here that I wouldn't think twice about helping out if the time came (well, just not financially ... ). Thailand's a great place, great weather. As posted in another reply, we're guests here, and I agree with that. Enjoy the weather and watch the fireworks light up the sky.

Khamen isn't offensive. That is how you pronounce Khmer in Thai. In Thai consonants change sounds based on their position in the syllable. R and L change to an N at the end of a word. Same reason Thais say footbawn instead of football. It's no more offensive than French, German, Thai etc, it's only offensive if you want it to be

Unfortunately just as with phamaa, khmer does have derogatory implications since most Thais are taught from birth that they are thieving lying dirty sub-human species.

When I tell my tall white-skinned rich university students that the mother of my children is Khmer-Surin they all burst out laughing in unison every one. And many come up to me in serious confidence after class and warn me about the black magic those girls are famous for using to catch their farang.

And I honestly believe that none have any idea they are being stupid or offensive in any way, like trying to explain about water to a fish, that's just their reality, as much as ours is for us. . .

That last sentence speaks volumes. For what it is, I notice more nationalism than anything else blocking their ability to take on a new idea and think 'outside of the box.' After being here for a while, I don't classify them as racist, but more so as ignorant. As long as that superiority complex remains, it'll be hard to recognize others as the same.

One of my friends is half Indian, half Khmer. Straight-up, good guy - was born here and went through a rough time in his childhood. I asked him how he was able to shake it off, and he told me "one of me, many of them" - when the small pudgy kid stuffing pork balls into his mouth shouts 'falang' repeatedly (or whatever else I get mistaken for that day), I just remember I'm not thai, and I'm no longer bothered.

This is a very interesting discussion. BigJohnnyBKK, I gotta say it's great to read your replies.

...

Probably about the same as the average American, and that's saying a lot.

Hmm.

I guess most of the Americans I have known in my life must be some kind of rarefied elite then ...

OMG, they even have passports!

Comments like this make me lol.

Some people will never get it, JT. Let the haters hate, otherwise they might have an aneurism and die.

^lol

Gossip is often described as the " cement of community".. Take out the gossip and the community doesn't hold together.

That said, i hate gossip, and i ' ve been definitely damaged by it in a previous life.

Not so long ago i' ve been told that if you don't do active gossiping, you are most likely gossiped, and you become the obvious target.

Since then, i am doing an effort to gossip a little bit.

Like when there is a group of friends drinking and having fun, the first to go home becomes the villain

Yes, I've noticed that, especially here. Could never figure out why gossip was such a hot item at the thai Buddhist temple back in the states. When I moved here I figured out it's just culture. With many rooted in Buddhist precepts it's astounding to see the amount of it. Help people stop destroying their brain cells by not participating in it. People resort to gossip when they can't get the confirmation they need, so they have to leech off of hearsay to get their fix. Why continue to gossip? It's never made anyone smarter.

Try doing it to thais and see what reaction you get

Sent from my GT-S5660 using Thaivisa Connect App

Anything which a thai does is correct already; but the op is not thai, so maybe he shouldn't do it back. If taken the wrong way he might get a 10 - 1 beatdown. Maybe he could ask one of his thai friends?