IMA_FARANG

I have seen an expat farang woman breastfeeding very much in public in Thailand before, (in fact doing little to cover herself when the baby kept pulling off) but yesterday I was quite surprised to see a young Thai woman breast feeding a baby in public on a bench in the middle of a busy outdoor mall in front of HomeWorks, Chalong Phuket. She was very dark skinned and looked possibly Burmese, if it matters. For some reason I thought this was taboo in Thailand. What's the cultural norm on this?

Its ironic that studies of breast-fed babies vice formula fed babies show growth and medical advantages to being breast-fed. But in Thailand ( as in other nations)there is a cultural thing, especially in the cities, that breast feeding is somehow backward, up-country, and only for those who do not know any better (or are too poor). For all of those reasons breast feeding is considered old-fashioned and backward, and not too be done by "enlightened" city people.

God made cows milk for baby cows, and human breast milk for human babies. It contains what the growing human baby needs, especially in its first few months. Add in the effect of passing the natural immunities to diseases the mother has developed over her life in her milk, and breast milk comes out ahead of any animal or cows milk source.

For thousands of years women fed there children by their brest milk. Then somehow the breast became "shameful" and taboo. By extension breast feeding was backward and improper.

Hopefully, sometime in the future, people will again realize that breast feeding is the way babies were intended to be fed.

God and a million years of evolution are not wrong.

Before I came to Thailand I ate quite a lot of Thai food in London.

Most of it was very nice and I really liked the noodles that came with some if it.

The noodles were yellow and about 3 mm thick.

I've not seen noodles like this in Thailand - perhaps they are not a Thai noodle.

Any ideas what they might be called over here or what dishes they come with?

I'm not a massive fan of the phad thai type flat noodle.

Thanks!

I'm certainly not an expert but I Googled this topic and here is an article from an English language site about Thai noodle soups (like form the street vendors) and also has some info on type of noodles you can find.

go to:

http://www.thaicultureblogs.com/index.php/...les-in-thailand

to read the article.

No different from any Thai business in Thailand, the written English is appalling. What would it cost to pay even the most basic native English speaker to clean up the above?

I've twice worked for Thai companies over the last 15 years and have been amazed that despite the fact that I was a native English speaker, I was rarely asked to proof read their Englsih promotional materials and the result was always much the same as the above.

Not only Thai/English

I once saw an job announcement in a Bangkok English newspaper that read:

Wanted for translator from English to Japan and return for Japan company in Bangkok.

Speak Thai also help. For English translator wanted urgency.

I agreed with the advert...it was obviously wanted urgency.

In the 1890's a book was published by an Italian-American living in New York.

It's purpose was to help Italian immigrants arriving in New York to learn English.

It's title was....."English As She is Spoke"

I friend of mine arrived back from Europe yesterday (Thai Airways) and said there was an announcement on the plane over the tannoy saying that any meat product import into Thailand is prohibited and that the fine was 40,000 baht.

Has anyone heard of this before?

I knew Australia and New Zealand were strict but I always thought it was O.K. to bring English sausages back from the U.K.

There are some recent threads about increased vigilance at the airport arrival customs; how risky is it to smuggle sausage to Thailand now?

I always thought it was O.K. to bring English sausages back from the U.K.

Oh well, that's alright then. English Sausage is mostly not a meat product anyhow. More sawdust than anything else.

Just ask the European Union.

Have any of you become citizens of Thailand?

Do you want to?

Do you know of any foreigner who has?

What are the advantages and disadvantages?

What are the requirements?

Can one become a Thai citizen w/out giving up their former citizenship?

If you intended on living in Thailand for the rest of your life...and intended to start/run a business in thailand...Thai citizenship would be a great advantage.

Very few foriegners actually get citizenship...it requires a period of living in Thailand before you can even apply. The number of foriegners becoming citizens each year is limited.....I'm guessing less than 100 a year....but maybe I'm wrong.

I believe that those approved are announced only once a year. Also I understand that none have been announced for at least two years now.

You must demonstrate a knowledge of spoken and writen Thai. You make a video and answer questions asked of you in Tha. You may be asked to read

something in Thai and explain it.

The ultimate decision is based on wheher or not you becoming a Thai citizen is deemed as being of benefit to Thailand...in other words you have to demonstrate your benefit to Thailand as a Thai citizen.

It's difficult....and it takes tine.

The advantages are being able to start/run a business that a foriegner is not allowed to. I believe land ownership also, but I may be wrong about that.

Depending on your nationlity, it is possible to have dual citizenship.

My Thai daughter in law is stuck in Bangkok waiting for a response to her settlement in UK visa.

I and my daughter are going to my niece's wedding in Singapore (both UK passports) and the family would like to invite my d-i-l to come too, from Bangkok.

For one thing, her passport is still at the UK Embassy while we wait for visa result. But IF she had it back, would she have to apply for a visa to go to Singapore and possibly make daytrips to the other countries? Does anyone know?

And is it hard to get your passport back from the UK Embassy before they have taken a settlement visa decision?

I don't believe a visa is required for a person holding a Thai passport to visit Singapore. I took my family there some years ago, but I believe all that was necessary was a Thai passport. It was around 15 years ago however. As I recall, it was just a stamp on entry for a short visit entry.

U.K. passport holders should have no problem with a trip to Singapore. Stamp on entry.

Getting the passport back from the embassy....well that I have no idea about. Doesn't seem like a problem, but who knows about embassys and their rules?

P.S. Malaysia...don't think Thai passports require a visa for a short visit.

Now Insonesia....I've never been there....but I'm guessing a visa is required, especially for a Thai passport.

Well call me stupid but where I come from the fly screens on your window are on the out side of your glass window. But not in my house So every time I want to open the window I have to open the fly screen first by that time all the flies ( I don't mind them ) but all the mosquitoes come in before I close the fly screen. I s that normal in Thailand to attach the fly screens on the inside or did I have one of those good thai tradesman

Believe it or not....I have those in my house (recently renovated). My Thai wife specified and supervised much of the work. I asked her why the screens were inside, not outside. I got her "stupid Farang" look and she said, "If the screens were outside, how could I open the windows?".

And then I realised:

1. The windows DO open out.

2. They are on the ground floor...so she goes outside to open them each morning. Closes them at night.

3. The breeze comes in through the screens during the day, but the flies/mosquitos don't.

And by the way...on the 2nd floor (air-conditioned) the screens are outside, and the windows inside. So you can raise the window from inside if you want to.

Just one more thing I had to learn about Thailand I guess.

Correction: It is between BTS Thong Lo and BTS Phrom Phong.

Yes. Unless they moved the embassy, it it is near the Emporium department store and the Queen's Park area on Sukhumvit Road (I think past the emporium and before the Queen's Park, but I'm not positive). I've moved now but I spent a lot of time on Sukhumvit Soi 36 and have walked by the Philippine embassy many times.

I believe you will find that for visas you will need to apply in the morning and pick up the visa the next day in the afternoon. I've never recieved a visa there, but I think you should plan on two days as I explained above.

I'm not really sure whether the Prom Phong BTS or Thong Lo is nearer. If you get off at Thong lo BTS you will need to walk back past Soi 34, which the left side of Sukhumvit road going in to the center (going with the traffic flow, not against it).

You are right. People who are 59 now are set for this program. The younger you are now, the less set.

Unlike Thai immigration, the politicians want to give people as much warning as possible about the future of this vital program. There is no logical reason to think they will spring a big change on people so close to the benefits age.

Funding for SS is not a crisis and can rather easily be tweaked to fix. Medicare is another story entirely.

Not exactly. As I just posted you are not gaurenteed to be able to retire at age 65 with a full pension.

I was born in 1946, I will be 63 in October,

According to the new law I will not qualify for a full pension until I reach age 67.

The age you will get a full pension depends on your birth date. Those born before about 1943 (I believe) will get 100% of the full amount at retirement age of 65. For those born later the age required for full pension increases.

I, at age 63, born 1946, will need to be 67 before I can retire at full pension. Some people will not get a full pension before they reach age 70.

The information is on that annual summary of Social Security benefits you get from the SSA.

By the way, the amount you will get depends on a calculation of the cumulative record of the amount you earned and that was paid into the Social Security fund over the years by you and the company you worked for.

There is a formula the Social Security uses, based on your earnings that includes your "5 best income" years.

Exactly how it works...I'm not sure than even an accountant understands it.

If you retire before your "full benefits" age you will get 75% of the full pension. It won't ever go to full pension if you retire before that age.

Hi,

According to the letter I receive yearly from the Social Security Administration I have enough credits to qualify for retirement payments at age 62.

I will use ficticious numbers but here is the gist of my last 2 letters

2008: $888 per month starting at age 62

2009: $1000 per month starting at age 62

Again those are not the real amounts. Each year I am worth more at age 62, 66, 70 etc.

But the wording is ambiguous and implies I must keep working until age 62.

I want to retire at age 59, move to Thailand and start collecting at age 62. So I would not work for those 2 1/2 to 3 years.

Do any of you have any experience in this area? I need to call SSA but their line is always busy for long periods and coincides with my work hours.

The answer to this question could affect the timing of my retirement.

Thanks in advance!

If you are now 59 years old, you may not be eligable to retire at age 65 with full Social Security pension.

I was born in 1946....will be 63 in October.

According to the new law I have to wait until age 67 for full amount of pension.

I plan to retire next year, when I will get 75% of my full amount.

For me it will be enough to live in Thailand. (I already have a house).

About 2 years ago my Thai wife was in hospital for about a week with a Gall Bladder problem. While she was there she told me about the Farang ( British I believe) who was there at the same time. He was about 150 pounds overwieght. He had an accident with his car, and was in hospital for treatment for his injurys. He was the prime example of what NOT TO DO as a Farang in Thailand.

He swore at everybody, including the doctors. He didn't like the food they served....all that %4 rice, he said. He threw the food at the nurses. He couldn't get out of bed without help, because he was to obese. So he urinated in his bed, because he couldn't make it to the toilet. He was always yelling at everyone...he was in a semi-private room with two others and he either wanted the lights off when they were on or vice versa. He didn't want any of those #### Thais visting the others in his room.

He was just aregular pain in the a##.

Anyway after the third day the doctors had enough of him. I guess he enjoyed the rest of his time in the hospital, because he was doped up until they finally released him. They put him in a private room, kept him on painkillers all the time. Once every hour or so a nurse might check to see if he was still alive. He spent the last 3 or 4 days in a haze of painkillers and sedatives.

The perfect example of the kind of Farang NOT to be.

This happened to my friend from the Netherlands in an ATM in Pattaya about 2 years ago. It hapened to him on a Friday and the bank involved (ATM was outside the bank) was then closed. He showed up there as soon as the bank opened on Monday, and after a lot of arguement ....and with valid I.D. (his passport)...finally got his card back.

He was lucky that the ATM was outside the bank...if he hadn't been there as they opened, the card would have been destroyed.

I'm making a concrete bathroom and will use a sealant and I know it's going to make the floor very slick when I step out of the shower.

I do not want to use a mat, and back in the states we had a product that we could pour on floors to make them less slippery.

Anyone know of such a product here?

Not specifically....but my Thai wife and I just had the 2nd floor (master bedroom) area redone, and she specified the details with the contractor while our youngest son supervised the project. We had non-slip floor tiles installed in the bathroom. Wasn't much difference in the cost and it was well worth any extra expense, but you have to make sure that the non-slip tiles are specified when the job is bid.

We are both in our 60's and the non-slip tile was a good idea for us. I've tried it, and it works well.

Hello, I am currently a PADI instructor and planning to go to thailand to try and get diving work. I have been advised to get a non immigrant visa but it looks like i cannot get this without already having work secured. will i be able to arrive on a tourist visa and work on this, or alternatively will it be possible to get a work visa once i have found work.

ANy advice would be appreciated

I'll try to not be rude here, after all you asked a legitimate question. The fact is, one of the biggest scams in Thailand is the "Padi Dive Instructor" racket.....Phuket being a fine example...with a number of such foriegners laying around the beach. They came to Thailand as tourists, found our they liked it, and became a "Dive Instructor" by buying qualifications locally or knowing someone who could get them qualifications. Thai immigration is quite aware of the situation, and it won't be long before those on phoney "work" visa will have to prove their qualifications are real. Ask the phoney "English teachers" in Bangkok about that. That crackdown removed quite a few people.

But assuming you are really interested in working as a real dive instructor and you are really qualified, you need a non-o visa to get here. And you need a work permit to work in Thailand. If you can find a company that will hire you before you come to Thailand and will provide a letter of employment.....you're in. But it will be hard to find. Frankly there are many more people looking for the job than those that will ever get it.

It is possible, but a long shot, to come to Thailand on a 60 day tourist visa,extend it for 30 more days in country, and use the time to look for a job here in Thailand. But there are more want-to's than ever-will's. But if you've got the fumds to live for 60 days without working in Thailand, give it a try.

No you can't work on a tourist visa. The visa specifically says, "All employment is prohobited".

As I say, I don't intend to be rude....but the "Dive Instructor" bit has been thought of by every beach bum hangaround who came to Thailabd as a tourist, and wanted to stay.

I will tolerate a medium-hot.

If all you want is hot taste in your food why not just put the hot sauce on a piece pf rice paper and eat it?

I like to at least taste the food and not just the hot sauce.

Not only that, but there are subtle differences between such things as a Louisiana hot sauce and Texas hot sauces that are lost one those who just want the heat.

Not even to mention the difference in raw chilis, fried chillis, and smoked chillis in food.

Hi everyone, I have been reading your posts from many years and, even if I rarely post, I have enjoyed the humour and the responses from thaivisa members in regard to many threads.

I am planning a trip to los in January and I noticed that anytime I mention my next trip everyone connects Thailand to prostitution. I love the culture, food, fantastic beaches and all the rest that this country can offer. I am not a saint and I have been few times in Thailand but I also travelled in many other countries and prostitution is all over the world being the oldest job ever created, so why people in general connect Thailand with prostitution? Especially the ones that have never visited Thailand have the strongest feelings toward it.

Is it a case of bad publicity or just people talking over stuff just being heard from someone else?

I know what you mean. I'm 64 years old, but when I mention my vacation will be in Thailand I still get the "Monty Python" reaction to the word Thailand. You know what I mean, don't ya? Don't ya, ya know what I mean?

The fact that I'm married to a Thai woman and have a home in Bangkok, doesn't seem to get through to those people. It's the same old cliche way of thinking. If you go to Amsterdam it must be for the legal drugs, you must be gay if you go to San Francisco, and you must be going to Thailand for the sex.

People like that think it sterotypes only, so what can you do about it?

The fact is: I go to Thailand for my twice yearly 2 or 3 weeks vacation to spend time with my wife and family.

The fact that only a small percentage of the people in Thailand are actually working in the sex industry doesn't get through the sterotype tjinking for that certain type of prople.

The facts just can't get through the preconceptions in their brain.

This must be the ultimate in not losing face, or whatever you call it.

Here at the F.C. we have at last assembled a great team of staff, or so I thought. I pay each one 8,000 a month(11,000 with tips)

free board, lodging food and drink. So, that amounts to around 15,000-17,000 a month. A tad higher than the 3,000-4,000 most restaurants pay. The other day, oneof the waiters friends came tio visit him,and he sat outside drinking with him for four hours. We told his wife to have a word with him, to drink after hours if he must. She did, so he said " OK, I'm finished here now"

Yesterday, he came back, and took his wife, and her freind away from the job they love. OK, we have along list of replacements, and now the wage will drop to just above the minimum, but why? Why throw in a job you love, getting more money than you dreamed of because of a semi-telling off? It beats me.

You handled it badly. You talked to his wife asking her to talk to him. You should have gone directly to him and spoken to him. I know this may not seem reasonable to you, but you made him lose face and be shamed in front of his wife. Quite seriously, how would you feel if one of your business associates went to your wife and complained to her about your management of the business, instead of coming to you directly? Think about it.

Please post reasons why you are fed up by Thailand and want to go back to you home country?

My reasons would be in my home country there is:

More job security

Better health care

People are sincere and honest

Relationships are not all about the money

Not many fall for criminal populistic poilticians

No congested streets

1. In the U.S. any job I could get would pay less than what I now earn...once my rent and living expenses are taken off the take home pay. The cost of living in the U.S. would leave me worse off than now.

2. Yes, but in the U.S., what you pay for one night in a hospital would pay for a week in a Thai hospital. If you can pay for health service in Thailand, you can get reasonable service at bargain rates. My Thai wife just spent 6 days in hospital, the first 3 in intensive care, dialysis treatment, and then 3 days in recovery. Total: a little over $5000. She would have had to pay $15,000 for less care in the U.S.

3. Some people are sincere and honest, some are not. Example: Bernie Madoff. People are honest and sincere, not countries.

4. I've been with my Thai wife for 30 years. I believe I know what she feels and believes.

5. Not my opinion about politicians in the U.S. and the people who elect them. You're free to have yours.

6. Depends where you live. Believe it or not, there are places in Bangkok that are not congested.

P.S.: To be fair I do not live in Thailand, I work in Greece. I return to Thailand about twice a year for 3 or 4 weeks each time. I have a family in Thailand, and I will retire there next summer, permanently. Ask me then.

Many Hotels do the same if you pre book and pay online, when you arrive at the hotel they ask you for the credit card you booked with.

Regarding the hotel thing in thailand....I've been there. Some years ago I was the victim of "identity theft" when my credit card was hacked and used to purchase goods I never ordered. Since then I seldom carry a credit card, I pay CASH. I have made reservations in Bangkok at hotels, and have been told at check-in that I need my credit card for identificatin. Usually my passport works well enough to let them allow me to register. I may have to pay a cash advance on registering, but they usually happily accept my money. Usually they are happy enough to accept my money, especially if I am well dressed, and appear prosperous.

I book my travel tickets thru agents usually. I actually get a better fare from the local travel agent here in Greece than by booking on-line. If you have an e-ticket, and have the verification number, most times the airline can use the ticket verification number and your I.D. (passport) to prove your identity and that you have a valid ticket.

The problem is that the airline personnel often don't know what to do if you don't have a credit card. If you ask to see the supervisor, it usually gets sorted out.

Hi

I am wanting to book a ticket for my Girlfriend from bangkok to manchester with emirates and the only way that i can pay for her is Via a company called Global Collect BV who are based in holland.

I have a few issues with this service which are

the ticket cost is 41705baht and with the currancy conversion amounts to £744 (emirates converstion)

Yesterday i made the online booking and i was sent instuctions on where to send the payment to, but my bank calculated the ticket price at £764 with £25 service charge.

I find the currency conversion in the UK is very much in the banks favor and then they charge you yet again for the transfer of funds.

also i am not keen on using Global Collect BV, There is no help line number if anything goes wrong and i dont think Emirates would be much good when you read the following.

What happens once I have made the bank transfer? Once payment is made, please allow up to 6 days to receive the e-ticket. If you do not receive the e-ticket within 6 days please contact your local Emirates office, and you may be required to provide a proof of payment. Emirates will not contact you directly if the full amount is not received, or if we are unable to match the funds transfer to your booking.

Please note that the name of our service provider, GlobalCollect, will appear on your statement once the transaction has been processed. The account details above should not be used for the transfer of any other fees (e.g. date change fees, difference in fares, other bookings where bank transfer was not selected)

We will send you a confirmation email including your booking reference number and electronic tickets once payment has been received. Below are the details of your itinerary.

My only other option is to wait until i go to bangkok and go to the office and book and pay for the flight, but there is a risk that the fair will go up in price (arrive 6 days before flying to the UK)

I could of cause transfer the Money into my GF account but then i still have to pay for the transfer of funds.

I did phone the bangkok office and offered to pay via direct debt card, but was told that i have to sign the recipt in front of the cashier....

Any help or tips or experiances

Regards

Malc

Does emirates have a local office in Manchester?

It should be possible to go to the local Emirates office, make a booking there, and pay them in CASH, probably in pounds (depending on their conversion rate). Purchase a third-party ticket for cash, with the stipulation that the ticket is to be picked up in Bangkok by you girlfriend with proper identification required to pick up the ticket. She may be able to pick up the ticket at the airport, or if not then at the Emirates office in Bangkok. She will need to be at the airport early enough to be able to get the ticket, so she should be there early....and make sure she has her I.D. card to verify her identity...and passport of course to travel.

If Emirates doesn't have a Machester office, any travel agent can arrange the ticket, if you go to them. I doubt that it will be more expensive from a travel agent, because the agents usually get their cut from the airlines.

The other way would be to send the money to your girlfriend in Bangkok and let her purchase the ticket. But thgt assumes you've got somewhere to send the money to her.

Advice needed

I've just learnt my mother is seriously ill and need to get on the first flight out to UK as time is short.

I have an Immigration B Visa and have lived / worked here 5 years on this.

My Re-entry permit got used last month when I went on holiday and I haven't yet got a new one.

My visa is valid for 10 months.

I have 2 choices

1.Get an early flight and depart Thailand without a re-entry permit

2. Get to the local immigration office asap 2moro - get a re-entry permit and then fly out in the evening

Question-

as time is of the essence

what are the implications of number 1 for when I return?

Leaving the country will end your visa...as you will be stamped for departing on the visa.

If it is at all possible you should try for a re-entry permit to avoid losing your current visa.

I question Andrew's experience as being typical of Thai culture.

So do I. And futhermore I don't think he has any real insight or much experience with Thai culture or norms.

The fact that a girl plays with boys, hardly makes her a "Lesbian". Secondly. it isn't uncommon for Thai girls to have close female friends, holding hands and embrassing has nothing to do with any "sexual" impulse. And certainly not at six years old.

From what I read in the article, it has more to do with the writers personal preconceptions of what is "female" and "male" behavior and clothing standards. And his prospective is from a Euopean farang viewpoint than from a Thai viewpoint.

An amusing article, but it tells more about the writer and his hangups, than anything about Thai culture.

Philo posted this link to a description of the 13 smiles of Thailand, and it's very interesting:

http://www.into-asia.com/thailand/culture/smile.php

We all wonder what that (sometimes) lovely lady is really thinking behind those LOS smiles.

I think, with some creativity, we can all add some like:

the "So you think I'm a woman, eh?" smile

the "Today's ATM day" smile

the "I'm smiling but I am thinking about somebody else" smile

the "Please stop drinking so we can get to the hotel room" smile

the "I hope you are worth a bundle" Mother In Law's smile

the "I hope you will select me!" smile

the "You think you are so cool but I think you are a silly shit" smile

the "No way in hel_l we'll go out again" smile

the "I am just a simple Thai girl" smile

Got any to add? We can have some fun.

How about the:

"I've been here for almost 12 hours now, listening to you BS from drunken Farang fools like you, and I'm so glad the bar is closing in 30 minutes so I can take a Valium tablet and finally get some sleep in your hotel room, even if I have to put up with 5 minutes of clumsy drunken lovemaking from a fat slob like you"

smile that you get from the sweet little thing you've been buying watered down Cola drinks for at double the honest price for the last three hours. (of which she's likely to get half the cost of each drink, at best).

My wife made in the afternoon (3p.m.) a money cash transfer of THB 46.000; in the evening the bank called at 9 p.m. that the video camera saw that my wife payed by cash only THB 40.000; I called the hotline of the bank by myself to figure out what's going on and they checked and apologized; Wooooooooooooooooo;

but can you imagine: you give your money to this bank, and they are treat you like a criminal back. Be really carefully where you put your money. I will for sure withdraw all my money from the siam "commercial" bank. I lost my trust in this kind of activities. Its already the second time.

When I worked in the Faroe Islands (Danish territory) a similar situation happened to a woman who worked for a local travel agency. She went to a bank to deposit the company reciepts. She had some Danish Kroner, some U.S. Dollars, and some British Pounds. The bank clerk filled out a deposit slip for her, based on the listed daily rates for converting the foriegn currency to Kroner. His calculations were wrong, as he entered the wrong rate for the U.K. pounds. The travel agency employee didn't check the rate, she just accepted what the bank clerk had entered. She was short about 6000 Danish Kroner (about 600 pounds then) due to the clerk's error. When she returned to the travel agency, the local police were waiting. The bank had reported the discrepancy to the police and they were waiting for her at the travel agency office. The error was straightened out and found to be the bank clerk's error.

Just a good lesson on how banks are "your friends". Never forget, as the American humorist Will Rogers once said, "Banks want to lend you an umbrella as long as the sun is shining; but once it looks like rain, they want their umbrella back, with interest added on."

edited to correct pound/Kroner rate.

Did the Buddha invent Asia?

At its height Buddhism flourished across most of Asia. Leading Buddhism scholar Peter Skilling explains how Buddhist monks and nuns established networks of intellectual exchange that for centuries linked Asian societies, inspiring literature and philosophy, art and architecture, and social and ritual practice and affecting conceptions of time, cosmology, and governance. How did the teachings of one man influenced Asia so profoundly? What was the role of Buddhism in the geography of ideas in the pre-modern period? What were the unifying principles or ideologies that brought distant cultures into close relation? Was Buddhism in Asia the vanguard of globalisation? Peter Skilling addresses all of these questions.

Part 1: http://www.themonthly.com.au/did-buddha-in...r-skilling-1586

Part 2: http://www.themonthly.com.au/did-buddha-in...killing-p2-1585

In my non-expert opinion,I would say that Buddhisim was one of the main influences in Asian society and it's development, but I wouldn't overlook the pre-buddhist influences of Hinduism and Indian philosophy. Those ideas were drifiting eastward to Southeast Asia before Buddhisim came. And from the north Chinese influence came southward into Vietnam. So, while Buddisim was a major contributor, we don't want to foget that there was a "culture" in Southeast Asia before Buddhisim showed itself.