LisaMaria

I know it's been cloudy recently, but . . . really?

yes really

You need a tanning bed here as much as you need a cloths dryer. Useless

Useless. Like your comment.

Not spray tanning but real sunbed.

Thank you!

poor educated people are also usually racist people. I saw a thai boy standing up in the bts when a black guy sat close to him. And a thai comment: "I don't want black people" when a new black skin teacher was around, and it came from someone who was actually supposed to teach thai student not to be racist...

The "farang" term is many times not a polite term. But I don't care that much because it only shows how much ignorant and envious they are :-)

dislike: Thai people are rude and arrogant, which is also direct consequence of poor education.

like: Thai Food is very good.

 

 

Please respect the laws of Thailand.

hey yingyo,who are you expecting us to respect, the laws,the Gov,the police,for sure you're not asking the tiny minority farang population to respect the law 65,000,000 Thai can't find the time or inclination.Now if you're a Thai person I give you room for being in Fantasy Land but if you're some farang do gooder,blow me.

 

 

Yingyo is right mate.

 

If some foreigner came to your country wouldn't you expect them to get  license and do the right thing? Its not a matter of doing as the locals do. You are a guest, you are expected to play by the rules. Get over your white mans superiority complex and obey the rules.

If you don't and you get caught pay the fine/tea money and don't whinge about it.

 

 As a "guest" I have taken the trouble to get a full licence, make sure I drive safely and that my vehicle complies to all relevant Thai laws, but I will say unlike the UK It doesn't stop the cops finding something to blame you for in order to extract cash, i.e. I was fined B400 for carrying my mothers wheelchair in the back of my pickup,(the handles were showing a couple of inches above the tailgate, dangerous load) and once asked for B200.00 for a happy new year gift, but as it was nearing the end of February when pulled over I said no, but my Thai wife leaned across and gave him B100.00 he saluted and waved us on, my wife said better to give him something or he would lose face in front of another Thai. on both these occasions I was not asked to produce my licence or other documents.

 I will have respect for Thai law when I see the upholders of Thai law do the same!

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'better to give him something or he would lose face in front of another Thai'

Yes, let's save this corrupted cop face and let give him the opportunity to steal again some money successfully.

I don't blame the lady, it's the sad way it is here. Call me ignorant.

Not yet living in Thailand, but what I have learnt is that I am highly priviledged in many regards, from education to job to money to health to travel opportunities...  I have seen and learnt with how few (compared to me) people can be happy. ... I have learnt that I should be grateful for what I have been given and not complain, whine and moan about the many things that Thailand "offers" that are different from back home.

 

And that probably distinguishes me from a great load of TV posters that I see on here... 

 

And it is absolutely refreshing to see your post, dear geronimo

 

So someone who doesn't live in Thailand, is gonna tell people who live here how life in Thailand actually is since they know nothing and you know it all .

 

I have such a feeling that you have superiority issues.

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You have this issue for sure as you are confidently assuming about my residence. And you are wrong ;-)

Yes you got the point. Thais respect you in the order: you are part of my family, you are a friend, you are powerful, you can give me something (f.e. Money). In different societies you are taught to respect people because they are human being and equals to you. I think that the so called politeness should be called in a different way as it is conditioned by what you can get from the other person.

There are better place to live

 

With respect, I believe this to be a simplistic comparative view of Thai values. And I by no means argue that all Thai values are good, superior, bad or inferior - I'll come to some of that in a moment. 

 

There are two sides to the equation - The Thai society and the expat. 

 

All expats, myself included, arrive with little or no understanding the rules under which Thai society works - all expats, myself included, start their journey into understanding the new society they live in by partitioning their experience and what they are told into mental drawers - good, bad, strange, incompressible etc. This process of understanding is further complicated by language. 

 

All expat, myself included, start to learn the language by learning to be able ask for the essentials of life, food, water (I often quip a cold beer) we all of us, myself included, start to learn to discuss things in terms of qualifiers, the ones to note are 'Good' and 'Bad'. 

 

I myself recall being stuck for sometime with only sufficient Thai language to be able to discuss matters in the superlative - listen to newly arrived expats and you'll hear them do exactly the same. I'm in no sense mocking this, we all experience this, myself included.

 

Keep in mind the importance of first impressions: for at least the first months of life in Thailand we have this monochromatic discussion - Big/Small, Hot/Cold, Beautiful/Ugly, Kind/Unkind, Good/Bad.

 

If we are unable to develop our language skills then the only moderator of these monochromatic views is our own experience but if we have set our mind to Big/Small, Hot/Cold, Beautiful/Ugly, Kind/Unkind, Good/Bad and those are the only terms we have to discuss our experiences with Thai people it is extremely difficult, perhaps impossible to develop a more nuanced, and more realistic view of Thai society.

 

If we are further hampered by a lack of intellectual curiosity, we might never learn.

 

 

So language plays a part - limited language is inevitably going to limit our view and our window to understanding. 

 

 

The next issue relates to the expat and their predisposition to choose a view which suits their own needs, this goes back to the comment I made earlier:

 

I though do see many expats arrive and start inventing a set of values for Thai society which have little or nothing to do with the actual values of Thai society and everything to do with the expat looking to justify or remove the basis of criticism of his own behaviour in Thailand

 

You need not go out to look at expats to observe this, simply read enough posts here on TVF and you'll come across posts from people who present a view of Thai society and Thai societal norms which is in stark contrast with the view other members have. 

 

We might argue that this is simply a difference of opinion, but it we then look at the behaviours aligned with these views a pattern emerges of individual expats (by no means all) expressing a view of Thai society and Thai social norms which is supportive of their own 'freedom' to behave in a way they would not or could not behave at home.

 

Cross check who makes these arguments in favour of a Thai society with no rules to preclude their own behaviour with discussion on social norms back in their own country (please do not dare mention that dreaded word 'Morality') and you'll find these same people on the one hand extol a view of Thai society that has no rules critical of their 'Freedom to behave as they wish' and rant and rave against their old country societal rules which would be critical of their behaviour. 

 

The point to note is they have constructed a view of Thai society which gives them a perceived freedom to behave as they wish but that view is based on the way they wish to behave.

 

It is an insight into the mind of the individual expat, it is not an insight into the actual values of Thai society. 

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Thank you for this post. But I think it is not an expat view the attitude of Thai people to give a "value" and THEN adjust their behaviour consequently. This has nothing to do with language. It has to do with a still poor society and not well educated people in general. Still the focus is: how to survive. Convenience is ruling. See what Thai women can do towards a man. I don't judge them, I would probably do the same in their shoes. But they are able to "choose" a man ONLY because of wealth. And if he is not a Thai man, who KNOWS how to handle them, well, I guess you know enough stories. Thai men are not better anyway. This happens also somewhere else but in Thailand where the value is: "I, Me and myself" this is a common and well accepted practice.

This country is barely ok if you are 20 and you want some cheap fun, if you like that kind of fun.

Nothing more than this.

 

 

"Things I have learned in Thailand" 

 

... you probably could have learnt anywhere else...

 

I think that is very true.

 

Though I would add that there is something liberating about moving away from the society you are raised in/established in and since for most on this forum that move has been to Thailand.

 

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That's true but then you can learn a lot of new things and new habits even being in prison for 10 years. There are better places than Thailand where you can "learn" genuine values.

 

 

That's true, but I don't see that Thailand in and of itself is necessarily a bad place to learn genuine values. I though do see many expats arrive and start inventing a set of values for Thai society which have little or nothing to do with the actual values of Thai society and everything to do with the expat looking to justify or remove the basis of criticism of his own behaviour in Thailand.

Having children, for me at least, started to see thai society through " different" eyes. 1s own values 1 tries to bring over to the children. Thai society in general is a polite society with respect for the older people in the language. Same as in my country.

Every 1s own values differ though. It all depends in which circles 1 stays. Living in country with a total different culture and mindset makes 1 evenmore aware of 1s own upbringing and true values. Can come in conflict with the thais in public and private life. In general my experiences with thai people who were strangers in daily life for me have been good mostly, bad sometimes and surprisingly positive. It helps ofcourse if 1 can speak some thai.

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Yes you got the point. Thais respect you in the order: you are part of my family, you are a friend, you are powerful, you can give me something (f.e. Money). In different societies you are taught to respect people because they are human being and equals to you. I think that the so called politeness should be called in a different way as it is conditioned by what you can get from the other person.

There are better place to live

 

 

Give Thai people some decades of cheese, bread and some more money and then let's talk again about how thin they are 

 

 The cheese is not necessarily bad for you but money is rather unpalatable and the coins will likely break your teeth if unable to swallow whole!!!

 

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Yes, I understand it might be a difficult concept for someone... But give Thai people some more money to spend (as the "good" economy is now "filling" their pockets) and they will spend it in: food, food and some food as well.

 

'good economy' in Thailand!!!!

 

 You are not going to tell me that you believe everything that that proven liar Kitekat (I know that is not his real name but he deserves to be ridiculed) tells you, do you?

 If everyone is so well off (as you imply they are) then why are they cancelling their 'first car' scheme orders by the droves and racking up such massive household debts now? Of course, all those rice farmers are rolling in money now (not) and can afford smoked salmon and cheese sandwiches NB: they will have to put up with farmed salmon fed on corn and other toxins and highly processed cheese with plenty of additives made into nice thin square shapes to fit sugar laden carbohydrate bread!!! 

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Do you get the idea that Thai economy is now better than 10 years ago and people have some more money to spend?

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Only Thai people can do that. And this can only happen if they stop looking for the shortcut and for the "easy-way" when it's time to take responsibilities. And this is for every level of the society.

 

 

"Things I have learned in Thailand" 

 

... you probably could have learnt anywhere else...

 

I think that is very true.

 

Though I would add that there is something liberating about moving away from the society you are raised in/established in and since for most on this forum that move has been to Thailand.

 

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That's true but then you can learn a lot of new things and new habits even being in prison for 10 years. There are better places than Thailand where you can "learn" genuine values.

 

why are these places better?

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Because of what I wrote, genuine values shared among people in these places make them better places to live.

"Things I have learned in Thailand" 

 

... you probably could have learnt anywhere else...

 

I think that is very true.

 

Though I would add that there is something liberating about moving away from the society you are raised in/established in and since for most on this forum that move has been to Thailand.

Sent from my GT-I9070 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

That's true but then you can learn a lot of new things and new habits even being in prison for 10 years. There are better places than Thailand where you can "learn" genuine values.

Give Thai people some decades of cheese, bread and some more money and then let's talk again about how thin they are 

 

 The cheese is not necessarily bad for you but money is rather unpalatable and the coins will likely break your teeth if unable to swallow whole!!!

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Yes, I understand it might be a difficult concept for someone... But give Thai people some more money to spend (as the "good" economy is now "filling" their pockets) and they will spend it in: food, food and some food as well.

Give Thai people some decades of cheese, bread and some more money and then let's talk again about how thin they are

"Things I have learned in Thailand"

... you probably could have learnt anywhere else...