bundoi

The whole "debate" as usual is based on a false premise...

I (and most of the world's population) have no interest in Theism one way or the other....

if Theists want to propose that something exists it would be useful if they provided some evidence.

Ah really? You just noticed today and how long have you been working at that school?

Yes it opened today near the Ministy of Labour in CR city; I don't have the exact address but phone the Mae Sai office and they will give it to you.

"You have to get them engaged, involved and having fun. Learning without them actually knowing it."

Sounds like propoganda from Edutopia.com

they teach that in the MA teaching course here, which clearly shows that the lecturers do not have a clue about what takes place in a typical Thai classroom

Actually I cannot imagine that any real teacher would object to engaging and involving students; as for fun - well learning with no fun is much harder of course, but I'm not one of those teachers on this forum that advocate entertainment in place of teaching.

I'd be interested to know whether you have studied at MA level here, or somewhere else maybe?

There is a similar topic re a Thai's attitude towards Westeners by a Thai teacher/lecturer from Chiang Mai

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/686107-farang-go-home/

Which if I remember was never corroborated and quite likely a troll (either on TV or one of the 2 originating sites); but it undoubtedly improved the hits on a CM based "news" organisation for a day or two.

But seriously, reading threads such as this one (and probably more than 50% on the general forum and teaching forum - well actually many of the forums) I wouldn't blame any Thai for having a low opinion of farang intelligence and manners.

BTW the response on TV from the media company on the matter in Chiang Mai

"Yes, we have done our duediligence; would be crazy to publish something like this without doing so. It is ugly, but is one woman's attitude, hence our agreement with the university in question to later remove their name from the article. The reason we decided to publish it is that she is in fact a head of department and has influence upon the young. She also posted this on a very public forum and we believe it is a topic which is relevant to our times. Her comments have also sparked huge debate amongst her Thai students."

Pim Kemasingki (publisher of CityNews)

Personally I have little faith in that "news" organ....

but it's interesting isn't it - a few apparently racist comments by a Thai, and all that brouhaha; and yet on other sites (ahem) a permanent deluge of anti-Thai racism and no-one seems to even notice ;-)

There is a similar topic re a Thai's attitude towards Westeners by a Thai teacher/lecturer from Chiang Mai

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/686107-farang-go-home/

Which if I remember was never corroborated and quite likely a troll (either on TV or one of the 2 originating sites); but it undoubtedly improved the hits on a CM based "news" organisation for a day or two.

But seriously, reading threads such as this one (and probably more than 50% on the general forum and teaching forum - well actually many of the forums) I wouldn't blame any Thai for having a low opinion of farang intelligence and manners.

Well OP you have done a great job as an agent provocateur; the racism surely is flowing now on this thread, and it's not coming from Thais.

Testimony is not evidence, If that was true there would not be a need for lawyers.

I don't know what you mean by cultural history. There is a tremendous amount of cultural history that was not true, Flat earth, Sun rotating around earth, demons causing disease etc. Just because a lot of people believe it, it does not make it true.

Or did I misunderstood what you mean by "cultural history"

We don't want you to give any personal experience evidence, Only the evidence that Christians share with each other for the last 2.000 years

How did you all come to believe the things you do?

1. About cultural history: my meaning is that there is a lot of human history of belief in God, it is a type of evidence. Cultural history is very important when discussing anthropology and it can be used as a precedent. It can also be used as counter evidence.

About the last part:

2. Everyone has their own life experience, everyone has had different exposure. I can speak for no one but myself. But i know that some have come to their belief through miraculous events, through study, through personal revelation, through trying to prove it is not real, through seeing how others get their peace. And then by comparing their experience with others and in further research and study.

Some have only mental assent that God is real (very common). Others have a much deeper conviction and their lives represent what they believe.

1. believing in something for a long time for which there is no evidence is not evidence of anything, except perhaps things like hope, fear, gullibility, ignorance.

2. if you have such experience, please feel free to share.

1. I never said I believed something there is no evidence for. In fact I have gone to some length to explain the types of evidence that are easily observed, However the most convincing evidence is experiential and you will have to have your own.

2. I explained earlier that i would not be sharing the details of my life on this forum.

1. I said there is no evidence (if you believe there is, please reveal it to us and the rest of the world - the Pope himself would be interested); you said "a lot of human history of belief in God, it is a type of evidence" - this is clearly tautological nonsense;

2. I don't personally mind whether you reveal your personal experiences or not, but if you chose not to then you cannot reasonably expect anybody to take your references to them seriously.

Testimony is not evidence, If that was true there would not be a need for lawyers.

I don't know what you mean by cultural history. There is a tremendous amount of cultural history that was not true, Flat earth, Sun rotating around earth, demons causing disease etc. Just because a lot of people believe it, it does not make it true.

Or did I misunderstood what you mean by "cultural history"

We don't want you to give any personal experience evidence, Only the evidence that Christians share with each other for the last 2.000 years

How did you all come to believe the things you do?

1. About cultural history: my meaning is that there is a lot of human history of belief in God, it is a type of evidence. Cultural history is very important when discussing anthropology and it can be used as a precedent. It can also be used as counter evidence.

About the last part:

2. Everyone has their own life experience, everyone has had different exposure. I can speak for no one but myself. But i know that some have come to their belief through miraculous events, through study, through personal revelation, through trying to prove it is not real, through seeing how others get their peace. And then by comparing their experience with others and in further research and study.

Some have only mental assent that God is real (very common). Others have a much deeper conviction and their lives represent what they believe.

1. believing in something for a long time for which there is no evidence is not evidence of anything, except perhaps things like hope, fear, gullibility, ignorance.

2. if you have such experience, please feel free to share.

Time to smell the coffee...

OP says "When I bring up specific points to illustrate the failures of Thai society and inability to compete in a global marketplace"

World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report 2013-2014 says "among 148 economies Thailand ranks as 38th most competitive"

I have a feeling the rest of the OP is equally based on fantasy.

Or, "Among the world's top 38 economies, Thailand is dead last."

So glad you managed to drop in from yr 1st world paradise for yr annual vacation in Thailand to give us the benefit of yr mathematical excellence.

1. Please just stay in your own country. We don't need any more people with their preconceived stereotypes. I respect someone with morals but your question is also judgmental and naively ignorant.

2. Bundoi, you seem to know a lot about the sex industry in every part of Thailand. Care to tell us where your wife is during these times? JK

Z, please apply the advice you gave to OP in 1 to yourself in 2.

PS Hope you're enjoying China.

A question about insulated walls ceilings etc: don't they make it even colder in winter unless you have a heater inside?

Less than 1% (a lot less) of Chiang Mai by area is devoted to the bar-girl / gogo business. In Chanthaburi it's closer to 0%.

In Pattaya, by contrast, it's probably 70% of the central area, but often feels like 99%.

Don't worry, you'll survive.

In Thailand it's in your face if you live In Pattaya, Patong in Phuket, one or two very small and localised areas in Bkk, Loy Khroh Rd in Chiang Mai, and a few other places.

It's almost never aggressive despite the sensationalist reports in the press. Thailand has around 16 million tourists every year and every year a small percentage hit the headlines.

Well Thailand does have schools with problems no doubt - every country does and @sirchai works in one, but try comparing the problem schools in the UK or the USA with the problem schools in Thailand!

And to think of the hell I put my sister through about Skippy the bush kangaroo: I cringe with guilt even half a century later... oops sorry cobbers, as you were.

PISA...

- has been running only every 3 years only since 2000 (so don't take it as gospel)

- its methodology is considered to be fundamentally flawed by some educators in the UK (and probably other countries - see The Guardian, a liberal newspaper that would normally support things like PISA)

- in 2012 half a million 15 year old students worldwide were tested (not the millions as posted by someone earlier)

- 65 countries participated in 2012 (the 34 OECD nations plus 31 others)

- in some categories the USA performed under the OECD average

- it's important to assess Thailand's performance as a developing nation, not as a developed nation

I'm not trying to poohpooh PISA or to gloss over Thailand's results, but just trying to encourage honesty and accuracy.

If I were trying to draw big picture conclusions from the report I would bewail the declining performance of the UK and the USA before I started worrying about developing nations.

Also one needs to assess educational performance against labour needs. In Thailand agriculture still claims the largest % of the workforce; in Singapore it's services: they have different educational needs.

From The Guardian (UK erstwhile liberal newspaper)

"At the Cock'n'Bull, Emily Ahern, 27, a speech pathologist from Cork, has been in Australia on a 457 for two-and-a-half years, and has just applied for permanent residency."

Now I know that a good many Ozzies are descended from the indomitable Irish and consequently have ancestors who kissed the blarney stone, but pathological speech therapy ??

I know the Goodview and Riverside well... actually I know most of the bars mentioned so far well, having lived a couple of years in CM a couple of years ago.

These days I live 99% of my time in a 100% Thai environment, so on the few occasions I take a break alone I like to go somewhere where I can have a good conversation with educated professional farangs, and especially any new bars, as I know most of the old ones.

I thought mine was just a chilli...

I must say the Ozzies as a whole do seem to be the least obnoxious farangs here - they just seem to adjust more easily regardless of their socioeconomic backgound - maybe it's their intuitive aversion to the whinging mentality so prevalent amongst most of the other white tribes passing through.

Ty senoremac - is that Gekko's on the corner of Sri Donchai Rd and Kamphang Rd - nearly opposite the Imperial Maeping Hotel.

Or is it something near Gecko bookshop?