Why are Thai people so against thinking?

[mauGR1]

2 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Western have to think about what to do to survive because of different seasons. In thailand, they do not need to much shelter, food come all year along, and this is how we come to be after 100 000 years and more. Everything is stored in our HD (dna) 

 

Simple as that, thai can sit and watch food grow and save calories, but we have to work to get next calorie on table and shelter fixed before witner, and  kill the last mamut and whale to get protein, fat and oil!

That's something i really agree, the climate has a huge weight in shaping the life and minds of the people.

[marcusarelus]

3 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Western have to think about what to do to survive because of different seasons. In thailand, they do not need to much shelter, food come all year along, and this is how we come to be after 100 000 years and more. Everything is stored in our HD (dna) 

 

Simple as that, thai can sit and watch food grow and save calories, but we have to work to get next calorie on table and shelter fixed before witner, and  kill the last mamut and whale to get protein, fat and oil!

If that was true then Thailand, Laos, Burma, Cambodia and Vietnam would all be the same when in fact Thailand is the only livable country of the 4.  Thailand basically uses Laos, Burma, Cambodia as slave labor because even slaves in Thailand are better off than living in Burma.  

[marcusarelus]

5 minutes ago, mauGR1 said:

That's something i really agree, the climate has a huge weight in shaping the life and minds of the people.

If cold climates indeed lead to higher intelligence, then why is it that Homo Homo Sapiens (modern humans), who evolved in Africa, had higher intelligence than Neanderthals who had 250k years to evolve in the cold climate of Central and Southern Europe?

[Brunolem]

2 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

4th Thailand Rapid Chess Championships 2018 Woman

1st Thailand Junior Chess Team Championships 2018

1st Thailand Junior Chess Team Championships 2018

 

Ha ha you falang always fall for that same stuff.  Thais can't think alone.  Ha ha.  Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia never tell that to falang and they get colonized.  We convince you that having a buffer state is good idea.  Ha ha. Like North and South Ireland.  Ha ha.  Girls from Issan score many Falang all alone - can't trust other Issan lady you know.  How 18 year old girl all alone smarter than bar full of Farang?  Ha ha.

 

If Thailand were group thinkers they would have harems.  Nope.  Forest monks meditate alone.  Thai's don't need group to get courage like English football they have all alone Muay Thai.  Famous Thai movie Tom Yum Goong - lone hero. 

 

I think Falang can't think alone fall for all that stereotype stuff that is pushed by groups of drunks in expat bars.  Falang can't think by himself.

 

What are you on?

[marcusarelus]

9 minutes ago, Brunolem said:

What are you on?

The thoughtful reply instead of flaming and swallowing the anti Thai bar talk so prevalent with the bedsit never actually been to Thailand crowd.

[balo]

1 hour ago, marcusarelus said:

The thoughtful reply instead of flaming and swallowing the anti Thai bar talk so prevalent with the bedsit never actually been to Thailand crowd.

 

Lets face it , you're a troll with few posts on TV.

You never answered my question. Are you a Thai citizen ?  Why do you say "you falangs". are you not a falang yourself ? 

 

And can you name one Thai author famous in the west ? 

 

[jackspade]

All Western countries share the same Greco-Roman history of thought, art, philosophy, and science, informed also by Arabic and Egyptian thought, among others.

 

The great Eastern nations such as China and Japan have tremendously long philosophical histories that, while not as complex as the Greco-Roman ones, are quite profound.

 

The crux of the matter is that Thailand has no "mother culture", and is a mere baby in its philosophical development compared to cultures descended from those.

 

The culture here, while colorful, is about 4 inches deep—and I'd generally say the same for most of the neighboring countries.

Also, conflict breeds thought. Thailand hasn't experienced much serious conflict compared to many nations.

Edited October 2, 2018 by jackspade

[mauGR1]

26 minutes ago, jackspade said:

All Western countries share the same Greco-Roman history of thought, art, philosophy, and science, informed also by Arabic and Egyptian thought, among others.

 

The great Eastern nations such as China and Japan have tremendously long philosophical histories that, while not as complex as the Greco-Roman ones, are quite profound.

 

The crux of the matter is that Thailand has no "mother culture", and is a mere baby in its philosophical development compared to cultures descended from those.

 

The culture here, while colorful, is about 4 inches deep—and I'd generally say the same for most of the neighboring countries.

Also, conflict breeds thought. Thailand hasn't experienced much serious conflict compared to many nations.

Good post, points 2, 3, and 4 can be argued more or less, but point 5, although a sort of paradox, explains a lot about not only thought development, but most importantly, technological research and development.

[Scott]

A questionably modified quote has been reported and removed. 

[marcusarelus]

1 hour ago, jackspade said:

All Western countries share the same Greco-Roman history of thought, art, philosophy, and science, informed also by Arabic and Egyptian thought, among others.

 

The great Eastern nations such as China and Japan have tremendously long philosophical histories that, while not as complex as the Greco-Roman ones, are quite profound.

 

The crux of the matter is that Thailand has no "mother culture", and is a mere baby in its philosophical development compared to cultures descended from those.

 

The culture here, while colorful, is about 4 inches deep—and I'd generally say the same for most of the neighboring countries.

Also, conflict breeds thought. Thailand hasn't experienced much serious conflict compared to many nations.

People in America come from European descent.  Thai people come Chinese, Mon, Khmer, Lao, and Indian descent.   The culture of America and the culture of Thailand were both influenced by the places the people came from. 

 

If you want to argue the importance of Chinese/Indian culture as opposed to Greek/Roman culture I think that would take a separate forum.  Suffice it to say both cultures are advanced when you look at where the populations came from. 

 

Conflict does not breed thought if that were the case the Mongolian tribesmen would have an advanced culture and they were simple nomads.  Farming breeds thought as it allows for the food of a culture to be grown by the few so others can become artists and scientists and so on.   

[HAKAPALITA]

Perhaps they have noticed that the Thinking West allow the most repulsive values to be acceptable.


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[metisdead]

Some off topic deflection posts and the replies have been removed. 

[jackspade]

5 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

People in America come from European descent.  Thai people come Chinese, Mon, Khmer, Lao, and Indian descent.   The culture of America and the culture of Thailand were both influenced by the places the people came from. 

 

If you want to argue the importance of Chinese/Indian culture as opposed to Greek/Roman culture I think that would take a separate forum.  Suffice it to say both cultures are advanced when you look at where the populations came from. 

 

Conflict does not breed thought if that were the case the Mongolian tribesmen would have an advanced culture and they were simple nomads.  Farming breeds thought as it allows for the food of a culture to be grown by the few so others can become artists and scientists and so on.   

 

I was referring to cultural conflict and challenge. Obviously two fools in a bar spat are not going to produce a new theory of atomic structure.

 

And you've got it backward: farming does not produce though, it requires thought. Thought produced farming.

[Hank Gunn]

On 9/28/2018 at 3:37 PM, marko kok prong said:

As for the future i would quote Jim Morrison; 'The future's uncertain and the end is always near"

 

Another Jim Morrison quote along those lines and one that I like in particular:

”I don’t know about you but I sure as hell want to get my kicks in before the whole $h1t house goes up in flames.”

[marcusarelus]

9 minutes ago, jackspade said:

 

I was referring to cultural conflict and challenge. Obviously two fools in a bar spat are not going to produce a new theory of atomic structure.

 

And you've got it backward: farming does not produce though, it requires thought. Thought produced farming.

First people were hunters and gatherers.  All people in the society were involved in feeding the tribe.  During the gathering they discovered how to plant crops and grow enough to feed the tribe to allow some of the farmers and hunters to be assigned other tasks like artists and priests and cities were developed and civilization and thought were advanced.  No such thing as culture advanced by conflict.  

 

"The majority of historians believe that the genesis of civilizations cannot be explained except on the basis of a complex of causes or a combination of factors. Among these factors, they place uppermost the geographic and economic elements of favorable climate, fertile soil, access to good harbors, and an abundance of mineral resources. They also accord a high place to opportunities for interchange of ideas with other people of a comparable level of advancement. Civilizations do not develop in isolated corners of the world."

Phraya Anumanrajathon, a famous Thai scholar, has defined “culture” as the human thought, concept, and belief appearing in four ways:

Social behavior

Common characteristics in society

Social activities, and

The creation in society

 

 

[Hummin]

20 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

If cold climates indeed lead to higher intelligence, then why is it that Homo Homo Sapiens (modern humans), who evolved in Africa, had higher intelligence than Neanderthals who had 250k years to evolve in the cold climate of Central and Southern Europe?

They had bigger brains, and how to define intelligence? A bear still survive in the cold!, but a city type of man, been sitting behind his desk in government have higher intelligence than a country boy, borned in the mountains, would die after 12 hours in the wild, while the redneck could go on for years. 

 

Edit note: If his brewerie of moonshine do not brake down in meantime ????

Edited October 2, 2018 by Hummin

[tingtongtourist]

I can see what Thais mean about this.

 

Usually as foriegners we get all bent up about things we cant change, nor should even worry about.

 

Plus new Foriegners here and many (from a cretain country) think they know everything and feel their duty to educate all and sundry.

always have big opinion on how to fix everything when in fact they know nothing about the complex issues.

and it doesnt go to well when nobody take any notice of them.lol

 

I have even seen foriegners here listening to Thai conversations and getting all bent up, ASSuming they know whats being said, thinking the Thais are having a go at them, when in fact the conversation was nothing to do about them at all. thats how arrogant some are..even can think they can understand a language they never before heard lol

 

think to much. yes, but maybe more like "think up to much BS"

[melvinmelvin]

21 minutes ago, Hummin said:

They had bigger brains, and how to define intelligence? A bear still survive in the cold!, but a city type of man, been sitting behind his desk in government have higher intelligence than a country boy, borned in the mountains, would die after 12 hours in the wild, while the redneck could go on for years. 

 

Edit note: If his brewerie of moonshine do not brake down in meantime ????

 

I knew it !!!

Canada and Alaska - filled to the rim of rednecks and bears.

 

[HAKAPALITA]

Could be they worry thinking like Ferang they will post rubbish like this.[emoji304]


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[The Deerhunter]

On 9/27/2018 at 9:46 AM, nikmar said:

I think Buddhist beliefs contribute to it, as in, dont concentrate on the past as it is gone and cant be changed. Dont concentrate on  the future as it is yet to come, just do the best you can at present with what you have. 

 

But soem decisions my missis makes do alarm me with their lack of foresight.

You are right about the past but the biggest problem with many Thai perceptions of the future is that it is pre-ordained.  That is why they dont wear helmets or seat belts and see nothing wrong with 10 in the back of a pickup.   If you believe life is pre ordained then there is no point in taking care of anything.  If you think wearing a seatbelt or a helmet may save your life, you are wrong.  You will only die in the manner and on the date pre-ordained by what you did in your last life.   Any thought on how you can influence you well being is futile.  "You tink too mutt!!!  Go to the temple."    Buy an amulet from the temple of your favourite dead monk and Tamboon where all the important people in the village can see it.   Thai Buddhism as practised here is very like the old fashioned Catholic version of purgatory.   Most of my wife's family (and my wife) act on the premise that they CAN buy an earlier entry to heaven.    In their eyes I definitely "tink too mutt" but my wife wears seatbelts and has insurance.  A dollar on each horse in the race!!!!

[mauGR1]

To think nothing is better than to think BS

[marcusarelus]

9 minutes ago, The Deerhunter said:

You are right about the past but the biggest problem with many Thai perceptions of the future is that it is pre-ordained.  That is why they dont wear helmets or seat belts and see nothing wrong with 10 in the back of a pickup.   If you believe life is pre ordained then there is no point in taking care of anything.  If you think wearing a seatbelt or a helmet may save your life, you are wrong.  You will only die in the manner and on the date pre-ordained by what you did in your last life.   Any thought on how you can influence you well being is futile.  "You tink too mutt!!!  Go to the temple."    Buy an amulet from the temple of your favourite dead monk and Tamboon where all the important people in the village can see it.   Thai Buddhism as practised here is very like the old fashioned Catholic version of purgatory.   Most of my wife's family (and my wife) act on the premise that they CAN buy an earlier entry to heaven.    In their eyes I definitely "tink too mutt" but my wife wears seatbelts and has insurance.  A dollar on each horse in the race!!!!

Buddhists don't have a heaven and Buddha was not a god.  You may be thinking some kind of animism combo get it while it lasts Thai version of religion. 

 

I served with many Thais in the army and I can guarantee you they wear helmets in combat and duck when a rocket explodes.  The idea of predestination is more a Farang stereotype than a Thai reality.  I go to a Thai Forest Tradition Wat.

 

The contemporary Thai Forest Tradition is a down-to-earth, back to the roots movement that models its meditation practice and lifestyle on that of the Buddha and the early generations of his disciples. The advent of the modern age notwithstanding, forest monasteries still keep alive the ancient traditions through following the Buddhist Monastic Code of Discipline, the training rules laid down by the Buddha, known as the Vinaya

 

[CharlieH]

Offensive post removed and response to it.

[Brunolem]

1 hour ago, Hummin said:

They had bigger brains, and how to define intelligence? 

 

Indeed!

 

Intelligence is everywhere (except maybe in the intelligence agencies) and not specific to humans.

 

Many animals have shown some form of intelligence.

 

What really differentiates people from animals, and from each other, is consciousness, as in awareness.

 

The vast majority of people live their lives like intelligent robots, without ever asking themselves existential questions, only sticking to what is necessary to move from one day to the next.

 

That is true for both poor and rich people, the latter being often obsessed with materialism, never thinking about the consequences of their often destructive actions.

[bwpage3]

On 9/27/2018 at 12:16 AM, NCC1701A said:

yes and the copy and paste of the same businesses. No innovation. No new ideas. That is the sad part. 

Good point.

 

For years and years, Thai's have been the backbone labor for the Japanese Car Manufacturers in Thailand.

 

Yet not one has ever risen with a plausible design to build a Thai car that can compete with the Japanese.

[bwpage3]

On 9/27/2018 at 11:03 AM, samsensam said:

hummm... OP, i'm just guessing here but i'm thinking the majority of your interactions here are with lower class and or uneducated thais?

 

my thai friends, and i have many both male and female, certainly do not behave in the way you describe. they are in the main educated professionals with good jobs, or own their own business, many have studied a master degree abroad in their second language (have you done that?!), many have travelled abroad on business or for pleasure. they are intelligent and informed people.

 

the onus is on you to broaden your horizons rather that sit there making negative generalised critical comments.

The educated handful that you know (many: 5, 10?) is a tiny minority of the 66,000,000 Thai people.

 

Broaden your horizons and realize on a world scale, Thailand is one of the most uneducated countries.

 

With the lack of education comes the lack of how to think rationally.

 

This is the majority of Thai people.

 

 

[bwpage3]

On 9/28/2018 at 7:56 PM, KiChakayan said:

 

Could you give me the Thai definition of "Unemployment" ? 

Ever been to Isaan?

 

Tons of people unemployed and without any benefits

 

Thus govt populist programs aimed at vote buying

[bwpage3]

When you look at Thailand as a whole, Thai's are world class laborers for the thinking countries.

 

Thai's being sent to pick strawberries in Sweden

 

Thai's being domestic help in the middle east

 

Thai's being the backbone labor for all the Japanese Car Manufacturers in Thailand

 

Thai's working in foreign owned factories all over Thailand for 6,000 THB per month

 

The list goes on and on

 

If Thai's really were "Thinkers"?

 

1.  They might have their own space program
2.  They might be able to build their own world class cars, trains, motorbikes
3.  The might be able to tackle being one of the worst educational countries in the world
4.  They might be able to act like a true democracy, void of massive corruption
5.  They might have some Nobel Peace Prize Winners
6.  The might design their own smart phones instead of importing 50 million of them

 

The lists goes on and on and on and on and on

 

Thai's don't have the capacity for rational thought, but are pretty good at corruption (Some thinking, yes thinking, they will never get caught)

 

However, as we see the government tear down and re-claim properties all over the country, some didn't even think about what would happen if the winds of politics changed?

 

On average, it is pretty clear Thailand is not a thinking country and readily accepts the role of doing the world's dirty labor

 

 

[marcusarelus]

18 minutes ago, bwpage3 said:

The educated handful that you know (many: 5, 10?) is a tiny minority of the 66,000,000 Thai people.

 

Broaden your horizons and realize on a world scale, Thailand is one of the most uneducated countries.

 

With the lack of education comes the lack of how to think rationally.

 

This is the majority of Thai people.

You are way off in your numbers.  Time to broaden your horizons and get some accurate information. With a lack of accurate information it is difficult to think rationally. 

 

In Thailand in 2015, 2.14 million students were enrolled at the bachelor’s level or below and 180,418 students pursued graduate studies above bachelor’s level.

 

170 universities in Thailand. 

 

https://wenr.wes.org/2018/02/education-in-thailand-2

[marcusarelus]

14 minutes ago, bwpage3 said:

Ever been to Isaan?

 

Tons of people unemployed and without any benefits

 

Thus govt populist programs aimed at vote buying

I don't think people unemployed or not are measured by the ton.  What does employment have to do with the ability to think?  Farmers only work many hours per day during planting and harvesting that gives them more time to think if they are inclined to think.