Why are Thai people so against thinking?

[Ebumbu]

On 9/30/2018 at 9:33 AM, geriatrickid said:

The OP is referencing his interaction with people who have minimal education and who  most likely come from environments where they were exposed to chemicals/pollution and suffered malnutrition during their early development.

 

If the OP were to associate with people other than bar workers, common labourers,  sex workers etc., he would find that the people behave quite differently. The OP is merely describing the Thai version of himself.

 

 

 

 

Perfect. Voice of reason. 

[JLCrab]

22 minutes ago, xylophone said:

If Thai's really were "Thinkers"?

 

1.       They might have their own space program

Does UK, Australia, France, or Germany have their own space program? (US now has SpaceX courtesy of you-know-who) 

Edited October 3, 2018 by JLCrab

[Brunolem]

4 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

What you are attempting to bash is Animism.  It is like televangelists in the West. Fruitcakes all.  Yes I have been to the temples with the slot machine fortune tellers.  Fruit loops.  All Americans are don't go to snake churches and those that do are nuts.  Same in any country.  There is a lowest common denominator everywhere. I can always find the worst or the best depending on the amount of anecdotal evidence I'm allowed. 

It would seem that for you the exception is the rule and the rule is the exception, or anecdotal to use your word.

 

To find real Buddhism teaching, you have to go in forest temples, as you say yourself, which certainly is not easily accessible to anyone, anywhere.

 

Meanwhile, to find Buddhism/shamanism, you just need to go to any temple in any village, or in Pattaya or elsewhere.

 

It is fair to say that 99% of the temples and monks are in the shamanism business, which you consider "anecdotal", while 1% are practicing real Buddhism hidden in forests, which you consider as the rule!

Edited October 3, 2018 by Brunolem

[Brunolem]

2 hours ago, lapd said:

Properly motivated they will think very hard.  I know IT and software and a lot of Thai girls, who don't know anything about anything, can show me things I never knew were possible......on my Android phone.

You don't need to think for that...it's like the rubik's cube, some people "see" the path and some don't...difficult to explain, but nothing to do with thinking or being smart...just about having the right wiring...

 

[BestB]

1 hour ago, marcusarelus said:

Ya.  I live in Thailand.  Why wouldn't I see basketball courts?

Yeah nice google image 

[lapd]

6 minutes ago, Brunolem said:

You don't need to think for that...it's like the rubik's cube, some people "see" the path and some don't...difficult to explain, but nothing to do with thinking or being smart...just about having the right wiring...

 

Probably the dumbest comment I will read all day.  Internet rando's come up with the darndest things just to disagree.

Edited October 3, 2018 by lapd

[marcusarelus]

57 minutes ago, xylophone said:

This post sums it up well IMO...……..

 

"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".

 

And so much more to add to this but why bother because it's pretty obvious to anyone with half a brain that they are not amongst the sharpest tools in the shed in anything apart from corruption or military coups!

 

My goodness you stole the whole post from another poster on page 11 without even giving him credit? 

 

Not even close to being true.  According to the 2014 Burma Census, 1,418,472 former Burmese residents, including 812,798 men and 605,674 women, were living in Thailand, constituting about 70% of Burma's overseas population.  Thais import Burmese and Lao and Khmer labor to do the dirty labor they don't want to do.  Estimates range up to 3 million imported laborers. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burmese_in_Thailand

 

In a move that signals Thailand’s commitment to innovation and developing advanced technologies, the national space agency said last week it will ask the Cabinet to approve and fund its plan for the first Thai-built satellite, a four-year project that will cost roughly $31 million and be used for security and economic purposes, and to monitor near-earth objects.

http://thaiembdc.org/2018/02/12/space-agency-seeks-approval-for-first-thai-built-satellite/

 

Wages in Manufacturing in Thailand increased to 12660.43 THB/Month in the first quarter of 2018 from 12593.68 THB/Month in the fourth quarter of 2017.

https://tradingeconomics.com/thailand/wages-in-manufacturing

 

Both Thailand and America (Southern States) were agricultural economies in the 1800's.  Large landowners owned slaves that produced agricultural products.  Both countries abolished slavery.  America killed 3/4 of a million men and cost billions in today's dollars.  Thailand wrote the Slave Abolition act and that was that.  No civil war no killing half of the young men in Siam.  Who was the better thinker? 

 

Thailand and Burma and Vietnam and Laos and Cambodia and Malaysia all wanted to avoid causalities during WWII.  Burma 250,000 deaths.  Malaysia 100,000 deaths.  France incl colonies 600,000 deaths. Thailand 7,000 deaths.

Who was the better thinker?

 

Thailand and South Vietnam and Laos and Cambodia wanted to avoid economic ruin and a communist takeover after WWII.  Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia - economic ruin and 4 million deaths and communist takeover.  Thailand 2000 deaths and economic bonanza that saw Thailand become the tiger of South East Asia.  Who was the better thinker. 

 

 

[faraday]

12 minutes ago, Brunolem said:

You don't need to think for that...it's like the rubik's cube, some people "see" the path and some don't...difficult to explain, but nothing to do with thinking or being smart...just about having the right wiring...

 

 

I think of it as 'an intuitive feeling of rightness'.

 

[marcusarelus]

10 minutes ago, BestB said:

Yeah nice google image 

You asked for a basketball court in Thailand.  There are hundreds.  Go out take a photo or google up to you.  It does not alter the fact that Thais play basketball.  If you lived here you would know that. 

[Brunolem]

15 minutes ago, lapd said:

Probably the dumbest comment I will read all day.  Internet rando's come up with the darndest things just to disagree.

Internet rando's???

[BestB]

6 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

You asked for a basketball court in Thailand.  There are hundreds.  Go out take a photo or google up to you.  It does not alter the fact that Thais play basketball.  If you lived here you would know that. 

So in other words you have not seen one but will troll on????

[marcusarelus]

27 minutes ago, Brunolem said:

It would seem that for you the exception is the rule and the rule is the exception, or anecdotal to use your word.

 

To find real Buddhism teaching, you have to go in forest temples, as you say yourself, which certainly is not easily accessible to anyone, anywhere.

 

Meanwhile, to find Buddhism/shamanism, you just need to go to any temple in any village, or in Pattaya or elsewhere.

 

It is fair to say that 99% of the temples and monks are in the shamanism business, which you consider "anecdotal", while 1% are practicing real Buddhism hidden in forests, which you consider as the rule!

I'm almost 80 and I don't have any problems getting to a forest monastery.  I go because they have really good lunches.  If you lived in Thailand and were clued in you would know things like this.  They are really easy to get to.  Does the monk below look like a spring chicken capable of climbing mountains?

[marcusarelus]

5 minutes ago, BestB said:

So in other words you have not seen one but will troll on????

I have seen a hundred.  Can't you read? Google Basketball courts Bangkok. 

[Brunolem]

2 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

I'm almost 80 and I don't have any problems getting to a forest monastery.  I go because they have really good lunches.  If you lived in Thailand and were clued in you would know things like this.  They are really easy to get to.  Does the monk below look like a spring chicken capable of climbing mountains?

Not so many people in Thailand live close to a forest...

 

Having said that, maybe you could use your visits to the temple to inquire about equanimity...

 

[marcusarelus]

2 minutes ago, Brunolem said:

Not so many people in Thailand live close to a forest...

 

Having said that, maybe you could use your visits to the temple to inquire about equanimity... 

 

It is not the forests it is the teachings.  It is Thai thinking.  Kammaṭṭhāna Forest Tradition of Thailand.  It requires some thought but try and understand at least the basics before commenting. 

[xylophone]

28 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

My goodness you stole the whole post from another poster on page 11 without even giving him credit? 

 

Not even close to being true.  According to the 2014 Burma Census, 1,418,472 former Burmese residents, including 812,798 men and 605,674 women, were living in Thailand, constituting about 70% of Burma's overseas population.  Thais import Burmese and Lao and Khmer labor to do the dirty labor they don't want to do.  Estimates range up to 3 million imported laborers. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burmese_in_Thailand

 

In a move that signals Thailand’s commitment to innovation and developing advanced technologies, the national space agency said last week it will ask the Cabinet to approve and fund its plan for the first Thai-built satellite, a four-year project that will cost roughly $31 million and be used for security and economic purposes, and to monitor near-earth objects.

http://thaiembdc.org/2018/02/12/space-agency-seeks-approval-for-first-thai-built-satellite/

 

Wages in Manufacturing in Thailand increased to 12660.43 THB/Month in the first quarter of 2018 from 12593.68 THB/Month in the fourth quarter of 2017.

https://tradingeconomics.com/thailand/wages-in-manufacturing

 

Both Thailand and America (Southern States) were agricultural economies in the 1800's.  Large landowners owned slaves that produced agricultural products.  Both countries abolished slavery.  America killed 3/4 of a million men and cost billions in today's dollars.  Thailand wrote the Slave Abolition act and that was that.  No civil war no killing half of the young men in Siam.  Who was the better thinker? 

 

Thailand and Burma and Vietnam and Laos and Cambodia and Malaysia all wanted to avoid causalities during WWII.  Burma 250,000 deaths.  Malaysia 100,000 deaths.  France incl colonies 600,000 deaths. Thailand 7,000 deaths.

Who was the better thinker?

 

Thailand and South Vietnam and Laos and Cambodia wanted to avoid economic ruin and a communist takeover after WWII.  Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia - economic ruin and 4 million deaths and communist takeover.  Thailand 2000 deaths and economic bonanza that saw Thailand become the tiger of South East Asia.  Who was the better thinker. 

 

 

 

Couldn't find the original post so had to "copy" from a quote......not too upset I hope!!!!!

 

Most of what you have written is load of old cobblers (and not really relevant to the OP) and I loved the bit about the $31m for a Thai built satellite...….yeah right. They will probably put an amulet on it to make sure it all goes well. 

 

Can't be putting up with your nonsense, so will opt out of this thread and also put you on ignore. Happy days!!

 

 

[xylophone]

31 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

I'm almost 80 and I don't have any problems getting to a forest monastery.  I go because they have really good lunches

 

Well that explains a lot...……..age and all that comes with it, and motivation being really good lunches.

[marcusarelus]

55 minutes ago, xylophone said:

 

Well that explains a lot...……..age and all that comes with it, and motivation being really good lunches.

Explains a lot of what? They have really good lunches.  I go to meditate and give support to the monks and the people who visit the temple.  Eating is part of life.  The people bring food for the monks in the morning and for the folks who visit the temple and eat after lunch.  It is a nice way to get to know how Thai people think and feel about things.  You go with folks and I'll go with mine. 

[CharlieH]

Off topic and bickering removed.

 

Please try to stay on topic and refrain from making personal comments.

[The Deerhunter]

8 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

What you are attempting to bash is Animism.  It is like televangelists in the West. Fruitcakes all.  Yes I have been to the temples with the slot machine fortune tellers.  Fruit loops.  All Americans are don't go to snake churches and those that do are nuts.  Same in any country.  There is a lowest common denominator everywhere. I can always find the worst or the best depending on the amount of anecdotal evidence I'm allowed. 

Not sure what all that means but rest assured Thailand's Buddhists are not all from Arjahn Chah's Forest Retreat Buddhist method, which my wife follows  Far from it.  I was attempting to answer the question asked as to why Thais always seem to say that foreigners "think too much."  I have been told it myself a number of times.  Base on a great deal of experience with Thai Buddhism and a lifetime of exposure to, and study of other religions.  This link out of today's Thai news relates an outrageous episode of the type that is rife in people under the belief systems of ancient pagan animism posing as a form of modern Theravada Buddhism. If you think this sort of carry-on is reasonable sane behaviour then we have nothing further to discuss.    

 

 

[balo]

9 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

Ya.  I live in Thailand.  Why wouldn't I see basketball courts?

 

I think you do not live in Thailand and just copy and paste from the web and read all the information you need to answer all the replies here.

Just my opinion of course, 

 

[Rhys]

Learned helplessness...

[smileydude]

Like many countries it depends on which crowd you mix with. Everybody has to think which leads to everyday decisions but the depth depends upon a lot of things.

Are they knowledgeable or interested about that specific subject?

Are they the philosophical type?

Do they have the luxury (time) to ponder about things when they may have more pressing matters?

Are they opinionated or tend to keep to themselves?

 

Thais are often perceived as being less opinionated and vocal then their western counterparts but this like many things we observe are often just limited experiences summed up into generalizations.  

If you talk to an activist or NGO’s on a topic they are passionate about and you will probably run into tons of thinkers.

Again it’s all relative to who and what your thinking about.

[marcusarelus]

9 hours ago, The Deerhunter said:

Not sure what all that means but rest assured Thailand's Buddhists are not all from Arjahn Chah's Forest Retreat Buddhist method, which my wife follows  Far from it.  I was attempting to answer the question asked as to why Thais always seem to say that foreigners "think too much."  I have been told it myself a number of times.  Base on a great deal of experience with Thai Buddhism and a lifetime of exposure to, and study of other religions.  This link out of today's Thai news relates an outrageous episode of the type that is rife in people under the belief systems of ancient pagan animism posing as a form of modern Theravada Buddhism. If you think this sort of carry-on is reasonable sane behaviour then we have nothing further to discuss.    

 

 

My personal opinion is there is no religion that is reasonable sane behavior.  However all religion causes thought - thinking be it good or bad.  I don't think religion is sane thinking or war is sane thinking but both cause thinking.  If the topic was Thai morality or ethics mental health then that would be a different subject matter. 

[marcusarelus]

6 hours ago, balo said:

 

I think you do not live in Thailand and just copy and paste from the web and read all the information you need to answer all the replies here.

Just my opinion of course, 

 

Ya sure.

Edited October 4, 2018 by marcusarelus

[marcusarelus]

5 hours ago, Rhys said:

Learned helplessness...

When you look at the infrastructure of the surrounding countries like Burma, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia what you see is like night and day.  I live in Thailand because my medical, social and physical needs can be met. That would not be the case in the other countries.  Singapore would work but the cost is the same as moving back to New York.  Japan the same cost problems.  Thailand is really the only alternative and far from being helpless they have done quite well and kept costs down.  Takes a lot of thinking.

[spidermike007]

Although my wife is quite intelligent, when she deals with a repairman or contractor or the like, I always encourage her to anticipate issues ahead of time, and ask two or three additional questions. Does it ever happen? Never. I ask her what time will they show up? I don't know. Will they call first to let us know they are coming? I did not ask. Will he bring spare parts with him? Did not ask. What are his rates? Did not ask. Does he have any experience with this brand? Etc, etc. 

 

Granted sometimes we over think things. But sometimes that can be helpful and there is nothing wrong with being armed with information. 

 

Alot comes down to culture and education. And fear. Alot simply will not ask the right questions. I do not necessarily think it is about a lack of intelligence. Maybe more about a lack of curiosity or sophistication? Or free thinking? An extraordinarily high number of Thai people live in very small boxes of convention. 

[jackspade]

13 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Alot comes down to culture and education. And fear. Alot simply will not ask the right questions. I do not necessarily think it is about a lack of intelligence. Maybe more about a lack of curiosity or sophistication? Or free thinking? An extraordinarily high number of Thai people live in very small boxes of convention. 

 

Good points. I think lack of curiosity is a major factor. I've met Thais with Bachelors degrees who couldn't instinctively point to Canada on a map of the world when asked. They just don't care about what's not directly in front of them.

 

A large part of this could be attributed to Thailand's shitty excuse for an education system.

 

In Thai culture, it seems that any form of thinking is directed only toward advancing one's financial well-being or social status. If there's nothing material in it for you, then thinking isn't worth the time. There is no thinking for the pure joy of thinking. There is no introspection for the sake of increasing one's own consciousness. Thais tend to live in the present, and once the present is gone, it and all it carried no longer exist.

That's why I said earlier that I believe that Thais in general are most likely very low in neuroticism.

 

Additionally, high-context cultures like that of Thailand tend to be relatively static across time and discourage free-thinking in general. Doesn't help.

 

At least in Thailand there's not a reprehensible victim/freebie culture like there is in the US, where "free thinking" is actually somewhat low at this point in time.

Edited October 4, 2018 by jackspade

[mauGR1]

26 minutes ago, jackspade said:

 

. I think lack of curiosity is a major factor. I've met Thais with Bachelors degrees who couldn't instinctively point to Canada on a map of the world when asked. They just don't care about what's not directly in front of them.

 

A large part of this could be attributed to Thailand's shitty excuse for an education system.

 

In Thai culture, it seems that any form of thinking is directed only toward advancing one's financial well-being or social status. If there's nothing material in it for you, then thinking isn't worth the time. There is no thinking for the pure joy of thinking. There is no introspection for the sake of increasing one's own consciousness. Thais tend to live in the present, and once the present is gone, it and all it carried no longer exist.

That's why I said earlier that I believe that Thais in general are most likely very low in neuroticism.

 

 

Sorry to cut your post, but i'm intrigued with the first point you make, 'lack of curiosity'

Asking questions is showing one's ignorance, thus losing 'face'.

I think this aspect is as relevant as the lack of a decent education.

[jackspade]

4 minutes ago, mauGR1 said:

Sorry to cut your post, but i'm intrigued with the first point you make, 'lack of curiosity'

Asking questions is showing one's ignorance, thus losing 'face'.

I think this aspect is as relevant as the lack of a decent education.

 

Exactly. Don't ask questions, or you'll risk alienating yourself from the silent majority. Not a good look here.

Then again, the same can be said of certain groups back home...

Edited October 4, 2018 by jackspade