Counting The Jews In Thailand

[Beavis and Butthead]

I think that the bottom line on this subject is that 2% of the people give a rat's ass about it

[rainman]

Are they counting Jews or Israelis? Not all Jews are Israelis and not all Israelis are Jews ...

Weird link indeed, especially the 199 in Thailand.

[Jingthing]

Are they counting Jews or Israelis? Not all Jews are Israelis and not all Israelis are Jews ...

Weird link indeed, especially the 199 in Thailand.

Definitely Jews, not Israelis. Its weird that you didn't get that.

[Nebukanezar]

I would have to say that number is probably Highly Off. There are a fair amount in Pattaya, perhaps not the whole 199 but certainly at least half. As a community there I generally appreciate the quality of the food and other services offered at their businesses. Also the community as a whole seems much more benign then the political monster it has turned into in the States. The people themselves seem different too...almost all of the ones I have met and chatted with seem to be very very defensive, and almost had a air of constant anxiety, like a inherent looking over the shoulder type feel. Perhaps I met the wrong ones? They were all from Tel Aviv, dose it make a difference?

[Ijustwannateach]

ijwt, do u have more info?? although i wont be in thailand for a long time, and my parents probably never, my dad has this fixation about remote jewish communities so i mentioned to him this thread yesterday and now he is all gung ho! about finding more info.

I'll do my best to get more info, but it may take awhile. I'll get back to you.

[Fred Sanford]

I met some Israelis in an afterhours club in BKK last year. They had mentioned something about Pink Floyd and me being a fan, I acknowledged and started talking to them. I asked them where they were from and they got all defensive. "Israel, is that a problem?". Don't know why that came out as I was trying to be friendly. It turned me right off. Gave me a really negative impression. So count me among people who could care less about these people from my dealings

[Jingthing]

I met some Israelis in an afterhours club in BKK last year. They had mentioned something about Pink Floyd and me being a fan, I acknowledged and started talking to them. I asked them where they were from and they got all defensive. "Israel, is that a problem?". Don't know why that came out as I was trying to be friendly. It turned me right off. Gave me a really negative impression. So count me among people who could care less about these people from my dealings

Maybe they were defensive because they are sick of being lectured about the foreign policy of their country (which they might be against anyway). Just a guess. Why didn't you just say NOT A PROBLEM, to "these people." Oy vey! Are you aware or not that Israel is not a very popular country anywhere in the world except America? I am sure the Israelis you encountered were aware of that.

Edited March 4, 2007 by Jingthing

[Fred Sanford]

I did say it was not a problem and I am American, Lefty

[Gerry290]

######!

no one will come to my soon to start Krav Maga classes in Pattaya kravmagapattaya.com if there is not many Jewish people here !!!

actually doing some training this week and next week in BKK under former YAMAM guy ;-) just to keep sharp!

[keda]

Very funny Bina, I wonder if expats count.

Maybe they are talking about that lost tribe of Thai Jews in Hebrewthaya.

There are thousands of Jewish and Israeli backpackers here at any time, and also significant Israeli communes in Bangkok, Pattaya, Chiang Mai and other centres, but if expats and backpackers don't count, they must be referring to Thai Jews, many of which will almost certainly have Burmese origin.

[toptuan]

Every time I see this thread title, I think "Who Cares?"

However, I think a worthy thread would be "How Many Welshmen Do You Think are in Thailand?" Now THAT would do my ancestors proud!

[bina]

keda,

why burmese origin???

gerry, not sure most people know "yamam" (special force against terrorists)

IJWT thanx, am patient.

Maybe they were defensive because they are sick of being lectured about the foreign policy of their country (which they might be against anyway). Just a guess. Why didn't you just say NOT A PROBLEM, to "these people." Oy vey! Are you aware or not that Israel is not a very popular country anywhere in the world except America? I am sure the Israelis you encountered were aware of that.

my own personal comment on that: as an ex american jew living in israel on kibbutz for the past 23 years with one child going into the army this year, and one going next year, and married to a thai 'foreign worker', i have to say this once and for all: yes, i am sick of being asked about the politics. i couldnt care less about politics. i care about thailand, goats, dogs, my children and banana cake. i speak two absolutely useless languages : thai and hebrew. i love the desert in spring time. i love farming. anywhere. i dont keep kosher. i love to eat shrimps and squid. my thai husband loves humous in pita with green olives. i am interested in the jewish community in thailand as just that: an interest. i count the israeli community in thailand as inclusive for the most part in the count of jews in thailand. i know lots of arab guys who work with me who travel in thailand and they are pretty israeli as far as culture goes, but not of course, as religion (they are muslem). i dont know of too many who have settled in thailand but i'm sure there are some. there is a thai beauty queen married to an arab guy in the village near us. never met her. being a minority in countries other then the one i live in at the moment, i like to know about my minority group in other countries. just as any expat likes to meet up with others similar to him/her once in a while. not sure i want to meet up most other israelis but not sure i want to meet up with most jewish or non jewish americans either. just sometimes its nice to talk about things that are culturally similar, when one is in a foreign (or more foreign than before) country.

underlined the word thai for those that will complain as to what this has to do with thailand: (just joking........)

so get a grip and get back on subject (to those that lost it)

)

bina

[Jingthing]

Obviously, not so many are interested in this subject, but who cares, some are. Jews are a widely stereotyped people, and some people do find it fascinating to learn about finding Jews in unexpected places. Black Jews of Ethiopia, Asian Jews of China, Indian Jews in India, Argentinian Gaucho Cowboy Jews. So the idea of Thai Jews fits in that vein. If you don't like, don't read.

Edited March 5, 2007 by Jingthing

[keda]

keda,

why burmese origin???

Burma has or used to have a fair sized Jewish community, many of whom left (during and) soon after WWII, mostly overland to India and Thailand. Just a guess that many if not most Thai Jews would come from Burmese stock.

PS: Are you at all connected with Bina in Golders Green Road?

[keda]

I did say it was not a problem and I am American, Lefty

A leftie American...so what else is new?

[keda]

I think that the bottom line on this subject is that 2% of the people give a rat's ass about it

Easy, you're a click away from being shot of us as we're shot of you.

What's the problem, already?

[jumnien]

Thailand has a long tradition of Jewbu's (Jewish Buddhists) from America ordaining as Thai Theravadan monks. Many, such as Jack Kornfield, studied under Ajahn Chah whose traditional forest teachings are being passed on by Jewbu's (Sharon Salzberg, Sylvia Boorstein, Mark Epstein, etc.) throughout North America and the United Kingdom.

[Jingthing]

Thailand has a long tradition of Jewbu's (Jewish Buddhists) from America ordaining as Thai Theravadan monks. Many, such as Jack Kornfield, studied under Ajahn Chah whose traditional forest teachings are being passed on by Jewbu's (Sharon Salzberg, Sylvia Boorstein, Mark Epstein, etc.) throughout North America and the United Kingdom.

Yes, that's true. One can be both Jewish and Buddhist. I guess there really is no such thing as tom yum matzoh balls.

[taxexile]

time for a jewish joke i think.

The famous Yiddish actor Boris Tomashefsky was celebrated for his bedroom exploits as well as his stage virtuosity. After a sexual bout with a local whore, he presented her with a pair of tickets to the evening performance of his play.

The lady looked with scepticism at the tickets and said, "With these you can buy bread?"

"If you're looking for bread," the actor said, "screw a baker."

[bina]

... had to smile

there's 'kosher scallops actually made frm the meat of a kosher fish... gotta love it.. that kosher looks like not kosher stuff.......kosher bacon whatever......really cant explain that to husband (fish w/o scales not kosher, shrimp not kosher, etc... if we dont eat pork then we must be moslem, etc)... thats the thai outlook on it...

still dont understand how jews were in burma (they came during nazi times or are they burmese mixed with expat jews from previous centuries?)

so i'm a jewbu?!!! dont know how'd that look on my israeli id card in place of jewish...although actually really truly buddhist from very early age but educated in quaker school...

still wondering how we'll handle circumcision at 8 days old etc if/when i have a son .......

not too many bina's in the world and never met an other one my age (44); its an aramic name meaning wisdom (the feminine form of intelligence in the kabala- thats for madonna's education) but no, not related.

bina

[tutsiwarrior]

... had to smile

there's 'kosher scallops actually made frm the meat of a kosher fish... gotta love it.. that kosher looks like not kosher stuff.......kosher bacon whatever......really cant explain that to husband (fish w/o scales not kosher, shrimp not kosher, etc... if we dont eat pork then we must be moslem, etc)... thats the thai outlook on it...

still dont understand how jews were in burma (they came during nazi times or are they burmese mixed with expat jews from previous centuries?)

so i'm a jewbu?!!! dont know how'd that look on my israeli id card in place of jewish...although actually really truly buddhist from very early age but educated in quaker school...

still wondering how we'll handle circumcision at 8 days old etc if/when i have a son .......

not too many bina's in the world and never met an other one my age (44); its an aramic name meaning wisdom (the feminine form of intelligence in the kabala- thats for madonna's education) but no, not related.

bina

yeah..an' what about de food (common cuisine in de middle east), an' de semitic features shared by arabs and oriental jews?

sumtimes I tink dem jews must be ragheads in disguise...

ashkenazis, bagels an' gefiltefish are another matter, I must admit...

(tutsi de honorary jew hawks snack food down de bus station in Tel Aviv) oh, abagelahabagelahabagelah!

Edited March 5, 2007 by tutsiwarrior

[roamer]

None here in Malaysia............

The government does not acknowledge the State of Israel,

but they do allow news reports about the State, they do not recognise.

Some weird logic there.

Your wrong there astral. It went pearshaped where you are in Penang in the 60's and they closed the synagogue there. But there are quite a few living in Malaysia, no Israelis as Malaysia doesn't recognize the state of Israel, but they make it clear that Jews of other countries are welcome. I think if you google it you will find there are at least a couple of hundred here, I personally know of an Hasidic jew from London who takes frequent business trips to Malaysia and loves the place, his dress and general appearance seems only to have bought him some interesting experiences and made him some good friends . The mere mention of Malaysia winds up Israeli backpackers something chronic as they have to overfly it from Singapore !

[bina]

my folks wanted to go to malaysia and ditched it as they were worried, even though being jewish isnt written in their passports (americans)... they just felt it would make them uncomfortable looking over their shoulders sort of all the time...

then of course, hassids go everywhere like the christian missionaries.... god will protect them etc. and then theres the magna cart group that went to iran this past month........

speaking of brit mila (bris mila for diaspora folks) do thai do circumcision as a rite? or is it something that is just done when the baby is born, if the parents want it??

[orchis]

From my observation I would conclude that circumcision is rather rare here, anyway among the buddhists.

[Beavis and Butthead]

I really like the Malaysia policy toward Israelis. It makes me feel much more comfortable and anxious for my trips there. It's a real homey feel I get there. I have had many quality conversations with everyday Malaysians, bashing Israel and Hollywood. Loads and loads of fun really. No need to look over my shoulder fearing some lib is overhearing me

[grtaylor]

I had a good Jewish friend here in Thailand until he was transferred by his company; he was quite the history buff and had done some research on Jewish residents of Bangkok- there's apparently a Jewish cemetery somewhere and it seems that during WWII there were some friendly government officials here who helped a few people out despite the Axis occupation.

The Cemetery is down on Charoen Krung (New Road), on the river side a little past the Maenam Hotel. Its not exclusively Jewish, and is actually called the Protestant Cemetery. There is a Jewish section on the left as you walk in. The cemetery is controlled by a small committee, comprising the Vicar of Christ Church, Bangkok, the British Consul, and a number of representatives of some of the older "foreign" companies here, for example, the Borneo Company (now Inchcape, I believe).

G

[Jingthing]

I really like the Malaysia policy toward Israelis. It makes me feel much more comfortable and anxious for my trips there. It's a real homey feel I get there. I have had many quality conversations with everyday Malaysians, bashing Israel and Hollywood. Loads and loads of fun really. No need to look over my shoulder fearing some lib is overhearing me

You know what they say ... politics makes strange bedfellows!

[alaina]

I really like the Malaysia policy toward Israelis. It makes me feel much more comfortable and anxious for my trips there. It's a real homey feel I get there. I have had many quality conversations with everyday Malaysians, bashing Israel and Hollywood. Loads and loads of fun really. No need to look over my shoulder fearing some lib is overhearing me

I've heard the best places to complain about Israel and Hollywood, are Israel and Hollywood. You know all about Jews and their kvetching

[taxexile]

time for another jewish joke.

hymie and betty had been married for 50 years.

they were having breakfast one morning when hymie said to betty , "Just think, darling, we've now been married for 50 years."

"yes," she replied. "just think, fifty years ago we were sitting here together at this very breakfast table."

"i know," said hymie , "and we were probably sitting here naked, fifty years ago."

betty giggled. "so what do you think? should we get naked again to see how we feel now?"

So hymie and betty got up, stripped naked and then sat down at the table again.

"you know, darling," betty said breathlessly, "i think my nipples are as hot for you today as they were fifty years ago."

"i’m not surprised," replied hymie , "one is in your tea and the other is in your porridge."

[Jingthing]

I really like the Malaysia policy toward Israelis. It makes me feel much more comfortable and anxious for my trips there. It's a real homey feel I get there. I have had many quality conversations with everyday Malaysians, bashing Israel and Hollywood. Loads and loads of fun really. No need to look over my shoulder fearing some lib is overhearing me

I've heard the best places to complain about Israel and Hollywood, are Israel and Hollywood. You know all about Jews and their kvetching

I deeply resent the implication that Israel is controlled by ... Californians!