Are There Any Germans Active In This Forum?

[Dutchy]

some of them speak such perfect English it makes me shake my head in dismay when I hear our wonderful deputy prime minister, John Prescott, utter the gibberish that he thinks is English.

The whole concept of the EU is one of the many reasons why I am here and don't really want to think about all the crap that is happening in the west.

You shouldn't be bothered with the EU as a UK citizin. The UK is not part of the Eu, it's an island and we'd like to keep it that way...

It never ceases to amaze me why the French allowed a tunnel to the UK to be built, certainly not to be able to buy quality UK wines and cheese..

I can neither imagine it was because of the fish and chips, this most be the most shocking national 'cuisine' on earth..

[Yohan]

What I do know is Germans in Thailand are not well received...

I do not have any negative experience in Thailand based on the nationality of a paying visitor. Usually Thais are accustomed to tourists and their behaviour -

It is true, that American groups are very silent... if you look at these groups, you see, that there are many different races....some look like Asians, some are blacks, some are like Europeans, others more like Latinos....

They have different privat interests and they do not have much to talk to each other....

Most Americans are considering their way of life as the *normal* way. It is a somehow seclusive way - to keep distance to the other....to have only formal polite contact among the travellers....without any intention of any private contacts..

They are not like travel groups from Europe...groups from Germany or France or Russia, they are people of the SAME ethnic origin traveling together and they enjoy vacation to relax among themselves....Of course especially in evening after dinner, such groups are very noisy, as there is plenty to talk about.....they like to know each other....

But what is wrong with that?

Complaints:

One American man some time ago complaint to me, that there are so many Germans and other Europeans almost everywhere as tourists.....

He was a bit surprised to hear from me, that there are more people living in the EU than in USA....and that many Europeans have 4 weeks vacation, and there are many charter-flights.... so of course you will find them everywhere....

I do not know, if you can call this a complaint....

Complaints I heard from the Thai hotel owners are often directed against the Thai visitors themselves, booking one bungalow for 2 persons, then 15 people stay overnight, and nobody takes care about the furniture....

I also heard complaints about Arabs, as unfriendly and stingy, same about some Indian visitors....(but I think, Indians are very good in bargain...making a big headache for Thais)

Also Chinese groups make problems, as they get out of bed very very early, often not even 6am and are very noisy among their family members....

(I myself left a hotel for that reason.....)

I heard also complaints about Australians.....and Japanese.... and Koreans....and...and....

If you are a tourist country, then you will have to receive some tourists with more or less reason to compain about them.....

Johann

[RDN]

Inside the EU the most spoken language, considering the native speakers, is German, there are more native German speakers, than English or French native speakers.

I think that what I meant was, the most commonly used language to communicate with all other members of the EU was English. I had this mental picture of different non-English speakers addressing the EU parliament in English. But, actually, now I remember that a lot of EU members wear huge grey or white earpieces hanging from one ear - so the speakers obviously don't have to speak English.

Maybe it's just that the BBC TV News only shows excerpts from the EU parliament when they actually DO speak English.

But I definitely remember that when different EU MPs are interviewed, nearly all of them make some effort to speak English. Except the bl00dy French .

[RDN]

You shouldn't be bothered with the EU as a UK citizin. The UK is not part of the Eu

Normally I'm not bothered - but there's a worry that our current gullible Europhillic government may change the situation. The only way they can do that, is by breaking their word to the British people and NOT take a vote on it. And that is nothing new for politicians.

it's an island and we'd like to keep it that way... 

Me too.

I can neither imagine it was because of the fish and chips, this most be the most shocking national 'cuisine' on earth..

If you've never had a "jumbo cod and chips" from an English fish and chips shop, you haven't lived! (And there's an English fish & chips shop near soi Cowboy in bkk - aroy maak maak! )

It never ceases to amaze me why the French allowed a tunnel to the UK to be built, certainly not to be able to buy quality UK wines and cheese..

Me too - except I thought it was the other way round - why did the English allow it?

[RDN]

I´m an active reader, but i haven´t read a thread yet worthy to answers.

Michael (germany/uk)

Is this one of the reasons why Pepe posted:

I am an American. What I do know is Germans in Thailand are not well received...

[Limbo]

It was the late Freddy Heineken, who had scientists drawing a new map of Europe, depicting regionalisation or localisation. Laughters all around about the worlds biggest brewers vision!

Since his new map was published the Sovjet-Union, Yougo-Slavia and Tjecho-Slowakya fell apart and even Belgium became a federation. The parts of the United Kingdom got a greater independence, yes, Scotland got an own parlament, and even in good old France the process of decentralisation started. The new borders were already on Freddy's map!

The beauty of Europe is its enormeous cultural diversity.

The European Union is an aspect of globalisation which even might stimulate and ease cultural diversification.

As mentioned earlier, Americans don't travel much. When I heard how short their holidays are I was shocked. I respect their choice to work, work and work, but at the same time I regret it. I would like them to be able to travel more and see something of the world.

[stroll]

"I´m an active reader, but i haven´t read a thread yet worthy to answers.

Michael (germany/uk)"

Aber lesenswert wohl doch? Du faule Socke willst nur nicht tippen.

Possibly a bit conceited, too, this guy.

"I am an American. What I do know is Germans in Thailand are not well received... "

Thais love Hitler.

"Inside the EU the most spoken language, considering the native speakers, is German, there are more native German speakers, than English or French native speakers."

Of course, and possibly in the world as well. (duck and run..)

[stroll]

My compliments for the Goethe Institut in Bangkok.

... Evenso the Alliance Française.

Do the Dante Alighieri Institute and the Britsh Council also have offices in Bangkok?

For the American and Australian readers:

These institutes are not militairy outposts but cultural institutions ...

...but enemy combatants and associated hostiles might be hiding in there, better burn them to the ground.

Chancelor Schroder won't join in though, sorry...

[Richard Hall]

I am an American. My mom is German and dad is Italian. I was raised mostly Italian, except for lots of German food around. YUMMM!

It's a wild combination, believe me.

What can I say?

People are people.

What I do know is Germans in Thailand are not well received...

Can absolutely not confirm. 99% of Thais I talked to got excited when I reveiled that I'm originally from Germany. In many cases our conversation started then to be about soccer and shoot, they knew the teams and announced the names proudly with a sick Thai accent

Anyway, eventually the individual personality appears of much greater importance for most people than the nationality. Well, a naturally born a...hole will always be an a...hole independent from what passport he/she holds or wherever he/she goes or lives.

[RDN]

... the individual personality appears of much greater importance for most people than the nationality. Well, a naturally born a...hole will always be an a...hole independent from what passport he/she holds or wherever he/she goes or lives. 

Well said. Unfortunately there does seem to be a lot of a...holes from Europe, the US and the UK in Thailand Or maybe the non-a...holes just live a quieter life and aren't so easily noticed.

[stroll]

"The beauty of Europe is its enormeous cultural diversity.

The European Union is an aspect of globalisation which even might stimulate and ease cultural diversification. "

We are trying hard, but all the good, fresh food donated by member countries does go off before it reaches the British Isles, even with trains ploughing the tunnel, Brits claim French cheese is past its date when arriving there.

[Richard Hall]

... the individual personality appears of much greater importance for most people than the nationality. Well, a naturally born a...hole will always be an a...hole independent from what passport he/she holds or wherever he/she goes or lives. 

Well said. Unfortunately there does seem to be a lot of a...holes from Europe, the US and the UK in Thailand Or maybe the non-a...holes just live a quieter life and aren't so easily noticed.

Guess the latter mentioned theory is more likely because usually it's just noise and much more unpleasant things what a... holes produce and that is why they can be so easily recognized and always get noted. Also it appears like they are more active and perform better in sunny wheather because they naturally love the bright limelight.

If you favor other company just look behind the stage there where it is more quiet and shady.

[stroll]

...lots of shady Germans over here.

[davethailand]

"You shouldn't be bothered with the EU as a UK citizin. The UK is not part of the Eu, it's an island and we'd like to keep it that way..."

hear hear.

[stroll]

"You shouldn't be bothered with the EU as a UK citizin. The UK is not part of the Eu, it's an island and we'd like to keep it that way..."

hear hear.

You shouldn't feel all too complacent about your precious little island, we might have lost the war, but that was 60 years ago...

[RDN]

You shouldn't feel all too complacent about your precious little island, we might have lost the war, but that was 60 years ago...

Don't start! Anyway, the score is 2-0 to us .

[davethailand]

i'm not against europe or the EU i just think that we should remain as we are.

ps

you can have tony blair as well.

[Up2U]

"You shouldn't be bothered with the EU as a UK citizin. The UK is not part of the Eu, it's an island and we'd like to keep it that way..."

hear hear.

You shouldn't feel all too complacent about your precious little island, we might have lost the war, but that was 60 years ago...

OK, let's talk about soccer matches with 5-1 results.

Sorry, you don't seem to play any of the other team games, such as rugby union, rugby league, so on, that the Western European nations are involved in.

[chonabot]

"You shouldn't be bothered with the EU as a UK citizin. The UK is not part of the Eu, it's an island and we'd like to keep it that way..."

hear hear.

You shouldn't feel all too complacent about your precious little island, we might have lost the war, but that was 60 years ago...

Yep you've done well bringing that old chesnut up.........since then you've gained a few million new citizens and a <deleted> economy....

[RDN]

"You shouldn't be bothered with the EU as a UK citizin. The UK is not part of the Eu, it's an island and we'd like to keep it that way..."

hear hear.

You shouldn't feel all too complacent about your precious little island, we might have lost the war, but that was 60 years ago...

Yep you've done well bringing that old chesnut up.........since then you've gained a few million new citizens and a <deleted> economy....

Oi!!!! I said "Don't start!" - I meant it! Turn on CNN and watch the D-Day celebrations if you want, but let sleeping dogs lie....

[chonabot]

But Dad! He started , not me........

[maerim]

A what if?

Just imagine if the Germans had won the war the U.K. just might have had a decent car industry.

Instead of such automobile engineering excellence as , bring on the Morris Marina.

The Allegro.

The Hillman dimp.

The Hillman Avenger.

The Ford Zodiac, aka the Dagenham dustbin.

The Morris Traveller, a half timbered car to go with the fake Elizabethan half timbered houses in Chester

The Land Rover, only been making them since 1947 and there is still nowhere to put the speakers.

As for motorbikes, AJS, Matchless, DOT, Devoid Of Trouble etc. yeah providing that you spent weekends working on it so it would'nt break down in the week.

Computer aided design? Looks as though they were designed on an abacus and assembled with a hammer and chisel.

Sorry can't go on, nostalgia has got the better of me, sob sob.

[stroll]

"You shouldn't be bothered with the EU as a UK citizin. The UK is not part of the Eu, it's an island and we'd like to keep it that way..."

hear hear.

You shouldn't feel all too complacent about your precious little island, we might have lost the war, but that was 60 years ago...

Yep you've done well bringing that old chesnut up.........since then you've gained a few million new citizens and a <deleted> economy....

Oi!!!! I said "Don't start!" - I meant it! Turn on CNN and watch the D-Day celebrations if you want, but let sleeping dogs lie....

Okay, okay, point taken.

I'll send each of you a bar of soap and a tub of Marmite to make up for my mistake.

[chonabot]

German soap?

[stroll]

I was thinking more of the industrial strength Dettol variety

[chonabot]

Probably taste better than Marmite..

[RDN]

I'll send each of you ..... a tub of Marmite to make up for my mistake.

YES PLEASE !!!!!

[RDN]

Just imagine if the Germans had won the war the U.K. just might have had a decent car industry.

Instead of such automobile engineering excellence as , bring on the Morris Marina.

The Allegro.

The Hillman dimp.

The Hillman Avenger.

The Ford Zodiac, aka the Dagenham dustbin.

The Morris Traveller, a half timbered car to go with the fake Elizabethan half timbered houses in Chester

The Land Rover, only been making them since 1947 and there is still nowhere to put the speakers.

And the Austin Maxi - with a stearing wheel from a Leyland bus, 'cause it drove like one .

[stroll]

There is nothing like the good old Volkswagen beetle...

You could drive at any speed in any gear without noticing the difference, and the heater was either on or off, just had to clip the wire -up to you!

[davethailand]

There is nothing like the good old Volkswagen beetle...

You could drive at any speed in any gear without noticing the difference, and the heater was either on or off, just had to clip the wire -up to you!

hear hear stroll

we've had one in the family since i was 14 years old, when i was 17 it was given to me, modified a bit and now i'm 31 going on 32 it's still under cover in london.

i wanted to bring it here but too expensive.