Why is there so much anger in Thailand?

[Bangkok Barry]

 

Just that. Why do we read over and over, every day, of road rage with guns, hammers, baseball bats; bus and taxi drivers fighting with other road users; vicious assaults often with groups kicking the head of people who are already down and helpless; spurned males killing their former girlfriend/wife/partner and often even her family; men and sometimes women throwing scalding water and making other assaults against small children; people exploding over the smallest thing.

 

Thailand is supposed to be the land of smiles, of peaceful Buddhists. Yet all too often it is the opposite. Why is it like this?

[CharlieH]

Not just Thailand though is it. Many countries have similar stories.

[totally thaied up]

I can go to my hometown in Australia and find the same stuff. We are all human, made out of the same particles and our anger and frustrations have no known limits.  

[AlexRich]

The same stories the world over. I’ve found most Thais to be laid back people, not angry. Problem is when some get angry they don’t seem to know where to stop. 

[from the home of CC]

The noose is tightening economically for a lot of folks world wide with the majority living on credit. The costs of raising a child never stop rising. The pressure is immense and even more so in this social media world of comparison that many judge their lives by. I have a hunch we're in a prelude to a world boil, the heat rising steadily. A runaway disease or a global war could be our undoing but we also could be reaching a critical mass socially. I hope I'm wrong.

 

Edited March 7, 2019 by from the home of CC

[villagefarang]

Let's not forget that with nearly 70 million Thais, even a relatively small percentage of angry people can look like a big number.  Plus, it is always the negative stuff which makes it into the news.

[ta158]

18 minutes ago, totally thaied up said:

I can go to my hometown in Australia and find the same stuff. We are all human, made out of the same particles and our anger and frustrations have no known limits.  

yes of course it happens everywhere, but with much smaller amounts/incidents. and dont start talking about thailand having higher population, all these incidents, shootings,murder,robberies,assaults is more in thailand per 100,000 people.

[ta158]

3 minutes ago, villagefarang said:

Let's not forget that with nearly 70 million Thais, even a relatively small percentage of angry people can look like a big number.  Plus, it is always the negative stuff which makes it into the news.

yes but when comparing thailand with European countries with similar or more Population, they are still much lower than Thailand.

[ta158]

34 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

Not just Thailand though is it. Many countries have similar stories.

but now this is an thai forum, about thailand and we are in thailand.

[jak2002003]

2 minutes ago, ta158 said:

yes of course it happens everywhere, but with much smaller amounts/incidents. and dont start talking about thailand having higher population, all these incidents, shootings,murder,robberies,assaults is more in thailand per 100,000 people.

Shootings in Thailand more than in America?  Where did you get your figures.  Suggest you do research before making ignorant statements.  

 

Thailand's crime level is 36.46.....America 55.84.....which is 53 percent higher than Thailand!

 

America has...

4 X more rapes than Thailand....

21 X more Total crimes and 5 X more crimes per 1000.

4 X more violent crimes and murder rate than Thailand,

 

Check out this link if you want.  https://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/compare/Thailand/United-States/Crime

 

 

 

 

 

 

But, sure you think is Thailand that is so bad and getting worse.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jak2002003]

7 minutes ago, ta158 said:

but now this is an thai forum, about thailand and we are in thailand.

But OP is comparing Thailand to other countries, saying it's worse here!!!

 

 

[CharlieH]

5 minutes ago, ta158 said:

but now this is an thai forum, about thailand and we are in thailand.

And yet in all your comments above you have referred to other places than Thailand, its just a comparative comment as are yours.

[Mavideol]

43 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

Many countries have similar stories.

..... but TV doesn't post about it, unfortunately it appears the world is on a violence spread

[CharlieH]

7 minutes ago, Mavideol said:

..... but TV doesn't post about it, unfortunately it appears the world is on a violence spread

Stories and incidents are posted in various world news topics here, but I agree that generally the world does seem, or certainly feels to be in a violent spiral at times.

[KMartinHandyman]

I didn’t get a chance to ask why but these two were definitely angry with each other today. A pretty lengthy hair pulling preceded a definitive two point body slam takedown which ended in a submission from exhaustion.

[CGW]

1 hour ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Thailand is supposed to be the land of smiles, of peaceful Buddhists. Yet all too often it is the opposite. Why is it like this?

30 years ago ~ violent crime was rare in Thailand, due to it being a Buddhist country, or that was the story line, now their are a lot more news outlets running 24 hours a day, they have to fill in the time with something, violence I guess is popular with readers, certainly on TVF threads that are violence based get most views. ????

I suspect the violent streak has always been there, but went unreported for a long time, Thai people rarely complain, they are accepting of noise, pollution etc, my thoughts are that they are that way because if they complain they have no idea of the reaction as they recognise most of their fellow citizens as violent psychotics with no control over their emotions and they know their will be no justice as there is no functioning Police force, but maybe I'm wrong ????

[Bangkok Barry]

2 minutes ago, CGW said:

maybe I'm wrong

 

I think you might have got it exactly right.

[bwpage3]

32 minutes ago, jak2002003 said:

Shootings in Thailand more than in America?  Where did you get your figures.  Suggest you do research before making ignorant statements.  

 

Thailand's crime level is 36.46.....America 55.84.....which is 53 percent higher than Thailand!

 

America has...

4 X more rapes than Thailand....

21 X more Total crimes and 5 X more crimes per 1000.

4 X more violent crimes and murder rate than Thailand,

 

Check out this link if you want.  https://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/compare/Thailand/United-States/Crime

 

 

 

 

 

 

But, sure you think is Thailand that is so bad and getting worse.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Duh?

 

Compare the population of America with Thailand.

 

327 Million versus 66 million.

[bwpage3]

8 minutes ago, CGW said:

30 years ago ~ violent crime was rare in Thailand, due to it being a Buddhist country, or that was the story line, now their are a lot more news outlets running 24 hours a day, they have to fill in the time with something, violence I guess is popular with readers, certainly on TVF threads that are violence based get most views. ????

I suspect the violent streak has always been there, but went unreported for a long time, Thai people rarely complain, they are accepting of noise, pollution etc, my thoughts are that they are that way because if they complain they have no idea of the reaction as they recognise most of their fellow citizens as violent psychotics with no control over their emotions and they know their will be no justice as there is no functioning Police force, but maybe I'm wrong ????

Greed has replaced Buddhism.

[Psimbo]

Why do people come to a different country and expect things to be different. There's anger everywhere these days. 

[mick220675]

I am from a rural area of the UK and now live in a rural area of Thailand. In the UK I saw fights normally involving drunk people, but not a lot of violence.

 

In the village I now live in over the last 15 years there has been;

 

1x murder

3x drink drive killings

3x house burglary (one my wife's shop).

2x Child rape (12 & 14 year old girls) Both girls were paid off.

 

There are weekly fights normally involving drunk people.

 

Despite the violence I have never felt in danger, even when the Cambodians were firing rockets at us. If I look at my old village in the UK it is safer than my Thai village, but I feel safe. Maybe its because I have a wall around the house with dogs and cameras. But I think the main thing is I do not go out once it is dark, I don't bother anyone and no one bothers me or my family.

 

 

[fusion58]

Thai culture seems to provide relatively few "safe" or "healthy" release valves for anger. Anger is something you're not supposed to have, e.g., an expression of anger = a loss of face. This problem is compounded by the fact that Thais, generally speaking, have very weak and fragile egos insofar as the importance given to accepting one's role or place in the social hierarchy and the "hive mind" always supersede individual/personal development.

[fouryesrs]

1 hour ago, totally thaied up said:

I can go to my hometown in Australia and find the same stuff. We are all human, made out of the same particles and our anger and frustrations have no known limits.  

try to make your love and compassion limitless ...a lifelong job...step by step...only that will change things..

[marcusarelus]

4 minutes ago, fusion58 said:

Thai culture seems to provide relatively few "safe" or "healthy" release valves for anger. Anger is something you're not supposed to have, e.g., an expression of anger = a loss of face. This problem is compounded by the fact that Thais, generally speaking, have very weak and fragile egos insofar as the importance given to accepting one's role or place in the social hierarchy and the "hive mind" always supersede individual/personal development.

In the West 90% of anger comes from the lack of readily available sex at a reasonable price.  Not so in Thailand.  That is why most men come here.  Thai men have it even better with the culture of mia noi and gik.  Generally speaking Thais have giant egos that are reinforced since birth - best country, best food, best climate and on and on.  Many Thai monks isolate themselves to meditate and they are universally admired in Thailand (forest tradition).  Thais think the Lone Ranger is a nut case and social cooperation is valued.  

Edited March 7, 2019 by marcusarelus

[fouryesrs]

10 minutes ago, mick220675 said:

I am from a rural area of the UK and now live in a rural area of Thailand. In the UK I saw fights normally involving drunk people, but not a lot of violence.

 

In the village I now live in over the last 15 years there has been;

 

1x murder

3x drink drive killings

3x house burglary (one my wife's shop).

2x Child rape (12 & 14 year old girls) Both girls were paid off.

 

There are weekly fights normally involving drunk people.

 

Despite the violence I have never felt in danger, even when the Cambodians were firing rockets at us. If I look at my old village in the UK it is safer than my Thai village, but I feel safe. Maybe its because I have a wall around the house with dogs and cameras. But I think the main thing is I do not go out once it is dark, I don't bother anyone and no one bothers me or my family.

 

 

hope it stays that way for you...

[shy coconut]

55 minutes ago, ta158 said:

but now this is an thai forum, about thailand and we are in thailand.

Do you know how this forum work?

 

News stories and their titles are designed to attract replies which, in turn creates

creates advertising revenue for the site owners.

 

Bad news sells, and any stories mentioning the poorer side of human behaviour creates

the most replies, therefore there is an imbalance between good and bad stories.

 

Therefore it is easy to believe that it is safer to stay at home hiding under the bed than

venture out into the post apocalyptic wastelands of Thailand.

 

[NCC1701A]

40 minutes ago, KMartinHandyman said:

I didn’t get a chance to ask why but these two were definitely angry with each other today. A pretty lengthy hair pulling preceded a definitive two point body slam takedown which ended in a submission from exhaustion.

they were fighting over me. i made all three stage a reenactment of the last photo at my house.

[Bangkok Barry]

11 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

In the West 90% of anger comes from the lack of readily available sex at a reasonable price. 

 

What a bizarre and unsubstantiated statement.

[fusion58]

9 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

Generally speaking Thais have giant egos that are reinforced since birth - best country, best food, best climate and on and on.

These attitudes are prevalent here, to be sure, but such arrogance is usually a compensation for low self-esteem and a lack of ego strength. If they had big egos, then they'd have the capacity for things like self-control, rational reflection, deferred gratification, etc.

[55Jay]

Rough guess is 1/2 the country take their buddhism seriously enough that may help them be cool, and prevent angry outbursts and violence.  The other half don't and/or just pretend for the sake of family and face in society, but it's not enough to influence their behavior in the moment.  They may crawl around on the floor and wai a lot afterward though.