Wealth Of Thai Families

[srisatch]

I live in a town that seems, by any standards, to be quite ‘well off’.

I have written,elsewhere, about how, whenever I go to the bank, there are Chinese grannies tottering out with B500,000 in their handbags!

As you know one of the nice things about LOS is that if you ask someone-how much do you earn, what is the rent of your shop, how much do you make from your noodle stall?-

they will tell you—

unlike in the UK and elsewhere where these things are shocking questions.!

I have stayed relatively clear of asking too much about my wife’s family and their ‘assets’. Like many people here they are mostly 3rd and 4th generation immigrants, from China! Worked hard, bought land, started businesses. I have always assumed that they were-“comfortable”-not rich!

But the other day they brought it up. My father in law, who is irredeemably Chinese, asked, grumpy:

Why, of my 5 children, are number 4 and Number 5 the richest.. (my wife is number 5..number 4 is a doctor).. (and as such appears to have unlimited credit at SCB and Krung Thai)..and number 1 and 2 the poorest?

1 does nothing and 2 is a farmer. The hush was audible! My mother in law, who is Thai, said: ‘Well 4 and 5 went to University unlike 1,2,3. Perhaps you need to help them more!’

‘Baah,’ he said…(all girls..only number 3 a boy and in Taiwan) ‘Why Number 5 not a doctor? Lazy?’ ‘Why only 4 grandchildren?’

My mother in law went on…’but they all have some land..they all OK, they all love you, nobody poor, maybe things will change…Anyway you not rich and you mean!’

(When 4 and 5 went to University had to rent room and sleep on floor-no mattress etc..Daddy: Too expensive!)

‘Not! Just bought you all a Fortuner, No?’

Then my wife, who has learned not to be Thai says: ‘Well Daddy How much you got in Kasikorn?’ How many Rai you got in Nan, in Chiang Rai? You want to tell us?’

Sisters draw in breath at this audacity…

‘About xx million, and about x00 Rai,’ he says. ’What’s it to you?’ ‘I’ll give it all to the temple’. Mother in law looks pale…

Children: ‘Why you never tell us what you have?’

Father: ‘None of your business. I am not going to die. Anyway your mother richer than me!’

Children: ‘???’

Father: ‘Well she Kamnan’s daughter.’

So, as I long suspected, they are much richer than my UK family, even with their 500,000 houses.. which makes one wonder why they are happy with me?

Sorry it’s a bit long but I would be really interested to know if anyone got any insights, else, into ‘Thai’ Money??

[popshirt]

Well, call me Western but I do think talking about income, one's wealth, etc. is rude and asking questions of others on these subjects is even more impolite. It makes me very uncomfortable because of my own background. But I have a friend here who jokes : "how do you get the attention of every Thai in the room? Just take out your wallet! Some will even attempt to peer inside as you open it up!" Of course this exaggerates but there is a different attitude about wealth and money in this country. One of the reasons Thaksin was so well liked was because he was rich.