Why Was Thailand Never Colonised?

[AnnaBanana]

20 minutes ago, Yinn said:

I think maybe he get the information from the girls in the bar.

Good one, Yinn.

You're a breath of fresh air on a forum that is dominated by pitiful misfits that should have gone home long ago.

[Orton Rd]

2 minutes ago, AnnaBanana said:

Good one, Yinn.

You're a breath of fresh air on a forum that is dominated by pitiful misfits that should have gone home long ago.

The reaction to Thai posters is either claims they are not Thai, or grovellers. I like to see Thais posting on here but they should be treated the same as anyone else.

[Estrada]

In the beginning it belonged to the Khmer Empire known as Funan and inhabited mainly by Khmer and Mon people. The Tais came from China and started colonys along the Chaophraya. The Khymer eventually gave part of their empire to the Tais and it became known as Siam and later Thailand (The land of the Tais). Although Thailand was not colonised, much of the Government and infrastructure was run by foreigners. Much of the early architecture including Royal Buildings were designed by Italians who were persuaded to change their names to Thai and were given Thai citizenship. The same applied to the trams and railways which were run by the Danes. The Dutch, Germans and other Europeans were involved in the ports and trading. The Portugeuse had a colony up stream of Bangkok along the river.

 

 

Edited June 17, 2019 by Estrada

[metisdead]

Posts containing off topic memes about immigration in the US have been removed. 

[parallaxtech]

The Burmese occupied/colonized Thailand and still do:

 

http://www.liquisearch.com/ekathat/burmese_invasion_and_ayutthayas_downfall

[dotpoom]

The "witty" people on here reckon "Nobody wanted it".

   Doesn't quite fit.... when, at the same time you see so many on here complaining that it is becoming impossible to continue to stay here with all the new rules?

[habanero]

On 6/16/2019 at 5:22 AM, Fex Bluse said:

Thailand was never colonized by a European power, but there is an argument that Thailand was and is colonized by the Chinese.

 

Thailand is the only country in the region (save Singapore) that did not fight Sino dominance, and now the Chinese have made native Thai guests in their own country, controlling almost all the power and wealth.

China tour guides often remind the Chinese tourist to Thailand that Thailand is owned by China.

[BobBKK]

Didn't the Japanese do that during WW2? oh, wait, not allowed to mention that. On the larger scale the French were afraid of the Naga and the Brits the katoey. 

[spidermike007]

16 hours ago, Thongkorn said:

The rather brilliant King Chulalongkorn Went to England to ask Queen Victoria for help, Because France was in the process of Colonizing Thailand. Queen Victoria Listened and had a word with her relatives in Germany, England and German stopped France from Colonizing Thailand, 

Sounds like a brilliant move to me. 

[lvr181]

18 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

and if there wasn't 'outside' sources available in ww2 the Brits would be speaking German.. 

"..the Brits would be speaking German.. " I think the 'english' language originated in Germany (via the Saxons?), so there should not be a problem for them to speak German? 

????????

[NoshowJones]

It certainly wasn't for their fighting ability.

[whaleboneman]

16 hours ago, Yinn said:

My English not at that level yet.

 

I will ask them, but I only can understand about 50% of what everyone say. My English teacher still help me a little.

 

i work the hotel before. So I know most farangs the good and polite people. But if another Thai read thaivisa they will think most farangs hate us.

 

I think a lot of the hate people are very lonely guy. Can not get a wife in there country, so come to Thailand and buy the low class bargirl. They think they can buy love, and get angry with all of Thailand because it not happen how they want. Then have a lot of problem. Social outcast with real Thai people. Pitiful a bit.

I know this people not the normal farang.

he likes the "cut of your jib"   a figurative term from a couple hundred years ago still used by British people meaning a person's appearance or personality.

"breath of fresh air" means a welcome and pleasant change 

[NoshowJones]

On 6/16/2019 at 4:57 AM, sirineou said:

If I was asked to describe the Thai people with only one word I would say

Resourceful. 

Working with Thai family members, friends and workers  at the farm or around the house I am often amazed how much they do with so litle, and with creative solutions to problem requiring few resources.

 I believe it is that resourcefulness that enabled them to escape colonization.

I get annoyed at posters who say Thais are stupid., it could not be further from the truth.   

    Thais are very proud people, and will not admite they don't know how to do something , this attitude often get them in trouble and make them look stupid. 

   Relationships between Expats and Thais often suffer because of the "we pretend to pay them and they pretend to work" syndrom.

  And finally some are stupid, just as many in the west are stupid. Stupidity is a human trait. You should see the idiots I work with in the west, and none of them are Thai.

 

 

"I get annoyed at posters who say Thais are stupid.," I would not use the word stupid, lets just say that most of the Thais, not all, are not very bright, and have a sad lack of common sense.

The statistics on the roads are proof of that.

 

Edited June 17, 2019 by possum1931

[elliss]

On 6/16/2019 at 4:33 AM, SenorJorge said:

Nobody wanted it.

 

  American GI,s   westernised  pattaya, the rest of thailand followed , slowly.

    Without the Vietnam war, we would not  be  living in LOS.

    Thanks uncle Sam..

 

[NoshowJones]

On 6/16/2019 at 8:56 AM, ravip said:

Why Was Thailand Never Colonised?

 

Thank God for that!

But, that might be the very reason the 'invasion' has started now.

Maybe from the Chinese, but not from people from western countries.

Thai immigration issues and the strong baht are seeing to that.

[marcusarelus]

2 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

Sorry to say it but your attitude is fairly typical for a Thai, highly sensitive to any other opinions about the country which you see as an 'attack' or 'hate' and an unwillingness to accept historical facts that were hidden from you at School. That graph on so called average wages is misleading due to the lack of detail. I would never ever trust government statistics showing improvement just since the military took over in 2014. You seem to have a bit of an obsession with bars and bar girls for some reason.

The topic was if the country was ever colonized, not about some people earning more than others. The answer seems to have been a lot of it was annexed and that you were colonized by the Japanese and that were it not for falang forces you might still be a colony of Japan. I don't agree with being colonized by the Chinese although without their business expertise Thailand would be far worse off.

Thailand was never colonized by the Japanese.  You have it mixed up with Taiwan which was.  Wage data presented by Trading economics is accurate.  Present another reputable source if you disagree.  If anything the wage presented is too low because it does not reflect the shadow economy.  

 

Saying outlandish fake information (Thai Japanese colony) is tolerated here but don't expect anyone to believe it unless you provide documentation.  The moon is made out of green cheese is as defensible as Thailand was a Japanese colony.  

[marcusarelus]

14 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

Thailand was forced to give back the French/Laos territories after the war or they would not have been able to join the UN, some 'victory' that.

The Franco/Thai war was not a victory at all.  Why Thailand built a monument to it is anybody's guess.  

Edited June 17, 2019 by marcusarelus

[Baerboxer]

On 6/16/2019 at 5:28 AM, thaibeachlovers said:

?

The Chinese in Singapore were, to my knowledge, brought in by Britain as workers, and became the majority by the time they got independence. 

Nothing to do with "fighting".

 

Other countries, such as Malaysia and Indonesia took steps to ensure they weren't dominated by Chinese immigrants over generations. I think that is the point he's making. Whereas in Singapore a Chinese family grabbed power.

[JSixpack]

One the recurring "issues" here on our beloved forum. Here it is in 2009:

Why Was Thailand Never Colonised ?

 

The reason for the "issue" is merely that we have so many members who don't like the Thai claim that it was never colonized. So what we do is redefine the common, standard, legal sense of the word to prove colonization. Sometimes the spuriousness of the argument is even admitted while insisting it's not spurious:

 

On 6/16/2019 at 6:02 AM, Somtamnication said:

Yes, Thailand was colonized, albeit, not the way we understand colonization to be.

 

And we'll update our list of colonizers, adding, say, modern-day mainland Chinese. Or, if Thailand wasn't colonized, then it should have been (by Brits of course); or we'll use a Thai-bashing reason or swipe at Immigration--90-day report, work permit, blah blah.

 

7 pages now, same old thing. Are we close to being done for this round?

 

[marcusarelus]

1 hour ago, possum1931 said:

It certainly wasn't for their fighting ability.

The Thai soldiers I fought with were good soldiers.  Have you had combat experience with Thai troops as your post suggests?

[Baerboxer]

2 hours ago, Estrada said:

In the beginning it belonged to the Khmer Empire known as Funan and inhabited mainly by Khmer and Mon people. The Tais came from China and started colonys along the Chaophraya. The Khymer eventually gave part of their empire to the Tais and it became known as Siam and later Thailand (The land of the Tais). Although Thailand was not colonised, much of the Government and infrastructure was run by foreigners. Much of the early architecture including Royal Buildings were designed by Italians who were persuaded to change their names to Thai and were given Thai citizenship. The same applied to the trams and railways which were run by the Danes. The Dutch, Germans and other Europeans were involved in the ports and trading. The Portugeuse had a colony up stream of Bangkok along the river.

 

 

 

Did all those European expats complete 90 day reports as well?

[malibukid]

21 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

Its just semantics to say Thailand has never been colonised, call it what you like, invaded, surrendered to,  occupied, puppet state, an axis ally. During WW2 Thailand was the Italy of Asia, they were invaded by the Japanese, surrendered within hours, signed a treaty, then as an axis member, declared war on UK, US etc.

They surrendered to, and were controlled by, a foreign power, maybe not the dictionary definition of colonised but very close. And conveniently left out of the national anthem.

now they are a proxy of China

[Orton Rd]

22 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

Thailand was never colonized by the Japanese.  You have it mixed up with Taiwan which was.  Wage data presented by Trading economics is accurate.  Present another reputable source if you disagree.  If anything the wage presented is too low because it does not reflect the shadow economy.  

 

Saying outlandish fake information (Thai Japanese colony) is tolerated here but don't expect anyone to believe it unless you provide documentation.  The moon is made out of green cheese is as defensible as Thailand was a Japanese colony.  

Where does an occupation end and colonisation begin? The events surrounding the Japanese invasion are not even accepted here and they always put another light on it as if it was a sort of collaboration rather than a military take over. If it the Japanese were not in control what where the much celebrated, and somewhat exaggerated, Thai freedom fighters doing? The Japanese even shut down businesses and controlled the media, it was not merely transporting troops through to the west.

Always seemed strange to me that Thais do not celebrate the end of the war and regaining their freedom, in denial is why.

Edited June 17, 2019 by Orton Rd

[marcusarelus]

5 minutes ago, Orton Rd said:

Where does an occupation end and colonisation begin? The events surrounding the Japanese invasion are not even accepted here and they always put another light on it as if it was a sort of collaboration rather than a military take over. If it the Japanese were not in control what where the much celebrated, and somewhat exaggerated, Thai freedom fighters doing? The Japanese even shut down businesses and controlled the media, it was not merely transporting troops through to the west.

Always seemed strange to me that Thais do not celebrate the end of the war and regaining their freedom, in denial is why.

The British occupied Thailand not the Japanese.  Thailand was allied with Japan before the troops arrived, see Aftermath of Alliance: The Wartime Legacy in Thai-Japanese Relations.  

E. Bruce Reynolds

Journal of Southeast Asian Studies

 

In answer to your question about what did the Thai freedom fighters do.  - Not much of anything until the re write of history after the war.  

[marcusarelus]

12 minutes ago, malibukid said:

now they are a proxy of China

Is Canada a proxy of America?  If you think so then perhaps you can make your case that Thailand will eventually become a proxy of China.  However realistically the reason this will never happen lives in a very big old house in Bangkok.  Then there is the "How do the Chinese get along with the Dali Lama?" Thing.    

Edited June 17, 2019 by marcusarelus

[sawadee1947]

On 6/16/2019 at 12:44 AM, neeray said:

Thais are very proud p

What they are proud of???? 

Having given away half of the country for not get invaded? 

Or for building a big Wall around their kingdom to preserve their culture and leave developments outside? 

Or stop any attempts of effective education ?

Tell me! 

[marcusarelus]

2 minutes ago, sawadee1947 said:

What they are proud of???? 

Having given away half of the country for not get invaded? 

Or for building a big Wall around their kingdom to preserve their culture and leave developments outside? 

Or stop any attempts of effective education ?

Tell me! 

All of the countries adjacent to Thailand were colonized and then most taken over by corrupt communist governments that killed millions of their own citizens and have economies that are a small fraction of Thailand's and infrastructure that is 4th world.  

[Orton Rd]

10 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

The British occupied Thailand not the Japanese.  Thailand was allied with Japan before the troops arrived, see Aftermath of Alliance: The Wartime Legacy in Thai-Japanese Relations.  

E. Bruce Reynolds

Journal of Southeast Asian Studies

 

In answer to your question about what did the Thai freedom fighters do.  - Not much of anything until the re write of history after the war.  

From Wikipedia on the Japanese invasion, does not sound like being allied

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

 

'The Japanese bombed Bangkok with one bomb falling on the main post office, which failed to explode. While police rounded up Japanese residents, the Thai cabinet debated its options while they waited for the prime minister to arrive.^[31] Some favoured continued resistance, including the establishment of a government-in-exile, but when Phibun finally arrived, the decision was made to relent, and the Thais caved into Japan's demands'

 

Edited June 17, 2019 by Orton Rd

[LivinLOS]

On 6/15/2019 at 10:57 PM, sirineou said:

  And finally some are stupid, just as many in the west are stupid. Stupidity is a human trait. You should see the idiots I work with in the west, and none of them are Thai.

Check the actual IQ studies, and strip out the urbanised kids looking especially at the NE.. Average IQs in the 90s.. 

 

I remember a study (quickly hidden) published in the press somewhere in the early oughts.. That had IIRC 16% if the NE population with an IQ under 70, thats 1 in 6 who are by the usual definition retarded. Then you wonder why mocy wins fight over turf and captive customers for a living ? 

Things have improved in the IQ stats, a push to include iodized salt in diets over fish sauces, etc etc may have helped. 

[NoshowJones]

32 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

The Thai soldiers I fought with were good soldiers.  Have you had combat experience with Thai troops as your post suggests?

I am not getting into any more debates with you as they are a complete waste of time.

 You will never get any more than one answer to any of your posts.

Thais are not known for fighting except when they outnumber their opponents by about 4 to 1.

I do understand though that there are exceptions to this.