Why Was Thailand Never Colonised?

[Orton Rd]

27 minutes 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.

Try to get over the hate thing, people with opinions about Thailand different to yours does not mean they 'hate' the Thais. What many do not like is the rampant corruption and the way society here robs most Thais of the wealth with 1% of rich and upper class Thais owning 67% of the wealth. Also to be criticized is the recent farce of giving the Thai people an 'election' when it was not. Most foreigners do not come here to buy bar girls, you are living in the past. Most falangs hate the things most Thais hate about Thailand.

[Yinn]

1 hour ago, Orton Rd said:

Thailand was partially colonised because large areas of it was given over to the Brits and French to keep what was left in Thai hands,

 

No, we keep our own government. You don’t understand the word colonize

Quote

 

look at the map on here. Yes your ASEAN former colonized neighbours do come to Thailand for work, while poor Thais go to Korea, the middle east and Australia to do the same, often illegally.

 

We take 3-4 million foreign worker. Only a few thousand go there to work. Not same. 

 

Quote

 

The fact that Thailand has a slightly better economy at the moment

No, much better. Better than double, trible 

 

Quote

 

than those countries is hardly a valid argument against colonialism which ended decades ago, and they are catching Thailand up fast while Thailand does nothing about the vast wealth inequality.

Thailand have some very rich, successful people. Better than if everyone poor. If not have the rich, like that other one, then not have wealth inequality.

 

Quote

Had Thailand been colonised completely it would not only be far larger but probably be far less corrupt and have a better education and legal system,

Burma, Laos and Cambodia don’t have better education or legal system. So you also wrong that one.

 

Quote

we would also be able to get some decent bread as well!

Maybe. But thai food better than Laos, Cambodia and Burmese food. Thai restaurant all over the world. The other, not so much. Better than your country food sure.

 

Quote

Thais continually boasting about never being colonised is understandable, they don't have a lot else to be proud of compared to their neighbours!

 

Wrong again.

Quote

Most Thais are poor third world people, that is why the government has to give out so much in hand outs every month, most Thais have very little so the 300 baht a month card helps.

Maybe the Thai you know. But most of us are doing fine. We ok.

Some lazy drug, drunk people. Bad luck for them. Thailand have lot of opportunity if want to work hard, study hard. Getting better every year.

 

Edited June 16, 2019 by Yinn

[dddave]

4 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.

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

 

Interesting wiki on this subject.

Anybody interested in reading about a fascinating person in Thai history should look-up Pridi Panomyong

[Orton Rd]

9 minutes ago, Yinn said:

No, we keep our own government. You don’t understand the word colonize

We take 3-4 million foreign worker. Only a few thousand go there to work. Not same. 

 

 

Thailand did not keep it's government in the enormous areas it gave away- they were annexed if you like, no longer Thai. Most of those workers are exploited of course, not many get the basic legal wage and have no benefits or security of stay. The cost of not being colonized was high and nothing to be particular proud about, just a speck in history.

[Orton Rd]

23 minutes ago, dddave said:

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

 

Interesting wiki on this subject.

Anybody interested in reading about a fascinating person in Thai history should look-up Pridi Panomyong

Thailand could do with another Pridi, if he were here today he'd be with the future forward party. He was a real Thai hero

When Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram issued a declaration of war against Britain and the United States in January 1942, Pridi refused to sign it

 

Do they teach kids about Pridi in Thai history class? probably not.

Edited June 16, 2019 by Orton Rd

[JimmyTheMook]

3 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

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

 

You mean if America didn't step in and protect those Yob's.

 

 

[Orton Rd]

2 minutes ago, JimmyTheMook said:

 

You mean if America didn't step in and protect those Yob's.

 

 

The USSR won the 2nd world war and could have done it without the Americans or Brits.

[lungbing]

If Thailand had been colonised by the UK then at least the railways would be standard gauge.

[mike787]

Wasn't worth it then, isn't worth it now.  It would be a waste of resources and time.  

[marcusarelus]

1 hour ago, dddave said:

Japan also supported Thailand regaining Lao provinces annexed by the French.  I believe there were also French defined borders with Cambodia that the Thais were challenging with Japan's help.

That was the Franco/Thai war in 1940 - the reason for the Victory monument.  

[marcusarelus]

1 hour ago, Orton Rd said:

The USSR won the 2nd world war and could have done it without the Americans or Brits.

Saw a history show about that.  They said Germany and Russia would have signed a peace treaty if Germany had to only fight a one front war.  

 

 

Edited June 16, 2019 by marcusarelus

[Orton Rd]

1 hour ago, Yinn said:

No, we keep our own government. You don’t understand the word colonize

We take 3-4 million foreign worker. Only a few thousand go there to work. Not same. 

 

No, much better. Better than double, trible 

 

Thailand have some very rich, successful people. Better than if everyone poor. If not have the rich, like that other one, then not have wealth inequality.

 

Burma, Laos and Cambodia don’t have better education or legal system. So you also wrong that one.

 

Maybe. But thai food better than Laos, Cambodia and Burmese food. Thai restaurant all over the world. The other, not so much. Better than your country food sure.

 

Wrong again.

Maybe the Thai you know. But most of us are doing fine. We ok.

Some lazy drug, drunk people. Bad luck for them. Thailand have lot of opportunity if want to work hard, study hard. Getting better every year.

 

Crippling household  debt, 99% of the people owning 33% of the wealth, a dysfunctional education system and discrimination in employment, especially ageism and sexism. Yes lots of opportunity to earn very little on a minimum wage, keep the peasants happy with dumb entertainment and hand outs, getting better for a very few, not for the many.

Edited June 16, 2019 by Orton Rd

[Traubert]

4 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

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

Russian.

 

We'd have managed the Eastern Front comfortably but we would never have stopped the Russians.

 

You didn't win in Vietnam either. Despite what Hollywood says.

 

[marcusarelus]

2 minutes ago, Orton Rd said:

Crippling household  debt, 99% of the people owning 33% of the wealth, a dysfunctional education system and discrimination in employment, especially ageism and sexism. Yes lost of opportunity to earn very little

on a minimum wage, keep the peasants happy with dumb entertainment and hand outs, getting better for a very few, not for the many.

Simply not true.  Average wage below.

Edited June 16, 2019 by marcusarelus

[Orton Rd]

5 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

That was the Franco/Thai war in 1940 - the reason for the Victory monument.  

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.

[Orton Rd]

2 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

Simply not true.  Average wage below.

You really believe Thai sourced statistics, come off it.

[marcusarelus]

1 minute ago, Traubert said:

Russian.

 

We'd have managed the Eastern Front comfortably but we would never have stopped the Russians.

 

You didn't win in Vietnam either. Despite what Hollywood says.

 

America and Thailand did ask for help SEATO treaty and the Brits our allies said no.  Well, not a complete no as they did send one airplane and maintenance to Thailand.  

[marcusarelus]

Just now, Orton Rd said:

You really believe Thai sourced statistics, come off it.

It is Trading economics a very well respected source.  Do you have a better source?  The boys in the bar?  

[RickBradford]

5 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

1942 The Thai (Ally of Japan) Phayap Army invaded Burma.  They controlled the Shan state and other areas with their profitable opium trade until they surrendered to the Allies at which time they had to give back all of the captured territory.  The PM was charged with war crimes and Thailand paid war reparations.   

 

A reading of secret papers with the Thai PM and Japan will confirm a deal was made before Japan landed in Thailand.  Japan paid for all Thai assistance during WWII as an ally not as an occupied state.  Or maybe you know of an occupied state that was allowed to keep it's complete army and invade neighboring states while occupied?  Ally - has army and helps ally.  Occupied state - gets army disbanded and country raped and pillaged.  

The Thai response to the Japanese presence was what you'd expect. 

 

Under Japanese pressure, Thailand declared war on the US, but the Thai ambassador in Washington refused to pass the demand on to the Americans.

 

When it was all over, and Thailand was supposed to surrender to the Allies, the Thais said there was no need, as the declaration of war had been made by an "illegal government" and hence was not valid.

 

Some things never change.

[from the home of CC]

12 minutes ago, Traubert said:

Russian.

 

We'd have managed the Eastern Front comfortably but we would never have stopped the Russians.

 

You didn't win in Vietnam either. Despite what Hollywood says.

 

But if you would have beaten them earlier on more assets may have been available and if the atomic scientists had not run off maybe Moscow would of been the 1st Hiroshima. I'm a canuck and we never win anywhere???? 

[marcusarelus]

16 minutes ago, RickBradford said:

The Thai response to the Japanese presence was what you'd expect. 

 

Under Japanese pressure, Thailand declared war on the US, but the Thai ambassador in Washington refused to pass the demand on to the Americans.

 

When it was all over, and Thailand was supposed to surrender to the Allies, the Thais said there was no need, as the declaration of war had been made by an "illegal government" and hence was not valid.

 

Some things never change.

Actually, I believe the story is the Thai Ambassador gave America the declaration of war but it was refused.  Think about this for a second.  Does an Ambassador have the authority to declare or not declare war?  Of course not.  Anyway after this little meeting the Thai embassy staff was interned (put in a fancy jail) Homestead in Hot Springs VA I believe.  America froze all the Thai funds in American banks so none of the Thai students at American universities could get their allowance.  This was a big problem but somehow it was figured out.  Yanks dropped thousands of bombs on Thailand during WWII and the Brits occupied the country in 1946.  

[marcusarelus]

13 minutes ago, DaRoadrunner said:

Hmmmm, what did I do when I started this thread? Time for some related humour. Roadrunner attaches images.

You did know that American Indians had also migrated to America.    

[Traubert]

Timely and most amusing Mr Runner.

 

May your beep continue to beep. ????

[Orton Rd]

The Brits only colonized about 20% of the world, not half. ????  Sadly Thailand missed out

[potless]

12 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

Or read a Thai book that referred to the Chinese as the, "Jews of the orient."  You are way off base.  

So a Chinese place of worship should be called a Sinogogue .????

[Chrisdoc]

The Thai workers got paid according to the railroad journals.  Don't think it was a good job buy they signed on to do the work as opposed to being slave labor.  

They are often described as romushi which in Japanese means forced labourer.

Sent from my Lenovo TB-8304F1 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Yinn]

11 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

Crippling household  debt, 99% of the people owning 33% of the wealth, a dysfunctional education system and discrimination in employment, especially ageism and sexism. Yes lots of opportunity to earn very little on a minimum wage, keep the peasants happy with dumb entertainment and hand outs, getting better for a very few, not for the many.

 

11 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

Simply not true.  Average wage below.

Everything orton say is simply not true. I lazy to help him anymore.

 

i think I know why he think like that. Funny.

But I am too polite to say.

Pitiful.

[Yinn]

11 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

It is Trading economics a very well respected source.  Do you have a better source?  The boys in the bar?  

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

[Orton Rd]

22 minutes ago, Yinn said:

 

Everything orton say is simply not true. I lazy to help him anymore.

 

i think I know why he think like that. Funny.

But I am too polite to say.

Pitiful.

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.

Edited June 17, 2019 by Orton Rd

[Emdog]

"The bamboo bends with the wind and lives, the oak tree is uprooted"

I read that Thailand declared war on US to satisfy Japanese occupiers, but were smart enough never to deliver that declaration to USA. "Oops, we forgot" (wink wink)

I was at US embassy other day, big mural declaring "200 years of US-Thai friendship". Didn't say "continuous friendship" so guess they have an out on that bit of revisionist history.

Hopefully this video from Catch 22 will show, of old man in bordello explaining why Italy's strength is it's weakness. Just sub Thailand for Italy in your mind and it fits.