I'm interested to listen to peoples views on this topic,  especially long term expats.

 

Thank you in advance for any and all responses. 

No, further more, I'm not at all sure why anyone would want to fully integrate/assimilate and in effect, reject their own heritage. They are not, or should not be, mutually exclusive. That is why I cannot understand those who go for Thai citizenship. 

3 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

No, further more, I'm not at all sure why anyone would want to fully integrate/assimilate and in effect, reject their own heritage. They are not, or should not be, mutually exclusive. That is why I cannot understand those who go for Thai citizenship. 

What about Thais going for British citizenship or American?

 

Is it not the same thing?

Plenty foreigners want to get their hands on one of our passports and usually when they live there they eventually get one.

1 minute ago, WineOh said:

What about Thais going for British citizenship or American?

 

Is it no the same thing?

Plenty foreigner want to get their hands on one of our passports and usually when they live there they eventually get one.

The answer is still no.  

5 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

No, further more, I'm not at all sure why anyone would want to fully integrate/assimilate and in effect, reject their own heritage. They are not, or should not be, mutually exclusive. That is why I cannot understand those who go for Thai citizenship. 

Integrate and assimilate are 2 completely different things. Integration is good, assimilating is rejecting your own heritage. 

2 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

Integrate and assimilate are 2 completely different things. Integration is good, assimilating is rejecting your own heritage. 

Wrong. Dictionary definition below: 

 

verb

gerund or present participle: assimilating

1. 1.

   take in (information, ideas, or culture) and understand fully.

   "Marie tried to assimilate the week's events"

8 minutes ago, WineOh said:

Wrong

You clearly aren't a Trekkie

"Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet."

 

Rudyard Kipling...

11 minutes ago, ezzra said:

"Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet."

 

Rudyard Kipling...

a wise man that Mr Kipling.  He also makes exceedingly good  cakes. 

I answered no and honestly, I think the vast majority of Thais would never consider a foreigner (especially a Caucasian) to be Thai, no matter how hard he or she tried and no matter how fluent they became in the Thai language. In Thailand, Foreigners will always be foreigners. 

Seen plenty of farangs wearing royal yellow shirts on Mondays trying to get in the good books of the in-laws.

7 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

a wise man that Mr Kipling.  He also makes exceedingly good  cakes. 

I've bought his cherry Bakewells on the Khao San rd, they were exceedingly good fakes..

I answered No. 

Even for someone who would want to assimilate fully into Thai culture I doubt it would be possible as there would always be those who reject the idea of a foreigner ‘assimilating’ into Thai culture in the true sense of the word. 

 

That said; can a foreigner be welcomed and accepted as a perfectly normal part of the community ?? of course, many are. As others have mentioned already in this thread, integration is perfectly normal. 

 

Can a foreigner live a perfectly normal and integrated life here? Yes. 

 

I have many Thai friends, there have been numerous situations where I am the only foreigner in the group, or even in the area. Nothing special, no big deal etc... I think thats as close to assimilation as it gets, its momentary.... just being normal in a normal group of people and all feel perfectly normal about it. Then when it gets time to go home, get in a taxi and the taxi driver asks “you like Thai lady, you want boom-boom?”....

 

 

 

 

 

 

5 minutes ago, DavidH555 said:

Seen plenty of farangs wearing royal yellow shirts on Mondays trying to get in the good books of the in-laws.

I always wear black or red when around the in laws.

 

gets her dad fuming at the dinner table ???? 

There are certain aspects of Thai culture that I integrate into, and some that I don't.

For example, to fully integrate, I'd have to start liking Thai whiskey, their TV soap operas and their cheesey pop songs! 

It'll never happen...! 

 

 

 

10 minutes ago, DavidH555 said:

Seen plenty of farangs wearing royal yellow shirts on Mondays trying to get in the good books of the in-laws.

 

Seen plenty of farangs deliberately going against the grain trying to prove a point all Thai’s around them that their culture is flawed - there are plenty of foreigners to refuse to Wai etc...   and just get the concept of being polite and respectful quite wrong. 

 

There are also those who make fools of themselves Wai’ing all and sundry, eating bowls of insects and have gone a little bit too much ‘apocalypse now’ in going native.... 

 

The range of attitudes and characters in Thailand fills the spectrum.... Just be here and be normal, nothing really impressive about being a foreigner in Thailand... Just enjoy life and get on as you would in your home country. 

 

Of course, there are extra challenges here, but after 20+ years in country there would be extra challenges ‘re-assimilating’ back into my home area. One of the biggest challenges would be handling the overwhelmingly PC attitudes which lends to drive one somewhat nutty !!! 

 

 

Who would want a downgrade.

No thank you.

 

 

2 minutes ago, Orinoco said:

Who would want to downgrade themselves.  No thank you.

 

There are also those who would make comments such as above.... which makes one wonder how anyone could ever get along in a country where they feel everyone around them is a ‘downgrade’.... 

 

Such attitudes clearly indicate assimilating would in fact be a huge upgrade for such characters... ????

 

 

I'm English and retired here with my Thai wife, and that's all there is to it. 

Most of my wife's family lives next door and in and around the village I help them but I don't want integrate with them, we have nothing in common.

 

I have Thai buddies who I have a drink with and visit and that's it. 

no.
I have been here 26 years. It has advantages being an outsider although I feel mostly welcome.

26 minutes ago, Dmaxdan said:

There are certain aspects of Thai culture that I integrate into, and some that I don't.

For example, to fully integrate, I'd have to start liking Thai whiskey, their TV soap operas and their cheesey pop songs! 

It'll never happen...! 

 

 

 

The whiskey I can do, the cheesey pop.......like you, never.

I think the op subject is too broad. I mean, what is Thai culture? There is a huge difference in the way different levels of society live here. The rich 'hi so' culture, the poor village farmer culture, the working class, middle class etc etc.  They each seem to have their own unique mini cultures and attitudes. 

 

Some of the comments on this thread are disgustingly raciest, both about Thai people and foreigners in people's home countries and with attitudes like that I am not surprised they can't become part of Thai culture or society.

 

Also, nothing wrong with eating fried insects by the way. They are a good snack sometimes.  Sad people are judged by what they are eating now by some.

 

I don't agree that being accepted into society here means giving up your 'heritage'. You don't pretend to be a Thai person, or pretend to be someone you are not and throw out all your personality and beliefs. 

 

It is perfectly possible to integrate into society here and be yourself.  Just have to mix with the people you feel comfortable with and be a well balanced, none judgemental person.

 

But, I will agree that on a legal level, and from the government's point of view, you will always be seen as an alien and second class to a Thai national but that is not the view of the average Thai person on the street. Governments rarely are that, even in our home countries. 

 

After 25 years of living here I think I've gone as far as I can go, I have some great family and friends dotted around Thailand but at the end of the day Im still a Farang, none refer to me as that they either say my name or papa .

 

Always funny when I see farang's Wai other farang I think it becomes a habit, in the supermarket the other week some big Russian guy went to get a trolley same time as me and stand there Wai to me, so I gave him my trolley I just got another one.

6 minutes ago, 1FinickyOne said:

I think what you might be referring to is 2nd generation or people who went West very young... if you go into a real Chinatown you will see Chinese signs and hear Chinese spoken.. 

 

I like Thai language and culture mostly but and one of the nicest compliments I get is 'you are Thai already' but i will never assimilate 100% - mostly I am me 100% and pretty much like different things from many cultures..

Yeah, I hear from my gf that I am a Thai already when I take a bike, ride on a sidewalk and come back on the wrong side of the road risking my life instead of walking for 10 minutes.

40 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

they either say my name or papa .

 

Always funny when I see farang's Wai other farang

They call me uncle...

 

Actually, in this hot climate I definitely prefer a wai to a clammy handshake... 

"A bottle in front of me" is preferable

to "a frontal labotome"

 

A lot of sense in there, one is a choice the other a requirement, you decide which before you attempt to assimilate, resistance is futile.

In over 20 years of living in Thailand I experienced two farang guys who assimilated.

One of them lived here permanently. He went regular out with other Thai guys to drink and visit Thai brothels. As far as I know he didn't mix much with farangs, only for work.

And the other guy is here part time and part time in Europe. When he is in Thailand then he lives in a Thai area far away from any typical farang area. Sometimes he visits Phuket and as far as I know he goes there only to Phuket town. Not many farangs behave like that.

 

Personally I am often enough in fresh markets in Bangkok were I very seldom see any other farang. I feel comfortable there and I don't really notice anymore that I am the only farang around. But am I integrated and one of them? No!

 

I also think it's great for most of us that we are not integrated. Because that means we are not part of the Thai hierarchy. We can do lots of things Thais can't do or wouldn't do. We get away with all those "crazy farang" behavior. I like that. It makes life easy and uncomplicated.

 

 

it really depends on hat you mean by assimilating.

 

If you mean being regarded by Thais as completely one of them and in no way foreign, then no, not possible.

 

If you mean having close Thai friends, being well accepted by locals and being well adapted to the culture then yes.

Who would possibly want to? I love living here but thank God I was not born here - I love cats to but do I want to be one? 

We are very fortunate, farang education, pensions, open minds (mostly), date/marry girls 20+ years younger - why be a Thai? enjoy your retirement!  

35 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

 I like that. It makes life easy and uncomplicated

The reason I came here.

Keep my head down, do my thing.

Live way better than at home.

Wifes family accepts me, I help when I can.

Or at least tolerates me - good either way.