Do you think that it's possible as a foreigner to fully assimilate into Thai culture?

[Caldera]

I don't think it's possible, but in my opinion, the more interesting question is why a foreigner would even want to do that?

 

Most of the "ridiculous" foreigners I've encountered in Thailand belong to one of two distinct groups: The "go-native" crowd that tries too hard to be more Thai than the Thais themselves. Or the rabid "Thai basher" crowd that finds fault with everything and anything Thai. Sane and sorted expats, on the other hand, are usually found somewhere in the middle. 

[SouthernMan3]

12 minutes ago, Harveyboy said:

true words mate oil and water doesn't mix ..we can live here many will tolerate us us but as much as People might want we can never be the same ..

Agreed. I will however add (after 30+ yrs.The last 20 in the same place) many of my close Thai friends (especially women) like that I am not Thais.

Many Thais do not trust Thais, etc.  Enough said.

[Autonuaq]

Regardless what you think and feel, you always will be 'import'.

This is all around the world the same, for those who forgot even in the west (it is local) the same.

Look around in Thailand and the Thai themselves distinguish. import is several steps further down the line.  

 

Edited April 25, 2021 by Autonuaq

[Neeranam]

It is possible, but difficult. What would the world be like if ethnic minority groups didn't try to assimilate? 

 

[Stevemercer]

No. Being Thai is like being in a cult. Farang can pretend to be in the cult, but they are not.

 

Thai people can choose not to be in the cult (but it is very hard to avoid) or go and live in another country and leave the cult.

 

But if they come back to Thailand to live they will get sucked right back in.

[scorecard]

On 4/23/2021 at 1:10 PM, Pilotman said:

The answer is still no.  

 

I was born in a western country, both parents from that same typical western (caucasian) country.

 

From a little kid I asked my parents to buy me books about Asia, and of course as a little kid I thought Asia was a country, then I learned it's many countries.

 

Why was I fascinated by books about many aspects of Asia? I don't know and it's not important.

 

From early teens I stared dreaming of living in an Asian country and eating a lot of Asian food with rice. 

 

I found many Asian recipes in the local library (Chinese, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese and more) and I selected a few and asked my mom to make the dishes. She was an adventurous cook and we had many nice/delicious Asian dinners.

 

I started work and was quickly transferred to Singapore to work and from there to Thailand.

 

I've never wanted to be Thai. My desire was to be me living happily in Thailand. I set out to learn Thai language and I can handle most situations.

 

I met and partnered with a Thai lady, a doctor of medicine, she spoke perfect English. She's since passed away.

 

I spent a lot of time with her visiting her parents and other relatives. They saw me as the farang who respected them and their culture, they respected me and they made me very welcome.

    

Ultimately I've lived very comfortably and happily in every way in Thailand for a long time, and as said above I've never had any desire to become totally Thai. 

 

[Pilotman]

45 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

It is possible, but difficult. What would the world be like if ethnic minority groups didn't try to assimilate? 

 

Quieter and less dangerous perhaps?  Multi cultural integration is an out moded and largely discredited idea in many parts of the World. Even the UK's Trevor Philips now says that its an unattainable objective for UK society, having spouted that nonsense most of his adult life. I'm not suggesting any kind of separation, or apartheid, just accept the differences and in fact appreciate  and applaud them.  

[Pilotman]

7 minutes ago, scorecard said:

 

I was born in a western country, both parents from that same typical western (caucasian) country.

 

From a little kid I asked my parents to buy me books about Asia, and of course as a little kid I thought Asia was a country, then I learned it's many countries.

 

Why was I fascinated by books about many aspects of Asia? I don't know and it's not important.

 

From early teens I stared dreaming of living in an Asian country and eating a lot of Asian food with rice. 

 

I found many Asian recipes in the local library (Chinese, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese and more) and I selected a few and asked my mom to make the dishes. She was an adventurous cook and we had many nice/delicious Asian dinners.

 

I started work and was quickly transferred to Singapore to work and from there to Thailand.

 

I've never wanted to be Thai. My desire was to be me living happily in Thailand. I set out to learn Thai language and I can handle most situations.

 

I met and partnered with a Thai lady, a doctor of medicine, she spoke perfect English. She's since passed away.

 

I spent a lot of time with her visiting her parents and other relatives. They saw me as the farang who respected them and their culture, they respected me and they made me very welcome.

    

Ultimately I've lived very comfortably and happily in every way in Thailand for a long time, and as said above I've never had any desire to become totally Thai. 

 

An excellent post Sir. 

[herwin1234]

Too many farangs dont integrate or assimilate, they simply deeply despise all things Thai, and are just lov0ng their superiority feelings.

 

Most farangs are similar to the immigrant muslims in western countries who also deeply despise and loath their new home country.

 

integrating and assimilation isnt a big thing, it doesnt mean at all that you want to be a Thai person and forget where you are coming from.

 

integrating and assimilating is simply making efforts to understand your new home country, not compare it with your own home country, value it, and simply join daily Thai life.

 

Like the Romans said, when in Rome, do as the Romes, and like Bob Dylan did sing "dont critisize what you cant understand."[

 

lastly, if you coose out of free will to live in a new place, you should make effort to integrate.

[Neeranam]

Just now, Pilotman said:

Quieter and less dangerous perhaps?  Multi cultural integration is an out moded and largely discredited idea in many parts of the World. Even the UK's Trevor Philips now says that its an unattainable objective for UK society, having spouted that nonsense most of his adult life. I'm not suggesting any kind of separation, or apartheid, just accept the differences and in fact appreciate  and applaud them.  

I often go to Australia which has a Plural society. 2 years ago I had a very strange conversation with an ethnic Thai, who said she was pure Australian, and didn't want to speak Thai. 

Also in Aberdeen, I met a Buriram Noi who said she was from Aberdeen when I asked her in Thai where she was from, after I overheard her talking on her phone in Primart, and saying the weather was too cold and she was scared of farang! 

[VocalNeal]

Just thinking that most farangs here don't actually know what their own culture actually is so how can they define a foreign culture that they wish to be assimilated into.

 

The Borg make it much easier?

[Neeranam]

1 minute ago, VocalNeal said:

Just thinking that most farangs here don't actually know what their own culture actually is so how can they define a foreign culture that they wish to be assimilated into.

 

The Borg make it much easier?

I've no idea what or who you are talking about. 

[sirineou]

The problem with this poll was the "fully" part . 

  No one can fully assimilate into any  culture , especially one that is so different than ours, because the culture you grew up has helped shape your personality, and to  "fully" assimilate into another cloture would mean changing your personality an impossible task at a later stage in one's life. 

One can understand and respect a culture and try to live in harmony with, but totally assimilate is a very difficult part. 

[spidermike007]

Absolutely not. Why would you even try? What is so important about "belonging"? Even if we are married into a Thai family, we will always be considered a farang. I asked my wife the other day why she uses that word. She said it is because I am white, because I come from a great country, and she is proud of that. 

 

I tried to explain, that to me, it indicates that I am an outsider, and not one of them. She did not argue with that, but insisted there was nothing wrong with the word, or nothing derogatory about it. I used to feel that way, but more and more it does feel like it means outsider, and not one of us. 

 

Fortunately for me, I never felt the need to belong, even back in the US. 

[Neeranam]

5 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

I asked my wife the other day why she uses that word. She said it is because I am white, because I come from a great country, and she is proud of that.

You could ask her to stop. I told my wife 20 years ago never to refer to me as that and she complied.

[tgw]

On 4/23/2021 at 10:08 AM, WineOh said:

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.

 

yes, totally, there are literally millions of Burmese, Laotians, Cambodians, Indians, Chinese and Malays who did just that and many received Thai nationality.

[rodknock]

do you want to be as absant minded and as illiteret as a Thai?

buy the newest highest priced smart phone when a new one comes out??

sit home all day and watch soaps, work and drink at night?

[sirineou]

3 minutes ago, rodknock said:

do you want to be as absant minded and as illiteret as a Thai?

buy the newest highest priced smart phone when a new one comes out??

sit home all day and watch soaps, work and drink at night?

What are my other choices? 

[Lacessit]

IMO it is not possible, because Thais are inherently racist themselves. The attitude comes down from the very top.  It doesn't bother me, as the term farang is far less pejorative than the Japanese gaijin or Chinese gweiloh. I am amused by shopkeepers who need calculators when I've already added up the total cost in my head.

I've integrated as far as I want to, speak Thai reasonably well, eat about 80% Thai food, and live comfortably on my terms. I don't consider I would ever think like a Thai, nor would I desire that.

 

 

[pacovl46]

On 4/23/2021 at 5:06 AM, 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. 

Just because you fully assimilate does not mean that you have to give up your own heritage at all! 
Where is the problem with Thai citizenship? How many people migrate to the USA and then become American citizens or German or British or Australian? It happens all the time all over the world and there’s nothing wrong with it! 

[pacovl46]

I think it’s definitely possible. As a matter of fact, I think it would make your life a lot easier. Speaking fluent Thai and just going with the flow instead of holding on to the ridiculous notion that you know what’s best for Thailand they should do things the way you see fit as a westerner! 

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, scorecard said:

 

I was born in a western country, both parents from that same typical western (caucasian) country.

 

From a little kid I asked my parents to buy me books about Asia, and of course as a little kid I thought Asia was a country, then I learned it's many countries.

 

Why was I fascinated by books about many aspects of Asia? I don't know and it's not important.

 

From early teens I stared dreaming of living in an Asian country and eating a lot of Asian food with rice. 

 

I found many Asian recipes in the local library (Chinese, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese and more) and I selected a few and asked my mom to make the dishes. She was an adventurous cook and we had many nice/delicious Asian dinners.

 

I started work and was quickly transferred to Singapore to work and from there to Thailand.

 

I've never wanted to be Thai. My desire was to be me living happily in Thailand. I set out to learn Thai language and I can handle most situations.

 

I met and partnered with a Thai lady, a doctor of medicine, she spoke perfect English. She's since passed away.

 

I spent a lot of time with her visiting her parents and other relatives. They saw me as the farang who respected them and their culture, they respected me and they made me very welcome.

    

Ultimately I've lived very comfortably and happily in every way in Thailand for a long time, and as said above I've never had any desire to become totally Thai. 

 

I forgot one important item; with my Thai wife I had one son who is now married with 3 children (my grandchildren). I've had a great relationship with my son from his birth and today he's my best friend in life.

 

I live with my son and his Thai wife and their kids/my grandkids, we are a typical Asian family, 3 generations under the same roof, all happy and contended, there's no Thai/farang attitudes or issues, none at all.

 

I couldn't wish for anything more. 

[elliss]

7 hours ago, Excel said:

And also means Guava fruit in Thai

 

      Soi dog ...

[elliss]

1 hour ago, sirineou said:

What are my other choices? 

 

 May I humbly suggest a Kindle . 555

[sirineou]

5 minutes ago, elliss said:

 

 May I humbly suggest a Kindle . 555

Got one of those , one of these days I might even order some books, and find out what  "absant " is .  555

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, pacovl46 said:

instead of holding on to the ridiculous notion that you know what’s best for Thailand they should do things the way you see fit as a westerner! 

As a western person, why would I care how Thailand does things?

Can't say I much liked how they did stuff in the UK.

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

I've integrated as far as I want to, speak Thai reasonably well, eat about 80% Thai food, and live comfortably on my terms. I don't consider I would ever think like a Thai, nor would I desire that.

I did learn to read, write and speak Thai when I first arrived.

Only to find I had no interest in speaking to Thai people beyond simple commerce.

Slightly useful for reading road signs and notices though, and communicating with young ladies on ThaiFriendly.

[Bradmeister]

WineOh,

 

You're certainly not going to assimilate into anyplace if you label yourself as a Foreigner. You're first mistake. 

 

Have you lived in any other country besides your homeland? Or besides Thailand?

 

Have you lived on all 4 points of the compass in your homelands region? 

 

Do you integrate well with others and look past cultural boundaries?

 

Do you understand what it means to be culturally literate? 

 

Did you familiarize yourself with reading laws of this country?  At least the last 300 that have been proclaimed by the previous King of Thailand?

 

Do you understand the Thai language, speak Thai? ....or read or write in Thai? 

 

If you answered "!No" to any of these questions; then you already know the answer.

 

 

 

 

 

[Lacessit]

44 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I did learn to read, write and speak Thai when I first arrived.

Only to find I had no interest in speaking to Thai people beyond simple commerce.

Slightly useful for reading road signs and notices though, and communicating with young ladies on ThaiFriendly.

I gave up on reading and writing Thai, they are welcome to 44 consonants and 28 vowels. I have better things to do with my few remaining memory cells.

Many signs have English as well, the ones that don't, I just ask my Thai GF. I'll start worrying when they are all Chinese.

As far as communicating goes, I've found the sight of a 1000 baht note works pretty well anywhere in Thailand.

[Morty T]

After 7 years in country, with an average ability to speak, read and write. It was my opinion, that Thais themselves would never allow assimilation. As a 'round eye' you will always be considered a farang.