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

[sirineou]

3 minutes ago, Morty T said:

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. 

As much as I love the Thai people, to the point of having been called a "Thai Apologist" I have to agree with the above. 

[Surasak]

On 4/23/2021 at 12:53 PM, CharlieH said:

"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.

More or less taken the words out of my mouth. I was going to say, prior to assimilation would a brain transplant be required? 

[Surasak]

On 4/23/2021 at 2:57 PM, EVENKEEL said:

Wow, you have a dinner table?  hi-so yeah..

I have a dinner table, only because if I were to get down on the floor, I would never get back up again.

[Excel]

1 minute ago, Surasak said:

More or less taken the words out of my mouth. I was going to say, prior to assimilation would a brain transplant be required? 

Brain removal would be more approriate

[Percy P]

On 4/23/2021 at 10:44 AM, mstevens said:

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. 

Correçt.A cow born in a stable doesn't become horse.

[Percy P]

1 minute ago, Percy P said:

Correçt.A cow born in a stable doesn't become a horse.

 

[tgw]

3 hours ago, Morty T said:

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. 

 

well, after all those years you should be well aware that "farang" means caucasian, often including an undertone.

[Dont confuse me]

How on earth can you integrate or indeed feel accepted in any way when you are constantly subjected to duel pricing.

Look at Phuket Airport,  free covid-19 for Thais falang have to pay (as always).

[Hanuman2547]

12 hours ago, Pilotman said:

Okay, fair enough. For me, I would not wish to be associated with this Country as one of its citizens. It's far too corrupt, socially and educationally immature and frankly too Third World for me to be a legal citizen. I live here, temporally, only because my wife is Thai and my youngest daughter, mixed race. Interestingly, my youngest would give up her Thai citizenship easily and may well do so at some point, for all the reasons that I would support. 

Both of my luk krung boys grew up in Thailand attending good Thai schools in Bangkok.  We left when the oldest was 15 so they could attend high school in the US.  They have been back to visit Thailand a few times but really have no interest in living or working there.  They both have Thai passports, are listed in the House Registration, and have their Thai ID.  They are both in their 30's now and busy with their careers.  Thailand is really not in their future.  

[Lacessit]

3 hours ago, tgw said:

 

well, after all those years you should be well aware that "farang" means caucasian, often including an undertone.

It's a paradox, because while Thais are convinced their way of life ( Thainess ) is superior, they cringe at the thought of looking stupid in front of a farang. Complete loss of face.

[Lacessit]

6 hours ago, Surasak said:

I have a dinner table, only because if I were to get down on the floor, I would never get back up again.

Even the most obese Thais seem to have the ability to fold themselves like a pretzel. I guess if you are sitting on the floor from birth, chairs are unnecessary and effete.

[pacovl46]

10 hours ago, BritManToo said:

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.

Well, congratulations then! You’re one of the rational thinking ones then! 

[1FinickyOne]

16 hours ago, seancbk said:

I consider Thailand my home as this is where I am living, I don't think in terms of assimilating.

I doubt that it is a thought that passes anyone's mind too often... we mostly assimilate as a matter of % according to our wants and needs... 

[1FinickyOne]

5 hours ago, Dont confuse me said:

How on earth can you integrate or indeed feel accepted in any way when you are constantly subjected to duel pricing.

Look at Phuket Airport,  free covid-19 for Thais falang have to pay (as always).

seems a non-starter to me.. has nothing to do w/extent of assimilating.. my home country has countless examples of dual pricing based on county, state, age etc... 

[Fex Bluse]

It's not really possible to fully assimilate because Thai culture doesn't permit it. To be fair, virtually every Asian culture is exclusive and closed. It took the Chinese thousands of years.. White westerners don't have the option.

 

I find a happy place to be is knowing enough of the Thai language to communicate with them, being mindful of key customs particularly around important topics and the recognition of hierarchy.

 

But as others said, we have our own western cultures. I'm quite proud of mine. Contrary to popular belief, even other Asians who largely assimilate bring a considerable part of their own culture. Take the Chinese for instance. 

 

Have respect for Thai and expect them to have respect for you.

 

The most ridiculous people are the ones westerners who think they will ever be fully accepted as one of the Thai by completely dropping their own western culture in favor of Thai. Nothing is more ridiculous

Edited April 26, 2021 by Fex Bluse

[thaibeachlovers]

20 hours ago, BritManToo said:

That's because 'farang' means Caucasian and not foreigner.

Nationality is irrelevant.

It apparently referred specifically to the French, from way back centuries ago, but has come to apply to any white skinned person. Chinese and Indians are not farangs. Given the amount of Chinese that have lived in LOS for generations some Chinese tourists may even be related to Thais.

[thaibeachlovers]

38 minutes ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

Those dang flies can be problematic....

Thais use chopsticks? Do tell.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 4/23/2021 at 3:53 PM, richard_smith237 said:

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?”....

Hmmmm. I obviously never used taxis enough in LOS, as I never heard that.

However, in Singapore I could never get into a taxi without being offered a "nice girl".

[Johnny Mac]

Why ask a question that you know the answer to, that even a child knows the answer to???

 

Apart from no being the obvious answer, I have zero interest in doing so. Thai's are a boring bunch of people.

Edited April 26, 2021 by Johnny Mac

[Alex2554]

On 4/23/2021 at 6:26 AM, ezzra said:

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

 

Rudyard Kipling...

But there is neither East nor West, Border, nor Breed, nor Birth,     
 When two strong men stand face to face, tho’ they come from the ends of the earth.
Rudyard Kipling

[NanLaew]

On 4/25/2021 at 4:23 PM, Neeranam said:

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

 

 

Myanmar? It has 136 recognized ethnic groups and at least 100 distinctly different languages.

[Neeranam]

On 4/26/2021 at 7:41 AM, Fex Bluse said:

The most ridiculous people are the ones westerners who think they will ever be fully accepted as one of the Thai by completely dropping their own western culture in favor of Thai. Nothing is more ridiculous

I think one day, maybe in 100 years, Westerners will be accepted. However, it needs us to start integrating, and stop marrying Buriram Nois.

My children have been fully accepted, as all half-castes have been for some years now. 

[2009]

On 4/23/2021 at 10:48 AM, DavidH555 said:

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

 

I do, too.

 

But not for the in-laws; they are a bunch of redshirts.

[aboctok]

On 4/23/2021 at 10:48 AM, DavidH555 said:

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

In some parts, that might take you backwards.

[aboctok]

On 4/25/2021 at 6:00 PM, Lacessit said:

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.

 

 

Many (and I mean many) Thai shopkeepers need that calculator when there's only one item. After realising in delighted shock that you speak Thai, they happily have a conversation with you—in Thai—before reaching for a big clownish calculator when it's time to announce the price. Obviously, Thai is not your native language—you probably still haven't learned numbers.

[Maha Sarakham]

When I first started coming to Thailand, I went through incredible efforts to learn Thai.  Over time, I've realized its a cheap party trick that gets people asking 'why can you speak Thai?' and gets them clamoring amongst themselves about how many Thai girlfriends you've had and how long you've lived in Thailand.  Beyond that, very little of value has come out of it and I would not recommend it to anyone. 

 

We will always be regarded as 'Farang'.  Furthermore, I have nothing in common with most Thai men to want to assimilate anyways.

[thaibeachlovers]

3 hours ago, Maha Sarakham said:

When I first started coming to Thailand, I went through incredible efforts to learn Thai.  Over time, I've realized its a cheap party trick that gets people asking 'why can you speak Thai?' and gets them clamoring amongst themselves about how many Thai girlfriends you've had and how long you've lived in Thailand.  Beyond that, very little of value has come out of it and I would not recommend it to anyone. 

 

We will always be regarded as 'Farang'.  Furthermore, I have nothing in common with most Thai men to want to assimilate anyways.

I can remember only one occasion when speaking more Thai than the basic I knew would have been of benefit for me. I spent most of my time in English speaking areas, and when I didn't I had married a translator.

Frankly, I had no desire to know what the village gossips were saying about "the farang". 

[GinBoy2]

5 hours ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

This!  If I can speak thai then the ONLY way possible is by having a thai gf it seems---as opposed to immersion......so I mirror thais back by saying they have a farang bf since they can ask me "where u from"....oooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhh,,no..mai mee......oh??? then HOW did you learn english? the bar?

I gave up.

 

I'm a bit of a polyglot and I speak both Thai and Lao fluently, yet I can't tell you how many time I've spoken to someone in a store, and they won't answer me, but speak directly to my wife, like I was invisible.

 

This isn't unique to Thailand, and this probably sums it up nicely

 

 

[Maha Sarakham]

4 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

I gave up.

 

I'm a bit of a polyglot and I speak both Thai and Lao fluently, yet I can't tell you how many time I've spoken to someone in a store, and they won't answer me, but speak directly to my wife, like I was invisible.

 

How could I forget, that one is a classic too.  It's better to just let the wife run the show in Thailand.

[Rhys]

... it helps...