Annoyances

[The Gentleman Scamp]

I agree, well said Amby, though I think you'll just fire up the yanks even more.

Anyway, I was going to say motorbike taxi's which charge me 10bht just because I look well dressed that day, when I normally pay 5bt.

I don't hand over the additional 5bt easily I can tell you.

[mbkudu]

We Americans don't mind it too much if people hate us; we're almost as bad as the ultimate self loathers, the British. Oh, really I am terribly sorry, terribly sorry!

With your last comment I find it very hard to believe you have ever been to the U.K. and only know what you have seen in movies such as National Lampoons European Vacation etc... or anything with Hugh Grant in it playing, as he almost always does, an apologetic, bumbling English fop.

We are not self loathing but we do admit to being a shit, messed up country - something you people simply can't do, you are always blowing your own trumpet, saying how you're the land of the free and the land of oppertunity, yet you have never had a president who was black, female or gay, and I think you and I both know it's unlikely you ever would.

Read p1p's long posting that is a response to the complaints regarding 'America bashing'.

From what I could gather, P1P is himself an American, and one of the monority who's views I respect as they are not insular and he has actually stepped out of the ring and is open minded and smart enough to see things from the perspectives of others.

It is your ATTITUDE to your country and to other countries which pisses people off, and this is what creates so much hate, enough hate to plan a terrorist attack such as 9/11 - something you STILL haven't learned from or understood because you were too busy saying, "We are the united States of America - how dare you attack us, we are the most powerful country in the world, revenge revenge etc..."

-Cue banners and sympathy and celebrities and tribute concerts... Now don't for a minute think I condone the attacks, but I do understand them because I, and even some of your fellow Americans are open minded enough and intelligent enough to understand WHY that day happened.

Now I feel I have been fair this time and not just trying to wind you guys up, but LEARN to take criticism on the chin - us Brits can for crying out loud, why can't you?

I hope this posting doesn't get me trouble with the mods, but I wouldn't be surprised if we are referred to the Bear Pit for future discussions, but you won't find me in there cause there's no point in discussing this because you're never going to hold your hands up and say, "I suppose I do see your point, it's not a great time to be an American and I'm not proud of what my country has done to the world but please don't judge me on the faults of my country as a whole, we're not all the same". Some Americans do and they get respect for it and people then listen to them and give them a chance, but most don't because you guys can't admit any sort of defeat, faliure, fault or shortcoming.

And that is one heck of an annoyance.

Believe Sir, I am in complete oppositon to American foreign and much dosmestic policy. The current government is in my opinion the worst we have ever had.

I have, however, been given the evil eye, cold shoulder whatever you want to call

it by some of your countrymen just because I answered their question "Where are you from?" the wrong way, America. Yes, I have been to London, and I liked it.

It was when I was about 18, a long time ago. Have you been to America? I'll admit

that our government and corporate structure is shit, but there are many good, decent people in America who are very disturbed by the current state of the country. If you want to make a blanket statement about my ATTITUDE, Ambassador, you can go #### yourself!

[stroll]

Myself and my less patient mates are gonna have a brief chat with them scruffy turtles hiding under that funny hat, who can't keep their beaks off the keyboard, on Saturday.

Expect some apologies to be posted soon.

[tatom]

I think only 10% of Americans have passports because they like it right where they are.

[thaihome]

blah, blah, blah

I am not sure how you get the idea that Americans don't admit to themselves that there are serious problems. Since you don't live in the US, you have little or no exposure to the local population or media. There is now, and has been for some time, serious angst among the majority of the people on where US society is headed. Problem is, there is no agreement on what the problems are, to say nothing of the solutions.

As far as electing a black or woman or gay as president, this shows a basic lack of understanding of the US government. We are not the parliamentary form you know. The president is the head of one of 3 equal and counter balancing branches of the government. Both the Congress and Supreme Court (the other 2) have blacks, women and gays (at least in congress, not in Supreme Court).

You mention understanding why 9/11 happened because of the US's actions in the world. Well, I understand why the IRA was setting off bombs in the UK a few years ago. No people in the history of the world have been more f***ked over for so long then the Irish by the English. That doesn’t make it right nor would I ever say or even imply that you deserved it.

I am not proud of all the things my country has done, but I still feel very strongly that considering the alternatives, overall the world is a better place because of the USA. For every thing you consider bad, I can give you an example of something that has bettered the world. For every example of something you consider bad, I can give you an example of something your country as done just as bad.

As far as the 10% of Americans having passports (which is still some 25 million passports), people that quote that figure in the derisive manner displayed here, fail to realize that the US is about 3,000 miles wide and 2,000 miles long. You can spend every holiday of your working life just trying to see the diverse areas of the US. Also, you don’t need a passport to go to Canada, border areas of Mexico, and most Caribbean countries. Lots of people never get one, but they are nevertheless better travelled then most Europeans who go to Spain for holiday.

My whole point is your resentment of the US seems to be based on misconceptions, misinformation and a bias rooted in what I can only attribute to an envy of our current place in the world.

TH

[dutch]

thaihome,

If we only could have had the forum discussion about america bashing,the way p1p and you put their opinions on the table.!

Me as an european, will be better informed by usa residents,who try to bring their messages in a civilized way.

I try to follow the local(usa) news,having Fox as well as CNN as my dailt guests.

[dutch]

pls read daily instead of dailt.

[mbkudu]

Ambassador, I hope you don't take what I said too seriously. The most absurd thing about all this is that if we ever met in a pub we'd probably get along fine,

I'd like to hope. I made an agreement with myself a few years back that I would never start a conversation concerning politics with someone I just met. If they started first then I would engage, otherwise forget it. I guess this is one of those

catch-22 things; if everybody followed this, nobody would be talking about politics.

[thaihome]

thaihome,

If we only could have had the forum discussion about america bashing,the way p1p and you put their opinions on the table.!

Me as an european, will be better informed by usa residents,who try to bring their messages in a civilized way.

I try to follow the local(usa) news,having Fox as well as CNN as my dailt guests.

Yes, I was very disappointed that only one side was allowed to be presented in that thread before it was closed.

Please note that neither Fox News or CNN are local news. If you want to see local news, you need to read the dailies or local TV stations sites from various cities.

TH

[maerim]

As far as the 10% of Americans having passports (which is still some 25 million passports), people that quote that figure in the derisive manner displayed here, fail to realize that the US is about 3,000 miles wide and 2,000 miles long. You can spend every holiday of your working life just trying to see the diverse areas of the US. Also, you don’t need a passport to go to Canada, border areas of Mexico, and most Caribbean countries. Lots of people never get one, but they are nevertheless better travelled then most Europeans who go to Spain for holiday

Yes and eat Mc Donalds KFC and all the the rest of the franchised crap that make Americans so fat and gross.

As to annoyances the worst thing, even though you don't export people so much but you sure do export crap food ideas and the advertising techniques to get people to eat this rubbish.

Now lets have a big cheer for sugar salt and fat and all sorts of health problems down the line, Hurrah.

[autonomous_unit]

Please note that neither Fox News or CNN are local news. If you want to see local news, you need to read the dailies or local TV stations sites from various cities.

TH

Not to mention that any news paints a terribly distorted view of a population or community! Market pressures lead the style to be shaped for a median public that does not exist.

Also, the points made about the sheer size of the US cannot be emphasized enough. Different states have large differences in cultural norm, political leanings, etc. As a native Californian up until my move here, I am always amused at how parts of the US like to refer to us as another country or an unwelcome guest. (Some people still do even after they moved there for the good life). In fact, our economy is one of the largest in the world---ranked right around that of France if I remember correctly, so maybe we are another country.

But what is just as amusing in these country-bashing threads is that they all ignore the wide variations in culture and life that reach right down to the street level. California is not the US. Northern California is not Southern California. Berkeley is not Northern California. Telegraph Avenue is not Berkeley.

We spend a little time getting to know Thailand and speak about the different cities and regions and special somethings and we sense... humanity. But we speak about other places and politics and suddenly it's all bogeymen and cartoon cutouts.

[thaihome]

Yes and eat Mc Donalds KFC and all the the rest of the franchised crap that make Americans so fat and gross.

As to annoyances the worst thing, even though you don't export people so much but you sure do export crap food ideas and the advertising techniques to get people to eat this rubbish.

Now lets have a big cheer for sugar salt and fat and all sorts of health problems down the line, Hurrah.

Your view of the US is so distorted by your prejudice it is impossible to have a rational discussion with you.

TH

[mbkudu]

As far as the 10% of Americans having passports (which is still some 25 million passports), people that quote that figure in the derisive manner displayed here, fail to realize that the US is about 3,000 miles wide and 2,000 miles long. You can spend every holiday of your working life just trying to see the diverse areas of the US. Also, you don’t need a passport to go to Canada, border areas of Mexico, and most Caribbean countries. Lots of people never get one, but they are nevertheless better travelled then most Europeans who go to Spain for holiday

Yes and eat Mc Donalds KFC and all the the rest of the franchised crap that make Americans so fat and gross.

As to annoyances the worst thing, even though you don't export people so much but you sure do export crap food ideas and the advertising techniques to get people to eat this rubbish.

Now lets have a big cheer for sugar salt and fat and all sorts of health problems down the line, Hurrah.

This is an annoyance, this thread is spilling into the 'westernisation' thread.

[Bluecat]

American, American, American.

You like them or you hate them.

But you like it or not, you need them,...

[ambassador]

Ambassador, I hope you don't take what I said too seriously. The most absurd thing about all this is that if we ever met in a pub we'd probably get along fine,

I'd like to hope. I made an agreement with myself a few years back that I would never start a conversation concerning politics with someone I just met. If they started first then I would engage, otherwise forget it. I guess this is one of those

catch-22 things; if everybody followed this, nobody would be talking about politics.

We probably would get along fine.

I have met a few Americans out here and too many have been the sort of Americans who wouldn't make you proud and one who I actually became friends with turned out to be a real ###### too which isn't justification to judge all with the same brush I know, but it doesn't help ones view when good experiences are so few.

There was a post a week or so ago that said "We are the best country in the world" or words to that affect, and weather it was said as a wind up or not, I took the bait and it set me off.

You sound like one of the good ones and to be honest, most American expats as opposed to tourists are much more accommodating to an international way of thinking.

Stroll, with all due respect, I don't need you to have a word with me on Saturday - I can fight my corner when needed and I can make my own apologies when I've overstepped the line - I don't recall bad mouthing Germany at any point so let's just keep Saturday as a fun get together which is what it's supposed to be.

If mbkudu and thaihome are coming then they are more than welcome as far as I'm concerned - I don't expect what has been a war of words on a computer screen to be continued face to face with Americans who I can see now are not of the small minded variety and who I'm sure are as decent and likebale as I am.

I'm tired of fighting, we've all made our point so shall we shake hands now?

We're all foreigners over here after all.

[kwangandjo]

Hey, why don't we all stick to the initial thread, ok?

Everybody has some kind of annoyances, nothing wrong with that. Just keep cool in discussions. Don't start to get personal or national. Patriotism is fine, nationalism is something else. Everyone is entitled to love their country. It doesn't mean you have to hate somebody else's. I, myself don't even want to know of singing the national hymn (my knowledge of it doesn't go further than the tune). I just don't see the point of it. I feel it's rather something nationalistic than patriotic.

LITTLE annoyances:

1. Me having to pay 200 Bt as my gf only has to pay 20 Bt to enter a national park.

2. Coming out of e.g. my local 7-eleven and some truck is speeding by as if he is doing a rally and wants to be the first to be in Dakar. (Honking the horn from some distance for some time seems enough whether there are many people around or not)

3. The mosquitoes (why don't they just suck my blood without making it itch, I'd have no problem with that)

4. Thai TV. A few programmes with some educational value would be nice for Thai people and me Got a bit bored of the endless soaps adults like to watch but seem to be for people up until the age of 14. This last one is not really an annoyance, rather a wish.

For the rest, I can't think of something else yet. Will try to hurt my grey cells for more which is bugging me. All in all, I'm quite happy here

[kwangandjo]

Oh, got another one

5. Just because a toilet is somewhere you s**t and p** , doesn't mean it should be immensely dirty . But then again, it's not something typical Thai. In Indonesia e.g. I saw worse.

[thaihome]

I'm tired of fighting, we've all made our point so shall we shake hands now?

We're all foreigners over here after all.

I have been living and working overseas for going on 6 years now. Virtually all my friends are Brits of various tribal backgrounds, so I am quite used to this stuff.

Nothing you have said have I taken personally, so easy to just let it go.

TH

[splitlid]

how about on coming traffic flashing their headlights at you to let you know they are there..

yes i can see you..your a blo@dy bus!!!!!!!

[mbkudu]

I'm tired of fighting, we've all made our point so shall we shake hands now?

We're all foreigners over here after all.

I have been living and working overseas for going on 6 years now. Virtually all my friends are Brits of various tribal backgrounds, so I am quite used to this stuff.

Nothing you have said have I taken personally, so easy to just let it go.

TH

I agree as well. Most of my friends in Thailand are from England, Australia, America and New Zealand. I do also agree on one key point that Ambassador said.

I think it was that most long term American residents in Thailand had a different perspective on the world than the average tourist.

[fatter than harry]

how about on coming traffic flashing their headlights at you to let you know they are there..yes i can see you..your a blo@dy bus!!!!!!!

hehehehe, that really gets me too - especially when your waiting to turn across the oncoming traffic and this cement drooling monolith is towering towards you at 130k's, 12 feet behind the car in front of him.....and he flashes you.....like you were going to attempt to squeeze across his amphetamine junkie'd bows anyway...evil b@stards

Talking of which, and in a Harry-Palmer / 17-year-old-holiday-representative-in-magaleef, eager-to-do-anything-to-please / small-puppy-dog-type-way, which evil villain are you? http://www.liquidgeneration.com/quiz/villain_quiz.asp

[kwangandjo]

how about on coming traffic flashing their headlights at you to let you know they are there..

yes i can see you..your a blo@dy bus!!!!!!!

How could I forget to mention that one!

[autonomous_unit]

I haven't gotten around to driving yet, so some more pedestrian annoyances:

1. Thais drive on the left, but on foot they seem to reverse to passing on the right. Is this fatalism or denial to want to have your back to traffic as you walk along the curb?

2. The humidity. I'm fine-tuned for a dry climate and after 20 minutes walking on a nice day like today I look like the victim of a delayed Songkran blessing (or the walking dead, depending on which shirt I'm wearing).

3. Low ceilings in supermarkets. I expect to duck under odd items along busy sidewalks but it is hard to look for items on the shelves inside while simultaneously running my head through a slalom of light fixtures, pipes, and jagged bolts.

4. Watching a candy wrapper blow in one window of our apartment, swirl around the room, and shoot out another window.

[Begs]

4. Watching a candy wrapper blow in one window of our apartment, swirl around the room, and shoot out another window.

If you find this annoying, try smoking some Joints or dropping some ACID whilst in your apartment, i can guarantee that you will find the candy wrappers entertaining.....

[autonomous_unit]

If you find this annoying, try smoking some Joints or dropping some ACID whilst in your apartment, i can guarantee that you will find the candy wrappers entertaining.....

Right, but with my luck I would just start seeing wrappers and bugs creeping around the edges of everything...

[20yearsinthai]

Annoyances!!

Waiting patiently in line at checkout in a 7-11 and some fat thai bitch cuts ahead of me.

Policemen who stand and wave on traffic on the super highway. youre speeding along at 120 and theres some fat pig cop waving you to keep going. I feel like stopping and asking him--"are you sure its ok to go"

"Duh Which way did he go"

Bangkok traffic

Those stupid american shows on UBC where there is some falong bitchs yelling "oh my god" every time anything happens.

BTW I'm an american

Some of those british snobby accents also turn me off

Thai clinics and hospitols--without fail it takes me 3 seperate visits and 3 sets of medicines to get over a cold--each doctor saying the pills i had before were not the rigtht ones.

[ThaiGirlTeen]

Annoyances!!

Waiting patiently in line at checkout in a 7-11 and some fat thai bitch cuts ahead of me.

You seem to be the right type of American that is so popular the world over.

Such a nice way with words.

[20yearsinthai]

Annoyances!!

Waiting patiently in line at checkout in a 7-11 and some fat thai bitch cuts ahead of me.

You seem to be the right type of American that is so popular the world over.

Such a nice way with words.

Sorry-- Just getting a little screwed over at work today. I actaully have very good manners.--frustrated at my own situation.

I love thailand

[fatter than harry]

Please! Stop this America Bashing Now!!!

[Bluecat]

Please! Stop this America Bashing Now!!!

Good picture FTH.

Get a brain.

MORANS.

Go to USA.

Not to learn English, though,...