Preparedness and Thais....the twain will rarely meet.

[Fore Man]

1 hour ago, Sparktrader said:

I know Thais married 40 years. Dont know any westerners like that, all dead.

There was an excellent article in an Asian economic affairs magazine 15+ years ago that compared the span of marriages between Western men and Asian women, ranked by nationality of Asian wives.  By far, the most enduring mixed marriages were seen with Thai spouses.  These marriages averaged well over two decades, likely inhibited primarily by the death of the western husband.  As I recall, Filipina wives ranked just behind Thai women.  The gist of the article was that these two groups of women tended to be more loyal, less demanding and easier to live with than women from other Asian countries, particularly Korea and Japan.  There's always outliers of course and we all know of failed marriages between Farangs and Thai women, but as a rule these marriages outlast all other nationalities, even when measured against marriages with Thai men.

[VinnieK]

3 hours ago, Adumbration said:

The core of the issue here is face.

 

Preparedness requires planning.  Effective planning requires swot analysis.  But Thais will not call out or identify weakness or fault because doing so would result in loss of face.

 

Continuous improvement is a legislated requirement in many western countries.  But it also falls over here because the starting point is to indentify problems.  Lose of face gets in the way here also.

Face seems to trump everything here.

There's also an addiction to doing pleasurable things only.

Considering negative senarios and taking pre-emptive action is not sanook..

Clearing the blocked drains will happen only during a flood..????

 

[BonMot]

8 hours ago, Denim said:

Doing nothing is a lot easier than doing something for people who live in the here and now. Buddhist training manifested into today's world. 

 

I saw this fine example of me me me mai pen rai at local Big C today :

 

1 truck = 3 spaces

 

 

I'm lost how the photo at all relates to your statement.

 

He's actually thinking ahead. Proactively protecting the vehicle from getting dinged by morons opening their doors on it.

[BonMot]

8 hours ago, Kalorymetr said:

Most people here are like that, if you want a solution, find educated woman, especially western educated. They are "normal".

If you want to live with village girl, prepare for village wisdom.

 

Can't change them.

This is absolutely true.

 

Even if not educated well by Thai simply going to a decent/ well regarded secondary school, having some university and an office job.

 

The people (and women) being discussed have zero education and throughout there lives at the bottom of Thai pecking order, no money, no access to finance. At 25-30 realization no way forward. Add to this deep family obligation that strips them of money, opportunity. I'm not making excuses for them but that's the reality.

 

Plan for tomorrow. With which critical thinking skills? What money? What TIME?

 

Women left with few options can be mercenary here and back in your home countries.

[BonMot]

To address everything that's been said - none of this will be getting better with all the internet addiction.

[VinnieK]

10 minutes ago, BonMot said:

To address everything that's been said - none of this will be getting better with all the internet addiction.

..and of the most Samsaric kind ie TikTok

[Andycoops]

Thai's live in the here and now as is inherent in  Bhuddism, so what happens today is considered to be the priority which effects their karma and progression into their after life.

 

[nobodysfriend]

22 hours ago, Kenny202 said:

I sometimes think Thais like to live with uncertainty and calamity

Just stupid . No intelligence , no foresight , no care ....

[Lemsta69]

19 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

Just stupid . No intelligence , no foresight , no care ....

sounds like most of the farang I've met whilst here in Thailand.

[Lacessit]

49 minutes ago, Andycoops said:

Thai's live in the here and now as is inherent in  Bhuddism, so what happens today is considered to be the priority which effects their karma and progression into their after life.

 

Spot on. My GF does not like it at all when I try to explain what she should do after I die, it's something she does not want to discuss.

[thailand49]

From my experience it is education and where we come from. 

Don't get me wrong people like this everywhere but noted it seem to be everywhere particularly the lower class but I don't like to past judgement????.

I have a brother who died of throat and Lung cancer two year prior doctor wanted him to check his response " why fix something that isn't broken "

This seem in general the way it is so I just go about my day checking and fixing it myself.  

I prepare for everything my daughter in law works hard with little money. A while back I open her seat put in a rain tarp, inside her registration pouch 2 / 500 baht. One day raining battery dead plus flat calls my son she was short of money to pay I said look under seat and pouch. 

Back of house I cleaned it up made it my personal office files of docs in English and Thai all in order for my final days they look and their faces it is all foreign to them. ????

[Sparktrader]

2 hours ago, Lemsta69 said:

sounds like most of the farang I've met whilst here in Thailand.

Correct.

[Bangkok Barry]

12 hours ago, 1FinickyOne said:

Spontaneity. Living in the moment. 

 

As difficult as it can be for us Westerners, in a crazy sort of way, isn't that part of the charm of being here? 

 

I probably spend too much time worrying about the future. That was my training and I am not sure it is a better philosophy. 

In a similar vein, we spend much time worrying and thinking about things we have absolutely no control over, such as the exchange rate or the war in Ukraine. The Thais don't give a rat's fart as they know nothing they do or say will change anything. I see their point, but it isn't the way I'd like to live. It just isn't 'us'. 

[Bangkok Barry]

3 hours ago, Lemsta69 said:

sounds like most of the farang I've met whilst here in Thailand.

You clearly mix with the wrong people, which isn't a great reflection on you. But it's okay - I'm sure you just made a flippant post and didn't really mean it ????

 

[1FinickyOne]

15 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

In a similar vein, we spend much time worrying and thinking about things we have absolutely no control over, such as the exchange rate or the war in Ukraine. The Thais don't give a rat's fart as they know nothing they do or say will change anything. I see their point, but it isn't the way I'd like to live. It just isn't 'us'. 

Well, it isn't what we grew up with - but not everything I grew up with was good... 

 

I would say that here people are happier than my home country... and it is better for me to live in a happy environment.. 

[BonMot]

3 hours ago, nobodysfriend said:

Just stupid . No intelligence , no foresight , no care ....

You're still here?

[Gluuay yai]

You clearly do not understand the basic principles of Thailand.....EVERYTHING up to Buddha.

[Robin]

"If you think about  something, or talk about it, you will make it happen" 

So much better not to think about anything unpleasnant.

[2009]

10 minutes ago, Gluuay yai said:

You clearly do not understand the basic principles of Thailand.....EVERYTHING up to Buddha.

But then Thais don't understand Buddhism.

 

Buddha ain't some kind of decision making god.

[2009]

5 minutes ago, Robin said:

"If you think about  something, or talk about it, you will make it happen" 

So much better not to think about anything unpleasnant.

Explains why they don't wear helmets or look around corners before driving onto the road.

[2009]

13 minutes ago, BonMot said:

You're still here?

Why wouldn't he be?

[AustinRacing]

Lack of planning and forward thinking are signs of low intelligence.  In my experience average Thai has low IQ. Combine that with low drive and laziness you get what we have now in Thailand. 

[Gluuay yai]

1 hour ago, 2009 said:

But then Thais don't understand Buddhism.

 

Buddha ain't some kind of decision making god.

Correct mostly because Buddha isnt a god. Buddhism isnt a religion. Thais practice a hodge podge of buddhism, animism, magic and who knows what else. Oh and most importantly my post wasnt to be taken at all in any way seriously, and up to Buddha has as much theological weight as up to you or money number one.

  Keep this just between you and me nothing is actually "up to Buddha" its just a saying. ????

[DJ54]

15 hours ago, Denim said:

I saw this fine example of me me me mai pen rai at local Big C today :

 

1 truck = 3 spaces

Probably a Farang that didn’t want to get door dings…. 555