Thainess - What Is It?

[sungod]

1 minute ago, Hummin said:

Surgical mask makes perfectly sense in traffic Because of pollution, as well they where forced to use masks by the authorities. I used helmet but no mask while riding, but for thais to use mask is not that complicated even before covid it was normal many cities also in villages. 

Actually surgical masks make no sense at all, should be wearing N95 masks that filter pm2.5 particles if you are concerned about pollution.

[Hummin]

5 minutes ago, sungod said:

Actually surgical masks make no sense at all, should be wearing N95 masks that filter pm2.5 particles if you are concerned about pollution.

Thought we where talking about normal things thais do, not the science behind it ????

[sungod]

Just now, Hummin said:

Thought we where talking about normal things thais do, not the science behind it ????

Exactly, full circle and be are back on topic of Thainess! It doesn't have to make sense!

 

Glad we agree ????

[Neeranam]

2 hours ago, Walker88 said:

As with any belief system, from religion to nationalism, there is a wholesale version and a retail version. By that I mean the theoretical belief system (wholesale) and how the masses actually practice it (retail) One barely has a connection to the other, as at the retail level everything from superstition to bias to insecurity to delusion enters into the picture.

 

Proponents of any wholesale version tend to be in positions of authority, and their primary goal is control, which is to say maintaining their privileged position. The more persuasive they are---persuasion involves everything from creating feelings of guilt to outright criminal charges for not observing the tenets---the better they are able to control and keep their exalted status.

 

Every nation, even society, every culture and every tribe likes to think of itself as unique and special. There really isn’t an objective reality, though one could construct a benchmark and judge ‘uniqueness’ against that, but we don’t do that. Instead, we give every nation, culture, society and tribe the proverbial Participation Trophy. Everybody’s a winner and everybody feels good about themselves, whether a society ever offered any value to the species or not.

 

I’ve had the opportunity to reside in 10 countries, for a minimum of two years in each. Every single one believed its culture was unique, special, gifted, the best. Among the 10 nations every major faith was represented, and in most all the believers were absolutely certain that theirs was the One Truth. These faiths also have wholesale and retail versions, the retail usually characterized by older superstitions upon which the supposed One Truth was spread like butter on bread. In fact, the superstitions are much stronger and sit at odds with the actual dogma, but everyone just ignores that and calls themselves pious or spiritual. We all can name examples, so I'll refrain.

 

Often the beliefs, including about each society’s icons, are delusional. To remain within the boundaries of forum decorum, I’ll use as an example Popes of the Catholic faith. Ostensibly infallible, it’s pretty easy to see some---like Alexander VI---were pretty nasty and immoral. Nobody is infallible and nobody is semi-divine. Iconoclasts do society a service. Ideally, a society is respectful and loyal to principles, not persons, but humans seem to need gods in a variety of forms (sadly, even the USA).

 

So what is "Thainess" ? It seems to be whatever anyone wants to think it should be, whether it is or not. All of the "isms" and "ness" any society has are primarily---at the retail level---refuges into which one retreats to stand against "others" and outsiders. It's institutionalized tribalism, the same as any nation or society's self-defined identity. Individuals may be weak and vulnerable, but when retreating into a group or tribe, they feel stronger and more secure.

 

Great post. 

 

All cultures generally dislike or fear foreigners. I feel that some here have rather Colonial attitudes and can't accept this fact, so subconsciously, or not, bash Thailand's culture. Can't have them pesky Siamese thinking they are superior to I. 

 

Perhaps as many on this forum are retirees, they have worked hard in their society and want to relax and have fun with young women, despite their false teeth, lumbago, and prostate issues. They can't understand the contemplative life, or the Thai tradition of renunciation, apart from the Hippies.  They have not been taught to live in the present, but to always work for the future, hence think Thais, who are taught to live in the Now, are judged as lazy. 

 

Some things shock those who have no cultural awareness, like for example, apologising or making amends. When you study the culture, you can see there are valid reasons for the differences. I'd say have the Buddhists here believe that 'negative' Karmic consequences can't be erased by apologising or making amends. The 'negative' Karma is going to come around an bite you in the <deleted> either in this life or later ones so why try to change it like the way Catholics are brought up. The Bashers just see that things are done differently and bash, and get their self-righteous importance validated by other with similar self-esteem issues. 

 

[Neeranam]

17 minutes ago, sungod said:

Excluding the ones that attack old aged pensioners in packs of wild animals of course

 

https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2016/05/01/hua-hin-thailand-uk-british-family-attack-cctv-thai-police/

 

One incident 6 years ago, pathetic. Tell me where you are from and I could find similar attacks.

[Neeranam]

29 minutes ago, sungod said:

What is it then?  I have only seen Thai people do this.

Keep posting and I'll uncover the fear you obviously have.

[sungod]

2 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

One incident 6 years ago, pathetic. Tell me where you are from and I could find similar attacks.

impossible, we dont beat up pensioners in packs where I am from.

 

[sungod]

4 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Keep posting and I'll uncover the fear you obviously have.

Here is the fear I have. Why cant you guys have 1 on 1s?

 

' Thai men loitering nearby joined in, kicking the tourist when he was down.'

 

https://www.pattayamail.com/news/3-on-1-pattaya-thais-attack-foreign-tourist-on-walking-street-408373

[Neeranam]

10 minutes ago, sungod said:

impossible, we dont beat up pensioners in packs where I am from.

 

tell me the city

[sungod]

3 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

tell me the city

Hua Hin

[Neeranam]

4 minutes ago, sungod said:

Hua Hin

What city did you go to school?

[Eleftheros]

The easiest book to research and write in Thailand would be called "1000 Easy Thai Excuses for Every Occasion".

[Phoenix Rising]

42 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

One incident 6 years ago, pathetic. Tell me where you are from and I could find similar attacks.

"One incident 6 years ago, pathetic."

Yes, many Thai people felt really ashamed when that happened.

 

"Tell me where you are from and I could find similar attacks."

No, you couldn't.

[Mac Mickmanus]

15 minutes ago, Phoenix Rising said:

"One incident 6 years ago, pathetic."

Yes, many Thai people felt really ashamed when that happened.

 

"Tell me where you are from and I could find similar attacks."

No, you couldn't.

You really need to figure out how the quote button works and that you don't need to quote again after you have already quoted 

[Berkshire]

11 hours ago, Phoenix Rising said:

"One incident 6 years ago, pathetic."

Yes, many Thai people felt really ashamed when that happened.

 

"Tell me where you are from and I could find similar attacks."

No, you couldn't.

There are old folks in America--especially Asians--getting beat up for no reason, quite regularly.  Surely you know this.

[KhunLA]

21 minutes ago, Berkshire said:

There are old folks in America--especially Asians--getting beat up for no reason, quite regularly.  Surely you know this.

Along with old folks of all race, religion, sexual preference, nationality, gender & size. 

 

Along with young & mid aged folks with all the labels above.

 

World is full of A-holes, what's new.  Do we really need another label.

 

"Thainess Matters" ... TLM.com .org .net

Donations accepted ... I could use a nice Cat docked at Phuket

Edited October 16, 2022 by KhunLA

[Lacessit]

13 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Too holy, what the flip are you on about? 

Foreigners aren't charged more, and if they complain, dirty or not, it's inappropriate. 

Refusing a free mask from a govt. minister at the start of a pandemic is shirty behaviour. 

I guess you have never looked at the prices listed at the entrance to most Thai national parks.

I don't complain, if I think the differential is too greedy, I don't go in.

[sungod]

14 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Foreigners aren't charged more, and if they complain, dirty or not, it's inappropriate. 

Here we go, some more 'Thainess' for you.

 

https://2pricethailand.com/

[BKKBike09]

15 hours ago, Neeranam said:

It is interesting, I wonder if other countries have a similar thing taught at school.

Indonesia, with Sukarno-inspired Pancasila

[BKKBike09]

15 hours ago, Lacessit said:

I've seen Thais do some very rude things to others, depending on where they think they are in the social spectrum.

Spot on.

[KhunLA]

14 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Too holy, what the flip are you on about? 

Foreigners aren't charged more, and if they complain, dirty or not, it's inappropriate. 

You must be Thai, so you wouldn't notice.

 

And you don't have to be at a tourist destination to get scammed.  I'll walk in front of the wife when at the fresh market, or any vendor where prices aren't posted.   Tell her what I want, and she'll go back to buy it, as too many times in the past, I've been charged more than her.  This even at local market.

 

Sometimes attempted to charge me considerably more, 50%-double to the price.

 

Or I'll wait for a Thai to buy the same, make sure I'm standing next to them, and simply say I want the same, after I saw them pay.  Easy enough.

 

Also asking in Thai, how much, helps, then they realize you're not a noob.

 

To state it doesn't happen simply points out your extreme bias or ignorance.

As pointed out, Nat Park & hosp are prime examples & sadly, Govt endorsed ????

[2baht]

For a time in the early days I wondered about the mystery of the East, what goes on in the mind of a Thai, worked it out eventually..............NOTHING! ????

[2baht]

15 hours ago, Neeranam said:

On a forum that generally bashes Thais, I guess it is no surprise that many view it as negative. 

Oh pleeeease, stop apologising for them, they are what they are!

[Orinoco]

4 minutes ago, 2baht said:

Oh pleeeease, stop apologising for them, they are what they are!

His now become the Resident Asean Now apologist.

 

[sungod]

27 minutes ago, 2baht said:

Oh pleeeease, stop apologising for them, they are what they are!

Thats what happens when posters consider themselves more Thai than the Thais...laughable really.

Edited October 16, 2022 by sungod

[Sparktrader]

49 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

You must be Thai, so you wouldn't notice.

 

And you don't have to be at a tourist destination to get scammed.  I'll walk in front of the wife when at the fresh market, or any vendor where prices aren't posted.   Tell her what I want, and she'll go back to buy it, as too many times in the past, I've been charged more than her.  This even at local market.

 

Sometimes attempted to charge me considerably more, 50%-double to the price.

 

Or I'll wait for a Thai to buy the same, make sure I'm standing next to them, and simply say I want the same, after I saw them pay.  Easy enough.

 

Also asking in Thai, how much, helps, then they realize you're not a noob.

 

To state it doesn't happen simply points out your extreme bias or ignorance.

As pointed out, Nat Park & hosp are prime examples & sadly, Govt endorsed ????

Only happened once to me in pharmacy

[sungod]

13 hours ago, Neeranam said:

BTS station. 

Why wear gloves, they were in plastic wrapping.

Wrong again!

 

 

[KhunLA]

9 minutes ago, sungod said:

Wrong again!

 

 

I hope he's not the Minister of Health, with that all important 'engineering degree' ... 

 

... everything is wrong with that photo

... and the farang is the dirty one for not accepting ????

[Neeranam]

2 hours ago, sungod said:

Here we go, some more 'Thainess' for you.

 

https://2pricethailand.com/

Giving discount to locals is done in every country. I was charged 5,000 baht more at the Royal Melbourne golf club than a local person. I was charged more than locals at Disneyworld, more at a castle in Scotland, etc. You have a chip on your shoulder about being a foreigner. 

[retiree]

20 hours ago, Neeranam said:

just  found what I translated from Thai -  this is the definition of Thainess - 

Where is the Thai source of this definition?    Parts of your translation do not make sense, e.g.

  By Group method thought process. operating process,  Process face circumstances  [sic]