Thainess - What Is It?

[Neeranam]

1 minute ago, retiree said:

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]

It is the national curriculum by the MOE

[retiree]

3 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

It is the national curriculum by the MOE

Can you provide a link to the source text? Or paste it here?  

[GammaGlobulin]

My definition of true Thainess is a group of people who have an IQ of 130, or above, who enjoy Thai food, who do not raise roosters, who wear conservative clothes, are mostly monogamous, and smile while also laughing at any adversity that might come their way. 

 

Or, Thainess is never having to say you're sorry for not having planned for the future. 

 

I love Thai culture, no matter how indefinable it may be. 

 

Thai culture is a many splendored thing. 

[Neeranam]

4 minutes ago, retiree said:

Can you provide a link to the source text? Or paste it here?  

I'll have a look later

[Bkk Brian]

2 hours ago, sungod said:

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

 

https://2pricethailand.com/

I've experienced this personally, first time many years ago in a Thai/Korean barbeque restaurant here in Phuket that had dual menu's, one for local Thai's and one for foreigners. Went in there with my wife and young daughter, were given the local menu first but the waitress quickly came back and changed it for the alternative and more expensive foreigner menu. My Thai wife complained but to no avail, in the end we just decided to walk out as it was just so blatant.

[GammaGlobulin]

9 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

I've experienced this personally, first time many years ago in a Thai/Korean barbeque restaurant here in Phuket that had dual menu's, one for local Thai's and one for foreigners. Went in there with my wife and young daughter, were given the local menu first but the waitress quickly came back and changed it for the alternative and more expensive foreigner menu. My Thai wife complained but to no avail, in the end we just decided to walk out as it was just so blatant.

Your "problem" may have been the result of your dining with your Thai wife. 

 

For example, I always eat alone, and I have never been charged more than the Thai people sitting next to me are charged for any given selection. 

 

Also, I don't order from menus with pictures of food. 

 

Have you ever been to a Michelin-rated restaurant with photos of food on the menu? Very unlikely. 

 

Sometimes, you might not even see a price for your selection. 

 

Strange as it may seem, in Thailand, I have very rarely been charged more than local people are charged for any given product or service. Maybe once. 

 

Why is this? 

 

Maybe the answer is sort of the same as the question, why do bar girls dislike wasting time talking to farang who speak Thai? 

 

When I was much younger, if I walked into a girlie bar, and wished to have company, the very last thing I would do would to speak fluent Chinese. 

 

The same goes for ordering food in Thailand. 

 

That is; don't go into the restaurant speaking Chinese. It's no wonder you were overcharged. 

 

Your sob story is exactly the same as we have heard, repeatedly,on this forum. 

 

And, in fact, there are many cautionery tales uploaded to YouTube about this topic. 

 

Anyway, I don't know what you are complaining about, actually. 

 

Even if you were slightly overcharged, still you are paying far less than what New Yorker's pay in the West Village. 

 

I have been here in Asia a very long time. 

 

And there are only two things that I find extremely annoying, an unrelated to my dining. 

 

a. I don't like aircraft flying overhead. 

 

b. I don't appreciate the disturbance caused by amplified music, and amplified shouting. 

 

Men shouting is tolerable. 

 

However, men shouting into microphones, with a few thousand watts, and huge audio speakers, is disgusting. 

 

I am sure that most Thai people feel as I do. 

 

We don't care how much we pay for food. 

 

But, we just want to get rid of the idiots who shout into microphones, amplified by thousands of watts, which disturbs the peace of our peaceful society. 

 

Why don't you ask your wife to prepare a picnic basket? 

 

All ingredients are available, cheaply, at Big C. 

 

 

 

 

[Bkk Brian]

23 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

Your "problem" may have been the result of your dining with your Thai wife. 

 

For example, I always eat alone, and I have never been charged more than the Thai people sitting next to me are charged for any given selection. 

 

Also, I don't order from menus with pictures of food. 

 

Have you ever been to a Michelin-rated restaurant with photos of food on the menu? Very unlikely. 

 

Sometimes, you might not even see a price for your selection. 

 

Strange as it may seem, in Thailand, I have very rarely been charged more than local people are charged for any given product or service. Maybe once. 

 

Why is this? 

 

Maybe the answer is sort of the same as the question, why do bar girls dislike wasting time talking to farang who speak Thai? 

 

When I was much younger, if I walked into a girlie bar, and wished to have company, the very last thing I would do would to speak fluent Chinese. 

 

The same goes for ordering food in Thailand. 

 

That is; don't go into the restaurant speaking Chinese. It's no wonder you were overcharged. 

 

Your sob story is exactly the same as we have heard, repeatedly,on this forum. 

 

And, in fact, there are many cautionery tales uploaded to YouTube about this topic. 

 

Anyway, I don't know what you are complaining about, actually. 

 

Even if you were slightly overcharged, still you are paying far less than what New Yorker's pay in the West Village. 

 

I have been here in Asia a very long time. 

 

And there are only two things that I find extremely annoying, an unrelated to my dining. 

 

a. I don't like aircraft flying overhead. 

 

b. I don't appreciate the disturbance caused by amplified music, and amplified shouting. 

 

Men shouting is tolerable. 

 

However, men shouting into microphones, with a few thousand watts, and huge audio speakers, is disgusting. 

 

I am sure that most Thai people feel as I do. 

 

We don't care how much we pay for food. 

 

But, we just want to get rid of the idiots who shout into microphones, amplified by thousands of watts, which disturbs the peace of our peaceful society. 

 

Why don't you ask your wife to prepare a picnic basket? 

 

All ingredients are available, cheaply, at Big C. 

 

 

 

 

The problem was 2 separate menus as I described and as experienced by many others in Phuket. Plenty of links around to prove that

[stoner]

4 pages of pretty decent insight into the culture and its people ....yet thainess will tell you that you don't understand.

 

 

[moogradod]

18 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

The problem was 2 separate menus as I described and as experienced by many others in Phuket. Plenty of links around to prove that

Has anybody an indication which restaurants (precise names) do this in Pattaya ? Theoretically this should be a 2 menues heaven, but I am not aware of a single restaurant which follows this practise. This might be because of myself or my wife not noticing, or because they wont do it to us (I have a Thai wife and never eat alone) or we simply do not frequent the super touristic places. I only know the parcs do it and Ripley's, but these are not restaurants.

[Bkk Brian]

4 minutes ago, moogradod said:

Has anybody an indication which restaurants (precise names) do this in Pattaya ? Theoretically this should be a 2 menues heaven, but I am not aware of a single restaurant who follows this practise. This might be because of myself or my wife not noticing, or because they wont do it to us (I have a Thai wife and never eat alone) or we simply do not frequent the super touristic places. I only know the parcs do it and Ripley's, but these are not restaurants.

Never been to Pattaya. Last 15 years in Phuket

https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-restaurant-caught-charging-foreigner-prices-83818.php

[GammaGlobulin]

1 minute ago, Bkk Brian said:

The problem was 2 separate menus as a described and as experienced by many others in Phuket. Plenty of links around to prove that

OK. Two separate menus is something that we have known about for very many years. 

 

I'm just stating that I think that two separate menus is a very minor issue. This is only my opinion. 

 

When I go to a restaurant, I have the choice to order from the menu written in Thai, or the menu with photos. 

 

Also, the proffered food selections on different menus is often not the same. And, consequently, the prices may differ. 

 

Basically, it's up to the clientele. The consumer has freedom of choice. 

 

I have only ONCE experienced a problem where I was consistently charged more than my Thai friends. And, in this case, I was a frequent customer eating 50 meals per month. 

 

The solution was simple. I just changed restaurants and ate at the restaurant next door. 

 

Never make an enemy of your cook might be good advice. 

 

I think Anthony Bourdain might say the same. 

 

Now, please get real... 

 

Nobody in this world pays the same for anything. 

 

Do you become angry with your bank for charging you a higher rate of interest for your house loan, compared to the lower interest rate given to some fat cat? 

 

I really don't understand the occasional frustration that some people might be feeling. 

 

You choose to come to Thailand. And then you complain that things here are not exactly the same as you knew them in your home country. 

 

Well, this is only to be expected. 

 

Not speaking too overly deridingly about Out of Towners, I think that they should keep their traps shut, and just vote with their pocketbooks, instead. 

 

Nobody likes whiners here in Thailand. Or, maybe you don't understand the culture? 

 

One thing that I have learned living here is this: Don't be negative. Don't be a whiner. 

 

Sometimes you can whine and complain. But, the very next day, you must make amends for your complaining. 

 

It's not just Thailand. 

 

If you wish to live amicably here in Asia, then you need to learn to bend like bamboo. You stay strong by knowing how to bend. 

 

I know that there are many others here who have lived in Asia more than 45 years. But not many farang can say the same. 

 

I know this because I have outlasted most of the farang I have ever met. 

 

I first set foot here in 1971. 

 

Most of my adult life has been lived in China. But that doesn't matter. 

 

What matters here in Asia is that you go with the flow. You bend like bamboo. 

 

Asia is not the West, young man. 

 

If it's your mission to reform the world, in a flash, through your personal brilliance and insight, then don't come to Asia. 

 

And, don't come here if you are likely to become outraged by anything you see or experience. 

 

Instead, if you wish a new travel experience, hassle free, then my best advice for you is to book a month's stay at the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac, Quebec City. 

 

There, in Quebec City, everyone is treated equally, according to whether or not one speaks English or French. 

 

Sorry for being so facetious. 

 

But, do you really think that we will ever find some place where all men are treated equal, and women, too? 

 

 

 

 

[stoner]

23 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

Sorry for being so facetious. 

no you're not. 

[Screaming]

21 hours ago, Hummin said:

The quality to be polite no matter how rude the other person is.

A policeman using two hours calming down a drunk swearing punching tourist, and try not to harm him in any way.

The quality to make a smile even they hurt or are insecure

The quality to work hard for small money

 

and much more

Thank you for listing some of the positive aspects of Thainess and there are many. You take the good with the bad and realize that their is something unique about the Thai society and this is what draws expats to relocate here. It is more than just short term self gratification. We can poke fun of Thainess but in the end, it is what brings a smile to our face and our love for Thailand.

[Hummin]

3 minutes ago, Screaming said:

Thank you for listing some of the positive aspects of Thainess and there are many. You take the good with the bad and realize that their is something unique about the Thai society and this is what draws expats to relocate here. It is more than just short term self gratification. We can poke fun of Thainess but in the end, it is what brings a smile to our face and our love for Thailand.

Thank you.

 

If I felt more negativity about thai society than positive, I would not live here, and relocated. But to me it seems those who is utterly negative to their home country, also comes out loud about the thai negatives but still enjoy cheap lifestyle and exploiting their women. Not everybody, but quite a few I have met on my way. 
 

But thank god, most of them I socializing with, is positive people who do not complain to much, but it only takes one to poison the the atmosphere. 

[Bkk Brian]

2 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

The solution was simple. I just changed restaurants and ate at the restaurant next door. 

That's exactly what I did, read my post again

 

2 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

I'm just stating that I think that two separate menus is a very minor issue. This is only my opinion. 

Did I mention it being a major issue? I was giving one example in response to a similar post, if I had wanted to make it a larger issue I could have given many more.

2 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

But, do you really think that we will ever find some place where all men are treated equal, and women, too? 

No, do you? Whats that got to do with my post and double menus?

[coolcarer]

2 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

OK. Two separate menus is something that we have known about for very many years. 

 

I have only ONCE experienced a problem where I was consistently charged more than my Thai friends. And, in this case, I was a frequent customer eating 50 meals.

 

Sorry for being so facetious. 

 

So you experienced the same thing, ok, the rest of your post is indeed being facetious to the extreme

[BangkokReady]

1 hour ago, Bkk Brian said:

That's exactly what I did, read my post again

 

Did I mention it being a major issue? I was giving one example in response to a similar post, if I had wanted to make it a larger issue I could have given many more.

No, do you? Whats that got to do with my post and double menus?

He probably could have gone with: "Yes, I have experienced the double menu thing, but I don't see it as an issue.  I either use the Thai menu or go elsewhere."

 

Some people seem to like to build up some imaginary strawman of negativity and anger in order to say "I can take it but you clearly can't, I'm more Thai than you, you should probably go home".  Kind of sad.

[473geo]

Another deep and meaningful thread, that has somehow managed to yet again come round to the inconsequential comments on 'double pricing' 

 

Lets go just a little deeper, how do you feel about making merit in this life, and there are numerous ways, self inflicted suffering, there are a few ways to achieve this, random generous donations, not sure if leaving yourself short attracts more karma ???? to name just a couple

 

For me this is my life, my one shot, I like to think I don't need to prepare for the next one in any shape or form, if it turns out there is an afterlife then I will take it as it comes, same as I have this one ???? 

 

So I fully understand that Thainess is beyond me and my thinking, because, thoughtfulness, kindness, generousity may well play their part in my life, but I look for little more than the moment, certainly not reward after death  

[BangkokReady]

1 hour ago, 473geo said:

So I fully understand that Thainess is beyond me and my thinking, because, thoughtfulness, kindness, generousity may well play their part in my life, but I look for little more than the moment, certainly not reward after death

What do you think of the idea that you only feel this way because you come from a culture shaped by Christianity and the idea of punishment or reward after death?

[Hummin]

1 hour ago, 473geo said:

Another deep and meaningful thread, that has somehow managed to yet again come round to the inconsequential comments on 'double pricing' 

 

Lets go just a little deeper, how do you feel about making merit in this life, and there are numerous ways, self inflicted suffering, there are a few ways to achieve this, random generous donations, not sure if leaving yourself short attracts more karma ???? to name just a couple

 

For me this is my life, my one shot, I like to think I don't need to prepare for the next one in any shape or form, if it turns out there is an afterlife then I will take it as it comes, same as I have this one ???? 

 

So I fully understand that Thainess is beyond me and my thinking, because, thoughtfulness, kindness, generousity may well play their part in my life, but I look for little more than the moment, certainly not reward after death  

If you are a good person, the reward is the goodness might live on after you have died true people who learned goodness through you. 

 

There is many ways to heaven, but it might not be eternal life for us. If I somehow impacted someone in life with just trying to do my best, I would be happy to die knowing I did change someone's life.

[473geo]

8 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

What do you think of the idea that you only feel this way because you come from a culture shaped by Christianity and the idea of punishment or reward after death?

I have seen no evidence in my life that has persuaded me that afterlife exists, that is why I think the way I do 

Thai people may read life experiences differently that is their choice happy to respect their faith in the future 

 

[jerrymahoney]

11 hours ago, 473geo said:

Lets go just a little deeper, how do you feel about making merit in this life, and there are numerous ways

Other than prior years of tourist-type visits to Thailand, my first long-term stays were as skilled volunteer at large Thai NGO under Patronage of (then) King of Thailand. Among other endeavors, I helped several blind Thai students obtain overseas scholarships.

I met upper Thai officials who basically said: Oh. So you're here to actually help the Thai people.

 

While I have retired from such on-the-ground activities, I don't worry about having made sufficient merit while(st) here in the Kingdom. I still maintain a small NGO in US which lets me participate in legal discussions on related issues especially so-called access to knowledge or A2K.

[2baht]

11 hours ago, 473geo said:

how do you feel about making merit in this life,

Where can I make the cheapest merit in Pattaya? ????????

[Orinoco]

1 hour ago, 2baht said:

Where can I make the cheapest merit in Pattaya? ????????

Wat !!!!!!!!!!!! 

Don't do that, spend the money on Beer Chang

it makes more sense, and the benefits are obvious.

 

Ps The thread is starting to look like the,

Do you believe in God thread. 

 

 

[2baht]

1 minute ago, Orinoco said:

Wat !!!!!!!!!!!! 

Don't do that, spend the money on Beer Chang

it makes more sense, and the benefits are obvious.

 

 

Damn, I'm not a drinker!

[Orinoco]

1 minute ago, 2baht said:

Damn, I'm not a drinker!

Ok, Soi 6 then a well stacked Bong. 

[BKKBike09]

19 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

And there are only two things that I find extremely annoying, an unrelated to my dining. 

 

a. I don't like aircraft flying overhead. 

 

b. I don't appreciate the disturbance caused by amplified music, and amplified shouting. 

 

Men shouting is tolerable. 

It's off topic but I'm intrigued: does it matter what altitude the aircraft is when overhead, or is it just a blanket "if I can see it, even 5 miles up, I don't like it"?

 

And what about women shouting, is that tolerable?

 

 

[d4dang]

 

Thainess is precious. I love Siam/ness. I love living here because of Thainess, but I can't define it. Many Thai people shared it with me.

[sungod]

21 hours ago, Neeranam said:

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. 

Absolute rubbish..........top tip for arguing, dont make it up.

 

How would I have a chip on my shoulder for being a foreigner? You are what you are.

 

Or Is it because I dont desire to be a 'pretend Thai' such as you do?

[couchpotato]

16 minutes ago, sungod said:

Absolute rubbish..........top tip for arguing, dont make it up.

 

How would I have a chip on my shoulder for being a foreigner? You are what you are.

 

Or Is it because I dont desire to be a 'pretend Thai' such as you do?

A 'pretend Thai'....haven't heard that before...interesting analogy.