Does your Thai partner know much about history outside of Thailand?

[DavisH]

6 hours ago, bogs smith said:

Thais have a lack of interest in most things unless it makes them money.

 

Thats all they care about.

What's wrong with that? Most of the world's population don't when where their next meal comes from, or live pay check to paycheck. Maybe you should think before you speak. 

[Reginald Prewster]

Good tread and I did tests my wife too.

 

My Wife knows Pol Pot and the Red Khmer and dated his reign 1974, where she was born, to 1979..

Not too bad, actually he started 2 years later.

 

But about the German march through Europe (WW2) she was about 2 details, which even I as a German didn't look actually in that way, but somehow it makes sense...

Her Comments:

1st - If Hitler wouldn't have stopped the invasion of England, the story would have been much different.

2nd - she mentioned that Hitler splitted the 6th Army instead going "volley" onto Stalingrad..

 

The rest was a bit off the score and Hollywood...  

 

WOW, 21 Years married and I was not expectig these answers.

[Will B Good]

Wife was taken out of school at 11, driven four hours away to work 18 hour days, seven days a week at roadside 'restaurant'....until she was old enough to make it to Bangkok to work in the sportswear sweatshops.........totally uneducated. Has no clue about scientific theories, history, geography.....etc....but very sharp minded.

[DavisH]

1 hour ago, steven100 said:

absolutely correct ....  sad but true ....   what sort of education curriculum doesn't include history and geography ....  Thailand's obviously.     Many Thai students will grow up to be very professional 7-11 cashiers

History and geography is in the Thai curriculum actually...but not a lot, and most of it is loca/asean. A bit on Australia as well. My son is interested in history, but had to take courses on The Greek and Roman empires in his first year of university. 

[Mavideol]

big majority of Americans graduates don't know who are their northern and/or Southern borders neighbors

[Skeptic7]

8 hours ago, sharksy said:

Is this normal?

Absolutely, yes. My former uni graduate Thai gf knew not much, but more than most. My buddy has a hi-so PhD Thai gf and she knew zip of The Holocaust. Nothing. He was SHOCKED. Me...not so much.

 

Thai motto...If it didn't happen in Thailand, it didn't happen...or it's not worth mentioning❗????

[Kenny202]

Sounds normal to me. Most Ive met know little about even Thailand's history apart from what they have seen on their ridiculous drama shows...let alone the rest of the world. They dont even know or seem interested in whats going on now. I have learnt to source most of my information here myself. Useless asking them anything. Got a few more educated Thai mates here and completely different story, very switched on

[malibukid]

2 hours ago, steven100 said:

absolutely correct ....  sad but true ....   what sort of education curriculum doesn't include history and geography ....  Thailand's obviously.     Many Thai students will grow up to be very professional 7-11 cashiers

and thankfully the cash register tells them how much change there is.

[wwest5829]

7 hours ago, NanLaew said:

The wife of a friend of mine got her degree at Monash in Melbourne but can't find Australia on a map. Regardless of this, the sun still rises.

True of far too many of my countrymen. Result? Dangerous, oft misguided military actions with young waking up in a country they know nothing about. MAGA?!

[Srikcir]

5 hours ago, NanLaew said:

I was reading in The Guardian how only 9% of English people knew that it was St. George's day last Sunday.

If by "English you mean "British" okay that seems low.

But I'm sure Americans would be close to zero.

[Srikcir]

5 hours ago, NanLaew said:

I was reading in The Guardian how only 9% of English people knew that it was St. George's day last Sunday.

If by "English you mean "British" okay that seems low.

But I'm sure Americans would be close to zero.

[Srikcir]

A society issue.

Remember this opinion by PM Prayut:

"Thai could supercede English as the dominant world language .. " 

"..one day Thai will be the world's lingua franca (sic )"

Jan. 12, 2017

www.khaosodenglish.com

"RAO TUM DAI: THAI COULD BE WORLD'S NEW ENGLISH, PRAYUTH SAYS"

[Sigma6]

12 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

If by "English you mean "British" okay that seems low.

But I'm sure Americans would be close to zero.

I think by 'English' he means... English.

St George is the patron saint of England.
 

[recom273]

My wife is quite sharp, she picks up words really quickly from English TV, she studies the sentence and the inference and uses it two days later, and I’m like “where the hell did you get that word from?” - “oh, Patima used it on Top Chef” but then she comes out with classics like “Austria - is that close to Australia?” 

[ThailandRyan]

47 minutes ago, malibukid said:

and thankfully the cash register tells them how much change there is.

Never observed a cash register in any of the Talads. Most vendors use a calculator to tell you the price and then use to to see how much they need to hive you back if any is needed because you gave them a bigger note. 

[hotchilli]

9 hours ago, sharksy said:

Is this normal?

For the vast majority yes.

[Doctor Tom]

Its not just Thailand.  The Younger generation are often ignorant dimwits. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_pw8duzGUg

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ufmcubp2szg

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQVnHsLwRg4

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRh1zXFKC_o

 

[sharksy]

6 hours ago, KhunLA said:

TBH ... on the fence now, if 'history' is needed.   I'm glad I was taught and learned many things about the world history & such.  Seems not so much of it is taught today in USA schools.

 

BUT ... since it is being rewritten in my life time, one has to wonder how much was rewritten before what I was told, and wasn't almost accurate, to be kind.

 

'Reefer Madness' a fine example of propaganda, and now all of the sudden, there are UFOs, as if they never existed.   Along with the lies that led to wars in just my lifetime.

 

Since nobody learns from history ... is it needed ?

 

Would have rather had more sciences (ex: computer), or applicable trades taught, without electing one or another direction when given the choice.

 

Our High School, at 8th grade, you decided which:

Business;  secretarial skills

College Prep; self explanatory

Trades; carpentry, welding, bricklaying, electrical, cooking, etc.

 

I could have done without the more History, English Lit, Latin, Spanish, POD, French and Social science, Art & Music, and added something that could prep me for a job, instead of college, which I didn't attend anyway.

 

Teaching investing, RE, stocks, commodities would have saved me time & money, along with wasting a decade of 'salaried jobs' and given me earlier retirement.

 

Along with, IF the world goes to sh!t, then I prefer to be right here.  Most Thai ladies can live off the land.   Yank chickies well starve or pimp themselves out to whoever has the most firearms ... ????

I kind of agree.  I hated history at school, pretty much concentrated on the 2nd world war, which didn't mean much to me at the time.

So, Thais don't study history - but woe behold any Thai person who goes to a party in fancy dress with a swastika.

 

But when going down a Chu Chi tunnel in vietnam, for me, it's hard not to get interested in think about how hard life was for people living in those conditions.  Do Thai just see a hole in a ground?

 

Maybe a Thai person is not a good relationship match for me.

[malibukid]

38 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Never observed a cash register in any of the Talads. Most vendors use a calculator to tell you the price and then use to to see how much they need to hive you back if any is needed because you gave them a bigger note. 

can do it with my brain.  learned math the old school way.

[ChrisKC]

7 hours ago, homeseeker said:

My partner knows Liverpool FC is based in London.....

One g/f I had didnt even know Liverpool was in England. 

Another g/f asked me if New Zealand was "near " England. 

[sharksy]

4 hours ago, Joe Farang said:

How many wars do you know about that don't involve a Western country?

Without Googling it, give a synopsis of one of those wars.

Right now? Congo, Sudan, Myanmar.  Just off the top of my head. 

I remember Sri Lanka civil war.

 

I can think of many others, but you mention "that don't involve a western country" - I take that to include peace keepers.

[Chongalulu]

3 hours ago, bignok said:

Geography and history don't led to many jobs. 

Really? I suspect you have little understanding of what these entail holistically. What did you study and what career did it lead to ?

Just for clarity I studied Latin ,French and History to A level. The disciplines involved bestowed the mental capacity to grasp the economics of running a successful business of my own. 

[Chongalulu]

Your partner knew nothing of Khmer Rouge? I suspect nor of Chianti and Cabernet Sauvignon. Wine isn’t a big thing here in Thailand…

[LaosLover]

Ajarn Chah, an Ubon monk who many USA meditation teachers learned from and quote (Oprah is a fan) is virtually unknown in Thailand -maybe 2 recognitions out of 100 queries, both in Ubon. 

 

Our view of knowledge may not fit their purpose. At the wat in Nan that has Thailand's most beloved painting, most of the visitors are there for merit-making, not art appreciation.

 

They relate to their own history and culture very flexibly. Facts are less fixed, so as not to offend.

 

There's iconography everywhere in Thai culture, and its combinations and settings are significant to Thai's in ways that westerners may not comprehend. They see and viscerally experience a different soi view than you do.

 

With world events, they're likewise flexible and more drawn to symbols than stories to take them in.

 

I was taken to a topiary of a penis in Vientiane. "Clinton", said the tuk tuk guy.

 

 

[VinnieK]

My ex was surprised once, when I told her we also have sea back home..????‍♂️????‍♂️

 

As an aside, I wonder what percentage of Thais can accurately point to the 4 cardinal directions.

[Chongalulu]

26 minutes ago, malibukid said:

1 hour ago, ThailandRyan said:

Never observed a cash register in any of the Talads. Most vendors use a calculator to tell you the price and then use to to see how much they need to hive you back if any is needed because you gave them a bigger note. 

can do it with my brain.  learned math the old school way.

Being conversant with times tables and mental arithmetic is still a big advantage in conjunction with a calculator. It will help with spotting any keying errors as well as devising calculation short cuts. I can easily work out which is better value on different pack sizes /prices for example. 

[ozimoron]

2 minutes ago, VinnieK said:

My ex was surprised once, when I told her we also have sea back home..????‍♂️????‍♂️

 

As an aside, I wonder what percentage of Thais can accurately point to the 4 cardinal directions.

I'd say all of them. The cardinal directions figure prominently in Thai place names. As for pointing to them, when I arrive in a strange city I have no idea until morning or evening.

[freedomnow]

Try GEOGRAPHY before history.

 

Get "her/him/it" to point to your country on a map...just try, I DARE you.

[Pink Mist]

Multiple off topic and troll posts have been removed. The OP is: Does your Thai partner know much about history outside of Thailand?

[2009]

9 hours ago, sharksy said:

I asked a (younger than Thai GF) Philippine friend if she had heard of the above historic events.  She said it was taught in School and most Phillipine people would have known about it.

 

I guess its quite important to me to be able to discuss things and get an opinion back when visiting historical places, like a regular western GF would.  Have an interest in the place you are visiting - rather than just post up photographs with no knowledge or interest behind them.

Philippines does have better education than Thailand.