On 4/26/2023 at 5:00 AM, sharksy said:

Is this normal?

Unfortunately, yes.

On 4/26/2023 at 10:28 AM, OneMoreFarang said:

Ok, let's turn this around. I am sure we have some members here who are proud about their knowledge about countries, locations, history, current politics, etc. from all over the world.

Maybe this helps you in business or investment. But apart from that, how does that knowledge make everyday life better?

I think it's good to know that the local government is not to blame when gasoline prices rise because international oil prices rise. But apart from that, what does it really help in normal life?

It’s not so much a debate re: the practical value of knowledge in the aforementioned subject areas as a commentary on the complete lack of anything that smacks of intellectual curiosity exhibited by most Thais.

Edited April 30, 20233 yr by fusion58

On 4/26/2023 at 6:44 AM, bogs smith said:

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

 

Thats all they care about.

Why should they care about geography and history more than they care about feeding their family?

 

How many people in your hometown know where Nakhon Sawan is located? If you offered someone from your home town that you will show them where Nakhon Sawan is on a map and tell them of the history there or they could have $20 - - do you think anyone will not take the money? 

 

do you bash people from your home or just Thais?

6 minutes ago, 1FinickyOne said:

Why should they care about geography and history more than they care about feeding their family?

 

How many people in your hometown know where Nakhon Sawan is located? If you offered someone from your home town that you will show them where Nakhon Sawan is on a map and tell them of the history there or they could have $20 - - do you think anyone will not take the money? 

 

do you bash people from your home or just Thais?

If you get a World map and ask a British person to point out where Thailand is , far more would be able to do that than if you ask a Thai to point out where the UK is on a World map

Edited April 30, 20233 yr by Mac Mickmanus

You only need to watch the nightly news on TV to understand why most Thai's know little about the outside world.

 

World War 3 could be breaking out but dashcam footage of a traffic accident, or some random guys beating each other up on CCTV would be the headline

40 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

If you get a World map and ask a British person to point out where Thailand is , far more would be able to do that than if you ask a Thai to point out where the UK is on a World map

People have different qualities and we for most, like Thailand for what it is in comparrisson to other countries. My gf would survived months in the Joungle, and I would ask how many would survived without help in uk in the local wilderness without support? 

 

Not really a fear challange, but still. What we see as necessery IQ and education today, is not worth much if all infrastructure in Uk goes down tomorow. 

Just spent the last hour with the large World Globe on the Kitchen table and the GF's daughter and I playing find the Country.  She was able to find all but Green Land.  As a student who attends a Wat School, she is far above the rest of her classmates when it comes to Geography, Math and English.  Her close friend asked her why she was learning about the world, and the daughter told her "So I know where I want to travel when I am a doctor to help people"

Edited April 30, 20233 yr by ThailandRyan

16 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Just spent the last hour with the large World Globe on the Kitchen table and the GF's daughter and I playing find the Country.  She was able to find all but Green Land.  As a student who attends a Wat School, she is far above the rest of her classmates when it comes to Geography, Math and English.  Her close friend asked her why she was learning about the world, and the daughter told her "So I know where I want to travel when I am a doctor to help people"

I found that very moving. Congratulations on having such a step-daughter.

On 4/26/2023 at 12:36 AM, sharksy said:

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.

There is a temptation here to say: "Well, get yourself a western GF then".

I do understand what you're saying, but you have to weigh up the pros and cons of the Thai life and Thai GF. We can't have it all! 

4 hours ago, CG1 Blue said:

There is a temptation here to say: "Well, get yourself a western GF then".

I do understand what you're saying, but you have to weigh up the pros and cons of the Thai life and Thai GF. We can't have it all! 

I did think of this when I posted.  Just wanted to see how widespready the lack of knowledge, but more importantly, lack of interest is.

 

Yesterday, I was in conversation with a different Phillipina, she also didn't know anything outside of Philippines and similarly, it seems little interest, despite living most of her life abroad.

As she lamented at the end, "maybe that's why my husband is bored of me".  And this is to me is the important thing.

7 hours ago, 1FinickyOne said:

Why should they care about geography and history more than they care about feeding their family?

False dichotomy.

 

No one is arguing that people should "care more about geography and history than they care about feeding their family."  The OP, et al, are simply noting the complete lack of interest and/or curiosity.

On 4/26/2023 at 1:35 PM, Enoon said:

 

"......like a regular western GF ........"

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ask an Russian, English and an American about WW2 details, and you will be surprised how different they all view the history. 

 

I wasnt aware of that before I visited russia in 1991, but had an more specific idea how the minor differences between uk and Usa.

7 hours ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

If you get a World map and ask a British person to point out where Thailand is , far more would be able to do that than if you ask a Thai to point out where the UK is on a World map

Did you test this?

Or you just assume it?

 

And would you still assume it if it were Americans, not British?

7 hours ago, fusion58 said:

False dichotomy.

 

No one is arguing that people should "care more about geography and history than they care about feeding their family."  The OP, et al, are simply noting the complete lack of interest and/or curiosity.

I was responding to another poster who said Thai only care about money. 

No.

On 4/26/2023 at 9:32 AM, herfiehandbag said:

Well yes, but then the Philippines are a far more "outward looking" society, and their education reflects that.

 

I suspect that the same applies to Malaysia and Singapore.

I wonder if colonization has anything to do with it?

On 4/26/2023 at 5:00 AM, sharksy said:

Took my university educated GF on a trip round Vietnam, Cambodia.

I was astonished that she had never heard of the Khymer Rouge, or anything about what happened in Cambodia.

Similar in Vietnam.  Never heard of the Vietnam war.  Not really interested either, just so long as the photos come out OK.

Is she american?

On 5/1/2023 at 5:56 AM, 1FinickyOne said:

On 4/30/2023 at 10:22 PM, fusion58 said:

False dichotomy.

 

No one is arguing that people should "care more about geography and history than they care about feeding their family."  The OP, et al, are simply noting the complete lack of interest and/or curiosity.

I was responding to another poster who said Thai only care about money. 

You were, but they said Thais in general only care about money so are not interested in anything else, then you turned that into impoverished Thais having no time to worry about the outside world because they have to focus on feeding their family.

 

The previous comment suggests that even if they have enough money and "feeding their family" isn't a constant worry, they still have no interest in the outside world, not that people struggling financially are bad for not putting off feeding their family to keep up to date on world news.

I'm married to  a  University graduated  Thai woman   in her late 40's  , a few years ago  we  went to    England for holidays, it was her first  trip outside of Thailand...

I asked her   what does  she know of England or the  UK  , she replied   with  a blank look, and  two words,..............  Margaret Thatcher,

Edited May 2, 20233 yr by actonion

Why would they care about the history of other countries, when most don't care much about Thai's history.

 

I don't care about the history of other countries I'd never visit.  History is constantly being rewritten to appease special interest groups.  Along with nobody seems to learn from history.

On 4/26/2023 at 12:45 AM, Doctor Tom said:

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

 

Appalling, absolutely appalling.  This thread should stop at these video clips.

On 4/26/2023 at 6:47 AM, ChipButty said:

My wife is pretty smart apart from speaking good English we can discuss things daily sometimes she surprises me with the things she does know, 

My wife has university degree's, is very clever, I always take seriously everything she says as she always seems to be right, she never stopped fulltime education until she was 22 years old, while I left school at 16 and had no interest in anything except music and playing football, I could play any songs I knew from the age of five on the piano. I have a lot of knowledge about American and Irish history

Today despite her education and cleverness, she has no knowledge or interest in anything outside of Thailand.

May I point out that when I was a teacher with Prathom's five and six, I did see one teacher always heading for his class with maps under his arm so he was obviously teaching geography.

 

On 4/26/2023 at 2:45 PM, Doctor Tom said:

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

 

Americans .............. not everyone.

55555555555555555555555555555555555

 

Honest to God, I am not sure the Thai babes know that there is war going  on the planet in Europe....

Edited May 2, 20233 yr by Taboo2

6 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Americans .............. not everyone.

Hey J&&K....we have more patents issued over every other country on the planet....not bat for Dimwits huh?

Those who know nothing about history are doomed to repeat it......

1 minute ago, blazes said:

Those who know nothing about history are doomed to repeat it......

Thai partner will repeat what.....?

Just now, actonion said:

I'm married to  a  University graduated  Thai woman   in her late 40's  , a few years ago  we  went to    England for holidays, it was her first  trip outside of Thailand...

I asked her   what does  she know of England or the  UK  , she replied   with  a blank look, and  two words,..............  Margaret Thatcher,

I suppose Maggie was preferable to Queen Victoria. Or maybe not!

59 minutes ago, Taboo2 said:

Hey J&&K....we have more patents issued over every other country on the planet....not bat for Dimwits huh?

Is that important?

An weren't all the really important discoveries made by NAZI's brought over from Germany after the war?

Edited May 2, 20233 yr by BritManToo

54 minutes ago, transam said:

Thai partner will repeat what.....?

Ignorance of how her country "works", how it always seems to work only in favour of the rich and powerful.  My wife has a clear insight into this and sees Thanathon as a possible way out of the nightmare of history as it is played out in Thailand....