A Refuge For Cowards

[roietjimmy]

I just heard about this yesterday, Loz, but not about you needing to go there. My sympathy to you in this time of great stress. Disillusionment is good, but not pleasant.

It might be that Korat attracts a more eccentric (dysfunctional?) expat. It might be the number of men who moved to this area because their wives are from here and the ladies keep them firmly under their thumb. (yes, they need to grow a pair, as you pointed out) I have seen examples of both in my year here. I have no experience with the teacher population here, my social circle and yours don't seem to really intersect except at one local watering hole. Korat has a small population of expat Americans compared to expat Europeans. So that may be part of it, plus the lingering presence of the usually alcoholic Vietnam era vets who chose to stay or to come back here. There's a nice image to present...

Your comments "my social circle and yours don't seem to really intersect except at one local watering hole" coupled with "lingering presence of the usually alcoholic Vietnam era vets" leave me a bit confused. Are you implying customers who frequent the watering hole who happen to be Vietnam vets are alcoholics and the rest of you are not?

If there is anyone who can empathize with Loz's horror and reaction to finding a 3 day old corpse in the tropics it is a Vietnam vet. To single out Vietnam vets as usually alcoholic is not only offensive but an uninformed assumption. The vast majority of Vietnam vets that I know who are living in Thailand are not alcoholics. BTW, vets I personally know include people from Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, France, Vietnam and Thailand.

[ThaiRanger]

I just heard about this yesterday, Loz, but not about you needing to go there. My sympathy to you in this time of great stress. Disillusionment is good, but not pleasant.

It might be that Korat attracts a more eccentric (dysfunctional?) expat. It might be the number of men who moved to this area because their wives are from here and the ladies keep them firmly under their thumb. (yes, they need to grow a pair, as you pointed out) I have seen examples of both in my year here. I have no experience with the teacher population here, my social circle and yours don't seem to really intersect except at one local watering hole. Korat has a small population of expat Americans compared to expat Europeans. So that may be part of it, plus the lingering presence of the usually alcoholic Vietnam era vets who chose to stay or to come back here. There's a nice image to present...

Your comments "my social circle and yours don't seem to really intersect except at one local watering hole" coupled with "lingering presence of the usually alcoholic Vietnam era vets" leave me a bit confused. Are you implying customers who frequent the watering hole who happen to be Vietnam vets are alcoholics and the rest of you are not?

If there is anyone who can empathize with Loz's horror and reaction to finding a 3 day old corpse in the tropics it is a Vietnam vet. To single out Vietnam vets as usually alcoholic is not only offensive but an uninformed assumption. The vast majority of Vietnam vets that I know who are living in Thailand are not alcoholics. BTW, vets I personally know include people from Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, France, Vietnam and Thailand.

RoietJimmy and UdonFarang52

Spot on. However you have to take into account the source of the Quote. There are many more Vietnam Vets through out Issan who never go to Korat's watering holes because of the wussie appeasing American non vets and euro trash that are daily seen hanging around drunk in them. You will find them in the villages minding there own business and helping family and comunity.

Just Google "myths about Vietnam vets" and get the real facts of the Vietnam veterans and the war.

Thai Ranger

[roietjimmy]

I just heard about this yesterday, Loz, but not about you needing to go there. My sympathy to you in this time of great stress. Disillusionment is good, but not pleasant.

It might be that Korat attracts a more eccentric (dysfunctional?) expat. It might be the number of men who moved to this area because their wives are from here and the ladies keep them firmly under their thumb. (yes, they need to grow a pair, as you pointed out) I have seen examples of both in my year here. I have no experience with the teacher population here, my social circle and yours don't seem to really intersect except at one local watering hole. Korat has a small population of expat Americans compared to expat Europeans. So that may be part of it, plus the lingering presence of the usually alcoholic Vietnam era vets who chose to stay or to come back here. There's a nice image to present...

Your comments "my social circle and yours don't seem to really intersect except at one local watering hole" coupled with "lingering presence of the usually alcoholic Vietnam era vets" leave me a bit confused. Are you implying customers who frequent the watering hole who happen to be Vietnam vets are alcoholics and the rest of you are not?

If there is anyone who can empathize with Loz's horror and reaction to finding a 3 day old corpse in the tropics it is a Vietnam vet. To single out Vietnam vets as usually alcoholic is not only offensive but an uninformed assumption. The vast majority of Vietnam vets that I know who are living in Thailand are not alcoholics. BTW, vets I personally know include people from Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, France, Vietnam and Thailand.

RoietJimmy and UdonFarang52

Spot on. However you have to take into account the source of the Quote. There are many more Vietnam Vets through out Issan who never go to Korat's watering holes because of the wussie appeasing American non vets and euro trash that are daily seen hanging around drunk in them. You will find them in the villages minding there own business and helping family and comunity.

Just Google "myths about Vietnam vets" and get the real facts of the Vietnam veterans and the war.

Thai Ranger

Thanks for your comment. Normally, I don't respond to comments which single out an entire group in a negative way without any facts to support their comments. All folks are entitled to their own opinion but not to their own facts. However, in a post titled "A Refuge For Cowards", the comment "lingering presence of the usually alcoholic Vietnam era vets" was surely inappropriate. Vietnam vets, no matter where they reside, might be accused of many things but cowards certainly cannot be one of them.

Frankly, I think this post has pretty much run it's course.

[Jeff1]

Frankly, I think this post has pretty much run it's course.

I have to agree with that and to all the Viet Nam vets, Thank You.