15 hours ago, eumenades said:

 

Great stuff. And probably the best commentary here on Russians, so far. But, as I keep saying, Russian writers from the past make great company and are among the finest humanitarian thinkers going, in print. In the UK, we have murderous Glaswegian football hooligans but they are a minority. So, ultimately, "Hoogivesafugh?"

Thanks, and yes Russia does have an incredibly rich history of culture, art, ballet, classical music and literature over the past 150 years. Their accomplishments have been impressive, but from a standpoint of culture what have they accomplished in the last 30 or 40 years? 

 

Italy had centuries of incredibly rich culture, but now they don't seem to be contributing much either. But at least they have their food, their wine, their women and their amazing fashion and design. What does Russia have? Borscht, bad vodka, oil and gas. 

43 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Thanks, and yes Russia does have an incredibly rich history of culture, art, ballet, classical music and literature over the past 150 years. Their accomplishments have been impressive, but from a standpoint of culture what have they accomplished in the last 30 or 40 years? 

 

Italy had centuries of incredibly rich culture, but now they don't seem to be contributing much either. But at least they have their food, their wine, their women and their amazing fashion and design. What does Russia have? Borscht, bad vodka, oil and gas. 

Borsht Is not Russian it is Ukraine it might be popular in Russia 

4 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

History has a lot to do with how they behave, our culture and our upbringing has a dramatic influence on our personality. They were brought up with horrendous oppression, the vestiges of Leninism, Stalinism, Putinism, and communism. They were brought up to distrust their neighbors, they were brought up to rat out their neighbors, it's just a horrific system and it has a tremendous amount of bearing on how they behave as people. It provides a lot of the answers to their extraordinary lack of civility, their rudeness, and their lack of politeness, and social skills. They just don't care one iota. 

You sound like the American Black man using history as an excuse to allow bad behavior. Blaming everyone else for their history misgivings and expecting to use that to get more than other people. Wake up. They should not leave their country to travel around the world expecting to treated differently than everyone else. 

20 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

Yeah, and take the British and Americans with you. Meaning giving culture and respect back to Thailand

Any other folks left?😂

you forgot the chinese

17 hours ago, thesetat said:

You sound like the American Black man using history as an excuse to allow bad behavior. Blaming everyone else for their history misgivings and expecting to use that to get more than other people. Wake up. They should not leave their country to travel around the world expecting to treated differently than everyone else. 

My point was from a sociological perspective, their history might explain a lot of their ugliness. I'm not making any excuses for them, I'm just trying to understand a nation of social misfits. 

8 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

My point was from a sociological perspective, their history might explain a lot of their ugliness. I'm not making any excuses for them, I'm just trying to understand a nation of social misfits. 

Explaining it does not justify their actions while travelling abroad. These people who are like this as you described need to remember their place in society in another country. Your using their social misgivings from their history is wrong. People often use their countries history as an excuse to expect more or to act badly. It is no excuse. 

1 hour ago, thesetat said:

Explaining it does not justify their actions while travelling abroad. These people who are like this as you described need to remember their place in society in another country. Your using their social misgivings from their history is wrong. People often use their countries history as an excuse to expect more or to act badly. It is no excuse. 

You talking only about Russians or do you generalize about all nationalities?

In other words, according to you is that only Russians who misbehave when in other countries?

 

On 4/1/2024 at 5:43 AM, UWEB said:

Do you believe UK is not Europe, may be an own Continent?

Meant EU.

On 4/2/2024 at 10:05 PM, spidermike007 said:

My point was from a sociological perspective, their history might explain a lot of their ugliness. I'm not making any excuses for them, I'm just trying to understand a nation of social misfits. 

Unfortunately Thailand's elite are not 'boned' up on history......I think Crackdowns are continuous now and hundreds of thousands of misfits might be headed to where none of them want to go..........  

On 3/30/2024 at 3:24 PM, eumenades said:

It will take a heck of a lot of patience to deal with Russians in Thailand. But we have to bear in mind that they have a very difficult history in terms of tolerance and oppression. Their government treats them like <deleted> and they can do the same to other people. Physically, Russians resemble Europeans, but psychologically there are tremendous differences. Be patient and try to explain things. Probably, you will find them isolationists at first sight. But show an appreciation for their history and, especially their famous writers. Tolerance is a keyword, but don't accept chauvinistic bull<deleted>. Solzhenitsyn is probably the best, and most readable, Russian writer. Remember he suffered tremendous persecution and was sentenced to the Gulags. But he got out of it. We can get out of it too!

Total BS! Should other foreigners and the Thai population show patience to Russians that act like monkeys??? It´s them that has to fit into society and respect the culture and behavior in Thailand. Post including utter rubbish like the one above is better send to #MeeToo group where they speak volumes for acceptance when they, in reality, only look for acceptance of the individual ego.

Still trying to understand the brilliant idea of giving russians 90 day no visa entry.  Certainly seems to me that a lot of russians do not want to get drafted and sent into the war and have an extra incentive,moreso than most other countries, to do whatever they can find to not return to become fodder.  It would appear to me from what i read that phuket is having some very difficult times with overstays, no work permits, etc.  Lots of talk of russian mafias also taking root.

 

Guess i just don't understand why if you get into trouble for overstays or breaking serious laws you are not just deported and not allowed back for a year or two or more depending on the infraction.  Not just russians but ALL nationaltiies.  I do think the vast majority of visitors obey the law and do not overstay and those that do make it tougher on all the rest to visit with no dramas, no overstays, no trying to get around all the work permit and real estate laws.  I suspect lot of envelopes being passed around to cops and immigration and politicians.

On 4/2/2024 at 12:26 AM, spidermike007 said:

History has a lot to do with how they behave, our culture and our upbringing has a dramatic influence on our personality. They were brought up with horrendous oppression, the vestiges of Leninism, Stalinism, Putinism, and communism. They were brought up to distrust their neighbors, they were brought up to rat out their neighbors, it's just a horrific system and it has a tremendous amount of bearing on how they behave as people. It provides a lot of the answers to their extraordinary lack of civility, their rudeness, and their lack of politeness, and social skills. They just don't care one iota. 

 Mike, You are right, but I really think you should use your insights a little broader than this. Try dropping words like 'ludicrous'.

On 4/3/2024 at 6:37 AM, thesetat said:

Explaining it does not justify their actions while travelling abroad. These people who are like this as you described need to remember their place in society in another country. Your using their social misgivings from their history is wrong. People often use their countries history as an excuse to expect more or to act badly. It is no excuse. 

Well I'm not sure if he's intending it as an excuse or rather as a reality, can you teach a monkey to eat dinner with a fork? There are certain limitations that people have and when you are brought up in such a brutal, oppressive, horrifying, depressing environment as the Russians have endured it's likely that they simply are incapable of change, nor civility.