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Does the inequality ever make you uncomfortable?


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Posted
4 hours ago, RSD1 said:

Does the inequality in Thailand ever make you feel uncomfortable? It does for me sometimes when I am around locals who have so much less means. I guess it weighs on my conscience.

 

How a (believing) Thai would look at it: you are living out your Kamma.

 

You might believe in the delusion that being rich(er) makes you luckier or happier. But the truth is, that it prevents you from seeing the true nature of things, as it makes it all the more difficult for you to let go from earthly things. For a rich person it might be especially difficult to be magnaminous or giving.

But, as long as you are willing to give, are polite, merititious and respect your elders, you are not in a bad place... yet.

 

How I handle it? I try to self-reflect and try to pair my comparable financial richness with appropriate volitional and positive actions -- as you already do, too. But it does not weigh on my conscience.

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Posted
5 hours ago, RSD1 said:

Many of the food items I casually throw into my basket are things they’ve likely never tried themselves, simply because they’re out of their financial reach.

I've probably never tried them either, better not to waste money in 7 Eleven, little healthy in there

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Posted
2 hours ago, rattlesnake said:

 

7-11 is cheap, what is the most expensive food item there? 50 baht? The 7-11 employees spend more than that when they eat at the local moo krata. Spending more than 200 baht at 7/11 is a farang thing because to a Thai, it's just not appealing at all to actually "shop" there (farang concept), it's a convenience store where they grab one or two items, that's all.

7-11 isn't cheap. It's a convenience store with prices marked up because it's convenient.

 

The OP would be better off schlepping around Big C, elbows on his shopping cart like the slothful locals. Save himself some money too.

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Posted
7 hours ago, RSD1 said:

Does the inequality in Thailand ever make you feel uncomfortable? It does for me sometimes when I am around locals who have so much less means. I guess it weighs on my conscience. For instance, I frequently visit 7-Eleven, almost daily, and fill my basket with ฿600-฿800 worth of items without even glancing at the prices. I just grab what I need, toss it in, and head to the cashier.

 

Yet, I’m aware that the staff at 7-Eleven earn quite modest wages. Many of the food items I casually throw into my basket are things they’ve likely never tried themselves, simply because they’re out of their financial reach. What I spend in just two weeks at 7-Eleven probably equals a full month’s salary for many of them, and that’s only a percentage of my total monthly outgoings, not counting what I spend elsewhere.

 

I tend to visit the same 7-Eleven branches in my area regularly, and the staff recognize me because of how often I’m there. Sometimes, I’ll have a casual chat with them. They’re always friendly and kind, and I never sense any jealousy or distaste towards me, which I truly appreciate. Still, it gnaws at me sometimes knowing they work so much harder than I do, yet the lifestyle I take for granted remains far beyond their grasp.

 

I realize the disparities I’m describing exist throughout Thailand, by any means not just in 7-Eleven. But I think this is one everyday example that captures the stark inequality I encounter so often in this country.

 

You need to think about this in the context of your white privilege. 

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Posted
17 minutes ago, short-Timer said:


Fat farang? Projecting? Kettle black? Looking at your hand in this photo, you must be at least 50 kilos overweight. 
 

20250303_220228.jpg

Trolls who never visited lol

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