Thais And Looking Rich

[B Fuddled]

Honey, when you drag someone into your brain and kick the sh-it out of them for being pretentious, the only thing that gets hurt is your brain. You sound like a sincere, caring person; give yourself a break.

[Jingthing]

No, but what i find depressing is how so many foreigners staying here have a need to analize everything rather than just getting on with life.

Weird bunch.

Maybe they just haven't gone native yet ...

[howtoescape]

No, but what i find depressing is how so many foreigners staying here have a need to analize everything rather than just getting on with life.

Weird bunch.

It is a discussion forum, how can you discuss things that are new and strange to you without having made some kind of analytical thought.

[TheDon]

The ones you seen are probaly just trying to dress up and hopefully pick up.

Nothing wrong with dressing up and trying to attract the opposite sex or same sex in some cases.

[ajarnmark]

he has to handle it as he is Number Three now.

no 1 Anil Ambani (India)

no 2 Carlos Slim Helú (Mexico)

no 3 Bill Gates (U.S. of A.)

From where did you get this list. As another poster said He is No.18 and not No.1, probably you missed digit "8" after "1".

Edited November 4, 2007 by ajarnmark

[coldcrush]

From people who like to look rich to naming the richest people, does one really care. I wear bin bags in the rain....

Edited November 4, 2007 by coldcrush

[asiaworld]

What funny for me is the 'self respect' bubble, that fills the western minds.. In fact if the someone works hard ( and u get few of those in asia, thai included) they have MUCH better chance to get wealthy & share it with their kids, than any western country national, robbed maffia style, by TAXES ! Also here in Thailand it is simply SAFE to parade all the wealth, than in ANY western country .. where you may be robbed after stralling around few days with big gold chain around your neck .. There are more richer asians, than westerners, and there's no society pressure to hide it .. Here you go .. result shows off without fear .. Now i have no probs being reach here, but i would think twice about showing it off in my "EU homecountry" where i prefer to 'mingle with masses, for fear of taxes'

[Travel2003]

"Thais will buy a BMW and sleep on the floor in a B2000 a month room"

Oh really?

Yes really.

Well, maybe not on the floor, but renting a very cheap room, and getting huge loans to buy very expencive cars.

I have seen it.

On several occations.

[uptou]

I also must say that I'm also bored of the little cuffed shorts, ambiguous top, and flat shoes that the younger Hi-So-striving women wear.

I'm in no way a religous man,but seing those skimpy little shorts with heavenly legs EVERYWHERE I GO IN THAILAND,makes me feel that there may be a god after all.I'm not sure the average bloke in thailand will object to the shorts.

Are you female?

[uptou]

I was in Paragon Mall last week and couldn't help but notice how excrutiatingly hard many Thai men and women there try to look excessively Hi-So.

I've heard its called "The american dream syndrome".

[blizzard]

man, i thought topics like this werent allowed.

i gotta reed them rules and regs again...lol.

[Heng]

"Thais will buy a BMW and sleep on the floor in a B2000 a month room"

Oh really?

Again, another self projection post.

Scenario 1: and they were able to pay 3-12 million (not sure what the 7 series are going for nowadays, I drive a Honda) cash. Yeah sure, and they'd be renting a 2,000 Baht a month room.

Scenario 2: they finance 80-90%. Yeah sure, folks living in 2,000 Baht a month rooms would be able to afford the 80,000-100,000 a month payments.

p.s. we actually have a few strips of 1,000 - 2,500 Baht a month rooms for rent in the extended family. The typical transportation is motorcycle, saleng (converted bicycle/cart type setup), or foot. On the rare occasion that someone has a car, it's either a 20 year old pickup or one of the first Mazda's that ca/ef/n b,me off the boat here.

al

Whilethisma=-0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000999999999999999i-monbl ..6yh

\|

the above comment was added by my 1 year old daughter.

my contribution should have read like this:

hengs post may be true, but that doesn't explain why the apartments i first lived in in bangkok 10+ years ago had a parking lot with about 10 beemers or benzes in it.

the top floor was all 2 bedroom suites for 12,000 and the rest was hong dios or one beds for 7-9k.

the top floor was all farang, so it would lead me to belive that the people with the expensive cars were living in single rooms.

we used to laugh about it at the time.

I think your daughter is also correct. As for your experience, sure there are folks who make silly financial decisions. There are folks who rent when they could buy. There are folks who sponsor the lives of other folks (I don't have a BMW, but over the past 10 years I have lived here, I have parked my relatively "nice" cars for 1-6 month periods at a time at homes/condos/apartments worth less than what my car was worth). Some of it can be explained, some is rather perplexing.

My post wasn't meant to say there aren't folks living beyond their means here or anywhere else in the world. I was saying the OP was likely self projecting a personal issue with locals through a drama queen-like post and I was pointing out the inaccuracy therein. The price range of housing mentioned (in Bangkok anyway) is a hair above what garbage collectors, factory labor, low end prostitutes, etc. would be living in; folks in that bracket would likely NOT have the financial options whether cash or fully leveraged, except perhaps in the OP's imagination to make the post true. Of course, it becomes more accurate when you move the extremes closer together:

-There are _____ (Thais, Jews, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc.) who spend 2,000 Baht on their phone bill when they only earn 8,000 Baht a month.

-There are _____ (Thais, Jews, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc.) who are mortgaged to the hilt on million $ homes despite being able to own a home at a third of the cost for cash.

-There are _____ (Thais, Jews, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc.) companies with a $ billion market capitalization but who are leveraged in the red for $500 million because it makes "better financial sense" to hold as much debt as possible to maximize your capital.

but when one does so, the post becomes less dramatic and more realistic... and less therapeutic in the process.

[ETC]

I can see what the OP is getting at , it is about conspicuous wealth, to which some Thais (mostly from BKK often take to the extremes).

However it is a worldwide thing. A lot of people want to show off what they have and there a lot of people who react accordingly and reinforce that behaviour.

Personally it is not something I like either, but each to there own I guess. For me , money is for freedom of choice in life and increase of options of what I can do. If I want to buy something because I can really enjoy it , that is fine. But if I buy something just to prove I have the money, that sounds pretty stupid to me.

If you have ever seen one of these (conspicuous wealth) people thrown in with someone who is really wealthy but doesn't show it now that is quite funny, it can really upset the status quo.

There is a saying among convicts that pretty well sums it up...."DO your own time"

Wouldn't it be refreshing if society, as a whole, would practice that concept?

[Heng]

^ what'd they get you for?

[TheDon]

Imagine what they think about the avg farang?

Big smelly fat guys walking in the malls looking for young girls.

They probaly think we look like bums

[Pundi64]

Not to mention the Thai men who drive 140 - 180 kil. with their Mercedes Benz, on the highways, wow look at me I am untouchable!!

[Naam]

he has to handle it as he is Number Three now.

no 1 Anil Ambani (India)

no 2 Carlos Slim Helú (Mexico)

no 3 Bill Gates (U.S. of A.)

From where did you get this list. As another poster said He is No.18 and not No.1, probably you missed digit "8" after "1".

i didn't miss any digit. i am not sure but to the best of my knowledge i got this information from Reuters RSS feed. the calculation was done ad hoc based on the share price of the companies and the percentage of shares held. to do that one doesn't have to wait till Forbes publishes their list.

[chicowoodduck]

I have to say I find this highly amusing also!

Personally I prefer to keep my 'wealth' undercover you know - I'll be the one in Camo shorts and t-shirt in say Tiffanys . . . but I'll actually buy someting . . . not there just to gaze at all shiny things. I've done this in London, Singapore, Sydney and Bangkok . .. . people who serve in these kind of shops get used to seeing the window shoppers and can spot the serious ones regardless of looks.

People seem to think that you need to show for people to believe you have money, the comment on the make up is spot on. I just do not understand why they need to trowel it on, but then again with the amount of hi-so tv shows where even the kids are made up then it shouldn't really come as a surprise!

I just don't understand why people put the need to 'show' ahead of practicality!

Thankfully Laos isn't quite so hi-so driven! Not saying there isn't some morons around as there certainly is however there is just less of places for them to show!

My mind set has always been to fly under the radar. I sometimes think that the "flash" is just meant to make others feel a little bit less than what you actually are. My mom always said a "good front irons the back."

[Dakhar]

I work in a field that requires me to work among physicians.

I was at a public hospital, and one of the physicians was sporting a beautiful Omega. I have always wanted an Omega, but felt I was not wealthy enough to toss my money at such an item.

Now truth be known, I have ZERO debt, and very little expenses. My job takes care of Food and Shelter, per diem when I travel etc. My icome is in excess or 200K and that is just base, not includeing bonusses, profit shareing etc.

This physician that I am speaking about probably brings in 30K to 40K, but yet he was sporting an Omega. So yes, I do see what the OP is talking about. But I do not let it get me down. We all have our issues. (Fat, strange nose, bald, failed marriage, failed mariages, poor spelling, poor math, poor fashion since, fetish for young asian women, etc)

[tropo]

he has to handle it as he is Number Three now.

no 1 Anil Ambani (India)

no 2 Carlos Slim Helú (Mexico)

no 3 Bill Gates (U.S. of A.)

From where did you get this list. As another poster said He is No.18 and not No.1, probably you missed digit "8" after "1".

i didn't miss any digit. i am not sure but to the best of my knowledge i got this information from Reuters RSS feed. the calculation was done ad hoc based on the share price of the companies and the percentage of shares held. to do that one doesn't have to wait till Forbes publishes their list.

Having given $30 billion to charity this year puts Gates well ahead of his competition. I wouldn't be surprised if he gave that much away simply because being so far ahead in the world wealth rankings could be a little embarrassing (uncomfortable) for him. If he hadn't given away so much over the last decade, he'd be well into triple digit billions by now...and perhaps even nudging the trillion mark.

Edited November 5, 2007 by tropo

[Mobi]

Not to mention the Thai men who drive 140 - 180 kil. with their Mercedes Benz, on the highways, wow look at me I am untouchable!!

That sounds like a good idea.

Maybe I 'll get one

And you don't get 'Car Posers' where you come from? It's the classic 'oneupmanship' - all over the world.

Definitely not restricted to rich Thais.

[MEGALITHIC]

Does anyone thats commenting on this thread think that face and thereby image, does not transcend everything in this country? It's how everything works here - currying favour in a heirarchal semi fuedal bloody system. It's so pathetically superficial. Things that actually mean something like the ability to multi task, solve problems and be decisive aren't actually encouraged are they. Better to dress as though you look like a hotshot rather than have any real ability in anything. I've just completed an eight month contract on Thailands' largest offshore gas project (for PTT) and guess what, everyone in a decision making position was a farang. Thais can continue looking good, or whatever it is they do, and we'll just get on with what really matters.

[ETC]

^ what'd they get you for?

Fortunatelly nothing... Quote: "Vini vidi vici" I wasn't there either!

[ETC]

Does anyone thats commenting on this thread think that face and thereby image, does not transcend everything in this country? It's how everything works here - currying favour in a heirarchal semi fuedal bloody system. It's so pathetically superficial. Things that actually mean something like the ability to multi task, solve problems and be decisive aren't actually encouraged are they. Better to dress as though you look like a hotshot rather than have any real ability in anything. I've just completed an eight month contract on Thailands' largest offshore gas project (for PTT) and guess what, everyone in a decision making position was a farang. Thais can continue looking good, or whatever it is they do, and we'll just get on with what really matters.

Maybe there is a bit of truth in what you say but I feel you might be a little harsh in your accessment of Thai people. My wife, as an example, graduated from the university in Bangkok and she has since built a very successful business (on her own I might add). I find her very intellegent, loving, hard working and very decisive. Granted, our two different cultures have clashed, on many levels, but learning to understand the others culture is a key element in our mutual lives. Much of Thai culture is foreign to me but I'm learning.

[somtaamgaiyang]

I was in Paragon Mall last week and couldn't help but notice how excrutiatingly hard many Thai men and women there try to look excessively Hi-So. It's pretty obnoxious how they saunter around like they're a Thai superstar or mogul at a country club... I can only tolerate being there for a short time and then it wears on me. I'm starting to feel that Thai men with a little money are nothing but oversexed, adulteristic, big-face-chasing egotists. Anyone feel the same? While I'm on a roll I also must say that I'm also bored of the little cuffed shorts, ambiguous top, and flat shoes that the younger Hi-So-striving women wear. All that excess precision makeup work too. They all look like clones! Why all the effort to impress others? Any ideas?

Simplest way to solve that one is not to go to Paragon. Per square foot is must be the most expensive shopping centre in Bangkok and probably contains more millionaires per square foot during opening hours than anywhere in Thailand.

Or didn't you notice the Chanel, Cartier, Armani and LVMH signs on the doors. It is an expensive place. Be thankful they don't have a dress policy to get in or did you never try to get past the security guards in LVMH in London?

Just to let you know there are plenty of wealthy people in this country. Where would you like them to go?

[somtaamgaiyang]

"Thais will buy a BMW and sleep on the floor in a B2000 a month room"

Oh really?

Again, another self projection post.

Scenario 1: and they were able to pay 3-12 million (not sure what the 7 series are going for nowadays, I drive a Honda) cash. Yeah sure, and they'd be renting a 2,000 Baht a month room.

Scenario 2: they finance 80-90%. Yeah sure, folks living in 2,000 Baht a month rooms would be able to afford the 80,000-100,000 a month payments.

p.s. we actually have a few strips of 1,000 - 2,500 Baht a month rooms for rent in the extended family. The typical transportation is motorcycle, saleng (converted bicycle/cart type setup), or foot. On the rare occasion that someone has a car, it's either a 20 year old pickup or one of the first Mazda's that ca/ef/n b,me off the boat here.

al

Whilethisma=-0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000999999999999999i-monbl ..6yh

\|

the above comment was added by my 1 year old daughter.

my contribution should have read like this:

hengs post may be true, but that doesn't explain why the apartments i first lived in in bangkok 10+ years ago had a parking lot with about 10 beemers or benzes in it.

the top floor was all 2 bedroom suites for 12,000 and the rest was hong dios or one beds for 7-9k.

the top floor was all farang, so it would lead me to belive that the people with the expensive cars were living in single rooms.

we used to laugh about it at the time.

Ever considered that these were apartments that they had bought for use in the week while in the office, but there were big houses with the wife and kids inside somewhere outside town?

I know dozens of Thai businessmen who do this to avoid the traffic and to have a place to stay with the significant other and to sleep off excessive booze.

[blizzard]

i notice the hi end shop have very little thaicustomers,

who arre they sellin to, got to be non thais. the farang who cant afford the stuff n their home cuntry

[somtaamgaiyang]

i notice the hi end shop have very little thaicustomers,

who arre they sellin to, got to be non thais. the farang who cant afford the stuff n their home cuntry

Not even hi-so thais are stupid enough to pay for goods with massive luxury taxes on them. That is what Daddies business trip to switzerland is for.

[qwertz]

^ what'd they get you for?

Fortunatelly nothing... Quote: "Vini vidi vici" I wasn't there either!

Vici Veni VD might be more applicable to LOS.

[Acquiesce]

]one of the physicians was sporting a beautiful Omega. I have always wanted an Omega, but felt I was not wealthy enough to toss my money at such an item.

My icome is in excess or 200K and that is just base, not includeing bonusses, profit shareing etc.

This physician that I am speaking about probably brings in 30K to 40K, but yet he was sporting an Omega. So yes, I do see what the OP is talking about. But I do not let it get me down.

That's big of you, do you want a badge?