For Those Raising Children In Thailand

[TonyLeung]

does it bother you that they will not be allowed to freely speak their mind on various subjects in Thailand? When I was in high school, I went through that 'question everything' phase and i can see a lot of young people being frustrated when they are told 'because i said so'.

This doesn't bother me living in Thailand because I am rich now, I understand human nature and government a little better, and its not my country so I really don't care, but I think when I was 16 it would have meant the world to me... but maybe your kids will grow up with a different personality than myself and not being able to speak their mind or question things will not bother them.

Edited December 5, 2007 by TonyLeung

[ade100]

The Thais I know do speak their minds. There is plenty of criticism of the government around. Just look at all the demonstration we have seen over the past two years.

I think the one topic they have to be careful about is the monarchy. But even then what you say in your own home is your own business.

[nidge]

Most people that visit Thailand say how wonderful the Thai people are. Their kindness, compassion and view of the world makes them stand out compared to the "western" world. Guess what? They all went to school here too!

[blizzard]

people who voluntarily raise kids in los is , pardon my engrit, nutts.

[TheDon]

Its the parenting, you can raise a kid basically anywhere in the world great if the parenting is great.

In Sydney there is idiot parents and the kids turn out idiots most of the time too.

[mrtoad]

To be honest, no it doesn't bother me, as I think you have just made a very sweeping statement. Whilst, it is clear that there are problems within the Thai educational system, the lack of "questioning" and "speaking freely" is also a product of the home environment. There are plenty of Thais who do have very interesting opininons and who are more than capable of speaking their own mind and there are plenty who don't.

A child will learn at school, but will be taught at home how to learn.

[JacknDanny]

people who voluntarily raise kids in los is , pardon my engrit, nutts.

Why would that be?

Incidentally my 6 yr old who has been raised over here has a far better comprehension of written English than you have, if your previous posts are anything to go on

Where were you raised?

Wherever that may be I think I am better off over here .

I think if kids are raised in a loving and understanding atmosphere at home and they attend an International school then I do not see the problems that the OP has brought up.

[TheDon]

thailand is #165 or something in terms of press freedom/free speach world ranking so it goes way beyond the monarchy imho

Thats a whole new topic there, we talking about raising kids.

[mrtoad]

people who voluntarily raise kids in los is , pardon my engrit, nutts.

Why would that be?

Incidentally my 6 yr old who has been raised over here has a far better comprehension of written English than you have, if your previous posts are anything to go on

Where were you raised?

Wherever that may be I think I am better off over here .

I think if kids are raised in a loving and understanding atmosphere at home and they attend an International school then I do not see the problems that the OP has brought up.

Over a thousand posts of drivel, which show a very low level of English comprehension. In fairness though, he is consistent, he rarely writes more than one sentence.

As an add on, my daughter will start school in April/May, and I have no real worries about the education that she will receive at the school that she will attend and I am only to aware of my responsibility as a parent to provide a decent home environment for her.

Am I "nuts",? Not that I am aware.

Whilst this could be an interesting subject, my feeling is that the OP has done this more in mind for trolling purposes.

Edited December 5, 2007 by mrtoad

[TonyLeung]

no, the topic is about raising kids in a country where you cant openly speak your mind. so the fact that thailand is #165ish worldwide in individual freedoms of course matters.

saying that you will raise your kids to be open thinkers is nice, but they still wont be able to freely express those thoughts.

Edited December 5, 2007 by TonyLeung

[ade100]

thailand is #165 or something in terms of press freedom/free speach world ranking so it goes way beyond the monarchy imho

Yep, its pretty low down in the ranking: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reporters_Without_Borders

However writing about something and publishng it is different to talking about it. What you say in your own homes is your own business. And as relating to kids, I presume that as they are not journalist this will not impact them. The Thai press may be regulatd but I haven't noticed any restriction on getting news via the internet.

[legag]

I think that's one of many reasons why parents tend and try to send their kids to have oversea education where there is no 'because I'm told to do so'. I didn't understand that point until I have returned to Thailand and have talked/met with so many kids here that couldn't speak their mind about certain things/subjects. To me, it's very frustating.

[Dakhar]

I imagine you would see the same result if you raised a child up in an ultra conservative right wing religous family. Actually I know you get the same thing:

My sister's kids... & family. Wow, there is a case. Extremely wealthy, don't watch the news or the recieve the newspaper. Basically if it isn't from the good book you don't get to read it, see it, or talk about it. It is blasphemous to even question our fearless wing nut in charge, Mr Shrub, in their house. Their kids have such a closed mind, and have no concept of how most people live... and that is just within America.

So this issue, could occur anywhere, and does occur everywhere.

[legag]

I imagine you would see the same result if you raised a child up in an ultra conservative right wing religous family. Actually I know you get the same thing:

My sister's kids... & family. Wow, there is a case. Extremely wealthy, don't watch the news or the recieve the newspaper. Basically if it isn't from the good book you don't get to read it, see it, or talk about it. It is blasphemous to even question our fearless wing nut in charge, Mr Shrub, in their house. Their kids have such a closed mind, and have no concept of how most people live... and that is just within America.

So this issue, could occur anywhere, and does occur everywhere.

Agree agree where I have bold, yes.

[lannarebirth]

Another way of looking at it, is that your child may develop circumspection. Perhaps also an ability to discuss difficult or unpopular topics with reluctant listeners in a skillful way.

It's not hard for one to go shooting their mouth off about anything, whenever the mood strikes them. I don't see that as a particular attribute you'd want to imbrue your child with

[HS Mauberley]

I don't (and won't) have children so it's not a pressing issue but it's crazy to think that simply being born in Thailand is going to turn your children into brainless morons who can do nothing other than parrot some party line about how it's the land of the free, and the home of the brave...sorry, wrong country...that the nature is beautiful in Thailand and tom yang gung is the famous delicious food of Thailand. I know many, many Thais who have been educated solely within the Thai state education system and have gone on successfully to study higher degrees at the best British universities (my wife amongst them). There are certainly problems with Thai education but, as this board so wonderfully demonstrates day after day, the English and American education systems are not without fault. Lack of critical thinking? Read just about any thread here and you'll find it in spades. Mindless repetition of groundless cliches? Check. Failure to engage with received wisdom? Where to begin?

[markwhite]

does it bother you that they will not be allowed to freely speak their mind on various subjects in Thailand?

I sincerely hope that my son will grow up understanding that he can say and do whatever he likes, but that understanding the consequences of what he does is very important: that sometimes speaking and acting out can cause difficulties, but he is free to hold whatever opinions, dreams, hopes and desires he wants to, or accept the result if he wants to cause difficulties anyway.. It's a matter of tact and discretion, not purely because a group of people have declared it to be disallowed.

Also that school is a place where you get a piece of paper to say you can apply yourself in a certain way that many employers think is very important, and not where you get an education. I hope his education comes from everyone he meets and everything he does.

[TonyLeung]

well said markwhite, plus your son will be getting all kinds of tail by the time he is able to get a boner.

[SamuiBond]

Parents do the raising. Parents can also teach kids to shut up when ever its not polite to say stuff. Within four walls teaching/raising must be done anyway. I bet small kids can pretty much ask and say anything without "severe" punishment even in Thailand?

[TonyLeung]

one thing though about raising high schools kids here is that a couple that i meant were on the fourth trip to a VD clinic.

Edited December 5, 2007 by TonyLeung

[HS Mauberley]

one thing though about raising high schools kids here is that a couple that i meant were on the fourth trip to a VD clinic.

Well done Tony. I think you managed three responses before you suffered a recurrence of your masturbatory fantasies about teenage sex.

[roamer]

does it bother you that they will not be allowed to freely speak their mind on various subjects in Thailand? When I was in high school, I went through that 'question everything' phase and i can see a lot of young people being frustrated when they are told 'because i said so'.

This doesn't bother me living in Thailand because I am rich now, I understand human nature and government a little better, and its not my country so I really don't care, but I think when I was 16 it would have meant the world to me... but maybe your kids will grow up with a different personality than myself and not being able to speak their mind or question things will not bother them.

What better way to look at this than through the eyes of a kid ? My stepdaughter is now almost 13 and lives with us in the UK, however she lived in Thailand until she was 8. On a trip back to Bangkok this summer she went bowling with her cousin and a friend (both Thai) and afterwards to KFC. While they were eating cousin was spotted by a schoolfriend who came over to the table and while chatting to cousin reached across the table and helped herself to daughters fries ! When it happened a second time daughter muttered in English "How rude" , at that, they all wanted to know what she said so when pressed she told the girl, "look I don't know you, we've never met, you can't simply help yourself to my fries like that" A shocked silence ensued, THEN cousin and friend say to daughter, "No, you can't say that, its very rude!"

An exasperated daughter returned home complaining that she was the one being labeled as rude because she dared to point out someone else's rude behavior. I know she frequently finds it frustrating in LOS the fact the she is not allowed to speak her mind . Her Uncle is a deputy head in a Thai school she has often visited and she knows that she would be unable to deal with the Thai educational system of learning by rote.

Maybe its a case of what you have never had you never miss but for sure if you have been exposed to a western educational system, even with all its flaws, you are going to find it hard to fit back into the much more rigid Thai system. The system is so tightly bound up with Thai cultural values that it creates a rod for its own back. In the west a teacher wouldn't feel in the least bit embarrassed by a pupils question that they were unable to answer so you can allow free discussions and questions, within the Thai system for the most part that simply doesn't happen.

[lodesafun]

Tony is the kind of guy that hates himself. Thus he hates everybody especially the ones with a foundation of values and respect that he himself regretfully lacks.

Tony, You have created yourself... Please try again.

there can be no reason to further reply to this trollishness.

[TonyLeung]

lodes,

that was deep.

[lazeeboy]

To be honest, no it doesn't bother me, as I think you have just made a very sweeping statement. Whilst, it is clear that there are problems within the Thai educational system, the lack of "questioning" and "speaking freely" is also a product of the home environment. There are plenty of Thais who do have very interesting opininons and who are more than capable of speaking their own mind and there are plenty who don't.

A child will learn at school, but will be taught at home how to learn.

good reply mrtoad ,ditto..

[nidge]

What better way to look at this than through the eyes of a kid ? My stepdaughter is now almost 13 and lives with us in the UK, however she lived in Thailand until she was 8. On a trip back to Bangkok this summer she went bowling with her cousin and a friend (both Thai) and afterwards to KFC. While they were eating cousin was spotted by a schoolfriend who came over to the table and while chatting to cousin reached across the table and helped herself to daughters fries ! When it happened a second time daughter muttered in English "How rude" , at that, they all wanted to know what she said so when pressed she told the girl, "look I don't know you, we've never met, you can't simply help yourself to my fries like that" A shocked silence ensued, THEN cousin and friend say to daughter, "No, you can't say that, its very rude!"

An exasperated daughter returned home complaining that she was the one being labeled as rude because she dared to point out someone else's rude behavior. I know she frequently finds it frustrating in LOS the fact the she is not allowed to speak her mind . Her Uncle is a deputy head in a Thai school she has often visited and she knows that she would be unable to deal with the Thai educational system of learning by rote.

Maybe its a case of what you have never had you never miss but for sure if you have been exposed to a western educational system, even with all its flaws, you are going to find it hard to fit back into the much more rigid Thai system. The system is so tightly bound up with Thai cultural values that it creates a rod for its own back. In the west a teacher wouldn't feel in the least bit embarrassed by a pupils question that they were unable to answer so you can allow free discussions and questions, within the Thai system for the most part that simply doesn't happen.

A few years ago i would have sided with your daughter, it shocked me at first when people helped themselves to things of mine without asking. But now, the first thing that came to my mind while reading your story was, "why didn't she offer to share?".

[lannarebirth]

does it bother you that they will not be allowed to freely speak their mind on various subjects in Thailand? When I was in high school, I went through that 'question everything' phase and i can see a lot of young people being frustrated when they are told 'because i said so'.

This doesn't bother me living in Thailand because I am rich now, I understand human nature and government a little better, and its not my country so I really don't care, but I think when I was 16 it would have meant the world to me... but maybe your kids will grow up with a different personality than myself and not being able to speak their mind or question things will not bother them.

What better way to look at this than through the eyes of a kid ? My stepdaughter is now almost 13 and lives with us in the UK, however she lived in Thailand until she was 8. On a trip back to Bangkok this summer she went bowling with her cousin and a friend (both Thai) and afterwards to KFC. While they were eating cousin was spotted by a schoolfriend who came over to the table and while chatting to cousin reached across the table and helped herself to daughters fries ! When it happened a second time daughter muttered in English "How rude" , at that, they all wanted to know what she said so when pressed she told the girl, "look I don't know you, we've never met, you can't simply help yourself to my fries like that" A shocked silence ensued, THEN cousin and friend say to daughter, "No, you can't say that, its very rude!"

An exasperated daughter returned home complaining that she was the one being labeled as rude because she dared to point out someone else's rude behavior. I know she frequently finds it frustrating in LOS the fact the she is not allowed to speak her mind . Her Uncle is a deputy head in a Thai school she has often visited and she knows that she would be unable to deal with the Thai educational system of learning by rote.

Maybe its a case of what you have never had you never miss but for sure if you have been exposed to a western educational system, even with all its flaws, you are going to find it hard to fit back into the much more rigid Thai system. The system is so tightly bound up with Thai cultural values that it creates a rod for its own back. In the west a teacher wouldn't feel in the least bit embarrassed by a pupils question that they were unable to answer so you can allow free discussions and questions, within the Thai system for the most part that simply doesn't happen.

I can see your daughters point, but sharing food is a Thai custom. It's an interesting slice of cross cultural life.

[TonyLeung]

nidge,

what is that thing in your avatar?

edit: nevermind, i adjusted the lighting in my office and figured it out.

Edited December 5, 2007 by TonyLeung

[nidge]

nidge,

what is that thing in your avatar?

edit: nevermind, i adjusted the lighting in my office and figured it out.

It's an Issan Monkey. Mine was a bit more expensive than the usual ones, but i wanted a white one.

[markwhite]

well said markwhite, plus your son will be getting all kinds of tail by the time he is able to get a boner.

That really will be up to him.