Oversized Complaint

[JetsetBkk]

i've never seen a farang woman as fat as some of the farang men here!

Hmm. Time to get the camera out and post some piccies.

[Boo]

ok folks, lets try to keep it nice. The topic is an intersting one, yes things tend to be smaller in thailand for farang in general, clothes, shoes etc but seats in taxis??? I thought vehicles were basically the same size the world over so can't see how a train seat or car seat would be any smaller for an overweight person in los than anywhere else. Maybe the combinations of their size & the heat makes it seem smaller, after all a fat person getting hot & bothered would be much worse than an avergae sized person cause they would sweat more.

But just cause the post was supposedly from a women lets not make this a slag off farang women topic please.

[corkscrew]

What was the name of the woman who had the letter in the Post back in the early 90's or before?

Edith somebody?

That was obviously an expat guy with too much time on his hands but hilarious - i think they even had a compilation of her letters produced in book form.

Roger Crutchely was rumoured to be the source but that as probably bar talk

I think you are right.....and I heard that Crutch rumor too.

[sbk]

I cannot believe some people are taking this seriously! Astounding! I guess that's why I think it is probably a man, because, as Boo states, the wording is wrong (cheap and tacky wouldn't be applied to makeup--and frankly, most Thai women wear very little makeup anyway) and it smacks of something a man thinks a woman would notice. But in all the wrong ways

But hey, if it makes you happy to assume this is real then I guess it was worth it to the troll who originally wrote it.

[Boo]

forgot to add, And no slagging off farang men either please.

[Crossy]

The topic is an intersting one, yes things tend to be smaller in thailand for farang in general, clothes, shoes etc but seats in taxis??? I thought vehicles were basically the same size the world over so can't see how a train seat or car seat would be any smaller for an overweight person in los than anywhere else.

I'm wondering if the author is American where 'everything' is bigger, that would certainly account for the small taxi comment.

Maybe he/she/it would like to try and squeeze into one of the tiny yellow and black Fiat cabs found in Mumbai.

Incredibly these things are licenced for four passengers.

Edited December 13, 2007 by Crossy

[Ricardo]

Yeah I saw this too! Can't believe they printed it! Pure troll. She must be a member of Thaivisa!

Perhaps the BP has a sense of humour, in an over-serious world ?

[Gimbo]

one could go whale hunting with a harpoon in nana, seriously.

I thought you lot preferred something your own size?

Aaaahhh....seal steak. My mouth runeth over. Seriously though, I really miss good whale burger. Not to mention Reindeer casserole. Aaaah, the memories!

[Ulysses G.]

And most likely a man

Many years ago, I sent a letter to Postbag pretending to ba a "feminist" named Brunhilda Phlem. It caused quite a sensation and it took about a week before anyone realized it was a put on. One of the rugular columists - S. Tsow, an American with an Asia name - even wrote a whole column on it!

[MeaMaximaCulpa]

I don't know how to make this on topic, other than to say it is about eating big animals (oversized, there you go!), so please excuse this small transgression.

Reindeer is a wonderful game meat, and not about to be extinct.

Seal meat I am not so sure about, I think it would taste kinda bad, like fish oil you take for the omega3 benefit but not for the taste, so best avoided. And they are so cute and cuddly... Doh!!!

Whale meat however can taste really good. I do not condone killing the last whales in the ocean, but on the other hand, careful and responsible whaling is in my opinion not a bad thing, as is culling of seals where they get too many, and clear the ocean of fish that could otherwise feed humans.

Rant over, back to topic!

Edited December 13, 2007 by MeaMaximaCulpa

[tolsti]

According to google there is a Susan M Sutton posted as Political Affairs Counselor at the American Embassy BKK

[tuffy]

When I read that this morning i thought to myself.....go back to the homeland where fat is normal. Everytime I fly out of here the first thing i notice is how FAT everyone is and I don't feel so out of place anymore ....but as far as the taxi and sky train seats too small...get a life and a staple or two in you stomach.

[popshirt]

I am not an overly-large farang and have no complaints about seat size in general, but I do find the seats in the main hall at the Thai Cultural Centre to be uncomfortably narrow with inadequate legroom. My Thai companion who is 6'2" tall refuses to attend concerts there as he is simply too uncomfortable.

[Thaddeus]

My Thai companion who is 6'2" tall refuses to attend concerts there as he is simply too uncomfortable.

I'm sure you can't be that bad looking

[Thaddeus]

According to google there is a Susan M Sutton posted as Political Affairs Counselor at the American Embassy BKK

Maybe there is ...... stop and think for one second..... maybe, just maybe, the writer had access to google too...... duh

[kat]

It's a troll, with a very close resemblance to the TV variety. They can only foment hatred because they have no other means at their disposal.

[sriracha john]

I sent a letter to Postbag pretending to be a "feminist"

Any other repressed, sub-conscious desires you care to share with us for therapeutic benefit?

[zorro1]

Yeah I saw this too! Can't believe they printed it! Pure troll. She must be a member of Thaivisa!

To be a so called serious paper, they seem to slip up a lot.

""She must be a member of Thaivisa!""

Surely your last paragraph is a joke?

Its called marketing and papers make this stuff up all the time and its working otherwise we wouldn't be here talking about it

[Dustoff]

For a few minutes I was afraid that I knew this person!

A few weeks ago, friends of a friend showed up at the CM airport and I had agreed to give them a ride into town and help them get settled in. With no prejudice whatsoever intended, what came through those airport doors stunned me. Absolutely HUGE people with more luggage than I thought was possible to take on a flight and I could tell by the set of their thin lips that this was not going to be a pleasant ride.

Whew.. "Is this what we have to ride in (snubbing my Mitsu 4-door sedan)?" I got them in but it took a very long time to load everything up and, with axles bent under the strain, off we went while they crabbed about small seats, short seat belts, windows fogging up, bumps in the road, a55hole Thai drivers and how Thais should learn proper English (not that their American could be called proper English).

At the Top North, they complained about the condition of the hotel before we even got in the front doors (barely), totally humiliated the reception staff, stiffed the guys who actually worked up a sweat dragging the luggage to their rooms, rejected the quality of the rooms immediately with loud remarks about how dirty Thai people are, refused to eat at the restaurant out front because it was surely a disease pit, sipped bottled water as they proudly projected their opinions to anyone within hearing distance about how Western expats like Thai women because they are stupid, subservient and for sale at a cheap price, pissed off the operator of the internet shop so badly that she wouldn't even accept my apologies for their behavior, on and on and on until I excused myself and ran for the door, never to see them again...

If these two ladies ever show up in Thailand again, I am hiding under my bed.

Whether the originator of the BP article is a troll or not, gender makes no difference as either one is capable of incredibly offensive and abusive attitudes.

It is interesting that the name of the person matches a member of the BKK Embassy staff - could be that someone has a bone to pick with that particular person or.. A few years ago there was a consular officer here in the CM US Consulate who was posting very abusive remarks about foreign expat men and Thai women and they had to get rid of her. I don't recall her name but when my wife went for her visa, this woman was extremely rude to both of us and obviously had an attitude about Thai women.

They are out there...

[sriracha john]

and, with axles bent under the strain,

[dr_Pat_Pong]

And most likely a man

And one with problems of his own.

Absolutely right.

[LinkPopularity]

It's a troll, with a very close resemblance to the TV variety. They can only foment hatred because they have no other means at their disposal.

why is it so hard for you to accept the fact that there are a lot of frustrated fat @ss b!tches out there?

why does it have to be a troll?

[thai_narak]

instead of whining she should consider it a wake-up call for her that she is not in a normal size anymore. didn't she realised that she is not an elephant? for god's sakes diet!

Edited December 14, 2007 by thai_narak

[polecat]

I would say that if this is the level of response the letter gets on an Internet forum like this, people will be chatting about it around water coolers and in bars. Of course, some people will use any opportunity to shoot down the Eng lang media in Thailand but hoax or not, the letter has stimulated conversation. I'm sure the BP feel quite justified. It was, after all, a mere letter.

Imagine the response if someone wrote an editorial or commentary. The fat, sexist, bigoted, farang, sexpat, bar stool element would be having a field day.

[kat]

I would say that if this is the level of response the letter gets on an Internet forum like this, people will be chatting about it around water coolers and in bars. Of course, some people will use any opportunity to shoot down the Eng lang media in Thailand but hoax or not, the letter has stimulated conversation. I'm sure the BP feel quite justified. It was, after all, a mere letter.

Imagine the response if someone wrote an editorial or commentary. The fat, sexist, bigoted, farang, sexpat, bar stool element would be having a field day.

oh, you mean like some of the posters on this forum or very thread? Big coincidence, they all sound strangely familiar, including their uncannily, similar over-the-top stories that strike a particular chord with the wounded and the hateful. You can almost chart a trajectory of them acting out directly associated to when they lose a certain tipping point of arguments on TV.

[polecat]

You're absolutely right Kat, I wonder what Wikipedia has to say about the Bangkok Post letters page. Or maybe we could go on to Amazon and find readers' reviews of the Edith Letters.

[kat]

Absolutely right. Most of the time, it is that easy.

*Or of course, you could try refuting the point where it originates.

** The irony, is that the whole fricking book could've been written by Wikipedia.

Edited December 14, 2007 by kat

[Smithson]

A few years ago there was a letter from a Thai complaining that his 'loyal man servant' had been denied a visa to travel to the UK with him. The 'man servant' was needed to perform important tasks like bringing him wine on the golf course.

I never actually read the original letter, only the many responses to it. Now I'm guessing this may have been a troll also.

Did anyone else see the letter?

[MrSquigle]

At least she is environmentaly responsible, sustainable warmth up in CM on those cold nights. Unlike others she is not burning fossil fuels just to keep warm.

[Travel2003]

When I read that this morning i thought to myself.....go back to the homeland where fat is normal.

Agree.

I believe the problem with a growing overweight (obese?) population has been addressed by many countries in the west the last few years.

Even in Thailand this has raised concern by the healt department.

I read an article a year or two ago about the increasing problem in the USA.

The domestic flight industry has calculated that due to heavier load (bigger passengers), they actually burn more fuel.

Funny, yes. But if the average passenger these days are 10 pounds heavier, then each flight will carry prox 2000-3000 pounds more on each flight.

Over a year, with 1000s of flights, this number will be quite big.

This is NOT a US bashing. Just refering to the article. I believe this is probably the same in most western countries these days.

PS. Is not the Sutton name quite common in UK and USA?