Reading this board i see many comments which state the opinion that wealthy/upper class Thais are a main catalyst keeping down the poor/lower class Thais. Most feel that the wealthy should be doing more to help the poor.

Now my question is do you think this is an honest opinion or do you think that this opinion is rooted in the fact that many farangs have married women from the poorer regions of Thailand and now bear the burden themselves of helping his in-laws survive.

If instead, he had married a Thai women from a wealthy family and her father liked his son-in-law so much that he wanted to give his new son-in-law a few million baht to start and run his own business, then do you think these same farang would have negative or positive things to say about wealthy Thais?

so what i propose is that the problem is not these clubs exist, but just that these men are not invited. Similarly, people in middle income brackets are for tax decreases for the middle income brackets and raising the taxes for the rich. Everyone is selfish and does not want anyone to do better than they are doing, yet at the sametime they have created a false reality in their minds to convince themselves that they are the noble victim. Its sort of like when you hear "Why aren't companies/the government doing more to help this this and that" yet the people making these comments are not helping this this and that themselves.

Reading this board i see many comments which state the opinion that wealthy/upper class Thais are a main catalyst keeping down the poor/lower class Thais. Most feel that the wealthy should be doing more to help the poor.

Now my question is do you think this is an honest opinion or do you think that this opinion is rooted in the fact that many farangs have married women from the poorer regions of Thailand and now bear the burden themselves of helping his in-laws survive.

If instead, he had married a Thai women from a wealthy family and her father liked his son-in-law so much that he wanted to give his new son-in-law a few million baht to start and run his own business, then do you think these same farang would have negative or positive things to say about wealthy Thais?

so what i propose is that the problem is not these clubs exist, but just that these men are not invited. Similarly, people in middle income brackets are for tax decreases for the middle income brackets and raising the taxes for the rich. Everyone is selfish and does not want anyone to do better than they are doing, yet at the sametime they have created a false reality in their minds to convince themselves that they are the noble victim. Its sort of like when you hear "Why aren't companies/the government doing more to help this this and that" yet the people making these comments are not helping this this and that themselves.

I got the first three but I don't quite understand your fourth paragraph. Would you mind elaborating please?

"Why aren't companies/the government doing more to help this this and that"

This is a parennial problem in all the less developed countries I've lived in.

Pehaps this is a major reason they are less developed in the first place.

Naka.

"Why aren't companies/the government doing more to help this this and that"

This is a parennial problem in all the less developed countries I've lived in.

Pehaps this is a major reason they are less developed in the first place.

Naka.

I have been looking at William Easterly's writings on this recently - very interesting

http://www.nyu.edu/fas/institute/dri/Easterly/

As for the OP - I think most people do have a genuine desire for Thailand to do well, ie to grow economically and develop further.

I do not know if its because they have married into the poorer section of society or not but its not likely any changes made right now will affect them that much - it might future generations or their children though.

Easterly above say's education alone is not the thing though and provides evidence which is the area most on this board point to first.

It needs a multi-faceted approach such as tackling corruption, market made more free (but not totally yet) etc etc

"Why aren't companies/the government doing more to help this this and that"

This is a parennial problem in all the less developed countries I've lived in.

Pehaps this is a major reason they are less developed in the first place.

Naka.

Hmm, interesting OP. Kind of get the gist of what your saying. I think because you have less safe guards at the bottom and rich here really does mean rich then a lot including myself find it hard to stomach. There is also the nicely convenient excuse used by many that the man half dying on the street with no legs begging, is there because of karma and so cuts them off showing any human generosity or sympathy what soever.

Sorry but I don't undertsand realmadrid25 point. Is it about socialism vs capitalism or about something specific to the Thai society ?

My wife's family has money, & I do not support them & if I tried they would feel or act insulted. Fact is, the mil thinks that economically I could not exsists if were not for her.

Fortunatley my wife has told her repeatedly that in the US I paid more in taxes what she earns in a year. But I don't think it really sinks in with the mil.

That said, I still do not feel the Thai govt does enough for the people etc. Like someone posted before, education and ending corruption should be high on the list.

Do I wish Thailand would advance? Yea, I would like to be able to walk down a sidewalk rather than dodge push carts etc.

This place is a wreck.

I understand the question, but for me anyway it's not true. I think anyone who's not a staunch self centered capitalist will recognize that not all Thais are treated equal or receive equal opportunities in life, and would want to see that situation improve. My wife however did have those opportunities and made good use of them.

I understand the question, but for me anyway it's not true. I think anyone who's not a staunch self centered capitalist will recognize that not all Thais are treated equal or receive equal opportunities in life, and would want to see that situation improve. My wife however did have those opportunities and made good use of them.

I am a staunch self centered capitalist (used to think I was a socialist though) and completely recognise the uneven development and opportunities in Thailand

I also do not think its self interested farangs who want Thailand to develop and grow economically unless is self interested as in a better off less corrupt Thailand will be better for everyone.

I have only seen the notion once where a guy hoped for another collapse like 97 and he wanted this because it would make the girls cheaper for him - I hope he has gone home now potless

I'm still not sure I understand the original post but I will try an answer anyway.

The life of Budha shows us that even if one belongs to the "invited", one still can share the sufferance of the "not invited". So maybe the solution in his teaching.

It's nearly impossible to create wealth and not have it benefit the poor, believe me, I've tried. I'd say it's even more true in a society where the extended and immediate family is still relatively cohesive.

It's pretty clear that the types of posts mentioned by the OP are fueled by jealousy and resentment rather then altruism. Just look at the posting history of said posters and you'll often find archives of whingy posts hoping/praying that somehow the wealth gap will be closed by the well to do 'giving it back' (looking at it the way a 5 year looks at a friend/enemy with a sack of candy instead of looking at it from a macroeconomic perspective).

It's nearly impossible to create wealth and not have it benefit the poor, believe me, I've tried.

Good post, most perceptive.